Speaking of Lantana varieties/species, here is one that until very recently, I was unaware of: the purple trailing Lantata (L. montevidensis), a native of South America - https://plantsexpress.com/cdn/shop/products/Purple-Trailing-Lantana-1.jpg?v=1684521123 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lantana_mont...

My Monkey Puzzle tree is the only animal proof plant I have. Possibly the last thing that ate the foliage of that kind of tree, were sauropod dinosaurs. Great, and already my dreams of guaranteed attraction is immediately cast into doubt. It might depend on what species of butterflies you have in y...

Livingplanet, I've never heard of Lantana described as smelling like "citus, pine, & gasoline". To me it has a very pleasant odor, and you can smell it without cutting it. It's definitely not odorless. Interesting - it seems that people often find the odor of Lantana somewhat noxious....

Lantana is everywhere here in the Phoenix area - it can definitely take the most brutal heat and sun, with only moderate watering!... Very common throughout TX as well, including a native species, Lantana urticoides, that has red/orange/yellow flowers - https://www.bio.utexas.edu/courses/bio406d/im...

Thai Sunray, a new (to me) Canna variety that I've pre-ordered for planting next year - https://www.cannas.net/media/catalog/product/cache/cc91396c270bcdcb3b5458687334b719/t/h/thai_sunray_sept_18_2019_1_sq_small_1.jpg It's unusually cold here in North TX right now - it hasn't gone above about 15 F (...

Yes. Such a variety of life. Fake looking animals on a fake looking plant. It would be a feat to burrow in the ground with those antennae. Speaking of real (but fake-looking) insects, weevils of the genus Eupholus (such as E. magnificus) come to mind :) - https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FxWFCj2XgAAlArM...

Hello livingplanet3, Those are some superb photographs that you have there. They really convey the marvelous and distinctive beauty of this particular butterfly species. It's still remains amongst MY top 20 favorite butterfly species.... It was my first opportunity to acquire a "birdwing"...

Cabintom wrote: ↑Wed Jan 10, 2024 8:06 pm livingplanet, what's the source of your images? (Do you have the data for the specimens?) Quite possible I'm wrong, but my gut says your top image is a male harpalyce, while the bottom is definitely a female harpalyce.

Sources added below the images.

Looks like E. harpalyce to me... the FW subapical band comes much nearer to the margin in E. losinga (furthermore, it doesn't seem that losinga has been recorded from Uganda). The two species are so very similar, and I assume that there is some degree of variability within each, but indeed, thanks ...

Annarobertson1947 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 07, 2024 1:42 am Better pic than previous, large beautiful deep blue

Superb!

Trehopr1 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 09, 2024 5:40 am Here I have a species of Euphaedra which could use
an I.D. Its a lovely chocolate-brown color overall with
little white tips at the apex of the forewings. Seems like
something of a standout species but, I sure can't find it !

Another I.D. much appreciated...

It appears to be Euphaedra losinga.

Acraeini are a tribe of butterflies which are quite plentiful on the continent of Africa. This species is out of Uganda and I was hoping someone of regional Africa expertice could possibly place a name for it. It is asking a bit as I know how numerous and varied this tribe is. Appreciate any help.....

collector wrote: ↑Sun Jan 07, 2024 6:42 pm Please ID this butterfly from Nanjing China.
Thank you

Apatura metis, perhaps?

This thread prompted me to recall a Currier & Ives lithograph from 1864 that depicts an American chestnut tree - "The Village Blacksmith" . It was featured in a classic Reader's Digest "coffee table" format book that I grew up with - "Our Amazing World of Nature" (1...

I found it almost dead in my office (it died while I was photographing it). The ruler next to the insect has divisions in 0.5 millimeter; this insect appears to be approximately 5mm long... It's a termite, and appears to be an alate (a winged reproductive) that has shed its wings. https://bugguide....

Below - some nice photos I came across of Trogonoptera brookiana. This species, along with T. trojana, must surely be among the most distinctive looking and magnificent butterflies in the world - https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/67372008/large.jpg https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vjS_...

I saw Yesterday an insect, I never saw before. I described it to the people and nobody ever saw it. That’s why I ask you as long nsects expert to help me. Thanks a lot Description: Place Kenya Southcoast Funzi Keys 30 kilometer from the Tanzanian Border. Near the sea fresh cutted gras. I Length 10c...

Hi, I recently photographed this Spilomeline on the wall in my house. I couldn't find a name in Hermann Staude's new Moths book, or on Afromoths. I was advised to join this forum and ask. The iNat record is here https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/193302918. I see some familiar names among the...

Donation sent.

Hi, Anyone know what this is. Realise image is a bit blurry and hopefully I have attached it to this message.... It's the caterpillar of a geometrid moth, commonly called an "inchworm" - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geometer_moth https://bugguide.net/node/view/188 These caterpillars usua...