more things to identify

For many years now I have resisted the temptation to plunge myself into the world of butterflying. Still too many birds left out there to see, I thought. So many other vertebrate taxa that I haven't hardly began to enjoy. But having taken a short-term job that will place me in the LRGV of Texas (a region known not only for its awesome Mexican birds but also its awesome Mexican butterflies) for at least part of the upcoming spring/summer. I decided to pick up a butterfly field guide and start learning some of these guys! In fact the field guide helped lead me to some other resources that allowed me to (tenatively) identify some of the butterflies I photographed in Mexico last year.

Diaethria a. anna, aka Anna's Eighty-eight

Heliconius erato cruentus, aka the Erato Heliconius or the Crimson-patched Longwing

Hamadryas februa ferentina, aka the Gray Cracker

Papilio (Pterourus) multicaudata grandiosus? aka the two-tailed tiger swallowtail

So when the temps start warming up, not only will I be looking for the usual warblers, tanagers and flycatchers but also the skippers, fritillaries and checkerspots!