Before we leave this remote corner of southeastern Ecuador, I want to show you a few of the butterflies that appear during intervals between rain. If anyone can help with identifying the ones I don’t know (or correcting the ones I think I know), please speak up!
Enjoy!
The metalmarks of the New World tropics have evolved a wide array of dazzling species.
Meneria Metalmark (Amarynthis meneria)
(Photos by Narca)
Metalmark species
The nymphalids are likewise well-represented. Let’s start with a few of the more familiar ones.
Clymena Eighty-eight (Diaethria clymena)
One of the sisters, an Adelpha species
The very familiar Malachite (Siproeta stelenes)
Here’s an unknown––and possibly unknowable––nymphalid. The falcate wingtips are like those of the daggerwings. Look at the ruby eyes!
One of my favorites, a big Orion Cecropian (Historis odius)
The Orion’s host plant is Cecropia.
I’m not sure of this one, but it looks like a species of Mimic-Queen
A large satyr of the deep forest, Pierella lamia
This purplewing is probably a species of Eunica (above and below)
A few skippers were about; this may be a duskywing in the genus Ebrietas
This one I won’t even guess at, though it strikes me as a moth! Help, anyone?
Let’s end with a jewel! We had seen this metalmark several years ago in Brownsburg, Suriname, where Noel christened it “Tinkerbell”.
The Castilia Metalmark (Caria castalia)
And to continue the invertebrate theme, here’s an impressive spider gate on the road out of Yankuam!
