Friday, March 22, 2013

NHM Butterfly Exhibit Visit #8

Female Attacus atlas laying eggs 03-22-13

If I counted right......I think this is the 8th visit since this wonderful insanity started in 2011. I cannot wait to get to visit number 10 whenever that'll be. But this one is memorable.........because I met Hazel Davies program director and Author (I proudly have one of her books sitting on the table amongst many others in my house) and although my meeting with her was brief it was infested with information on my lovelies. Volunteering also came up yet again.......I seriously think I'm gonna do it at some point. First though personal things have to be permanently taken care of and then they're (butterflies) are mine.......

all mine.......

She was mentioning schedules and I was thinking Sundays since I virtually don't have anything to do on Sundays so.....we'll see. But I'm not going to count my Actias luna eggs before they hatch......I'll keep my fingers tightly crossed though.

And now......

New Additions:

1. Papilio nephelus sunatus
2. Forest Queen (Euxanthe wakefieldi)
3. Tirumala septentrionis *
4. Atrophaneura aristolochia
5. Adelpha epione? **
6. Unidentified Heliconius *Possibly H. melpomene according to Hazel Davies 
7. Unidentified Papilionid *Possibly in the genera Eurytides or even Parides according to Dave Rolfe
8. Papilio demodocus

* These were (or another similar looking species (remember similar species within different genera) here before plenty of times and today the ones I saw were confirmed as Tirumala septentrionis
** Had seen several and asked which species they were and was told "Barred Sister" (Latin name unknown to all at the time) so I'd briefly check around online and the only "Barred Sister" I came across was the White-Barred Sister (Adelpha epione). 

The Unidentified Swallowtail. Never seen anything like it. Any and all input is greatly appreciated ^^

Papilio nephelus sunatus

There were also what looked like Parides photinus flying around too only that the black in the wings seems more grey/silvery to me and the tails might've been longer........I managed to get on in a video (will post shortly) but Idk if it's enough to ID them definitely as there's also a Mimoides sp. that looks like it too (mimicry is crazy).

2 Attacus atlas females were also observed. One was up right over the entrance door (photo) and the other was in the bushes a little ways away from said door on the other side. She unfortunately was near the end of her life as the poor thing wouldn't stop trembling.

She was still magnificent to see nonetheless. Euxanthe wakefieldi which just popped out of nowhere and I managed to get a couple of fuzzy pictures. Oh and there's this in the subway exits:

Protographium (Eurytides) marcellus!! ^^♥ 

Stuff like this was all over the walls and on the ground to the last exit they were letting people through because all the other ones were closed (yes I stayed "late" again). Didn't even know they had this.......♥

Epic! Oh! And I finally got to see "Flight of The Butterflies". It's a magnificent film and it left me with an even greater appreciation and love for Danaus plexippus and Mr. Urquhart God bless you both.

I'll leave a proper review of that in another post. For now I have research and more posts to write.

ɛïɜ

No comments: