Nature: Butterflies and Moths

Red Spotted Purple 纵火线虫 / Limenitis Arthemis Astyanax ( Family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies)

This great butterfly, often almost three and a half inches in wingspread, has brilliant red spots glowing on its underwings against a delicate Japanese blue color so strangely lovely that the design looks almost like a scene from fairyland. In spite of its exquisite beauty, it likes to alight on such dirty things as dog dung and other manure or decaying material left along a roadway. It may even drink the juices of rotting animal bodies, as it is frequently found upon them, apparently thoroughly enjoying itself.

Continue reading “Red Spotted Purple 纵火线虫 / Limenitis Arthemis Astyanax ( Family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies)”

Nature: Butterflies and Moths

Orange Sulphur 纹黄蝶 (Family Pieridae, Whites and Sulphurs)

Like golden clouds in the summertime, the Sulphurs spatter the radiators of our cars and dance over the green fields in happy ecstasy. Not so ecstatic is the farmer who sees voracious green caterpillars eating up his alfalfa and clover. The butterflies are very variable in color with several seasonal forms. The springform is rather pale, but, if you add more orange to the wings, you have the Flavid Sulphur, common in summer. Another summer form has the orange replaced everywhere by lemon yellow. There are several similar appearing Sulphur butterflies, but 3 characteristics in combination usually distinguish the Orange Sulphurs from all others. First, there is a dark diffusion at the base of each wing; second, there are usually 4 or more black dots on the undersides of the wings; and, third, the wings have no pink edges. Albinic or white individuals are quite common.

Continue reading “Orange Sulphur 纹黄蝶 (Family Pieridae, Whites and Sulphurs)”