Yellow Coster Larva

Yellow Coster (Telchinia issoria, 苎麻珍蝶). Larva.

Cold weather is coming: it is the time of year to revisit some old pictures. This caterpillar was romping around Hengshan, mid-October 2023.

Butterflies in the Autumn Sun

Blue Admiral (Kaniska canace) and Asian Comma (Polygonia c-aureum) by Taozi Lake, enjoying the warm sun, while it lasts.

Blue Admiral

Blue Admiral (Kaniska canace, 琉璃蛱蝶).

So named on account of the powder blue band on the upperside of the wings. When displaying their undersides they expertly blend into the trees, posing as either a dried leaf or piece of bark.

Male Blue Pansy

Male Blue Pansy (Junonia orithya, 翠蓝眼蛱蝶).

It is the time of year when may junonia start appearing. The upper side of its wings are more colorful with its black and blue markings, but even with its wings closed, it is a substantial-looking butterfly.

Female Tropical Fritillary

Tropical Fritillary (Argynnis hyperbius, 斐豹蛱蝶). Female.

A few weeks ago I saw a great many tropical fritillary caterpillars: now the butterflies are out in full force.

Grass Yellow

A common sight in Autumn in Changsha. It could be terias hecabe (宽边黄粉蝶) or eurema mandarina (北黄粉蝶): both species are apparently present in Hunan and they are not clearly distinguishable from any clear morphological characteristics.

Five-dot Sergeant

Five-dot Sergeant (Limenitis sulpitia, 残锷线蛱蝶).

Its wings were a little worse for wear: naturally nature photographers like to photograph pristine looking insects, though in the field, missing legs and antennae and tattered wings are common among these short lived creatures.

Angled Sunbeam

Angled Sunbeam (Curetis acuta, 尖翅银灰蝶).

A flashy orange and brown in flight, this lycaenid blends easily into different backgrounds: most likely why this is only the second one I have ever seen on Yuelu Mountain; in this case it was happily camouflaged on a granite block.

Bhutan Sergeant

Bhutan Sergeant (Athyma jina, 玉杵带蛱蝶).

This is the only one I have observed on Yuelu Mountain, but there must be more out there, and throughout other Hunan forests during the summer.

Eastern Azure Sapphire

Eastern Azure Sapphire (Heliophorus saphir, 莎菲彩灰蝶).

A nice lycaenid butterfly, I saw many of them in Huxingshan along the sides of the roads: they are flashy blue and brown on one side and yellow with an orange fringe on the other.

Stichophthalma Howqua

Stichophthalma howqua (箭环蝶).

A large butterfly, almost the size of my extended hand, I followed the movements of three of them through a bamboo forest until I was able to manage a short but closer look, as one of the three stopped for a short reprieve.

Neope Contrasta

Neope contrasta (黄荫眼蝶).

Summer markings. Spotted on a rock wall during an evening walk in Huxingshan Yao Ethnic Township, up to an empty water reservoir above the village.

Female Green Flash

Green Flash (Artipe eryx, 绿灰蝶). Female.

The hot dry season has started. Yesterday I walked in Wangling park, which was littered with fallen scarab beetles and stunned eastern horse cicadas; the latter I think were affected by gardeners watering the trees more than the heat. In the woods there were plenty of live insects to see: I was particularly taken by this butterfly, which I don't see very often, although in late fall and winter one often comes across gardenia fruits with holes burrowed into them by their larvae.

Common Bluebottle

Common Bluebottle (Graphium sarpedon, 青凤蝶).

As soon as the heavy rain left, hundreds of bluebottle butterflies became active. Here are three enjoying a drink in one of the many cool impromptu streams still flowing down Yuelu Mountain.

Plum Judy

Plum Judy (Abisara echerius, 蛇目褐蚬蝶).

A new encounter for me: the wet season form of this butterfly was flying around the top of Tianma Mountain, in Liuyang. Even when perched on a leaf it was in constant motion: turning and dancing.

White-banded Flat

White-banded Flat (Daimio tethys, 黑弄蝶).

An East Asian butterfly, found throughout much of China as well as Japan and Korea: another find from our weekend trip to Liuyang.

Indian Red Admiral

Indian Red Admiral (Vanessa indica, 大红蛱蝶).

A relative of the far more widespread painted lady (vanessa cardui), though it is darker and the uppersides of the wings are a deeper orange. I see both species in the forests and sometimes in urban spaces.

Tongeia Filicaudis

Tongeia filicaudis (点玄灰蝶).

Another local typical blue butterfly. Over the past two weeks I have seen several on the lower reaches of Yuelu Mountain, either resting on ramie plants or feeding on the various wild flowers or Japanese cheese plants.

Spring Common Mormon Swallowtail

The landscape has been inundated with the spring brood of common mormon swallowtails (papilio polytes, 玉带凤蝶). I have been seeing them everywhere. This one was resting in the grotto by the Catholic Church.

Painted Lady

Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui, 小紅蛺蝶).

The world's most widespread butterfly. This one was feeding near the Xiang River, perhaps part of a Spring migration to northern Asia.