butterflying in Mexico

[MexicoDoug at aol.com]

En un mensaje con fecha 07/15/2001 8:51:02 AM Central Daylight Time, 
NOSPAM at yahoo.com (Dave Fallow) escribe:

Doug -- saw your post on the LEPS list.  Curious if you live in Monterrey 
year-round or are just visiting?  I would like to get a better handle (than 
virtually none!) on Mexican butterflies.  Do you have any recommendations on 
how to ID them, ie through binoculars rather than with a net?  I believe 
there's not a single field guide that covers them adequately...Any ideas 
appreciated.  Thanks, Dave Fallow in Wisconsin >>


Hi Dave,

Hope you consider it appropriate, as I thought you question was pretty 
appropriate for the list...

I live here in Mexico and have for the past 7 years, here are some of my 
thoughts, though from Wisconsin it could get tricky...

Your question sort of treats Mexico as if it were a single region, while of 
course it is more diverse than the US, both in fauna (about 2,500 butterfly 
species) and in habitats.  Where I live in Monterrey the above books are are 
fine and there will always be unknowns here and there which adds to the fun.  
The practice of inventorying sightings is cultural, and I find the hobby 
never tedious on the days I don't.  As a matter of fact, I pity folks in the 
US who have so many supercharged butterfly gurus fluttering about that one 
could get so hung up in nomenclature and inventorying without ever getting 
out to do some soul-filling free format field activities.

So my notes contain dumb names like Guion4 (Guion en spanish is "Dash"), and 
even descriptive ones like Powdered Sugar-Z Roadside Skipper, names to me 
which are just as valid as any other I know, or any professionally or 
commercially coined ones.  Someday which I will discover the scientific name 
for the former, though honestly, I have no burning desire to since I already 
know the bug for my purposes and practice my hobby only for my enjoyment.

Regarding binocs, etc., I have a very impressive pair, as well as a good 
camera.  However, the binocs seem to be workout ballast as I always have them 
in the fannypack but honestly only use them just to check out occasional 
attractive joggers.  If I spend a lot of time in the field in a specific 
area, I find in practically all cases opportunities come up to approach 
butterflies and observe them unintrusively with the naked eye, even if the 
ankle hurts and the belly gets scratched by pebbles, or worse the nose 
touches carrion.  The most interesting & challenging aspect to me is to learn 
about a butterfly's behavior and ideally not even need to clearly see it so 
clearly 'on display' to recognize it.  For example, as I type this I am 
observing several fatimas.  Now while it is an easy example, it is not less 
fun to watch their nervious changing of sites, fights with other species, 
spasmodic form of flight when nectaring, and frequent coquetiveness.  All one 
sees are Tasmanian Devil (cartoon) like movements with red or white flashes 
without getting up from my strained perspective.  But if you know your area 
butterflies, they are unmistakeable.

Some food for thought:  Four years ago, I had the opportunity to go 
butterflying with a expert amateur butterfly author here.  We saw a type of 
tiger swallowtail.  Immediately he indicated it was the glaucus type and it 
was noted by our recorder.  To me that was pretty shocking, since the flight 
and size was so obviously of a three-tailed pilumnus, although something 
seemed wrong - it suggested a space shuttle type landing flight over the 
normal gracefulness...continuing with the anecdote:....I said "un uh...three 
tails!", and the now disinterested expert broke out into a boyish charge, 
camera first photographing the pilumnus as best he could - which it turns out 
had lost a good part of its three tailed rudders to some predator.

My point with the above anecdote, returning to your original question, is 
that no experts and exacting guides are needed to have a great and meaningful 
time at butterflying here.  Said expert could kick my Lepstering ass in 99% 
of the US with one eye closed when it comes to Butterfly Inventorying.

Of course, instead of general butterflying, if you are locked into "butterfly 
inventorying", to me, an afliction very different focus, which I am not 
suffering from at this moment.  Perhaps the distinction of "Butterfly 
Inventorying" vs. other Butterflying, is a topic worth discussion.  Anyhow, 
guides (or worse yet manuals) are simply crutches, and while nice, are 
certainly not required to have fun here or anywhere.  Of course, we are not 
the first generation of butterflyers nor was butterflying invented with the 
landmark Audubon Guide in the US and all of its sequels.  Invent some names 
yourself and I'm sure you'll agree.  Just don't let anyone shove them down 
anyone's throat or you just might take the fun away from them...

Anyway, that sums up a few suggestions to butterfly here or anywhere I 
suppose...if you have any specific questions, I'd be glad to give a shot at 
answering them.

Regarding guidebooks, there are a few which help, at least the last two you 
probably know quite well!

"Mariposas Mexicanas" by de la Maza
(general country, strong in central, most of the common bugs)
"Butterflies of Costa Rica" by De Vries
(A nice complement for places south of Mexico City)
"A Field Guide to Butterflies of Texas", by Neck
(Nice for the Northeast, fun to find the errors)
"Butterflies of Southeastern Arizona" by Bailowitz
"North American Butterflies" by Howe
(Good job on Mexico - here's a guy who was is a great amateur butterflier for 
Mexican stuff)
"North American Butterflies" by Scott
(Precision at its best and very helpful plates for transients)
"Audubon Guide to North American Butterflies" by Pyle
(Such as nice book, though a few errors, nice for the North)
"http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/bflyusa/bflyref.htm"
(try running this for Northern Mex, though I haven't it probably is your best 
bet for general inventorying)

Happy Butterflying.
Doug Dawn
Monterrey, Mexico
stelenes at pobox.com
Do not auto respond to MexicoDoug at aol.com.  It will die after my free access 
ends.


En un mensaje con fecha 07/15/2001 8:51:02 AM Central Daylight Time, 
dfallow at yahoo.com escribe:

<< sunto:    butterflying in Mexico
 Fecha: 07/15/2001 8:51:02 AM Central Daylight Time
 From:  @yahoo.com (Dave Fallow)
 To:    MexicoDoug
 
 
 Doug -- saw your post on the LEPS list.  Curious if
 you live in Monterrey year-round or are just visiting?
  I would like to get a better handle (than virtually
 none!) on Mexican butterflies.  Do you have any
 recommendations on how to ID them, ie through
 binoculars rather than with a net?  I believe there's
 not a single field guide that covers them
 adequately...Any ideas appreciated.  Thanks,
                               Dave Fallow in Wisconsin >>

 
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