Bordelon's Buckeyes

Mark Walker MWalker at gensym.com
Sun Jun 16 00:53:37 EDT 2002


On Wednesday, June 12, I had an opportunity to visit south eastern Texas.
The weather was hot and humid, but there has been recent rain and the LRV
was looking as green as I'd seen it since the wet spring of 1998.  Things
were quite lush and while there was little nectar available, I could see
that the buds were developing.  It may be very good there this September and
October.
 
On this day, the butterflies were few in number and diversity - but at least
there were a few to enjoy.  I focused on San Benito and Brownsville, and
found good numbers of a few species.  Seemingly always present, there were
plenty of Papilio cresphontes (Giant Swallowtail) and Battus philenor
(Pipevine Swallowtail).  Eurema lisa (Little Sulphur) was plentiful
everywhere I went.  Pyrgus oileus (Tropical Checkered Skipper) could be
found in the grasses, and Urbanus dorantes (Dorantes Longtail) zipped from
nectar source to nectar source.  Another fabulous skipper that I found at
every location was Heliopetes macaira (Macaira Skipper).  During my many
trips to this part of the U.S., I've historically found Heliopetes laviana
to be the more common White Skipper, but only Macaira was present on this
day.  At San Benito were plenty of Anartia jatrophe (White Peacock) in
mating ritual or taking nectar.  Occasional Danaus gilippus (Queen) profiles
could be seen against the horizon as they assumed an unwavering stationary
nectaring position.  Meanwhile, the rapidly flying Libytheana carinenta
(American Snout) could be spooked out of its camouflaged perching.  At the
end of a pond I found Brephidium exile (Western Pygmy Blue) flitting about a
low lying succulent.  Phoebis sennae (Cloudless Sulphur) was a frequent
fly-by, as was Ascia monuste (Great Southern White).  I saw no hairstreaks,
but both Hemiargus ceraunus (Ceraunus Blue) and Hemiargus reakirts
(Reakirt's Blue) were relatively common.  There were two Calephelis -
nemesis and nilus - both in San Benito.  Asterocampa leilia was reliable
around it's Celtis foodplant.  Like most Emperors, the females could be
found sunning themselves while perching on leaves, while the males rested
along tree trunks in between dogfights with any airborne competitors.  Other
species seen were Agraulis vanillae (Gulf Fritillary), Hermeuptychia
sosybius (Carolina Satyr), Polites vibex (Whirlabout), and Capaoedes minima
(Southern  Skipperling).
 
It was during my long drive north to Houston, though, that I got my biggest
surprise.  It was still early (it was quite difficult to stay out very long
in that incredible heat), so I decided to stop for a look around near
Armstrong, Texas (it's bigger on the map than it is in person).  There were
a few previously unseen bugs there (like Kricogonia lyside and Calephelis
rawsoni), but the leps that drew most of my attention were an assortment of
extremely variable Junonia (Buckeyes).  I thought of Charles Bordelon's
recent postings on Junonia variation (especially in Texas, if I recall
correctly), and I was amazed at what I saw.  There were typical Junonia
coenia (Buckeye), of course (mostly worn), and a specimen which looks like a
traditional Junonia genoveva (Tropical Buckeye), but it was the extremely
dark (almost black) individuals that are stumping me.  The dorsal side is
very dark brown, with smaller eye spots than normal, the usual pair of
orange hash marks, but missing the typical orange hindwing band.  One of the
specimens I netted had a blue hue to the dorsal hindwing - looking amazingly
like the female blue Junonia from Africa and Asia.  The ventral hindwing is
chocolate with only a few of the small eyespots highlighted.  There is a
faint contrasting band across the middle of the ventral hindwing.  The
ventral forewing of one of the specimens has extensive orange scaling around
the costal margin.  All of these specimens were incredibly fresh.
 
These may just be variations of genoveva, but they are the strangest Junonia
I've ever seen in the U.S.  I spent a good hour trying to net just a few,
and considered them to be relatively uncommon.  But then a bit later, while
waiting in the rather lengthy Sarita border patrol checkpoint, I noted a
number of these same dark individuals flying across the road and resting on
flowers within a few yards of the vehicle.  I considered jumping out and
sampling a few more, but these days it's not recommended to jump out of your
vehicle while waiting at security check points.  Especially with a butterfly
net.
 
Mark Walker
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