Butterflies of Texas

by Jeffrey S. Pippen | Jeff's Butterfly Page | Jeff's Nature Pages

The Lower Rio Grande Valley is one of the best butterflying locations in the entire United States. Here are pictures of butterflies from that region, taken with a Nikon CoolPix 4500, nearly all using natural lighting. Click here for some of the psychotic butterfliers and other wildlife from the LRGV with whom I went butterflying.


Texas Butterflies

Swallowtails | Whites & Sulphurs | Hairstreaks & Blues | Metalmarks

Brushfoots 1 | Brushfoots 2 | Spread-winged Skippers | Grass Skippers


Brushfoots 1 (Nymphalidae)


Snouts (Subfammily Libytheinae)

American Snout (Libytheana carinenta)
Mission, Hidalgo Co., TX 13 Oct 2004
American Snout (Libytheana carinenta)
Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 15 Oct 2004

Heliconians, Longwings (Subfamily Heliconiinae)

Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)
Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 15 Oct 2004

Note that while this species is called a fritillary, it's actually classified as a longwing.
Zebra Heliconian (Heliconius charithonia)
Bentsen World Birding Center, Hidalgo Co.
19 Oct 2004

Fritillaries (Subfamily Agrynninae)

Mexican Fritillary (Euptoieta hegesia)
World Birding Center, Hidalgo Co., TX 19 Oct 04
same individual

Patches, Crescents, & Checkerspots (Subfamily Melataeinae)

Theona Checkerspot (Thessalia theona)
Starr Co., TX 17 Oct 2004
Here's a Theona cavorting with a feisty Phaon Crescent!
Mission, Hidalgo Co., TX 19 Oct 2004

Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia)
Mission, Hidalgo Co., TX 13 Oct 2004
same individual

Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia) Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia)
Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 15 Oct 2004

Crimson Patch (Chlosyne janais)
Frontera Audubon, Hidalgo Co., TX 18 Oct 2004
Crimson Patch (Chlosyne janais)
Frontera Audubon, Hidalgo Co., TX 18 Oct 2004

Elada Checkerspot (Microtia (Texola) elada), mated pair
Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 15 Oct 2004
Elada Checkerspot (Microtia (Texola) elada)
Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 15 Oct 2004

Texan Crescent
(Anthanassa texana texana) (formerly placed in Phyciodes)
Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 15 Oct 2004

Pale-banded (Tulcis) Crescent
(Anthanassa tulcis) (formerly placed in Phyciodes)
Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 15 Oct 04
Pale-banded (Tulcis) Crescent
(Anthanassa tulcis) (formerly placed in Phyciodes)
Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 15 Oct 04

Phaon Crescent (Phyciodes phaon)
Starr Co., TX 16 Oct 2004
Phaon Crescent (Phyciodes phaon)
Mission, Hidalgo Co., TX 19 Oct 2004

Texas Butterflies

Swallowtails | Whites & Sulphurs | Hairstreaks & Blues | Metalmarks

Brushfoots 1 | Brushfoots 2 | Spread-winged Skippers | Grass Skippers


Back to Jeff's Butterfly Page


Created on ... Mar 2, 2005 | Updated on ... Mar 26, 2005 | jeffpippen9@gmail.com