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-wing Skippers | Grass Skippers


Spread-wing Skippers (Hesperiidae: Pyrginae)


White-striped Longtail <I>(Chioides catillus)</I> White-striped Longtail (Chioides albofasciatus)
Starr Co., TX
17 Oct 2004

Zilpa Longtail (Chioides zilpa)
Lucy's Garden, Mission, Hidalgo Co., TX 13 Oct 2004
same individual

Emerald Aguna (Aguna claxon)
Lucy's Garden, Mission, Hidalgo Co., TX 13 Oct 2004
same individual

Brown Longtail (Urbanus procne)
Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 15 Oct 2004
Brown Longtail (Urbanus procne)
Mission, Hidalgo Co., TX 15 Oct 2004
Brown Longtail (Urbanus procne)
Frontera Audubon Sanctuary, Hidalgo Co., TX 18 Oct 2004
same individual

Coyote Cloudywing (Achalarus toxeus)
La Grulla, Starr Co., TX 17 Oct 2004
same individual

Fritzgaertner's Flat (Celaenorrhinus fritzgaertneri)
Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 15 Oct 2004

Mimosa Skipper (Cogia calchas)
Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 15 Oct 04
Mimosa Skipper (Cogia calchas)
Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 15 Oct 04
Mimosa Skipper (Cogia calchas)
Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 15 Oct 04
Mimosa Skipper (Cogia calchas)
Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 15 Oct 04

Glazed Pellicia (Pellicia arina)
Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 15 Oct 2004
same individual
Glazed Pellicia (Pellicia arina)
NABA Park, Hidalgo Co., TX 19 Oct 2004

Mazans Scallopwing (Staphylus mazans)
Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 15 Oct 04

Sickle-winged Skipper (Eantis thraso) (formerly placed in Achylodes)
Starr Co., TX 16 Oct 2004

Brown-banded Skipper (Timochares ruptifasciatus)
Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 15 Oct 04
Brown-banded Skipper (Timochares ruptifasciatus)
Mission, Hidalgo Co., TX 15 Oct 04

White-patched Skipper (Chiomara asychis georgina), female
(Note reduced amount of white compared to male)
Mission, Hidalgo Co., TX 13 Oct 2004
White-patched Skipper (Chiomara asychis georgina), male
Mission, Hidalgo Co., TX 13 Oct 2004
These skippers (and others) often fold their forewings
back over their hindwings.
Mission, Hidalgo Co., TX 13 Oct 2004
Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 15 Oct 2004
Entertaining view!
Mission, Hidalgo Co., TX 13 Oct 2004

Horace's Duskywing Erynnis horatio
Mission, Hidalgo Co., TX 14 Oct 2004

Mournful Duskywing (Erynnis tristis)
Mission, Hidalgo Co., TX
15 Oct 04
same individual
Note the white marks inward from the margin.
These marks separate this from similar Funereal Duskywing.
Probably Mournful Duskywing (Erynnis tristis tatius)
Mission, Hidalgo Co., TX 13 Oct 2004

White Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus albescens)
La Grulla, Starr Co., TX 17 Oct 2004

Tropical Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus oileus), male
La Grulla, Starr Co., TX
17 Oct 2004
Tropical Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus oileus), female
Sabal Palm, Cameron Co., TX
18 Oct 2004

Desert Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus philetas)
Mission, Hidalgo Co., TX 19 Oct 2004
Desert Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus philetas)
Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 15 Oct 2004

Laviana White-Skipper (Heliopetes laviana)
Mission, Hidalgo Co., TX 19 Oct 04
Laviana White-Skipper (Heliopetes laviana)
Mission, Hidalgo Co., TX 13 Oct 04
Laviana White-Skipper (Heliopetes laviana)
Mission, Hidalgo Co., TX 13 Oct 04

Turk's-cap White-Skipper (Heliopetes macaira)
Sabal Palms, Cameron Co., TX 18 Oct 2004
Turk's-cap White-Skipper (Heliopetes macaira)
Santa Ana NWR, Hidalgo Co., TX 15 Oct 2004

Common Sootywing (Pholisora catullus)
La Grulla, Starr Co., TX 17 Oct 2004

Texas Butterflies

Swallowtails | Whites & Sulphurs | Hairstreaks & Blues | Metalmarks

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


Back to Jeff's Butterfly Page


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