Refugio Los Volcanes Butterfly
The only butterfly species I encountered here, and only in the open fields of the lodge. Altitude: 1036 metres.
Archive for 'Insects'
Adelpha sp 03
This is from the airstrip in Florida, and being next to Noel Kempff Mercado National Park there are so many different species of butterflies everywhere. The airstrip is no exception! The number of Adelphas was so large, that even back home I am unable to identify the few I managed to photograph! Please help me [...]
Headlight Beetle (Pyrophorus nyctophanus)
What an amazing sight! In the middle of the jungle in absolute darkness – a towering structure more than 2 metres tall – is dotted with countless tiny green lanterns!! This is the time of a very strange and deadly event – for the flying termites, that is. The towering structure is a huge termite [...]
Wandering spider (Ctenid sp)
Deep inside Noel Kempff Mercado National Park there are few traces of human activities, and no other way to sleep than making a campground for the night. There are several campgrounds, but as this is the jungle and few visitors come here, they are quickly reclaimed by nature. This location is at the very end [...]
Agathina Emperor (Doxocopa agathina)
A beautiful butterfly I also saw in Bolivian Amazon. The blue is changing with the angle of the light, so sometimes it seems to have very little blue, and in other angles it’s really striking. This is by the stream/waterfall we cross on the way to the Huanchaca Plateau (also called Caparu Meseta (Meseta de [...]
Smith’s Pixie (Melanis smithiae)
The very first of the species for me in Bolivia, and one of countless gorgeous butterfly species here in Noel Kempff Mercado National Park. This is by the stream/waterfall we cross on the way to the Huanchaca Plateau (also called Caparu Meseta (Meseta de Caparú)) and is sometimes used as a camp when it’s not [...]
Adelpha sp 02
The diversity of butterflies here is staggering, and only when I got home did I see that what I briefly in the field thought of as the same species of Adelpha indeed was not, and needs an expert’s help to identify! Please help identify it – leave a comment.
Adelpha sp 01
Identifying the Adelphas is not easy, and in Noel Kempff Mercado National Park they are so plentiful that your analytical skills are really put to the test. Please help identify it – leave a comment.
Mesentina Sister (Adelpha mesentina)
The diversity of butterflies here is staggering, and only when I got home did I see that what I briefly in the field thought of as the same species of Adelpha indeed was not, and needs an expert’s help to identify! Please help me identfy it – leave a comment.
Green Mantle (Caria mantinea)
A very tricky butterfly to follow, and when my salty pants seemed the only interesting spot to land I was out of options and had to accept that this would be the only shot I would get. With much more time, I would of course get some decent shots of this magnificent butterfly. The amount [...]
Adelpha sp
Noel Kempff Mercado National Park has the river Paraguá as a natural border in the west, and on the shores of the river you’ll see a large number of insect species, including butterflies. So even though the community of Florida is cattle land, and typically has human waste of different categories, the proximity to the [...]
Noel Kempff Mercado National Park beetle 01
An incredibly strong color blue beetle, that according to my local guide produces a terrible smell as a defense. I didn’t check, so I don”t really know. Please help me identify it – leave a comment.
Heraclides sp
Noel Kempff Mercado National Park has the river Paraguá as a natural border in the west, and on the shores of the river you’ll see a large number of insect species, including butterflies. So even though the community of Florida is cattle land, and typically has human waste of different categories, the proximity to the [...]
Heraclides sp?
Noel Kempff Mercado National Park has the river Paraguá as a natural border in the west, and on the shores of the river you’ll see a large number of insect species, including butterflies. So even though the community of Florida is cattle land, and typically has human waste of different categories, the proximity to the [...]
Ruby-spotted Swallowtail (Heraclides anchisiades)
Noel Kempff Mercado National Park has the river Paraguá as a natural border in the west, and on the shores of the river you’ll see a large number of insect species, including butterflies. So even though the community of Florida is cattle land, and typically has human waste of different categories, the proximity to the [...]
Rothschild’s Swordtail (Protesilaus earis)
The different species of Protesilaus can be difficult to identify, but if you think of the thick black bars on the forewing as a barcode, you actually have a way of separating them. The particular of this one is that the fourth bar (counting bottom-up) is almost non-existing. Noel Kempff Mercado National Park has the [...]
Glittering Sapphire (Lasaia agesilas)
Noel Kempff Mercado National Park has the river Paraguá as a natural border in the west, and on the shores of the river you’ll see a large number of insect species, including butterflies. So even though the community of Florida is cattle land, and typically has human waste of different categories, the proximity to the [...]
Polyctor Skipper (Polyctor polyctor)
Noel Kempff Mercado National Park has the river Paraguá as a natural border in the west, and on the shores of the river you’ll see a large number of insect species, including butterflies. So even though the community of Florida is cattle land, and typically has human waste of different categories, the proximity to the [...]
Pale Sulphur (Aphrissa statira)
Noel Kempff Mercado National Park has the river Paraguá as a natural border in the west, and on the shores of the river you’ll see a large number of insect species, including butterflies. So even though the community of Florida is cattle land, and typically has human waste of different categories, the proximity to the [...]
Noel Kempff butterfly 01
Noel Kempff Mercado National Park has the river Paraguá as a natural border in the west, and on the shores of the river you’ll see a large number of insect species, including butterflies. So even though the community of Florida is cattle land, and typically has human waste of different categories, the proximity to the [...]
Red Daggerwing (Marpesia petreus)
Noel Kempff Mercado National Park has the river Paraguá as a natural border in the west, and on the shores of the river you’ll see a large number of insect species, including butterflies. So even though the community of Florida is cattle land, and typically has human waste of different categories, the proximity to the [...]
Bell’s Paradise Skipper (Phocides metrodorus)
Noel Kempff Mercado National Park has the river Paraguá as a natural border in the west, and on the shores of the river you’ll see a large number of insect species, including butterflies. So even though the community of Florida is cattle land, and typically has human waste of different categories, the proximity to the [...]
Hübner’s Sister (Adelpha plesaure)
Noel Kempff Mercado National Park has the river Paraguá as a natural border in the west, and on the shores of the river you’ll see a large number of insect species, including butterflies. So even though the community of Florida is cattle land, and typically has human waste of different categories, the proximity to the [...]
Heliconius sp
This was my farwell to Chalalan, and even though it was raining some butterflies were out feeding on urine or naturally occuring salts. Please help me identify it – leave a comment.
Great Orange tip (Anteos menippe)
Sometimes you can see quite large gatherings of this species on the riverbanks, and urine is particularly irresistible.
Rainbow katydid (Tettigoniidae)
Spotted on the grounds of the now out of business Santa Rosa – Chalalan’s neighbor. Please help med identify it – leave a comment.
Genoveva Buckeye (Junonia genoveva)
Spotted on the grounds of the now out of business Santa Rosa – Chalalan’s neighbor.
Madidi chrysalis
What amazing weaving skills! I would really like to know what species this is so I can see what kind of insect this is. Please help med identify it – leave a comment.
Red-barred Amarynthis (Amarynthis meneria)
One of innumerable species of butterflies and moths found here, this is on the trail from Tuichi river to Santa Rosa lake – the much larger neighboring lake to Chalalan.
Cleonus Metalmark (Detritivora cleonus)
This is on the trail from Tuichi river to Santa Rosa lake – the much larger neighboring lake to Chalalan.
Madidi grasshopper 03
Please help identify it – leave a comment.
Many-banded Daggerwing (Marpesia chiron)
A large and quite common butterfly on the riverbanks of Madidi.
Madidi butterfly 01
On all the riverbanks you’ll see many different species of butterflies and bees, licking salts – either from human and mammal urine, or the natural occurring salts. Please help identify it – leave a comment.
Madidi cicada 02
Please help me identify it – leave a comment.
Madidi grasshopper 02
Another large grasshopper, and the only time I saw this particular species. Please help me identify it – leave a comment.
Stink bug (Pentatomidae)
As with all stink bugs they have a foul smell, but with such intense color I suppose this must smell incredibly bad? Please help me identify it – leave a comment.
Rainbow metalmark (Caria trochilus)
The Caria butterflies are perhaps the most beautiful of all! The colors, patterns and how they are in different angles and light is just mesmerizing, and I guess reason for some to get hooked on butterflies for the rest of their lives! I never got the chance to photograph this species in direct sunlight, which [...]
Crested rainforest grasshopper (Prionolopha serrata)
One of many large insects just outside my cabin.
Madidi grasshopper 01
The 2 kilometre long trail from the river to Chalalan provides an excellent welcome and goodbye experience when it comes to flora and fauna, and this was the first grasshopper! A very large one, i might add! Please help me identify it – leave a comment
Madidi Cicada 01
Halfway to Chalalan we stopped for lunch on the bank of the Tuichi River, and this was the first and only sight I had of this incredible insect.
Altiplano butterfly 02
This was the second species of butterfly I saw during my few dayes here. Please help me identify it – leave a comment Altitude: 3669 metres.
Altiplano butterfly 01
One of very few butterflies I saw on the Altiplano. In the Amazon there’s a lack of salt and they sometimes swarm aound sweat or urine stains in the landscape. Here it’s plenty of salt, but perhaps not so much pollen. Please help my identify it – leave a comment. Altitude: 3838 metres.
Callicore sp
I only saw this once – at least with wings open. Most I saw of this species had their wings closed, thus I only saw the underside of the wing (ventral). Usually butterflies are rather dull colorwise on the underside, but this species caught my eyes due to their very colorful underside. Unfortunately I didn’t [...]
Yasuni Lepidoptera 15
Several species of lepidoptera have developed a striking resemblance to dead leaves, which of course is without any nutritional value except for fungus and earthworms, and thus are left alone. When not moving that is. This one had made its way to my room during the night, and it looks wounded. As if a bird [...]
Large Spurwing (Antigonus nearchus)
From most angles it looks like an all-brown butterfly that’s well camouflaged against the mud of the riverbank.
Eurota Purplewing (Eunica eurota)
One of many wonderful species alongside the river bank of the Napo Wildlife Center welcome center. Like many species also this one preferred to sit with wings closed, and thus blend in with the muddy shore. I noticed some blue in flight, but sitting it was not generous in opening its wings. It finally decided [...]
Agathina Emperor (Doxocopa agathina)
I’m grateful to have gotten a shot of this wonderful butterfly. I only saw it here this once on the muddy grounds of the Napo Wildlife Center welcome center. Here the shifting levels of the Napo river deposits silt on the flat riverside and this is what the butterflies seek – salts. Most of the [...]
Sootywing (Bolla sp)
Very hard to identify, but beautiful nonetheless! One of the many species visiting the Napo Wildlife Center welcome center. It was one of few species that preferred the rotting tree stump to the minerals in the river mud.