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Communal Dragonfly, Butterfly and Insect photo thread
Beautiful and very happy for you. I will soon be able to add some UK species once we get our spring really started. Do you want to swap?
Thank you Peter, swapping - I will be guided by you. Also photographed in the forest today was Charaxes candiope, the green-veined emperor which I will post up tomorrow, described in The Guinness Book of Records as the most aggressive butterfly in the world. The Emperor was above my head in a tree in shade, as the temp in the sunlight was 33C. I was unable to get a shot of its bright orange/yellow wings. It was a treasure to see.
Re: Communal Dragonfly, Butterfly and Insect photo thread
If you find them, please let me know I have several thousands of others to look through...
Nice to see another Charaxes species. We only get one in southern Europe. that is the Two Tailed Pasha - Charaxes jasius. I have spent time with them on a couple of occasions. This one was taking sugars from a ripe plum in a tree in France.
Yours is nice. I would be spending a lot of time in the area looking for it! I don't have any African butterfly books but I will do some research later. The territorial behaviour would probably be quite helpful in finding it again. You are right in saying it will be resting from heat. You would be better off looking for them at cooler times of the day. I would also be looking for puddles and fallen over-ripe fruit if you want to get a grounded shot.
If you find them, please let me know I have several thousands of others to look through...
Nice to see another Charaxes species. We only get one in southern Europe. that is the Two Tailed Pasha - Charaxes jasius. I have spent time with them on a couple of occasions. This one was taking sugars from a ripe plum in a tree in France.
Yours is nice. I would be spending a lot of time in the area looking for it! I don't have any African butterfly books but I will do some research later. The territorial behaviour would probably be quite helpful in finding it again. You are right in saying it will be resting from heat. You would be better off looking for them at cooler times of the day. I would also be looking for puddles and fallen over-ripe fruit if you want to get a grounded shot.
Re: Communal Dragonfly, Butterfly and Insect photo thread
Sounds like you have many, many more (and dramatic) wildlife shots you could be sharing . I'm not a fan of snakes but would definitely be taking shots of amphibians and others with a long lens if that was safe. But I wouldn't chance having venom spat at me - I'm with you on that!
Do you wear long trousers! (I always wear long trouser, thick socks and long sleeved shirts - otherwise I would be bitten and stung by everything). That doesn't work with snakes but helps with some stuff.
As well as looking for natural locations, you might want to try creating a nice place to lure down your butterfly where it is safe. Sweet, juicy and aromatic fruits squashed work for some, dung and urine for others. And small puddles and damp patches work well.
I brought down one of the two tailed pashas with freshly squished plums in France.
These High Brown Fritillaries were enjoying some drying dung in Hungary. Every pile was attracting several butterflies. I was just amazed at so many of this (to UK folks) scarce (borderline extinct) butterfly. Including the very rare variant which has the silver spots absent...
And if animal dropping aren't available then a puddle or damp spot gives you a natural site of interest. And sometimes you can create your own damp patch where one didn't exist
Wet mud is a draw to many of the male blue butterflies.... because they need trace elements and minerals before they can breed.
I could post a lot more but I'd rather you go out so I can see yours! Good luck.
However up by the house amongst the Honeysuckle and Plumbago, were two Blue Morpho butterflies dancing with each other, but they did stay not long enough for a photo. Another time, I will be more lucky.
Hi Phil,
I look forward to seeing what they are as I am reasonably confidant that Morphos are a family of 40-50 varieties of just South American rainforest butterflies.
There are some lovely blue pansy butterflies in Africa but it might be anything so look forward to a sighting. May even be escapes from a butterfly collector/breeder so we need you to get shooting.
Your local environment sounds wonderful, if a little hot!
I look forward to seeing what they are as I am reasonably confidant that Morphos are a family of 40-50 varieties of just South American rainforest butterflies.
There are some lovely blue pansy butterflies in Africa but it might be anything so look forward to a sighting. May even be escapes from a butterfly collector/breeder so we need you to get shooting.
Your local environment sounds wonderful, if a little hot!
Now, I am walking over to the stables and compost heap to look for dung life, then the forest. I could be gone for some time.
How many lenses and type, do you keep for your butterfly shots?
Phil hope the walk was a success.
I liked 'dung life'. It says it all... the nicest of our UK stink and dung lovers is the Purple Emperor. I have lots of shots of him sitting on poop. They like fox scat, dog, and anything really 'ripe'. Victorian naturalists used to peg out rotting game and other rancid things. Today people swear by some of the very stinky Japanese fish sauces (and a friend uses very cheap tuna). I have never baited for them as I find Purple Emperors will come down for human sweat and the plentiful dung in the forests without.
Here's a shot of one on some unwashed feet (not mine!) but he was lying down taking a shot when the butterfly decided there was some 30 day old stilton nearby
It is using my favourite butterfly lens the 40-150 pro with the 1.4 teleconverter. Without that I find it doesn't quite give the magnification I like. With it it is virtually perfect. I prefer telephoto to macro lenses for butterflies. But we have had this conversation before!
Re: Communal Dragonfly, Butterfly and Insect photo thread
And a more normal dung shot.
As you see the underside is a marvellous marquetry like pattern. The upper-side is brown which bursts into a refracted purple from very specific angles. Morphos are similar but the blue can be seen from more angles.
Re: Communal Dragonfly, Butterfly and Insect photo thread
Pretty photos Peter, thank you for posting. No luck at the cow patch or in the forest. Yes the butterflies were there, but they would not settle. However, on return to the house, I stopped to fill up the duck pond with water and on top of a thorn tree above the pond, was a Monarch resting. A hot day and not a cloud in the sky. My wife has suggested I ask the cow man to bring over a bucket of manure for our garden flowers, but to keep the manure away from the vicinity of the house because of the flies. She also said I could keep the manure wet to attract the butterflies. In the heat, it will not be an easy task. Of course she is always right.
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Charaxes Candiope - Green Veined Emperor by philip Gate Keeper, on Flickr
Two Tailed Pasha - Charaxes jasius by Peter Willmott, on Flickr
. I'm not a fan of snakes but would definitely be taking shots of amphibians and others with a long lens if that was safe. But I wouldn't chance having venom spat at me - I'm with you on that! 
African Monarch Butterfy resting by philip Gate Keeper, on Flickr
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