Re: Mark Colvin
Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2013 11:05 am
Wurzel, I have had the pleasure of joining Mark at Wisley and Earnley the past couple of years and finding ids for some of the tropicals has been a challenge! We have managed to id all we have photographed, sometimes after hours of web searching. Wisley has an id chart of many of their species and the attendants are often are able to assist, but not all of the butterflies that emerge are known to them as ids do not always accompany the pupae they receive from suppliers. This is what makes regular visits to the same butterfly house so interesting, you never know what you will see.
I find these two websites particularly helpful: http://wanda.uef.fi/botania/galleria/perhoset/
http://www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/Br ... inapis.htm
I use these books - some of them are available second hand from Abebooks at low prices: Butterflies of the World by H.L.Lewis; The Dictionary of Butterflies and Moths by Allan Watson & Paul E.S.Whalley; Butterflies by Thomas C. Emmel.
This gallery has 58 tropicals photographed at Wisley and Earnley during the past two years which you might find useful: http://www.colinknightimages.com/Nature ... utterflies
Some species are particularly difficult - see Mark's blog comparing Kallima inachus with Kallima paralekta (RHS Wisley, 10 February 2012 – Part 12). Also Heliconius melpomene (Postman) in my gallery - I'm still not certain of my ids here. Polymorphism in females such as Papilio dardanus (African Mocker Swallowtail), which can have at least 14 forms, can add to the difficulty of identification.
Good luck!
Colin
I find these two websites particularly helpful: http://wanda.uef.fi/botania/galleria/perhoset/
http://www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/Br ... inapis.htm
I use these books - some of them are available second hand from Abebooks at low prices: Butterflies of the World by H.L.Lewis; The Dictionary of Butterflies and Moths by Allan Watson & Paul E.S.Whalley; Butterflies by Thomas C. Emmel.
This gallery has 58 tropicals photographed at Wisley and Earnley during the past two years which you might find useful: http://www.colinknightimages.com/Nature ... utterflies
Some species are particularly difficult - see Mark's blog comparing Kallima inachus with Kallima paralekta (RHS Wisley, 10 February 2012 – Part 12). Also Heliconius melpomene (Postman) in my gallery - I'm still not certain of my ids here. Polymorphism in females such as Papilio dardanus (African Mocker Swallowtail), which can have at least 14 forms, can add to the difficulty of identification.
Good luck!
Colin