Florida!

[Danny]

Over the past two weeks I have been to Disneyworld, Florida and basically spent 13 days in Theme Parks....roller coasters, white tigers, Micky Mouse etc etc..thing is I was most excited about the 180 different species of butterflies over there! Whilst I couldn't know what they were I dived to the hotel computer and attempted to ID what I'd seen after the long tiring days at each theme park. I thought some of the folk here might be curious about what happens over there.

The equivalent of Large white/small white appear to be "Cloudless Sulphur's" these are like massive Brimstones and you see em everywhere. There are also the odd bizarre Swallowtail spottings which I Identified as "Black Swallowtail"...I was even stopped by a Disney person and asked what I was looking for..."I'm interested in Butterflies" I said, a bit embarrassed. Came upon two utterly massive swallowtails which I chased around "Animal Kingdom"(A Disney theme park). These were aptly called "Giant Swallowtail". It's like a weird alternate butterfly universe over there. Skippers as big as small whites fly (Swarthy Skipper) and what appear to be Long Tailed Blue are in fact something called "Cassius Blue". Other blues are tiny tiny tiny things (which I found are Ceranus blue). I saw Zebra longwing - apparently the National state Butterfly..though only a few from a distance and whilst witing for my partner and little girl to catch me up, I peered over a bridge, over a massive road, down into a swampy marshy area. Three "White Peacock" graced the flowers. I have only tonight managed to ID them!! On the bus to Kennedy Space Centre a Monarch flew past the bus (which of course I knew) and another bright orange creature turned out to be a "Gulf Fritillary"

Thing that was also quite nice is that since birth, I've indoctrinating my daughter to be interested in Butterflies and even she, in between all the amazing theme parks and water slides noticed how weird the butterflies were. "Look Danny" (she calls me Danny, coz it's similar to Daddy) "It's a big weird Brimstone"....

Danny

[Dave McCormick]

Sounds like a good trip Danny.

There are also the odd bizarre Swallowtail spottings which I Identified as "Black Swallowtail"...

If it is the Black Swallowtail: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Swallowtail its related to the European Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) and I think you can sometimes have hybrids of the two if have both in captivity and they crossbreed. (I think, don't hold me to that)

The equivalent of Large white/small white appear to be "Cloudless Sulphur's" these are like massive Brimstones and you see em everywhere.

I have seen one or two of them before, and yeah they get big. Sulphur butterflies are in same family as clouded yellows, Coliadinae, but the ones you saw "Cloudless Sulphur's" are in the in the same family, but in the genus, Phoebis.

Thing that was also quite nice is that since birth, I've indoctrinating my daughter to be interested in Butterflies and even she, in between all the amazing theme parks and water slides noticed how weird the butterflies were. "Look Danny" (she calls me Danny, coz it's similar to Daddy) "It's a big weird Brimstone"....

Thats cool, does seem like she is catching on and if you have anything you might need and ID of, I'd be happy to try and Id them for you, I know a bit about American butterflies, so be happy to help.

[Danny]

There was a fritillary, it looked like a regular Frit but I can't find it anywhere. It was a bit weird, but essentially, you know, a frit!! Couldn't ID it.

Danny

[Dave McCormick]

Could it be Great spangled fritillary (Speyeria cybele)? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Spangled_Fritillary as far as I know it, Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia) and Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) are the only fritillaries in Florida so I'm guessing its not the Gulf Fritillary as it does not look like a regular fritillary.

[Danny]

I think it was a Variagated Frit.

The best beast was the Giant Swallowtail, saw three of those.

Danny