www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Couldn't resist posting this photo of Anteros formosus, taken by a colleague in Costa Rica. No wonder they are called 'metalmarks'. Hope it brightens a few winter days.
Tony M.

Hi Tony, beautiful and unusual butterfly, thanks for posting.
Russ

What a brilliant little creature. I love it when you post these exotica, Tony. It all helps to build up the big picture.

Guy

Gorgeous little thing, looks like a close relative to the Sarota genus, one of which I was lucky enough to see out there many years ago

bugboy wrote: ... looks like a close relative to the Sarota genus, one of which I was lucky enough to see out there many years ago

Yes - Sarota, Anteros, Helicopus and Ourcnemis constitute the Helicopiini, or Jewelmarks. For those who are interested, Adrian Hoskins's latest book, 1,000 Butterflies, lists all genera in all tribes, illustrating a very great many of them. I reviewed that book here: http://www.dispar.org/reference.php?id=121

Guy

Padfield wrote:

bugboy wrote: ... looks like a close relative to the Sarota genus, one of which I was lucky enough to see out there many years ago

Yes - Sarota, Anteros, Helicopus and Ourcnemis constitute the Helicopiini, or Jewelmarks. For those who are interested, Adrian Hoskins's latest book, 1,000 Butterflies, lists all genera in all tribes, illustrating a very great many of them. I reviewed that book here: http://www.dispar.org/reference.php?id=121

Guy

I actually read this very review last night Guy. I can get any book of a biological subject cheap through work (normally half price), so it's already on my want list

I was fortunate to receive 1000 Butterflies and Hoskins' other book Butterflies of the World as Xmas presents. Both books are quite superb.

Kevin.

I can't offer anything quite as beautiful as the species in Tony's original post - but I did complete a minor quest of my own when I caught up with the Little Metalmark Calephelis virginiensis at Fakahatchee Strand on the western edge of the Everglades last november.

Fakahatchee is famous for its Ghost Orchids and infamous as the setting for the Spike Jonze/Charlie Kaufman movie 'Adaptation' - but smuggling, giant alligators, precious flora and skulduggery aside - I was really only interested in the butterfly that had, to this point, eluded my best efforts at viewing.

Like Britain, Florida has only one representative of the family Riodinidae. And here it is... finally

Absolutely beautiful creature....almost incomprehensible. It looks like artwork but is a real and living butterfly.

This was Behr's Metalmark near San Diego in 2010...

That's another lovely butterfly, Paul. I've never seen any metalmarks apart from our own, humble but wonderful, Duke of Burgundy. Maybe one day I'll get to the Americas ...

Guy