Flame-Bordered Emperor (Charaxes protoclea)

African Moon Moth (Argema mimosae) ♂

Variable Cracker (Hamadryas feronia) 

Slurping some banana juice. 

Rice Paper (Idea leuconoe)

Doris Longwing (Heliconius doris)

African Moon Moth (Argema mimosae) ♂

Greater Anglewing Katydid (Microcentrum rhombifolium)

Everyone seems to really like seeing insects cleaning themselves, so here’s this fellow cleaning his back leg. 

That dexterity!

Atlas Moth (Attacus atlas) ♂

My heart melts every time I see one of my huge moths clean their antennae like a cat washing their face. 

Shoemaker (Prepona omphale)

Malay Cruiser (Vindula dejone)

Angola White Lady (Graphium angolanus)

Common Parides (Parides iphidamas)

It’s really difficult to film at just the right moment but finally I got an emergence!

Fingernet Caddisfly (Chimarra sp.)

First try at aquatic insect photos on this blog!

African Moon Moth (Argema mimosae) ♂

Finally got video of one with his tails still intact!

Narrow-banded owl (Opsiphanes tamarindi)

The stages after emerging from a chrysalis. 

Common Morpho (Morpho peleides)

Honey water on your fingers and you become a butterfly magnet. Have some proboscis action.

Atlas moth (Attacus atlas) ♀

Another pretty girl :)

Giant Owl (Caligo memnon)

African Moon Moth (Argema mimosae) ♀

I love when moths hold their 1st pair of legs like this. 

Atlas moth (Attacus atlas) ♀

I give you, moth butt. 

Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice)

I’m not sure how often I’m gonna post on Fridays but I’m gonna try to integrate posting more native species in my area on those days. Anyway, look at those hot pink legs and antennae!

Common Morpho (Morpho peleides)

Morphos are blue internally and brown with eyespots externally but if you get light to pass through their wings, you get to see both sides simultaneously!

Yellow-Edged Giant Owl (Caligo atreus)

Great Yellow Mormon (Papilio lowi) female ♀

African Moon Moth (Argema mimosae) ♀

Common Morpho (Morpho peleides)

Chrysalis and freshly-emerged!

Atlas moth (Attacus atlas) ♀

Malachite (Siproeta stelenes)

I dislike how Tumblr formats vertical videos by giving them these ugly black bars on the sides?? So I experimented in iMovie using a panning motion to force this once vertical video to become horizontal. I think that it looks pretty good?

Atlas moth (Attacus atlas) ♀

A shaky lady part 2. 

Polyphemus Moth (Antheraea polyphemus) ♂ 

One time, a visitor brought a random cocoon they found outside to the museum and I was lucky enough that it emerged on a day that I was in! This has been the only American species of Saturniid moth that I have interacted with so far. 

Atlas Moth (Attacus atlas) ♀

A shaky lady. 

Common Morpho (Morpho peleides)congregating on a pear

All prepared and ready to pin onto a board. 

Tarricina Longwing (Tithorea tarricina)

Ruby-Spotted Swallowtail (Papilio anchisiades)

Jazzy Leafwing (Hypna clytemnestra)

Ladybug
[ID: A monochromatic drawing of a ladybug with wings outstretched, done in pinks and reds.]