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Calephelis Fatal Metalmark Found near the San Antonio River. I noticed it has very large eyes from above. Calephelis nemesis,Fall,Geotagged,United States Click/tap to enlarge PromotedSpecies introCountry intro

Calephelis Fatal Metalmark

Found near the San Antonio River. I noticed it has very large eyes from above.

    comments (6)

  1. View Ferdy Christant's profile
    Ferdy Christant
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    ID looks great. Love the subtle beauty of this one. Superficially dull, until you see the silver :) Posted 4 years ago
    1. View DebRich's profile
      DebRich
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      Yes, and the poor thing is pretty ragged. I believe it is a female wearing a couple of strands of jewelry : ) Posted 4 years ago
      1. View Ferdy Christant's profile
        Ferdy Christant
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        Yes, seems to have lived a full life! Metalmarks are often regarded as the most beautiful family of butterflies. This is the shiniest I've seen myself:

        Castalia Green Mantle - closeup, La Isla Escondida, Colombia A jewel of the unique lower Andes to Amazonian region. I first saw photos of these beauties online about 2 years ago, and on this epic hike we unexpectedly saw a wish fulfilled. Somebody else has described their beauty better than I can:<br /> <br /> "The genus Caria contains some of the most beautiful and elusive species on Earth. Although fairly common they are rarely seen due to their secretive habits, and are virtually impossible to follow in flight. Once seen these glittering jewels of the Amazon are never forgotten.<br /> <br /> Lepidopterists often feel quite overwhelmed by the beauty of these butterflies, but initial feelings of ecstasy are soon replaced by the rapid onset of frustration, anguish, despair and an uncontrollable urge to spend the next 2 hours hawking relentlessly in the vicinity of the sighting, peering into bushes, crawling about on the ground and searching every nook and cranny, while muttering and pleading with the butterfly to reveal itself !"<br /> - https://www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/Amazon - Caria rhacotis.htm<br /> <br /> What I had not anticipated from the photos seen online earlier is how tiny they are in real life. <br /> https://www.jungledragon.com/image/69753/castalia_green_mantle_la_isla_escondida_colombia.html Caria castalia,Castalia Green Mantle,Colombia,Colombia 2018,Colombia South,Fall,Geotagged,La Isla Escondida,Putumayo,South America,World

        And the most ridiculous one, as small as a fly, and rare to see:

        Sarota gyas jewelmark, La Isla Escondida, Colombia This observation surely is one of the butterfly highlights of our trip. It's a combination of beauty, size and rarity. This butterfly is unbelievably tiny, yet in that small size packs a lot of beauty. To quote from learnaboutbutterflies.com:<br /> <br /> "The Sarota Jewelmarks are possibly the cutest butterflies in the world. They have a very rapid and erratic flight. When seen buzzing about in the early morning they can easily be mistaken for small flies. Eventually they settle however and reveal themselves as creatures of exquisite beauty, with bright orange undersides streaked with metallic silver; and cute little furry legs!"<br /> <br /> As for rarity:<br /> <br /> "Most of them are extremely rare and elusive - so much so that only that even the most experienced observers rarely manage to see more than half a dozen species in a lifetime."<br /> <br /> "Most Sarota species found in rainforest habitats below 1000m, although at least one is found as high as 1700m in the eastern Andes. Sarota gyas is found at altitudes between 0-800m. Populations are highly localised - often limited to a tiny corner of a forest."<br /> <br /> I can't fully judge on the rarity of this species in the genus (there are several reference photos to be found) but I can at least confirm that during 5 full days (and nights) of spending time in this jungle, this was the only observation. Colombia,Colombia 2018,Colombia South,La Isla Escondida,Putumayo,Sarota gyas,South America,World

        You're living in a great butterfly place, promising ;)         Posted 4 years ago, modified 4 years ago
        1. View DebRich's profile
          DebRich
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          Lucky to be in an area near enough to Mexico to share some species. It seems that Central and South America have some of the most beautiful butterflies on this side of the globe. Posted 4 years ago
    3. View Ruth Spigelman's profile
      Ruth Spigelman
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      Yes! I see the subtle silver. Most beautiful.
      Posted 4 years ago, modified 4 years ago
      1. View DebRich's profile
        DebRich
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        It is a very pretty and unusual butterfly. Posted 4 years ago

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The Fatal Metalmark

''Calephelis nemesis'' is a butterfly in the family Riodinidae. It is found in the southern part of the United States and Mexico. The wingspan is 20–25 mm. The upperside of the wings is brown with somewhat darker median bands. The fringes are checkered. Adults feed on flower nectar.

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Similar species: Moths And Butterflies
Species identified by Ferdy Christant
View DebRich's profile

By DebRich

All rights reserved
Uploaded Nov 26, 2020. Captured Mar 9, 2012 15:53 in 159 Dolorosa, San Antonio, TX 78205, USA.
country flag of United States of America Explore United States of America 39,926 9,640 8
  • NIKON D5100
  • f/8.0
  • 1/160s
  • ISO100
  • 300mm
Captured in the winter. More winter photos.

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