Photos of
moths
And
BUTTERFLIES
IN
Ecuador

during Focus On Nature Tours  
in July 2013 and April and May 2014
and a couple caterpillars in April 2013 


All of the photographs that follow
were taken during FONT tours during the above months 
by tour participant Marie Gardner - © - all rights reserved.






Moth #1: a Silkmoth
in the genus Rothchildia
in the family Saturniidae

Caterpillar #1
a species in the Lophocampa genus,
on the west side of the Andes
during the FONT Ecuador tour in April 2013.
There are two other caterpillar photos
at the end of this set of 52 photographs
of moths and butterflies.

Links:

A List of South American Moths with some Photos

A List of South American Butterflies, in 6 Parts, with some Photos 

Other Photo Galleries of Moths & Butterflies   

A Photo Gallery of Birds, Mammals, Scenery & Culture
during the FONT July 2013 Ecuador Tour 

A List of Birds during the FONT July 2013 EcuadorTour

A List of Ecuador Birds, in 4 Parts, with some Photos   

Upcoming FONT Birding & Nature Tours in Ecuador & Brazil

Many of the moths and butterflies in this photo gallery 
were in the forested hills in southern Ecuador
in the area of the Buenaventura Reserve,
at about 1,200 feet above sea level. 
All of the moths up to number #24
were photographed at Buenaventura.

Moth #2
in the genus Urania
in the family Uranidae

Moth #3
Automeris belti
in the family Saturnidae

Moth #4 with another
the one with green in the family Geometridae
the dark one in the subfamily Arctiinae
in the family Erebidae

Moth #5
in the family Saturnidae

   Above and below, Moth #6
in the family Noctuidae

 Moth #7
in the family Noctuidae

Moth #8
has been identified as
the Walker's Moth, Sosxetra grata,
in the family Erebidae,
subfamily Calpinae.

Moth #9

Moth #10
in the subfamily Dioptinae

Moth #11

Moth #12

Moth #13
in the family Geometridae

Moth #14
in the family Noctuidae

Moth #15
in the family Geometridae

#16 is not a moth,
but an antlion
in the family Myrmeleontidae

Moth #17
This photo taken by tour participant Fred Lesser
with his i-phone.
The moth is in the family Saturniidae.
It is Therinia transversaria,
until recently Asthenidia transversaria.
It has a wingspread of 2.8 inches
whereas that of the Saturniidae moth #1
at the top of this page,
a Rothschildia species, is about 5 inches.


 

Moth #18

Moth #19

Moth #20

Moth #21
in the subfamily Arctiinae
in the family Erebidae

Moth #22

Moth #23
A Sphinx Moth
in the family Sphingiidae

Moth #24
in the subfamily Arctiinae
in the family Erebidae

Moth #25
Smicropus eucyrta,
in the family Geometridae.
This moth was seen in the day-time
during our April 2014 tour
in southern Ecuador, near Zamora.

Moth #26
a Sphinx moth sp.
during the FONT April 2014 tour
in southern Ecuador






Moth #27
another Sphinx moth sp.
also during the April 2014 FONT tour
in southern Ecuador






Moth #28  (assuming it is a moth)
during the FONT tour in April of 2013
in Ecuador on the west side of the Andes
(or is it a butterfly? )

And now, some of what were surely butterflies seen 
during the July 2013 and April 2014 FONT Ecuador Tours:
  

Butterfly #1
A form of the Melpomene Longwing in Ecuador,
Heliconius melpomene cythera

Butterfly #2
Another view of the same.





Butterfly #3
is again maybe surprisingly the same species.
Looking quite different than H. m. cynthera,
which occurs on the west side of the Andes,
this is Heliconius melpomene plesseni,
which resides on the east side of those mountains.
This butterfly was photographed
at Copalinga, near Zamora,
in southeastern Ecuador.

Butterfly #4,
Pareuptychia ocirrhoe,
the Two-banded Satyr, or Banded White Ringlet

Butterfly #5,
Tegosa anieta,
the Black-bordered Crescent.

Butterfly #6,
Heliconius atthis,
in western Ecuador

Butterfly #7,
the Red Peacock

Butterfly #8,
the Cattleheart White,
Archonias brassolis rosacea

Butterfly #9

The interesting photo above is of a leafwing,
looking very much like a leaf
as it was feeding on an orange.
Seen later when the butterfly flew,
the upper wing surface was a bright red-orange color.

This photograph was taken outside one of the cabins
where we stayed.

Butterfly #10

Here's another butterfly that blends in
with its surroundings,
a cracker on tree-bark.

We've seen many during our tours.

Butterfly #11

Butterfly #12

Butterfly #13

Butterfly #14

Butterfly #15

Butterfly #16

Butterfly #17,
the widespread White Peacock,
with this individual in the hills of southern Ecuador.

Butterfly #18

This, and the following butterflies thru number #25,
were all photographed during the FONT tour
in southern Ecuador in April 2014.

Butterfly #19

Above & below: Butterfly #20,
two views, with the lower photo showing more orange.
Photographed at the Tapichalaca Reserve
in southern Ecuador.  

Butterfly #21,
photographed at Copalinga near Zamora,
in southeastern Ecuador

Butterfly #22,
again, photographed at Copalinga

Butterfly #23
a skipper known as the 
Teleus, or White-lined Longtail,
Urbanus teleus,
photographed at Copalinga

Butterfly #24,
photographed in the Andes Mountains,
between Loja and Cuenca

Butterfly #25,
in southern Ecuador west of the Andes 
during the FONT tour in April 2014

Caterpillar #1
The same as the one pictured at the top of this list,
in the Lophocampa genus,
during the FONT tour in April 2013 in Ecuador
on the west side of the Andes


  

Caterpillar #2
also during the FONT Ecuador Tour in April 2013
 

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