butterflies of buenos aires and where to find them
butterflies of buenos aires and where to find them
by taylor casalena
wings of the bandera argentina butterfly.
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english: butterfly
castellano: mariposa
guaraní: panambi
mapuche: llampüdken
buenos aires and the lands of the río de
la plata are the traditional homelands of
many indigenous communities, including
the guaraní and mapuche peoples.
indigenous peoples are still here in buenos
aires, across argentina, and around the world.
the río de la plata is also the traditional
homeland of hundreds of species of butterflies.
let me introduce you to a few of them.
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little mirror
espejito
dione vanillae
the espejito is a cosmopolitan little
thing. so when you do inevitably
cross paths, look for the shiny
kaleidoscope of white and chrome
on the bottom of its wings.
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southern monarch
monarca del sur
danaus erippus
the southern monarch
is a big splash of orange
and a fluttering of wings
instead of flying to the oyamel
forests to dream the winter away,
these porteña monarchs take
a vacation to brazil instead.
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the ladies
las damas
genus vanessa
the painted lady, the brazillian
lady and the spotted lady are
all some girls you'll want to meet.
stick around a patch of flowers
to catch them sunbathing
and sipping nectar like
happy little faeries.
lady butterflies gathering on sunflowers.
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bataraza
ortilia ithra
the bataraza flickers and flutters
along the tiniest blooms that
reach up through the sidewalk.
its sometimes called mbatará,
a guaraní word for its marbled look.
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little lemon
limoncito
eurema deva
little lemon is always in a hurry.
maybe because the caterpillars
feed on yerba, a beloved plant
with energizing powers.
a guarani legend says
yerba was a gift from the
moon. they call it ka'a.
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claudina
tegosa claudina
one of the highest recorded
butterflies in buenos aires,
the claudina is a friend of many.
they often gather in groups
to puddle and sip on mineral
rich water found on sandy
banks and in shallow pools.
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four eyes
cuatro ojos
junonia genoveva
look for cuatro ojos lingering
in the weeds or hopping
along the summer pavement.
they all have glaring eyes,
but the boys have extra
blue holographic hues.
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guava skipper
polibio sangrante
phocides polybius
there are so few all
blue butterflies that you'll
know the guava skipper
when you see it.
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common lazy
Perezosa común
genus actinote
the perezosa is a long winged
butterfly that floats so very
gently from flower to flower.
they vary in color, but they
wings and an air of patience.
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golden border
borde de oro
battus polydamas
borde de oro is a big
jet black butterfly that
flies hard and fast flashing
its golden tipped wings.
the caterpillars feed
on the thick draping vines
that cover the fences of
the buenos aires butterfly
garden, so you'll be sure
to see them there.
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little dancer
danzarina chica
riodina lysippoides
the danzarina chica is a tiny
mover and shaker. as she dances
from flower to flower, look for
the neon orange stripes, and stay
for the deep black metallic sheen.
the bandera argentina butterfly,
so if you see one, the bandera
may also be nearby...
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argentina flag
bandera argentina
epistrophus white morpho
the most elusive and celebrated
of all of argentina's butterflies is
finally a porteña again.
named for the flag of argentina,
this giant white iridescent butterfly
lives only in the thorny coastal
forests along the city's edge.
conservationists successfully
restored this emblematic butterfly
to city limits 10 years ago.
before that, it had not
been seen for decades.
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you can see all these butterflies and more
if only you know where to look.
a growing awareness of the
power of native plants to nurture
butterflies is helping them
thrive in parks, gardens, balconies,
and the streets of buenos aires.
here’s where to find them ~
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photos sourced from inaturalist:
cover butterfly: ©amanda montanhini
bandera wings : ©amanda montanhini
espejito: @arlenedevitt ©alex
monarca: ©diego carús
La dama: ©lauu
ladies on sunflowers: ©kent mcfarland
bataraza: ©karuquebec
limoncito: ©richard fuller
claudina: ©josi guimarães
cuatro ojos: unsplash
guava skipper: ©rodrigo cesáreo pampin
perezosa: ©karuquebec
borde de oro: ©hugo hulsberg
danzarina chica: ©pablo bombín
bandera argentina: ©Joaquin Valentinuzzi
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