https://www.butterflybiology.com/blog daily 1.0 2020-11-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1505433918131-WXZMCQ78164OVQBJ9LK6/IMG_1349.JPG Blog https://www.butterflybiology.com/blog/hand-feeding-amp-teaching-a-butterfly-to-eat-from-an-artificial-flower monthly 0.5 2020-02-12 https://www.butterflybiology.com/blog/a-visit-to-cerro-pelon-monarch-overwintering-site monthly 0.5 2020-01-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1577985430939-ZFC4E6AUXN38I1OYFC7R/2019-12-07+13.49.13-2.jpg Blog - A visit to Cerro Pelon: monarch overwintering site View of the forest on Cerro Pelon - a few hundred feet below the colony. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1578001711964-XZIQSOV5PLUR1NLXQ5JB/IMG_1543.JPEG Blog - A visit to Cerro Pelon: monarch overwintering site As we rode up the rocky trails, monarchs slowly began to appear until at one point they started streaming down the mountain headed for small puddles of water to hydrate - an activity known as “puddling.” https://www.butterflybiology.com/blog/collection-trip-to-texas monthly 0.5 2017-11-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1509588958896-J17QT26OUA7UUOPMBT17/IMG_3413.JPG Blog - Collection Trip to Texas - What you can't see are the numerous small cacti and the fire ant hills What you can't see are the numerous small cacti, grasses with painful burrs, and the large fire ant hills. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1510173968726-H3WDP51YD8L1S0Z9E2Z2/IMG_3419.JPG Blog - Collection Trip to Texas - Queen Butterfly, Danaus gilippus, ventral view While this may look something like a monarch and also feeds on milkweed during its larval stage, the closely related Queen butterfly is in fact a different species. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1509591050891-77VB34VFMH8I9NYFTYYI/IMG_3421.JPG Blog - Collection Trip to Texas - Queen Butterfly, Danaus gilippus, dorsal view https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1509590276512-O9AUK2RLG9OFT0R263HV/IMG_3479.JPG Blog - Collection Trip to Texas - Pipevine Swallowtail, Battus philenor, dorsal view As caterpillars, pipevines sequester aristolochic acid from their host plants making them toxic to predators. The black swallowtail, a palatable species, take advantage by mimicking the toxic pipvines. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1509590872516-FPL47CEJDC8FDTOXWG0N/IMG_3423.JPG Blog - Collection Trip to Texas - Pipevine Swallowtail, Battus philenor, ventral view The stunning ventral side of the pipevine's hind wing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1509590543506-BTXMXUG3OSYQ0R4UNDNB/IMG_3470.JPG Blog - Collection Trip to Texas - Black Swallowtail, Papilio polyxenes, dorsal view Here is the black swallowtail, a non-toxic mimic of the pipevine. I catch this swallowtail species the most often. The scalloped white spots on the forewings are the first indicator that this is not a pipevine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1509590247942-045HUU8FLFQYILKTK8BD/IMG_3475.JPG Blog - Collection Trip to Texas - Black swallowtail, Papilio polyxenes, ventral view https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1509591201841-6I2G3PXEL3C9B1RZ3HIU/IMG_3459.JPG Blog - Collection Trip to Texas - Unknown Swallowtail, dorsal view This is one old swallowtail! Almost all of its scales have fallen off, and it is missing chunks of wing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1509591005016-52P3YC7G66JDA8FBZEH9/IMG_3416.JPG Blog - Collection Trip to Texas - Painted Lady, Vanessa cardui, dorsal view I saw more painted ladies than any other butterfly on this trip. These butterflies are also common around the globe. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1509591352070-GDMXOJJNCS7YTX4GIDEI/IMG_3432.JPG Blog - Collection Trip to Texas - Checkered white, Pontia protodice, dorsal view https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1509591300174-0AQYLW6K1NGXABP7WCFP/IMG_3430.JPG Blog - Collection Trip to Texas - Checkered White, Pontia protodice, ventral view https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1509591075554-U3UFO652HZ7XU1IPIC6F/IMG_3450.JPG Blog - Collection Trip to Texas - Alfalfa Sulfur, Colias eurytheme, dorsal view https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1509590024363-9HMDT8NXIZVBBFWEAU50/IMG_3452.JPG Blog - Collection Trip to Texas - Alfalfa Sulfur, Colias eurytheme, ventral view https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1509591096802-5KZZHOVYEH7EVILW4FJU/IMG_3437.JPG Blog - Collection Trip to Texas - Bordered Patch Butterfly, Chlosyne lacinia, dorsal view https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1509590671540-AP6TWUPPFX55KAC7482R/IMG_3434.JPG Blog - Collection Trip to Texas - Bordered Patch Butterfly, Chlosyne lacinia, ventral view https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1509591117080-M5W9Z4NS6CT0R68W8OMS/IMG_3454.JPG Blog - Collection Trip to Texas - Variegated Fritillary, Euptoieta claudia, dorsal view Sorry, this one escaped before I got a photo of the ventral side. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1509590513650-RMMRI7F5JNU93097T17B/IMG_3499.JPG Blog - Collection Trip to Texas - Buckeye, Junonia coenia, dorsal view https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1509590482401-97WHXB2W7QRLNQRBKK51/IMG_3498.JPG Blog - Collection Trip to Texas - Buckeye, Junonia coenia, ventral view https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1509590302844-5O9LKNLICYXPKEM0UXRD/IMG_3504.JPG Blog - Collection Trip to Texas - Gulf Fritillary, Agraulis vanillae, dorsal view https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1509590330607-4L610ARQ6AI86ALPBQ5H/IMG_3507.JPG Blog - Collection Trip to Texas - Gulf Fritillary, Agraulis vanillae, ventral view https://www.butterflybiology.com/blog/feeding-butterflies-with-fake-flowers monthly 0.5 2020-01-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1506523831066-GE9CN4R5HCJE3C5DNDI2/IMG_0515.JPG Blog - Artificial feeders for butterflies Butterflies feeding from a yellow sponge soaked in nectar inside a red plastic cup. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1508274823680-7U2PWE9CO5TNM7JQ84TU/pic2.png Blog - Artificial feeders for butterflies https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1508274826024-95C11JABWLTOBVQGZEOG/Picture1.png Blog - Artificial feeders for butterflies https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1508274819151-P0J25LRF7OPSC1KRKDIW/IMG_3377.JPG Blog - Artificial feeders for butterflies - Completed flower https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1508275737950-HIGW1857Q7AXTUS4XNOD/IMG_3268.JPG Blog - Artificial feeders for butterflies - Scrapbooking punch tool https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1506521987644-L2O0DGXAIKFZQ1GI81W3/IMG_3641.JPG Blog - Artificial feeders for butterflies Monarch butterflies feeding from our fake flower set up. https://www.butterflybiology.com/blog/2017/2/13/how-to-hand-pair-butterflies-ie-get-your-butterflies-to-mate monthly 0.5 2017-09-15 https://www.butterflybiology.com/blog/2017/2/10/can-you-tell-the-difference-between-a-male-and-female-butterfly monthly 0.5 2020-01-06 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1486755123537-SEMXFH0Z3PVUYDNT261F/image-asset.png Blog - Can you tell the difference between male and female butterflies? The yellow circle marks the male monarch's scent organ. Females do not have these specialized scales. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1486845072376-SLXO8AE8SFFEPJPK8UUK/image-asset.png Blog - Can you tell the difference between male and female butterflies? A female Papilio polytes and Papilio memnon, both native to Asia. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1486843541847-8BUWIC9LFIDI9BI8P4XM/image-asset.png Blog - Can you tell the difference between male and female butterflies? Papilio polytes and Papilio dardanus males with claspers open. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1486847819827-TMJJ7X2XY5YAIGD09QL7/heli+male+female+2.png Blog - Can you tell the difference between male and female butterflies? The female and male abdomen of Heliconius cydno, the difference between the female and male are highlighted in yellow. As you can see, male claspers in this species are smaller and difficult to identify. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1486755673648-0DSA0PX5RL2IZR0UL3VU/image-asset.png Blog - Can you tell the difference between male and female butterflies? Male claspers in the Papilio genus (a swallowtail group) usually come to a point when closed. Here they are circled in yellow in Papilio polyxenes, commonly known as the black swallowtail. In the photo on the left, you can see I was actually out hunting for monarchs, note the blurry common milkweed at the top and my butterfly net. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1486842857625-LS0Q1SIJIE568BMUTY7H/image-asset.png Blog - Can you tell the difference between male and female butterflies? A female and male monarch. The differencs between the sexes is highlighted in the yellow circles. https://www.butterflybiology.com/read-me daily 0.75 2020-11-23 https://www.butterflybiology.com/contact daily 0.75 2016-12-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/1483130508477-CMNK5JSRN8P065XJPRKR/image-asset.jpeg Contact https://www.butterflybiology.com/about-me daily 0.75 2024-01-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5866bcd403596efaebd3e811/e8e587fc-9e9c-4412-897e-c144a2d742ea/Ayse_headshot.jpg About me - About Me My name is Ayse, and I completed my Ph.D. at the University of Chicago in the Kronforst lab where I studied the genetic and environmental determinants of migration and migration-associated traits in Monarch butterflies. Over the years, I've picked up a few things related to butterfly care, anatomy, behavior, and even some butterfly-specific scientific methods that I think would be interesting to both scientists and insect enthusiasts out there. Much of the content I post on this page is thanks to the awesome resources available at the University of Chicago and in the Kronforst lab. Currently, I am a postdoctoral scholar in the Schmidt-Ott lab at the University of Chicago where I am studying the genetic mechanisms responsible for evolutionary transitions in extra-embryonic tissues of Dipterans.