June 2013 was near perfect in the northernmost Golan. Sunny, pleasant, and on June 5, nearly free of all but resident Israelis. My rental car was fine, the accommodations at the SPNI (Society for the Preservation of Nature in Israel) fieldhouse were good, and the staff in the fieldhouse office were helpful. What could not […]
Most Lampides Boeticus are inactive at this time, but December 3rd in this oasis is a very suitable habitat for a butterfly species that flies from February through November in most of Israel. This Long-Tailed Blue Butterfly is nectaring on shrub plants, not far from Wadi David in Ein Gedi. In a now familiar scenario, I approach and […]
We’ve posted the dorsal view of the Long-tailed blue butterfly. Here is the view that we usually see. Ah, those eyespots! Taking a break at Ramat Hanadiv, the luxurious arboretum in Israel’s coastal plain, Lampides boeticus shows her characteristic white stripe in this view. Photographed in July 2009, it is found throughout Israel and it quite common […]
March 2012 found Mt. Hermon (elevation 7330 ft) in Israel’s Golan covered with snow. So we photographed butterflies in the low lying areas within sight of the peaks. This Long-Tailed Blue butterfly was photographed in June of 2008, at the top of Mt. Hermon. Lampides boeticus on Mt. Hermon live with little or no contact with […]
When I began searching for butterflies, favorites and less favorite butterflies followed. After seeing thousands of Eastern Tailed Blues and thousands of Pearl Crescents, I became saturated, eventually passing them on trails, without stopping to examine or admire or to gaze. Oddly, Spicebush swallowtails now bring minimal excitement to me, though I’ve planted Sassafras to […]
Winged Beauty Butterflies 