'Rusty-tipped Page' Butterfly

The Rusty-tipped Page (Siproeta epaphus), also known as the Brown Siproeta, is a New World butterfly that lives all year in tropical habitats. It has large wings, averaging 7.0–7.5 cm (2.8–3.0 in), that are black in the inner portion of the top surface and brown throughout the underside. Both surfaces have a bold white transverse stripe continuing across both wings. The outer portion of the forewings, beyond the white stripe, is rusty orange in the widespread subspecies S. epaphus epaphus; it is mostly or entirely black in the other two subspecies. S. epaphus is found throughout Central America, where it is one of the most common butterflies. Its range extends from southern North America to central South America. The range includes (though may not be limited to) south Texas and rarely southern New Mexico south through both eastern and western Mexico to the Guyanas, Brazil, Bolivia and Peru.

Speckled Wood

The Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria) is a butterfly found in and on the borders of woodland areas throughout much of the Palearctic ecozone. The species is subdivided into multiple subspecies, including Pararge aegeria aegeria, Pararge aegeria tricis, Pararge aegeria oblita, and Pararge aegeria insula. The coloration of this butterfly varies between subspecies. The existence of these subspecies is due to variation in morphology down a gradient corresponding to a geographic cline. The background of the wings ranges from brown to orange, and the spots are either pale yellow, white, cream or a tawny orange. The Speckled Wood feeds on a variety of grass species. The males of this species exhibit two types of mate locating behaviors: territorial defense and patrolling. The proportion of males exhibiting these two strategies changes based on ecological conditions. The monandrous female must choose which type of male can help her reproduce successfully. Her decision is heavily influenced by environmental conditions.

The average wingspan of both males and females is 5.1 cm (2 in), although males tend to be slightly smaller than females. Furthermore, males possess a row of greyish-brown scent scales of their forewings that is absent in the females. Females have brighter and more distinct markings than males. The subspecies P. a. tircis is brown with pale yellow or cream spots and darker upperwing eyespots. The subspecies P. a. aegeria has a more orange background and the hindwing underside eyespots are reddish brown rather than black or dark gray. The two forms gradually intergrade into each other. Subspecies P. a. oblita is a darker brown, often approaching black with white rather than cream spots. The underside of its hindwings has a marginal pale purple band and a row of conspicuous white spots. The spots of subspecies P. a. insula are a tawny orange rather than a cream color. The underside of the forewings has patches of pale orange, and the underside of the hind wing has a purple tinged band. Although there is considerable variation with each subspecies, identification of the different subspecies is manageable.

The morphology of this butterfly varies as a gradient down its geographic cline from North to South. The northern butterflies in this species have a bigger size, adult body mass, and wing area. These measurements decrease as one move's in a southerly direction in the Speckled Wood's range. Forewing length on the other hand increases moving in a northerly direction. This is due to the fact that in the cooler temperatures of the northern part of this butterfly's range, the butterflies need larger forewings for thermoregulation. Finally, the northern butterflies are darker than their southern counterpart, and there is a coloration gradient, down their geographical cline.

Death's-head Hawkmoth

The name Death's-head Hawkmoth refers to any one of the three moth species of the genus Acherontia (Acherontia atropos, Acherontia styx and Acherontia lachesis). Acherontia lachesis is a large (up to 13 cm wingspan) Sphingid moth found in India and much of the Oriental region, one of the three species of Death's-head Hawkmoth, also known as the Bee Robber. It is nocturnal, and very fond of honey; they can mimic the scent of honey bees so that they can enter a hive unharmed to get honey. Their tongue, which is stout and very strong, enables them to pierce the wax cells and suck the honey out. This species occurs throughout almost the entire Oriental region, from India, Pakistan and Nepal to the Philippines, and from southern Japan and the southern Russian Far East to Indonesia, where it attacks colonies of several different honey bee species. It has recently become established on the Hawaiian Islands.

The skull-like pattern and its fanciful associations with the supernatural and evil have fostered superstitious fears of Acherontia species, particularly Acherontia atropos, perhaps because it is the most widely known. The moths' sharp, mouse-like squeaking intensifies the effect. Nor is this a new attitude: during the mid-19th century entomologist Edward Newman, having earlier mentioned the mark on the thorax wrote: "However, let the cause of the noise be what it may, the effect is to produce the most superstitious feelings among the uneducated, by whom it is always regarded with feelings of awe and terror."

These moths have been featured often in art such as by German artist Sulamith Wülfing, and movies such as Un Chien Andalou (by Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí) and The Silence of the Lambs (in the film's source novel, a different moth species is used; the Black Witch), and in the artwork of the Japanese metal band Sigh's album Hail Horror Hail. They are also mentioned in Chapter 21 of Bram Stoker's Dracula, where Dracula has been sending moths for Renfield to consume. According to legend, the species was first seen in Britain at the time of the execution of King Charles I, but it is more likely to have simply become more common by that time, having arrived with the first transportation of potatoes some centuries earlier. Though rarer, it is still occasionally sighted in the country to this day.

Edgar Allan Poe's short story The Sphinx describes a close encounter with a death's-headed sphinx moth, describing it as "the genus Sphinx, of the family Crepuscularia of the order Lepidoptera."

The species names atropos, lachesis and styx are all from Greek myth and related to death. The first refers to the member of the three Moirai who cuts the threads of life of all beings; the second to the Moira who allots the correct amount of life to a being; and the last refers to the river of the dead. In addition the genus name Acherontia is derived from Acheron, a river of Greek myth that was said to be a branch of the river Styx.

Hummingbird Hawkmoth

The hummingbird hawk-moth (Macroglossum stellatarum) is a species of Sphingidae. Its long proboscis and its hovering behavior, accompanied by an audible humming noise, make it look remarkably like a hummingbird while feeding on flowers. It should not be confused with the moths called hummingbird moths in North America, genus Hemaris, members of the same family and with similar appearance and behavior. The resemblance to hummingbirds is an example of convergent evolution. It flies during the day, especially in bright sunshine, but also at dusk, dawn, and even in the rain, which is unusual for even diurnal hawkmoths. Its visual abilities have been much studied, and it has been shown to have a relatively good ability to learn colors.

Poplar Hawk-Moth

The Poplar Hawk-moth (Laothoe populi) is a moth of the family Sphingidae. Often mistaken for "Popular Hawk-Moth."  It is found throughout the Palearctic ecozone region and the Near East and is one of the most common members of the family in the region. One or two broods are produced each year and adults can be seen from May to September.

This is a large (wingspan 70–100 mm), odd-looking, species due to its habit of resting with its hindwings held further forward than (but still half hidden by) the forewings (the species lacks a frenulum joining the wings together). It is said to look like a cluster of dead leaves of the main host, poplar. When disturbed, the moth will suddenly reveal a bright orange-red basal patch on the hindwing, possibly as a distraction or startle display. Gynandromorphs, half female and half male, are common. The wings are grey marked with darker grey fascia but with the greys occasionally replaced by buffish tones (this form is more frequent among females than males).There is a white spot at the distal edge of the cell on the fore wings.

'Grass Yellow' Butterfly

The Large Grass Yellow or Common Grass Yellow (Eurema hecabe) is a small pierid butterfly species found in Asia or Africa. They are found flying close to the ground and are found in open grass and scrub habitats. It is simply known as "the grass yellow" in parts of its range; the general term otherwise refers to the entire genus Eurema.

The Common Grass Yellow exhibits seasonal polyphenism. The lepidopteran has a darker summer morph, triggered by a long day exceeding 13 hours in duration, while the shorter diurnal period of 12 hours or less induces a fairer morph in the post-monsoon period.

Luna Moth

The Luna Moth (Actias luna) is a lime-green, Nearctic Saturniid moth in the family Saturniidae, subfamily Saturniinae. It has a wingspan of up to 114 mm (4.5 in), making it one of the largest moths in North America.

This moth is found in North America from east of the Great Plains in the United States to northern Mexico and from Saskatchewan eastward through central Quebec to Nova Scotia in Canada. There have been sightings as far south as central Florida.