Dec 04 2008
Crackers, Banners, & Cross-streaks at the Jaguar Spa
We set off for a 4-night trip to northeast Mexico on Halloween. After an uneventful border crossing and about 4 hours of driving south through the ranch lands, we arrived at the Hacienda Santa Engracia, pictured above. A favorite lodging of our friend and hostess, Marci Fuller, the Hacienda was indeed charming–you could spend many pleasant hours just sitting on one of the porches or by the pool and watching the world go by, as Jim White is doing in the photo below.
We were more interested in birds and bugs than relaxation at that point, so we enjoyed a quick lunch, geared up, and headed out of town toward the foothills of the Sierra Madre. There, we visited a riverside park called Balneario El Tigre. That name translates to something like, “Jaguar Spa,” which might be a bit grandiose. It was more of a swimming hole with a few rough-hewn cabins perched nearby. It was pretty, though.
Me wading in the Rio Corona at Balneario El Tigre photo ©Jim White
More than that, it had some of the most enjoyable butterflying I’ve ever done anywhere. Though the numbers weren’t astronomical, there were just so many large and/or spectacular species that it was mind-blowing. I already shared a shot of a Guatemalan Leafwing I took there in an earlier post; here are a few more:
Zebra Cross-streak Panthiades bathildis
Balanced atop a tall cactus, this little beauty was great to look at from any angle. Perched, he showed lovely zebra bars and an ornate false face on his hind quarters. When he did fly, his upperside was an intense iridescent blue–you can see just a tiny bit of that color peeking out above the large orange blotch at the right end.
Guatemalan Cracker Hamadryas guatemalena
As big and cryptic as the cross-streak was small and showy, this Guatemalan Cracker clung to a tree trunk, the lichen-like pattern of its upperwings blending beautifully with the tree bark. Crackers, also known as Calicoes, are an unusual group, named for the loud popping or cracking noise the males sometimes make when they fly. Not all crackers are so subtle, though, at least if you’re blessed with color vision (remember, few mammals are–we’re lucky). Check out the Red Cracker below:
Red Cracker Hamadryas amphinome
It may be hard to understand at first why this gorgeous bug, with its gas-flame blue markings would be called a red anything. But that’s because crackers spend so much time perched with their wings splayed open. It’s only when they flex those wings or fly that the nomenclature becomes sensible:
Red Cracker Hamadryas amphinome
That’s some bug, huh? It seemed that every branch, trunk, and twig had a special lep (short for “lepidopteran“) on it. Even the ground was festooned with striking butterflies and moths, like this male Common Banner.
Common Banner Epiphile adrasta
Finally, it got dark enough that most of the diurnal bugs went to bed, photography and observation became difficult, and the Hacienda’s siren song of showers, beers, and bed began to worm its way into our consciousness. As we left, a group of young locals arrived, built a campfire, and clowned around, laughing and teasing each other. The boys at one point formed a massive “puppy pile,” on top of one of their comrades. We understood very few of the jokes and taunts they were making, but the overall warmth of their friendship shone through. I don’t know what they made of us, but I’d like to think it was something similar. That Halloween afternoon, the banks of the Rio Corona at the Jaguar Spa seemed to be a charmed place, whatever whims or wings brought you there.
Well, I have a new butterfly to be in love with. That Red Cracker is gorgeous!