Riodinidae

Here is a recently caught specimen, a medium-small butterfly of the family Riodinidae, or Metalmarks. There is some debate whether the group Riodinidae is a subfamily of Lycaenidae, or a separate family under Papilionoidea. Lycaenidae consists of small, delicate, often brightly colored butterflies. The body is slender, the antennae are usually ringed with white, and the eyes are surrounded by scales. The larvae are flat and sluglike, many secrete honeydew, and some live in ant nests where ants can feed upon the honeydew they secrete. If we take the interpretation that Riodinidae is a subfamily of Lycaenidae, there are two other subfamilies - Miletinae and Lycaeninae.

Lepidoptera; Papilionoidea; (Lycaenidae; Riodininae) Riodinidae; Apodemia virgulti
Common Name: Behr's Metalmark

*I find the eye spots on this specimen to be particularly fantastic - it has the white of the eye, the pupil, iris, etc. I accentuated the eye spots on the lower right image*

More detail on the family/subfamily Riodinidae: Metalmarks are small, dark-colored butterflies that differ from the other Lycaenidae subfamilies in that the costal vein of the hind wing is thickened and they have a short humeral vein in the hind wing. Most are tropical or western. The larvae tend to feed on ragwort and thistle. This particular species has been found almost exclusively in California. This species' larvae also tend to feed on buckwheat.

Here are the final pinned versions of the above butterfly, the crane fly, and the sphinx moth.

*Corrected from Mormon Metalmark - according to bugguide: "this species differs from others in the mormo complex by the brick-red, or reddish-orange areas on the dorsal surface of both FW and HW, and generally darker appearance." Also, this specimen was found early spring, while a similar subspecies of Mormon Metalmarks is found in late summer or early fall.*

Sphingidae

I caught this sphinx moth, also known as a hummingbird moth, outside one of the places I work. They are extremely common and can be seen from morning to night, hovering and drinking nectar from flowers with a long proboscis. They truly resemble hummingbirds in size and style of feeding, with rapidly beating wings. I have included a picture of the specimen while pinned, in addition to the crane fly from the other day.

Lepidoptera; Bombycoidea; Sphingidae; Macroglossinae; Macroglossini; Hyles lineata
Common Name: White-Lined Sphinx Moth

Sphinx moths usually have rather large bodies, narrow wings, and in the case of the above species, extremely long proboscises. The larvae are usually green hornworms, which are major agricultural pests. One species' larvae is a common agricultural pest, the tomato hornworm. Others feed on tobacco and other plants. However, the larvae are also often attacked by parasites like braconid wasps.

Tipulidae

This specimen is a member of the family Tipulidae, and has become very abundant this time of year in San Diego. They are often mistaken as "giant mosquitoes" or are labeled "mosquito eaters". There are over a thousand species from this family in North America.

Diptera; Tipulomorpha; Tipulidae
Common Name: Crane Fly

It is difficult to narrow down the genus without a key specific for Tipulidae. This family contains flies with long thin abdomens, long narrow wings, and extremely long legs. They are often found dancing around artificial lights or across grassy fields. The females have pointed abdomens, while the males have rounded abdomens. Crane fly larvae bear the common name "leatherjackets" and consume roots and plant material, while the adults may consume nectar. They have a very ephemeral adult phase - the main objective is to mate. They do not bite or sting, and are easily captured.