Lepidoptera
Lepidopterans wear overlapping scales on their wings and bodies, which give the order its name. Adults feed mostly on nectar through a coiled proboscis, while caterpillars chew leaves, stems, fruits, and seeds, often specializing on a narrow set of host plants.
The order contains roughly 180,000 described species, ranging from tiny leaf-mining moths in family Nepticulidae to the giant atlas moths with wingspans approaching 30 centimeters. Wing venation, antennal shape, and the coupling structure between fore- and hind wings drive most family-level identification.
Elachistidae
Pin #108 · Lepidoptera · Elachistidae
NE: Lancaster Co. · 21 Apr 2026 · 40.87, -96.81
Collector: A. Angel
Preservation: Mount on minuten through thorax; spread wings on micro-board; double-mount on standard pin.
Characters: Grass-miner moth; very small micromoth; lance-shaped forewings with iridescent metallic scales; long fringe scales on hindwing; antenna long, slender.
Plutellidae
Pin #122 · Lepidoptera · Plutellidae
Guatemala: Antigua Guatemala · 29 Mar 2026 · 14.56, -90.73
Collector: A. Angel
Preservation: Mount on minuten through thorax; spread wings on micro-board; double-mount on standard pin.
Characters: Diamondback moth; very small, slender; brown ground;
Saturniidae - Automeris sp.
Pin #126 · Lepidoptera · Saturniidae - Automeris sp.
Guatemala: Livingston · 08 May 2021 · 15.63, -88.73
Collector: FLAAR · Photographer/ID: A. Angel
Preservation: Pin through thorax; wings spread on board.
Characters: Eyed Silkmoth; large brown moth, wings spread broadly; bold feathery male antennae; pale yellow-pink submarginal band on hindwings
Riodinidae - Lyropteryx lyra
Pin #125 · Lepidoptera · Riodinidae - Lyropteryx lyra
El Salvador: El Zonte · 05 Sep 2021 · 15.72, -88.94
Photographer: FLAAR · ID: A. Angel
Preservation: Pin through thorax; wings spread on board.
Characters: Small dark blue-black butterfly perched on leaf; margins fade to transluscent; tropical metalmark gestalt.
Pieridae - Phoebis sp.
Pin #121 · Lepidoptera · Pieridae - Phoebis sp.
Guatemala: Uaxactun · 19 Jul 2024 · 17.39, -89.63
Photographer: FLAAR · ID: A. Angel
Preservation: Pin through thorax; wings spread on board.
Characters: Bright sulphur-yellow butterfly mud-puddling on gravel; wings closed, no black markings showing on ventral; medium size
Papilionidae - Heraclides thoas
Pin #120 · Lepidoptera · Papilionidae - Heraclides thoas.
Guatemala: Livingston · 29 Jul 2021 · 15.84, -88.77
Photographer: FLAAR · ID: A. Angel
Preservation: Pin through thorax; wings spread on board.
Characters: large butterfly mud-puddling on sand; bold yellow-and-black banded pattern; tail-like hindwing extension visible; knobbed antennae.
Nymphalidae - Marpesia sp.
Pin #119 · Lepidoptera · Nymphalidae - Marpesia
Guatemala: Uaxactun · 19 Jul 2024 · 17.39, -89.63
Photographer: FLAAR · ID: A. Angel
Preservation: Pin through thorax; wings spread on board.
Characters: Many-banded Daggerwing; mud-puddling on gravel; ventral with alternating cream and brown longitudinal bands; long pointed daggerwing tail on each hindwing.
Nymphalidae - Heliconius sp.
Pin #117 · Lepidoptera · Nymphalidae - Heliconius sp.
Guatemala: San Miguel Dueñas · 21 Mar 2026 · 14.55, -90.81
Collector: A. Angel
Preservation: Pin through thorax; wings spread on board.
Characters: Long narrow forewings, dark ground with cream patches across forewing and orange-red bands across hindwing, no visible claws
Nymphalidae - Greta sp.
Pin #116 · Lepidoptera · Nymphalidae - Greta sp.
Guatemala: San Miguel Dueñas · 21 Mar 2026 · 14.54, -90.81
Collector: A. Angel
Preservation: Pin through thorax; wings spread on board.
Characters: Glasswing; transparent wing membrane crossed by dark veins; rust-orange wing margins; white band along upper edge of forewing; long slender body.
Nymphalidae - Caligo sp.
Pin #114 · Lepidoptera · Nymphalidae - Caligo sp.
Guatemala: Livingston · 09 May 2021 · 15.64, -88.79
Photographer: FLAAR · ID: A. Angel
Preservation: Pin through thorax; wings spread on board.
Characters: Ventral hindwing with prominent owl-eye marking — yellow ring with dark pupil; mottled brown ground.
Lycaenidae - Celastrina sp.
Pin #110 · Lepidoptera · Lycaenidae - Celastrina sp.
Guatemala: San Miguel Dueñas · 21 Mar 2026 · 14.54, -90.81
Collector: A. Angel
Preservation: Pin through thorax; wings spread on board.
Characters: small azure butterfly; light blue dorsal flashing through closed wings; ventral pale gray with fine dark spotting; white scales ringing the eyes.
Erebidae
Pin #109 · Lepidoptera · Erebidae
Guatemala: Antigua Guatemala · 29 Mar 2026 · 14.56, -90.73
Collector: A. Angel
Preservation: Pin through thorax; wings spread on board.
Characters: Medium brown moth, lateral; compound eyes prominent; thorax densely scaled and shaggy; labial palps upturned snout-like; wings held roof-like; cryptic mottled pattern.
Crambidae - Palpita flegia
Pin #107 · Lepidoptera · Crambidae - Palpita flegia
Guatemala: Topoxte · 19 Jul 2022 · 17.07, -89.42
Photographer: FLAAR · ID: A. Angel
Preservation: Pin through thorax; wings spread on board.
Characters: Bright white wings semi-translucent with dark veins; yellow-orange eyes; slender body; large projecting labial palps; Forewing elongate
Cosmopterigidae - Cosmopterix pulchrimella
Pin #106 · Lepidoptera · Cosmopterigidae - Cosmopterix pulchrimella
Guatemala: San Miguel Dueñas · 21 Mar 2026 · 14.54, -90.82
Collector: A. Angel
Preservation: Mount on minuten through thorax; spread wings on micro-board; double-mount on standard pin.
Characters: Tiny dark micromoth on leaf; faint yellow band across forewings; bright scales speckled on wings
Nymphalidae - Junonia sp.
Pin #118 · Lepidoptera · Nymphalidae - Junonia sp.
GA: St Simons Island · 05 Nov 2023 · 31.14, -81.38
Collector: A. Angel
Preservation: Pin through thorax; wings spread on board.
Characters: Common Buckeye; brown ground with two large eyespots per wing — one large with blued center on hindwing — and orange submarginal bands;
Nymphalidae - Danaus sp.
Pin #115 · Lepidoptera · Nymphalidae - Danaus sp.
IN: Hamilton Co. · 01 Aug 2025 · 40.16, -86.10
Collector: A. Angel
Preservation: Pin through thorax; wings spread on board.
Characters: Monarch; orange wings with black veins and broad black margins dotted with white; long body with white-spotted black ground; classic Danaus pattern.
Nymphalidae - Agraulis sp.
Pin #112 · Lepidoptera · Nymphalidae - Agraulis sp.
GA: St Simons Island · 05 Nov 2023 · 31.14, -81.38
Collector: A. Angel
Preservation: Pin through thorax; wings spread on board.
Characters: Gulf Fritillary; wings open; ventral hindwing with silvery-white elongate spots on orange-brown ground; long slender forewings.
Pyralidae
Pin #124 · Lepidoptera · Pyralidae
Guatemala: Antigua Guatemala · 14 Mar 2026 · 14.56, -90.74
Collector: A. Angel
Preservation: Mount on minuten through thorax; spread wings on micro-board; double-mount on standard pin.
Characters: Snout moth; small narrow-winged Phycitini; gray-brown forewing with darker markings; long slender labial palps
Nymphalidae - Anartia jatrophae
Pin #113 · Lepidoptera · Nymphalidae - Anartia sp.
FL: Redland · 08 Jan 2026 · 25.53, -80.49
Collector: A. Angel
Preservation: Pin through thorax; wings spread on board.
Characters: Pale gray-white dorsal ground; small dark eyespots ringed by orange on each wing; orange-brown wavy submarginal bands;
Pyralidae - Galleria sp.
Pin #123 · Lepidoptera · Pyralidae - Galleria sp.
Guatemala: Antigua Guatemala · 19 Mar 2026 · 14.56, -90.73
Collector: A. Angel
Preservation: Pin through thorax; wings spread on board.
Characters: lateral, mottled brown elongate body; characteristic concave/scalloped trailing edge on forewing; well-developed labial palps; head tucked under thorax.