News - March 2012



Brown-chested Martin
Progne tapera
Brown-chested Martin
17-03-12 © J. Simón Tagtachian
Two martin fledglings wait for their parents to bring food. A fledgling is a young bird which has left the nest. It is feathered but is still cared for by the parents. An evident characteristic is the enlarged oral flanges at the base of the bill. This structure is enlarged integumentary tissue which passerine chicks have when they hatch and decreases as the young grows. It is normally yellow and it will be more or less bright depending on how well lit the nest is. It is believed to arouse parents to feed the young and to serve as a food target to place it properly.

New butterfly species
Ivory
Eunica eburnea
Ivory
31-03-12 © Silvia Vitale
Ivory
31-03-12 © Silvia Vitale



Many-colored Rush Tyrant
Tachuris rubrigastra
Many-colored Rush Tyrant
31-03-12 © J. Simón Tagtachian
White-lined Tanager
Tachyphonus rufus
White-lined Tanager
25-03-12 © Juan Pablo Muszkats
White-lined Tanager
25-03-12 © Juan Pablo Muszkats

Carpenter ant
Camponotus mus
Carpenter ant
12-03-12 © Roberto Ares
This carpenter ant is black and has short, erect hairs covering all the body. Its abdomen has longer and flattened hairs, which give it a golden colouring. Carpenter ants do not consume wood. They collet sucrose solutions from plants and aphids.
04-03-12 © Roberto Ares

The mound of sawdust was not fortuitous. This was part of the material removed by these ants which were hollowing out the trunk of this live tree. The rest was scattered on the ground. As long as we stayed there they kept dumping material continuously. They emerged out of the hole, reached the edge, emptied the load and went back. Sawdust was of different sizes, sometimes as long as the ant itself. We put a finger near one of them to have a size reference point. It stayed montionless and showed no aggressiveness. Neither were they aggressive when the earwing passed by. Nevertheless, the visit of a wasp did not pass unnoticed. Unluckily the action was not filmed, but the ants near the scene attacked the wasp in unison. The day before a wasp had been laying eggs in the surroundings.



New butterfly species
Stripestreak
Arawacus ellida
Stripestreak
25-03-05 © Roberto Ares

New butterfly species
Big lazy
Actinote pyrrha
Big lazy
17-03-12 © J. Simón Tagtachian
Big lazy
17-03-12 © J. Simón Tagtachian

Caulonia groundstreak
Calycopis caulonia
Caulonia groundstreak
10-03-12 © Rosana Ursino
American white-milk
Tatochila mercedis vanvolxemii
American white-milk
17-03-12 © J. Simón Tagtachian
American white-milk
17-03-12 © J. Simón Tagtachian
Southern fritillary
Euptoieta hortensia
Southern fritillary
18-03-12 © J. Simón Tagtachian
Pyrgus orcynoides
17-03-12 © Rosana Ursino
Celmis satyr
Ypthimoides celmis
Celmis satyr
17-03-12 © Rosana Ursino
Celmis satyr
17-03-12 © Rosana Ursino
Lesbia sulphur
Colias lesbia
Lesbia sulphur
17-03-12 © J. Simón Tagtachian
Lesbia sulphur
03-03-12 © Rosana Ursino

Variety heliceoides

Common white-milk
Tatochila autodice
Common white-milk
17-03-12 © J. Simón Tagtachian
Common Lazy
Actinote pellenea
Common Lazy
17-03-12 © J. Simón Tagtachian
Big lazy
Actinote pyrrha
Big lazy
17-03-12 © J. Simón Tagtachian
Lyssipoides metalmark
Riodina lyssipoides
Lyssipoides metalmark
17-03-12 © Rosana Ursino
Southern Monarch
Danaus erippus
Southern Monarch
17-03-12 © J. Simón Tagtachian
Bella mapwing
Hypanartia bella
Bella mapwing
17-03-12 © J. Simón Tagtachian
Claudina crescent
Tegosa claudina
Claudina crescent
17-03-12 © J. Simón Tagtachian

Limpkin
Aramus guarauna
Limpkin
17-03-12 © Pablo Serur
American Kestrel
Falco sparverius
American Kestrel
17-03-12 © Pablo Serur
Many-colored Rush Tyrant
Tachuris rubrigastra
Many-colored Rush Tyrant
17-03-12 © Pablo Serur
Black-capped Warbling-Finch
Poospiza melanoleuca
Black-capped Warbling-Finch
17-03-12 © Pablo Mosto
Blue-billed Black-Tyrant
Knipolegus cyanirostris
Blue-billed Black-Tyrant
09-02-12 © Juan Pablo Muszkats

Camuati wasp (Polybia sp.)
Polybia sp.
© Roberto Ares

Part of the construction of the nest

An action between two camuati wasps is settled by means of circular figues accompanied by vigorous wing beating.


White-faced Ibis
Plegadis chihi
White-faced Ibis
03-03-12 © Pablo Serur
Harris's Hawk
Parabuteo unicinctus
Harris's Hawk
03-03-12 © Pablo Serur
Rusty-collared Seedeater
Sporophila collaris
Rusty-collared Seedeater
03-03-12 © Pablo Serur
Rusty-collared Seedeater
03-03-12 © Pablo Serur
Checkered Woodpecker
Veniliornis mixtus
Checkered Woodpecker
03-03-12 © Rosana Ursino
Fawn-breasted Tanager
Pipraeidea melanonota
Fawn-breasted Tanager
03-03-12 © Pablo Mosto
Brown-chested Martin
Progne tapera
Brown-chested Martin
03-03-12 © J. Simón Tagtachian
White-winged Becard
Pachyramphus polychopterus
White-winged Becard
21-02-12 © J. Simón Tagtachian
White-winged Becard
21-02-12 © J. Simón Tagtachian
Blue-and-yellow Tanager
Pipraeidea bonariensis
Blue-and-yellow Tanager
03-03-12 © J. Simón Tagtachian
Blue-and-yellow Tanager
03-03-12 © J. Simón Tagtachian
Rufescent Tiger-Heron
Tigrisoma lineatum
Rufescent Tiger-Heron
03-03-12 © J. Simón Tagtachian