There's something happening here. . .
This Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes, Cramer, 1777) didn't really want to slow down to be photographed. He is a blur in most of the photos.
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There are as many as 100 species of butterflies found in Florida. These images are some of our common species, photographed this morning.
In this image one can see how the markings of this Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes, Fabricius, 1775) are excellent for confusing potential predators (birds, bats). He starts to look like a bat with orange eyes.
Here a Zebra Heliconian (Heliconius charithonia, Linnaeus, 1767) is barely visible (top left) as his pattern blurs with the background of the landscape. His cousin was more cooperative.
The Admirals and their relatives (Limenitidinae) are invisible on the landscape. One has to look closely to see this Dingy Purplewing (Eunica monima, Stoll, 1782)
I can never resist this cliche shot. . . and am often lying on the ground underneath these Tithonia spp. waiting for a butterfly to come along.
We've Read:
On January 23, 2017, President Donald Trump reinstituted the "global gag rule" (GGR), which prevents foreign organizations that provide abortion care, counseling, information or advocacy from receiving U.S. family planning funds. This rule, which was first instituted in 1984, has been shown to decimate family planning programs and increase abortion rates in countries around the world. And, because the rule targets organizations and not specific programs or services, it negatively impacts HIV-prevention programs, as well. Unfortunately, the wording of Trump's presidential memorandum seems to expand the reach of the GGR, meaning that it could have an even bigger impact on HIV prevention efforts overseas.
Under an even older rule -- the 1973 Helms Amendment -- no U.S. funds can be used to provide abortion services, but the GGR adds many more restrictions. Any non-governmental organization (NGO) that receives U.S. family planning money cannot care for abortion clients, counsel clients about abortion, provide any information about abortion or advocate for the liberalization of abortion laws in its own country, even if it uses other money to do so. The rule originally applied only to funds from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), but in 2003 it was expanded to include all family planning funding through the U.S. State Department. When the rule is in place, organizations have to choose between providing the family planning programs that best suit their communities or taking much-needed U.S. aid.
Also known as "the Mexico City Policy," the rule dates back to Ronald Reagan and has been used as a political tool by every administration since. It was abolished by Bill Clinton when he became president in 1993, reinstated by George W. Bush in 2001 and eliminated again by President Obama in 2009.
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