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American Snout


American Snout
Photo Information
Copyright: Ron Warner (tuslaw) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 232 W: 8 N: 598] (1901)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-07-03
Categories: Insects
Exposure: f/7.1, 1/500 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-07-17 19:43
Viewed: 314
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 10
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
While walking a trail at Radnor State park in Nashville Tennessee I suddenly hollered out to my wife (Rosie) stop! She said what's wrong? I said hold still there is some kind of butterfly on you and I want to get a shot of it.

This tiny butterfly with a long nose was sitting on her blouse. I quickly put on my macro lens and stepped closer while keeping my lens focused on the butterfly. It took off and landed on her again, only this time on the front of her blouse.

It did this many times front, back, front , back,... I said I wonder why it keeps landing on you? She said it was because she was sooooo sweet. I said Yea Right.. I told her it must have something to do with her perfume.

I was about to try to get a shot again when I noticed another couple coming our way. I figured I didn't want someone seeing me focus my camera about 6 inches away from her blouse since they might wonder what I was trying to get a shot of, so I told her to just act natural until they passed.

They finally went by us and I tried again to get a shot, but this time just as I was ready to push the shutter the butterfly took off. I looked up from the eye piece and there he was sitting on the end of my lens.

Great!! I said, now what am I supposed to do? Rosie then took her finger and put it in front of the butterfly and it just crawled up on it. So here it is for all to see, an American Snout sitting on an Ohioans finger!!

American Snout Family: Brush-footed butterflies
Sub family: Snouts (Libytheinae)

Adults perch on tree branches holding their palps and antenna down in order to resemble leaves.

Eggs are laid in small brunches on a host tree, the young caterpillars then feed on the leaves.

These butterflies at times take large migrations and overwinter in the southern parts of their range.

The adults feed on nectar from such flowers as asters, dogwood, goldenrod, sweet pepperbush, etc...

INFO found on web-site: Butterflies & Moths of North America
writerscrawlz, marhowie, jaycee has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To jaycee: American Snouttuslaw 1 07-19 10:40
To jpdenk: American Snouttuslaw 1 07-18 21:52
To marhowie: American Snouttuslaw 2 07-18 19:48
To GaryT: American Snouttuslaw 1 07-18 18:34
To writerscrawlz: American Snouttuslaw 1 07-18 18:31
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Critiques [Translate]

Your story sent me into fits of giggles! Oh, by the way, thanks for your kind words on my photo.

This is an amazing shot, but you know...I would give anything to have the entire episode on a video camera!

The information about the butterfly is great (as is the back story...)
This little butterfly reminds me of an essay that (Gosh darn it, I can't think of her name!) a woman wrote about a moth. She saw it struggle to live and watched as it died - an amazing essay (when will my memory come back in full??) - but this is a beautiful capture.

Now I'm going to have to go look up the author - and a famous one she is, although she's a bit dead now...

Meanwhile, thanks for the story, the photo, and the facts.

Hi Ron,
Great story, the husband/wife team has pulled it off well :)
Fairly small insect, I've shot them here before also.
I remember one year when they swarmed in our area for days..
Great DOF, color, and detail..I wonder, maybe the blouse shot wouldn't have been such a bad idea ;-}}
Well done & have a nice weekend,
Howard

  • Great 
  • GaryT Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 82 W: 4 N: 161] (858)
  • [2008-07-18 5:10]
  • [+]

Great in all aspects. Never seen one of these before. Gary

Hi Ron,

Nice, sharp macro of this unusual-looking butterfly.

Interesting how occasionally butterflies want to sit on us. I once had a Pearl Crescent insist on sitting on my camera bag while I worked, then when I picked everything up to go, it flew up and perched on my shoulder and rode with me for quite a while.

Thanks,
John

Hi Ron,

Great story you had to tell but I bet you're wrong. Rosie must be sweet and perfume had nothing to do with it. I've never seen an American Snout before, or never knew what I was seeing. Excellent macro - and it does have a big snout - the Jimmy Durante of the butterfly world. Excellent details and colors. Tell Rosie she has a nice finger!

Jane

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