How to catch Morpho Butterflies 15

[@CumberlandOutdoorsman]

I would love to go collecting in the tropics some day. If I ever do, I will remember this trick!

[@alairmeis6442]

What a beautiful place, where is it? this collection of Morpho was made in the month of March to April? Are the morphos butterflies anaxibia or Morpho menelaus milacheulus?

[@TheRealPopojijo]

Do you have a walkthough on how to build a paddle?

[@troywells2756]

I didn't make the paddle, but I have been looking into making my own, I just don't have a saw that can cut out the pattern.

[@marionahse4350]

Hi, must it be a special blue colour, because blue metallic paper never worked for rethenor (in Bolivia). They were flying 10-15 meters over my head and didn't care at all.

[@troywells2756]

Before the blue paddle, i would use a white towel by swinging it around like a airplane propeller. It also worked, but it made my arm tired quick. Any blue would work, and even non blue works. I think it is more the flash of the paddle. Sometimes I can get them to come down by moving my net back and forth very fast. I was thinking a blue net might work too. I do have trouble sometimes getting the rhetenors to come down, but I found it was because they did not see the paddle, or saw me first before the paddle. I would then run about 20 meters in front of the butterfly and try it again. I would sometime hide behind/under a tree, put my hand through the leaves and use the paddle, this seems to work the best. But remember, they need to be able to see the paddle, so doing it from behind will not work, it must be in front of the butterfly as it is flying down the trail to you. The higher they fly, the more room you will need in front of them so they can see it and fly down in time. This is why I use trails and roads, I have more room to work. Also, the rhetenor, hecuba and telemachus butterflies tend to fly up and down trails and roads because I think they think it is a river, and they patrol rivers looking for females. I call these butterflies 'gliders' The 'gliders' also only come out when it is sunny. The menelaus and adonis butterflies fly more in the jungle, and only go on the trails when crossing over to the other side or if they see your lure, they fly rain or shine. For the eugenia butterflies, it needs to be a clear sky in the east so that day brake can be seen. Another thing to remember is that different butterflies come out at different times of the day. These times are when they are looking for females and defending against males. The best times to use the paddle for the different morphos are below. eugenia = 6am to 6:30 am (silver lure, flash light works the best) adonis = 8:30am to 10am (silver lure) menelaus = 9am to 11am (blue lure) rhetenor = 10am to 1pm (dark blue lure) hecuba = 11am to 1pm (silver/brown lure) telemachus metellus= 11am to 12noon (sliver/brown lure) telemachus perseus = 11am to 12noon (blue lure) deidamia = 1pm to 3pm (blue lure) achilles/helenor = 1pm to 3pm (blue lure) Depending if it is a sunny day, or partly cloudy, these times will change for the 'glider' butterflies.

[@markgoode7641]

What month of the year was this Troy?...I went to Guyane in December but it was hammering rain and very poor for Morpho

[@troywells2756]

I have only been down there during the dry seasons of 2013, 14, 15, and 2016. Starting late July to early December. December is when the rain starts up again. I have also found that during the dry season, the following butterflies tend to be out more during these month; Rhetenor - I have seen them every month of the dry season. Over 100 males, 1 female, 1 bilateral gynandromorph Menelaus - I have seen them every month of the dry season. Over 100 males, 3 females. Hecuba - they started coming out early Aug to mid Sep. Over 50 males, 2 females. Telemachus - mid Sep to late Nov. Over 50 males, some could have been females. Helenor/Achilles - I have seen them every month of the dry season. (I can’t tell them apart). Over 100 males, 5 females. Adonis - only caught 3, 2 males, 1 female in the month of September Eugenia - never caught one, too early in the morning for me, tried a few times but nothing. update, in 2019 I was able to catch more of the Adonis using a silver lure. Over 30 males update, in July of 2021, I was able to catch the Eugenia. I found a location for them by accidentally scaring one from it's roost during the day. It flew about 6 feet and landed and I was able to catch it and see it was an Eugenia morpho. I then came back in the morning and saw my first Eugenia flying down the trail. It seemed like a dream due to the low light, and the faint blue flash of color from the butterfly. I had to leave the hotel about 5am to get there at 5:20 and hike 30 mins in the dark by my self to the area, that was scary. I only did this about 8 times. Good thing I knew the hike area very will due to how many times I have been there during the day. The Eugenia comes out just before sun rise (about 5:55am to 6:30) for only 30 mins, and due to the low light at that time, they are very hard to catch. They are also very fast, and seem to dodge my net at will. During the 30 min period that they are flying, I would see between 3 to 8 of them each trip, and of the 8 times I went in the morning, I was only able to catch one. So a total of two including the one I got during the day. I wanted to catch more, but the hike in the dark was very scary.

[@loub747]

That's so awesome. What country is this in?

[@NguyenMinh-ef7hr]

HihihihihihihihihihihiHIHIHIHIHIHIHhihihihihihij

[@troywells2756]

French Guiana, near the Sinnamary river

[@loub747]

+Troy Wells thanks. I'll have to get down that way sometime.

[@МаксимКоролёв-о7о]

Какие виды были пойманы? Не видно ничего.

[@David-Eng]

Such an amazing video! I wish I knew about the paddle trick before my Colombia trip. I encountered, but missed rhodopteron, sulkowskyi, and rhetenor 😭

[@wildzach]

Does this method attract both sexes? And is the non-blue side for a different species?

[@troywells2756]

It only works on the males, they try to defend their territory from other male. They think the paddle is another male and try to chase it away. The females tend to fly away when using the paddle. I think they think its another male about to bother them, so they fly away. The blue side is for rhetenor and menelaus (all blue) butterflies. The brown side is for hecuba and telemachus (all brown) butterflies.

[@margui6224]

Just leave alone. That man is hurting them.

[@troywells2756]

I let all of them go, just looking.