Buckeye Butterfly with hint of purple found

[bluemoth]

Well just collected the last batch of wild Buckeyes of the year for captive breeding. Two have purple sheen on forward wing edge!! I now will have purple to add to my breeding project of Blue and Green Buckeyes. If all gos well the first colored Buckeyes will be available for sale at end of 2012. All current larva are healthy and thriving.

[jamesd]

Nice. Are Buckeyes more variable than other species?

[bluemoth]

Yes Jamesd Buckeye genes are very changeable. I do believe if folks choose other species to work with you could eventually get some nice adorations from them. Some times things happen on there own. Some things you can manipulate through breeding like the blue, green and now purple Buckeyes of mine. I believe Junonia from other countries can also be bred for different colors or patterns. There are other species that aberrants show up in in the wild. If folks would just try breeding these aberrants instead of putting them in the kill jar right away you might see more interesting aberrations of them out there for sale. I think every one should choose a butterfly that is easy for them to bread and rear to get interesting aberrations. They will make money this way to. In the US I have bread these species with ease in small cages - Gulf Fritillary, Satyr Commas and Monarchs. I believe also Checkerspots will bread in captivity. Artificial food will need to be used in winter for folks ware snow falls. This may affect reproduction in the butterflies so introducing wild stock as soon as possible in spring is impotent.

[papiliotheona]

Can you post some pics of your buckeyes?

Also, where are you from? Are you in the eastern or western United States? Western U.S. buckeyes usually are more subdued, and more in earth-tones, than eastern (this is excepting those in some desert regions that can show all sorts of bizarre variation).