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<h2 > In every way unblemished by vulgarity </h2>

<p> Naturalists of old associated the genus Agrias with nobility: </p>

<p>Paul Hahnel (1890):<br>
<i>'..[Agrias are] not exceeded in beauty by any other butterfly. For although some Indian Ornithoptera and the Morphids flying on the Amazon surpass it in the development of single attributes, such as size and splendour of colours, they do not come up to its abundant and most thoroughly accomplished markings of the under surface expressing the Nymphalid-type the most perfectly... But above all other excellencies it is adorned by the noble descent, belonging to a genus being in every way unblemished by vulgarity, the species of which are rarities to such an extent that none of the existing large collections is able to boast of possessing all of them in completion.' </i></p>

<p>Hans Fruhstorfer (1907):<br>
<i>'...[Agrias is a] magnificent tropical genus, upon which nature seems to have showered all her abundance of most brilliant colors, and which is, therefore, justly called `the princely race` of the Nymphalidae.'</i></p>

<p>Their appearance may indeed be seen as noble. Here are three specimens from the upper-Amazon rain forest around Iquitos in Peru: Agrias amydon amydonius, Agrias hewitsonii beata, and Agrias claudina lugens. Each butterfly is shown from the recto and verso sides.</p>

<p>The behavior of Agrias is anything BUT noble. Adults feed on “juices” from decaying carrion and animal feces. The three particular butterflies were captured using cow blood for bait. Agrias of the Guianas are somewhat less disgusting and don't come to such filth. There I have had much more luck with rotting bananas. I have not yet heard any theories explaining this geographic variation of behavior.</p>

<p>Collecting in Peru is legal if you have a local guide. I did, an Amerindian fellow from Iquitos. </p>

<h2> Ask your mother-in-law </h2>

<p> The key to appreciating this to-scale photo is realizing that the large moth in the center (<i>Epiphora ploetzi</i>) has a 20cm maximum wing span, while the little guy to the left of it (an <i>Orthogonioptilum</i> species that I can't identify) is about as large as the largest European butterflies. To the right of it are two more giant silkworms (family <i>Saturniidae</i>): <i>Nudaurelia lopia</i> (top) and <i>Imbrasia obscura</i> (bottom). All giant silkworms pupate in silk cocoons, hence the name. Adults have atrophied tongues: they don't feed and are very short-lived. The weird moth on the left ( <i>Dactyloceros lucina</i>) is from the tiny family <i>Brahmeidae</i>, which is closely related but distinguished by fully developed feeding organs. This photo may prompt a discussion of the Darwinian origin of moth's wing patterns and shapes, but I shall recuse myself..</p>
<p> In order to catch these insects, proceed as follows. On a moonless (important!) night hang up a 4m x 3m white sheet (have your mother-in-law help you make one) between two trees in a forest clearing in the Dja Faunal Reserve in Cameroon, right across from the tent you sleep in. Shine some LED floodlights on the sheet: 20W cool-white and 10W near UV light (the best spectral composition is a matter of religious debate and probably utterly unimportant). A large car battery will last a whole week powering these. Through the night, set up the alarm to wake you up every 90 min or so. Each time, get out of the tent and pick up the moths sitting on the sheet, all Dazed and Confused. No collecting net needed.</p>

<p> Collecting in Cameroon is legal with a permit. One can be obtained at the Ministry of Agriculture but is comically expensive. There is a good reason for that. The president of the country (democratically elected back in 1982) happens to reside in Geneva with his family. The cost of living in Geneva is very high, I hear. </p>

<h2> Past the point of efficiency </h2>
<p> <i>Kallima inachus</i>. Netted on the fly in Shan State, Burma.</p>
<p>In his 'Organic Evolution' (1917) Richard Swan Lull claims that<br>
<i>'... that masterpiece of mimicry Kallima goes too far, as a much less perfect imitation [of a dried leaf] would be ample for all practical purposes and we cannot conceive of selection taking an adaptation past the point of efficiency.'</i> Neither can I.</p>
<p>Collecting outside national parks is legal in neighboring Thailand. Not sure about Burma. But nobody seems to care. As long as you are Rohinja, at least.</p>

<h2> Complex mimicry complex </h2>

<p> All these butterflies are from the same location, near Ubatuba in Brazil, on the coast, South of Rio.
They are all from different species and most are not even related! The first row are heliconids, distant relatives of
the fritillaries of the Northern Hemisphere: <i>Heliconius numata</i>, <i>Heliconius ethilla</i> and <i>Euides isabella</i>.
The second row are all ithominids, distantly related to the monarch butterfly: <i>Mechanitis polymnia</i>,
<i>Mechanitis lycimnia</i> and <i>Placidula euryanassa</i>. Note that the <i>Heliconius</i> and <i>Mechanitis</i>
have an even closer species-to-species correspondence. The third row is a mixed bag: a close relative of our
checkerspot butterflies <i>Eresia eunice</i>, another ithominid, <i>Hypothyris ninonia</i>, and a relative of (!)
the cabbage white, <i>Dismorphia amphione</i>. They all look similar, being members of one of the famous <i>Heliconius</i>
mimicry complexes. The heliconids and ithominids are Mullerian mimics, which means they are all poisonous or
distasteful to predators, but share the same bright colors to warn and avoid confusing them.
The other two butterflies are edible to birds, but protect themselves by masquerading as poisonous species.
In another location, the same species may look quite different, but all mimics from one area will still resemble one another.</p>

<H2> Republic of China </h2>

<p>You can stand below Taipei 101, one of the tallest buildings in the world, hop into a car, and in 30-45 minutes you are alone in an excellent tropical forest. <i>Papilio bianor thrasymedes</i> (left) is the Formosan subspecies of what in Russia was referred to as 'Maak's machaon', the most desirable butterfly occurring in what used to be the Soviet Union and the subject of my childhood dreams. On the right is <i>Papilio hermosanus</i>, a true Formosan endemic.</p>

<p>Collecting in Taiwan is completely legal outside national parks.</p>

<h2>Consequences not so Dire</h2>

<p>The French. They wouldn't let me into French Guiana due to the COVID lockdown. I didn't have any of the required paperwork. My ATTESTATION DE DÉPLACEMENT DÉROGATOIRE DE FRANCE MÉTROPOLITAINE VERS UNE COLLECTIVITÉ D’OUTRE MER was worth squat, despite the impressive name of the document. Some very earnest-looking gendarmes (or whoever they were) held me at the Orly airport. Much as they respect my motives, Monsieur le Président announced the mesures extraordinaires and la loi is la loi, after all, and applies equally to all (égalité, fraternité mais pas de liberté). I was looking at being taken off the plane and having to drive 700 km back to Zurich. Yes, I got up at 2AM that day and drove 700 km to Orly because The French cancelled most trains to Paris. I had nothing to lose. I let myself go. I gave them the most inspired speech that my broken French could deliver. I am traveling to FG in order to Study Moths and to Witness The Dire Consequence of Climate Change (all factually accurate). It took me an hour to convince them, but in the end they let me fly!</p>

<p>In FG I discovered that the Consequences are Dire indeed. Climate change or not, the dry season ended earlier than it usually does. Half of my butterfly collecting days got rained out. The Consequences were not all Dire though. Moth collecting only benefited! Light traps actually work best on cloudy muggy nights. In a drizzle they work best.</p>

<p>Of dozens and dozens, here are a select few silkworms. Left: <i>Arsenura scylla</i>. Center: <i>Therynia buckleyi</i>. Right: <i>Copiopteryx semiramis</i>. For scale, the latter is 24 cm from tip of forewing to tip of opposite spur. The little <i>Therynia</i> is about the size of one of the larger European butterflies.</p>

<p>It is legal to collect 1000 insects per person per year in FG. There are two giants beetle species of which it is allowed to catch only one a year, but there are no restrictions on butterflies or moths. A Département with 95% of its primary rain forest intact doesn't need any.</p>

$<h2>Fly Air France</h2> I know of four ways to catch a Morpho. If you are very very quick, you can net one on the fly. They are not very fast fliers, but the large wing area and the small body mass make them very maneuverable. Their turn radius or stopping distance are a fraction of their wing span. Snatching one out of thin air is very hard. A Morpho flying in the twilight of the rain forest is just random flashes of blue lightning. In-between those flashes the butterfly seems to disappear due to the dark camouflage on the wing underside. I have been swinging the net for 45 years, and my chances are worse than 10% per encounter. Still, sometimes it does work and this is how M. menelaus occidentalis, male (bottom center) was taken in Peru. If you are very lucky, you can find one perching on a tree late in the afternoon or early in the morning. If your net is long enough to reach it, you have a decent chance of catching it. That's how I got M. deidamia deidamia, French Guiana (top left) and M. achilles phokylides, Peru (bottom right). If you are patient, you can catch a Morpho in a sweet bait trap. Those should be hung low, half a meter above ground. You won't have to wait too long. A lucky trap will bring a Morpho a day or more on average. Problem is, only a few Morpho species will enter a trap. These will: M. menelaus menelaus, female, French Guiana (bottom left) and M. helenor theodorus, Peru (top right). If you want to have the most fun one can possibly have hunting a butterfly, use the fourth method. You need a shiny metallic-blue banner of a hue that exactly matches that of the butterfly. You will need different banners to catch different species. Males patrol their territories. As soon as you see one, start waving the banner vigorously. He will take it for an intruder and ATTACK head on, flying straight into it. That's when you snatch him with the net that you are holding in your other hand! If you miss, no worries. Often the male will get so worked up, that he will come in for a repeat strike again and again. That's how I netted M. rhetenor rhetenor in French Guiana (top center). They say that the lunch wrap foil at Air France is just the right color for M. eugenia. I flew Air Caraibes... These butterflies are 12-15 cm in maximum wing span.$