88 butterfly ventral view, Santa Rosa, Veracruz, MX, 5 Oct 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

18 October 2026

As we walked the road from Santa Rosa to Cascada de Texolo on 5 October, we were impressed by the butterflies as well as the birds.

I had been hoping to see “88” butterflies and my dream came true when one posed nicely for us near the waterfalls overlook. The dorsal side was much more difficult to photograph so when our guide Roland found a dead one, he opened it so we could see its back.

Deceased 88 butterfly dorsal view, Santa Rosa, Veracruz, MX, 5 Oct 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

I don’t have my own photo of a stoplight catone (Catonephele numilia) but it was certainly an impressive bug. I wish I’d been able to take its picture but it was too fast, so here’s a photo from Wikimedia.

Stoplight butterfly (photo from Wikimedia)

I love the iridescent blue stripes on this butterfly, identified in Google Lens as Iphicleola Sister or Confusing Sister (Adelpha iphicleola).

Iphicleola Sister or Confusing Sister butterfly, on the road to the waterfalls, Veracruz, MX, 5 Oct 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

On 3 October on the Cofre de Perote road we saw many Mexican dartwhites (Catasticta nimbice)

Mexican dartwhite, 3 Oct 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)

The WINGS tour description included a photo of the Bromfild’s beauty (Smyrna blomfildia) butterfly. (Maybe it’s rare?) When one flew across the road to the waterfalls, we tried to photograph it unsuccessfully until it landed on our driver’s head and paused to taste his hair gel.

Bromfild’s beauty landed on our driver’s head, Santa Rosa, Veracruz, MX, 5 Oct 2026 (photo by Kate St. John)