Though the best known US colony of Red-bordered Pixie butterflies might be next to the Burger King in Edinberg Texas,  I came across a few at the National Butterfly Center. One was an orange-fringed and very worn specimen,  but two were full reds,  and appeared quite fresh. This one was tucked back in the foliage high in a small tree. Not the best light but it is such a spectacular bug!

Pixies are Metalmarks though they appear quite atypical for the family.  They are only found in South Texas,  in the Rio Grande Valley floodplain. Finding the few I found at the NBC was one of the highlights of my visit to the gardens…one of the highlights of my visit to the Valley in fact.

Canon SX50HS in Program with – 1/3rd EV exposure compensation and iContrast. 1800mm equivalent field of view. Processed in Snapseed on the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014.