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Tiger Swallowtail: Black Morph
(06/29/2007) Butterfly
Hello.
I snapped this picture while out on a hike. I really thought
it was a beautiful butterfly, and it looked like it was melting
because of the appearance of droplets at the bottom of it's
wing. What I don't know is what kind of butterfly it
is. I apologize in advance if it has already been identified
100 times on your site.
Michael from Arkansas
Hi Michael from Arkansas,
This is a female Tiger Swallowtail. Some female Tiger Swallowtails
do not exhibit the typical black and yellow striping, but
the stripes are still evident in the wing pattern. Thanks
for sending us your lovely photo.
Zebra Longwing Metamorphosis and Mating, and possibly
early instar Caterpillar
(06/29/2007) Follow-up on Zebra Longwing caterpillar
I just love your site! :) Thanks again for letting me
know that I had Zebra Longwing caterpillars on a passion vine.
I had followed them through the stages and have attached additional
pictures of the cacoon and adults on a cacoon.
 
Lastly. I have now found a SECOND different caterpillar on
the same passion vine. It has the same spikes as the Zebra
Longwing but it is differently colored. Do you know what this
caterpillar is? Thanks.
Bill
Miami, FL
Wow Bill,
That is one impressive looking Chrysalis. We have never seen
the Chrysalis or Pupa of a Zebra Longwing. It is very ornate.
It appears that the Zebra Longwing adults are mating, and
we suspect the caterpillar might be the coloration of an earlier
instar. Caterpillars molt four times, once after each of the
five instars or growth phase. On many species, each instar
is a different color with different markings. After the fifth
molt is the Chrysalis stage. Your metamorphosis series is
a fabulous addition to our site.
Cabbage
White Butterflies Mating
(06/25/2007) bug love...
Hello!
just wanted to send you guys some pics for your site. thanks
again.. and keep up the good work.
Adam
Hi Adam,
Thanks so much for sending us your mating insect images. We
have choses to post a lovely image of mating Cabbage White
Butterflies, Pieris rapae. This species was accidentally introduced
from Europe to the Montreal area in the 1860s and it has spread
throughout North America.
Pipevine
Swallowtail Caterpillar and Feeding Frenzy of Hackberry Emperors
(06/20/2007) Pipevine Swallowtail Caterpillars
Hi!
I Googled and got your site on the second hit. On the first
hit, I saw an Eastern Swallowtail caterpillar misidentified
as a Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillar. I KNOW what an ES looks
like; I wasn't sure what I had eating the Pipevine plants
I had just purchased at the Texas Discovery Garden Butterfly
Plant sale (duh, right? LOL! Well, I just wanted to be sure!)
I didn't see any shots of the black variant on your site,
so am sending you a couple if you can use them. If not, no
worries; I don't have a macro lens, and I was using a zoom
lens, so it was hard to get a good depth of field focused.
Thanks for your site; I've got it bookmarked.
Debbie
PS Have you ever successfully grown Pipevine, the plant? This
is my fourth try, and each time the tubors get holes in them
and then rot. I'm keeping these dryer, but have already lost
one of the three plants I bought. The other two got hammered
by this pair of larvae, so I have them in netting now. It
hurts when I see butterflies flitting against the net, but
if I can't get them to grow, there won't be anything to feed
the caterpillars next year!
PPS I'm also including a shot of a rotten tomato I threw into
the fenceline yesterday; today, it was covered with Hackberry
and Mourning Cloak butterflies!
Hi Debbie,
Your afterthought photo of the Hackberry Emperor feeding frenzy
is pretty awesome. We will be posting it as well as your Pipevine
Swallowtail Caterpillar photo. Sorry, we have never grown
pipevine and do not know anything about its horticultural
needs.
Pale
Swallowtail
(06/19/2007) Swallowtail?
Is this a Swallowtail? I have seen yellow ones before but
don't recall seeing the ivory. Thanks,
KC
Nevada City, CA
Hi KC,
This is a Pale Swallowtail, Papilio eurymedon. For more information,
please refer to BugGuide.
Mating
Monarch Butterflies
(06/12/2007) Monarchs (?) mating
Another one for the bug love pages! I took a series of photos
of this mating pair last night in my backyard, just outside
of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. They seemed to be enjoying
the scotch pine! I am not sure if these are Monarchs,
although they don't seem like any of the other similar species
I've looked at (Viceroys, Queens). The one with opened
wings (the male, I assume) does not have as much black veining
as other Monarchs I've seen, and the one with closed wings
did not have the orange/red colouration on the underside like
others I've seen. Can you confirm if these are Monarchs,
or something else? There are so many in my yard this
year.
Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth,
These are most definitely mating Monarch Butterflies.
Checkerspot
Butterfly
(05/25/2007) Checkerspot
Hi there! I searched through your website today to see if
I could identify this little butterfly that decided to take
a rest on my sunflowers yesterday. I believe it is a checkerspot.
Thanks,
Kim Budai
San Jose, CA
Hi Kim,
We agree that this is a Checkerspot in the genus Euphydryas,
but we cannot conclusively identify the species.
Mating
Monarchs and Mating Polka-Dot Wasp Moths
(05/06/2007) Bug Love Submissions
Attached are two images for the BUG LOVE page. I could use
help IDing the non monarchs. if you use, please provide a
photo credit/link to website.
ENjoy!
Tina
P.S. the non monarchs are polka dot wasp moths
 
Hi Tina,
Thanks for sending your compelling images. We are happy to
see you identified your Polka-Dot Wasp Moths before we had
a chance to reply.
Citrus Swallowtail
(05/05/2007) Citrus or Orchard Swallowtail Butterfly
Hi Bugman,
Hope you like this pic of female Citrus Swallowtail Butterfly
feeding on Bouganvillea flowers. Taken April 5 2007 Gold Coast
Queensland Australia keep up the good work guys, really appreciate
your site, its a great source of information.
Trevor Jinks
Australia
Hi again Trevor,
Thank you so much for your latest photo addition to our site.
Red Admiral
(05/04/2007) Red Admiral
My daughters found this beauty in our yard today - thanks
to your site I was able to identify it! Incidentally, my children
love your site whenever they find a new bug they ask to 'find
it on the bug page'!
Kris L.
 
Hi Kris,
Your Red Admiral images are gorgeous. It is wonderful that
you captured an open and closed wing view. It is really difficult
for us to try to pick our favorite butterfly, but if faced
with that decision, we would probably choose the Red Admiral.
There are larger, showier and more beautiful butterflies,
but there are few with the cheerful personality of this beauty.
In our yard, each year a new generation appears, and they
definitely exhibit unusual behavior. One of the most charming
is sunning themselves on our garden hose in the late afternoon
hours.
Clearwing
Satyr Butterfly from Ecuador
(04/28/2007) clear winged butterfly from Ecuador
Hi Bugman,
I photographed this beautiful butterfly in the rainforest
of eastern Ecuador, near the north bank of the Rio Napo, on
Feb 23, 2007. I haven't been able to identify it. Can you
tell me what species it is? We'd love to be able to put a
species name and common name with the photo on the web site.
Thanks,
Stephanie Donaldson
Hi Stephanie,
Identifying tropical insects is often very difficult for us
since there is not as much information available online or
in text books as there is for North American or European species.
We will post your image and try to identify it in the future.
Additionally, many times our readers provide us with answers
for unidentified species. Many Clearwing Butterflies, also
known as Glasswings, are in the subfamily Heliconiinae, a
division of the Nymphalidae.
Update: (04/30/2007)
We had a commitment today to supervise a computer lab. While
the students worked, we whiled away the hours doing some web
research. We did not positively identify this species, but
we are nearly certain this is a Clearwing Satyr in the genus
Cithaerias.
Red
Spotted Purple
(04/10/2007) butterfly
Took this picture last summer in my back yard here in Northern
Alabama. Only one like it I saw, and I'm an avid butterfly
picture taker It didn't stay for me to photograph for more
than two seconds and it took off. Wonder if you can identify
this beautiful creature for me...
Ellen Allen
Hi Ellen,
We know of more than one person who considers the Red Spotted
Purple to be the most beautiful North American butterfly.
Pale Swallowtail and California Tortoiseshell
(03/23/2007) Photos you might like to use
Dear Bugman,
I will join the onslaught of letters and photos. I looked
at your Papilio collection and noticed no tiger swallowtail
with this white background. You have plenty so you may not
want this one. Photo taken of tiger swallowtail (Papilio rutulus?)
on a thimbleberry leaf (Rubus parviflora) eastside Cascade
Mountains, Oregon. Here's another butterfly (Nymphalis californica
I think) on dogbane (Apocynum androsaemifolium) flowers loved
by many different insects. Also eastside Cascades Oregon Best
regards,
Nan
 
Hi Nan,
We are very excited to get your photo of what we believe to
be a Pale Swallowtail, Papilio eurymedon. It is very similar
to the Western Tiger Swallowtail, but paler. Your California
Tortoiseshell image is also much appreciated.
Hackberry
Emperor attracted to clay slip
(03/18/2007) I have a few photos I thought you might like.
A few summers ago I was throwing pottery outside in central
Kentucky and this moth couldn't resist the tasty clay slip
covering my hands as I threw. It nibbled for hours, and even
though I shooed it away again and again (its tongue was ticklish
as I tried to concentrate on my pottery), it wouldn't take
no for an answer! Great site; thanks for the great information.
Cindy
Hi Cindy,
This is a Hackberry
Emperor, Asterocampa celtis. Some butterflies are know
for puddling, or drinking water from muddy rain puddles. The
are attracted to the moisture as well as to the rich minerals
in the mud. Your photo is great.
Golden Buprestid and Tiger Swallowtail: Home Intruders
(03/14/2007) Insects that hatch in houses in winter
Dear Bugman,
For an "art project" your marvelous site is very
helpful to naturalists who get asked, what's this bug that
hatched in my house this winter? I'm pasting in 2 photos for
you. The first is of a Golden Buprestid (I think) that came
right out of my friend Sandy's cutting board one morning.
She'd had that home-made board (probably Ponderosa pine),
for 8 years, and pounded, carved, sliced n' diced on it all
that time. Then one recent morning out came this beauty! The
2nd photo is of a Swallowtail butterfly that hatched out on
some potted plants in a windowsill in the building here in
Moscow, Idaho, where I go for my massage appointments (lucky
me). My questions are -- have you got any great tales of the
long-lived Buprestid larvae popping out as adults in people's
homes? For the Swallowtail, how would a pupa end up on a geranium
that's never been outside? And lastly, what do we tell people
who want to feed or keep alive their unexpected and stunningly
beautiful winter visitors? The Swallowtail died within the
week. The Buprestid has been in a little cage with some fir
needles and has made it for a week so far. Thanks for your
replies!
Sarah Walker
Moscow, Idaho
 
Hi Sarah,
Thank you for sending your interesting anecdotes. We have
heard of certain wood boring beetles emerging many years after
the wood was cut. Sometimes they emerge from furniture and
other times from wood paneling. Many caterpillars leave their
host plant and wander in search of a place to pupate. Sorry,
we have no advice on keeping off season guests alive. Eric
Eaton wrote in with this information: "Daniel: What a fabulous
story about the beetle emerging from the cutting board! It
is indeed a "golden buprestid," Cypriacis aurulenta (formerly
Buprestis aurulenta). The record age for one is an adult that
emerged from a baseboard(?) in a Canadian building fully 51
years after the building was erected! Why milled lumber forces
such an extended life cycle in woodborers is a mystery, at
least as far as I know. Normally, the life cycle would be
no more than 2-5 years. Eric"
Polydamas
Swallowtail: Caterpillar and Butterfly
(03/10/2007) polydamas swallowtailswallow tail
Adult and caterpillar Port Orange, Florida
Heather
 
Hi Heather,
Thanks for sending in your photos of Battus polydamas.
Blue
from Scotland
(03/09/2007) Butterfly? Hi bugman,
Love your website, it is an education and a delight! I took
the attached photo last summer next to the sea shore in the
north of Scotland, do you have any idea what it is? Is it
a type of "*Coral Hairstreak*" perhaps? Kindest regards,
Scott
Hi Scott,
Hairstreaks are in the family Lycaenidae, the Gossamer Winged
Butterflies. This is a Blue, also in the family Lycaenidae,
but in the subfamily Polyommatinae.
Anglewing
Butterfly, probably Eastern Comma
(03/08/2007) A couple of pleasant surprises...
Hi Bugman,
The Great Smoky Mountains are beginning to awaken once again.
This morning I was privileged to enjoy a short but wonderful
hike in the National Park and, much to my surprise, I found
more than daffodils showing signs of Spring. My first Butterfly
of the new year appears to be a Question Mark but, please,
correct me if I'm wrong. The new excavation site, however...
??? Many thanx,
R.G. Marion
Hi again R.G. Marion,
Nice to hear from you after so long. The butterfly is definitely
an Anglewing in the genus Polygonia, but we believe it to
be the other punctuation mark. It looks more like an Eastern
Comma than a Questionmark. These butterflies, like Mourning
Cloaks, hibernate over the winter and are generally the first
butterflies spotted in the spring. We are not sure about the
excavation photo.
Mourning
Cloak Butterfly: Harbringer of Spring
(03/05/2007) moth in Virginia
Hello! Love your site!
On March 3 in Sky Meadows State Park, VA, I found this moth.
It is reddish-brown with blue spots along its wings. White
along the outside of the wing. Maybe it's a butterfly but
it seemed moth-like, whatever that means. I'd really like
to know what it is. You may use this photo on your site if
you'd like.
Callan Swenson
Falls Church, VA
Hi Callan,
This is not a moth. It is a Mourning Cloak Butterfly. Mourning
Cloaks are often the first butterflies spotted in the spring
since they hibernate as adults in hollow tree trunks and similar
protected places. They begin to fly on the first warm sunny
days even if snow is still on the ground.
Morpho
Butterflies mating
(03/03/2007) Butterflies at Niagara Conservatory
Hi! Your site is a lot of fun, what a labor of love. I would
really like to know what this butterfly is so I can label
the photo in my album! The picture was taken a few years ago
at the Niagara Falls Butterfly Conservatory. In my North America
guide, they look most like Pearly Eyes, but the number of
eyespots is wrong. They could be a relative from the tropics,
since the conservatory imports chrysalises from all over.
Thanks,
Melanie
San Jose, CA
Hi Melanie,
These are Blue Morpho Butterflies. Butterflies in the genus
Morpho often have irridescent blue wings with brown underwings.
When the butterfly is in flight, it is showy, but when it
alights, it is camoflauged. There is an excellent Wikipedia
page on Morphos. Sadly, we haven't the time to research
what species this is as there are about 80 species in the
genus that is found in Central and South America.
Thank you! Then they must be Morpho
peleides, which the Conservatory exhibits. I had no idea
that they were the same butterfly as the gorgeous blue ones.
(I probably noticed that when we visited, but the pictures
are from 2003!)
Melanie
Swallowtail from the Philippines: Atrophaneura semperi
supernotata
(03/02/2007) bright red-bodied butterfly
This bright red-bodied butterfly is from the Phillipines.
I think it might be of the Rose family but I can't find it
on the Web. Can you identify it for me? Thanks
Trevor
Hi Trevor,
We do not have the time this morning to properly identify
your Swallowtail Butterfly. There are several endangered species
in the Philippines but we need additional time to research.
We have a suspicion that one of our readers (who should be
on our payroll if we had a payroll) will identify this before
we log on again.
I did a little bit more research, and it seems to me as if
the red body means it is definitely a Rose Swallowtail, specifically
a Red-Bodied Swallowtail of the genus or subgenus Pachliopta,
(aka genus Atrophaneura). In some of these species the female
is colored less spectacularly than the male, and so perhaps
we are seeing the female of a species which is normally illustrated
with the more highly-marked male? I can't seem to get this
to species, but here is an image of what I assume is a related
Australia species: http://users.chariot.net.au/~erg/polydoraqueensl_ad_f.jpg
Susan
Some of the species in the genus Atrophaneura are known
as Batwings. The one that most closely resembles the image
is Atrophaneura
varuna zaleucus which seems to have considerable variability.
We were still not satisfied that this was a proper identification
and continued our research. FINALLY, we arrived at an exact
match: a male Atrophaneura semperi supernotata which is from
the Philippines and is offered for sale on The
Insect Company. Other examples of this species do not
appear to be an exact match, so perhaps this variation is
only found in the Philippines.
Swallowtail Butterfly from South Africa: African Citrus
Swallowtail
(02/28/2007) Moth
Hi There,
My friend found this moth inside his apartment in Cape Town,
South Africa. What Kind of moth is it? Regards,
Angela Gerber
 
Hi Angela
This is not a moth. It is a Swallowtail Butterfly. We do not
know the exact species, but we are confident that one of our
readers, who is not currently late for work, might have time
to do the necessary web research and then provide us with
the species name and a link to the identification.
Though not an expert, I believe that is a butterfly of the
species Scientific Name: Papilio demoleus. The common name
will vary from region to region. Some common names are Citrus
Swallowtail; Lime Swallowtail; Lemon Swallowtail; Chequered
Swallowtail; Orange Dog and Christmas Butterfly. Here are
two source for confirmation: http://www.nic.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/papilionoidea/papilionidae/papilioninae/papilio/index.html#demoleus
and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papilio_demoleus
Hope I'm correct. cheers
rsb
Guilty as charged! It's the Citrus Swallowtail butterfly,
Papilio demodocus. Take a look at http://www.bushveld.co.za/pictures-of-citrus-swallowtail.htm
Best,
Susan
A follow-up:
When I saw the P. demoleus Linnaeus pictures (the Lime or
Lemon Swallowtail), which appear to be identical to the images
I found of P. demodocus Esper, I thought maybe P. demodocus
was just a synonym. However, when I researched a bit further,
I see that P. demoleus and P. demodocus are sister species!
Throughout Africa, the butterfly that looks like this is P.
demodocus, the African Citrus Swallowtail a.k.a. African Lime
Swallowtail. P. demoleus, a very similar species of citrus
swallowtail, is very much more widespread globally, and is
poised to become a serious pest threat to Florida citrus groves,
if reaches the mainland from the Caribbean. Take a look at
http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi/enpp/ento/limeswallowtail.html
And in that article they do also mention the African species,
and the confusion with the common names: "In Africa, the related
African lime swallowtail, Papilio demodocus Esper, is also
called the citrus swallowtail."
Susan J. Hewitt
Checkerspots,
Fritillaries and Predacious Diving Beetles Mating
(02/19/2007) butterfly monkey sex
And other insect porn for you! I was so happy to find out
I'm not the only one!
Thanks
Lacey Greene
Bishop, California
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| Checkerspots |
Fritillaries |
Hi
Lacey,
Your photos are all so beautiful. We wish you had provided
a bit more information. Your mating Checkerspots in the genus
Euphydryas, your mating Fritillaries in the genus Speyeria,
and your mating Predacious Diving Beetles, Acilius mediatus,
are all wonderful additions to our site.
Citrus
Swallowtail Chrysalis and emerged adult
(02/16/2007)
Apologies for not getting back to you sooner. I discovered
it was the Citrus Swallowtail, my address is southern Queensland
in Australia and it hatched out yesterday, see the photos
i'm pleased to attach, i was so sure i'd miss the moment.
How do they fit into the case, it IS a miracle./
dawn
 
Hi again Dawn,
Thank you so much for the followup images of the metamorphosis
of the spectacular caterpillar you sent our way on January
19. Your photos are all wonderful.
European Peacock found in Minnesota !!!!
(02/15/2007) Moth found at work
Hi there, this moth was found by a co-worker. It was found
today, alive. I live in Minnesota and it is 0 degrees outside.
I am wondering where it is usually found, and if it is possibly
not native to north America. We have him in the container
still, if you need a better picture of his body. It looks
like a lot of the silkworm moths on your site, except for
it's antennae. Also when it's wings are closed it is completely
black from all sides. Me and a few others are very fascinated,
and would like to know more about this moth.
Thanks, Dan from Twin Cities, Minnesota !!!!!
Hi Dan,
This is a butterfly, the European
Peacock, Inachis io, and it is not native. According to
the Butterflies of North America site, the European Peacock
is a "Rare stray or transport to North America." Adults do
hibernate over the winter. More information can be found on
the Wikipedia
site.
Grass Skipper from Australia
(02/11/2007) Moth
Hi Bugman,
I found this moth in our garden last weekend. We live in Perth,
Western Australia. It was fairly small (approx. 200mm long).
I couldn't get a phot of the wingspan. What is it?> By the
way, great website! I love taking photos of insects, so you
might get a few more queries from me.
Anna Lloyd
Hi Anna,
This is not a moth. It is a Grass Skipper, a butterfly in
the subfamily Hesperiinae.
Unidentified Indian Swallowtail
(02/07/2007) Butterfly Identification
I am here in the Northern Part of India, and would like you
to help me out to identify this butterfly, Please Thanks
David Phillips
Hi David,
This is some species of Swallowtail in the genun Papilio,
but we do not know the species.
Gray Cracker from Mexico
(02/06/2007) mexican moth
Hello,
I spotted this moth in Yucatan. I have tried to identify it
in a couple of books but can't find the exact match. Can you
help? thanks, and congratulations on your website
Pablo Vargas Lugo
Mexico City
Hi Pablo,
This is not a moth. It is a butterfly known as the Gray Cracker,
Hamadryas februa. According to Jeffrey Glassberg in his book
Butterflies through Binoculars The West: "Male Crackers are
capable of making a clicking or cracking sound." This species
is usually found in tropical woodlands, flying from tree to
tree. It often rests with its head down and wings open.
Mating
Checkered Skippers from Puerto Rico
(02/04/2007) Um... two more. This one's a pair of mating butterflies...
... but inland on Vieques. They're maybe 2" in diameter,
and hairy as a pair of moths, but their antennae say "butterfly",
don't they?
Jim
Hi Jim,
These are Checkered Skippers in the genus Pyrgus. Skippers
are classified as butterflies.
Buckeye from Argentina
(02/03/2007) Junonia
Hi! I found this butterfly in my backyard, in Parana, Argentina.
I would like to know whether it is a Junonia evarete or another
species. Thanks!
Emiliano
Hi Emiliano,
This might also be a Tropical
Buckeye, Junonia genoveva, which ranges as far south as
Argentina.
Panama Leaf Footed Bug and Red-Faced Firetip Skipper
(02/02/2007) leaf-footed bug, moth
Hi Bugman!
Here are 2 photos from a recent trip to Panama - a gorgeous
leaf-footed bug (I think it's Anisocelis flavolineata, according
to your site) and a diurnal (?) moth I'd love your help identifying....
thanks, your fan, as always.
Allison
 
Hi Allison,
Thanks for sending you beautiful photos. The Leaf-Footed Bug
is Anisocelis flavolineata, which is also called the Flag
Footed Bug. The "diurnal moth" is really some species of Skipper.
Update: (02/13/2007)
Hey Guys, In reference to this unidentified butterfly below,
I think I've got it. I asked Will Cook at Duke U., and below
is his response. Red-faced
Firetip (Pyrrhopyge zenodoros)
Ciao,
Eric Duran
Staff Naturalist
Nature Discovery Center
Gulf Fritillary
(02/01/2007) Late Summer Butterfly
Thanks so much for your excellent site. I use if often to
identify butterfly caterpillars. Now I have a photo of a butterfly
for which I am uncertain of the identification. This photo
was taken in August 2006 at the Butterfly Garden of the Yazoo
National Wildlife Refuge near Glen Allen, MS. I thought it
was some sort of Fritillary and we have planted Passion Flower
Vine in the garden to attract fritillaries. But I haven't
been able to find any pictures of fritillaries that look like
this. Sorry that I only have the one picture with the wing
backs.
Alice
Hi Alice,
This Gulf Fritillary is not a true Fritillary and might have
been attracted to the passion flowers, the larval food.
Lesser Fritillary and True Fritillary (but what species?????)
(01/21/2007) fritillary??
Hi. I think this is some sort of fritillary, but for the life
of me I can't figure out which one. It was taken in SE Pennsylvania,
in early September, and there were just hundreds of them around
my friend's garden, and actually around the whole neighborhood.
I have some butterfly bushes that supplied us with a constant
stream of entertainment all summer, but I never saw these
guys there. Any ideas? PS: You are doing such a great thing
with your amazing website! Thank you.
Louise
 
Hi Louise,
To add to your identification confusion, we are of the opinion
that you have two different species of Fritillary here. Sadly,
we will not be much assistance as we have never mastered the
nuances of identifying the different species. Eric Eaton provided
this addition: "The upper [left side] fritillary is not a
true fritillary, but is called the "variegated fritillary."
The other is something in the genus Speyeria, but you usually
need to see the underside of the wings to have a better idea
of a species ID."
Golden Headed Scallopwing
(01/18/2007) 2 great iPhotos
RLPHello Bugman/ Buglady:
I am new into this hobby as I got my 1st digital camera (Nikon
Coolpix s4) on my 71st birthday and am having a ball getting
much closer looks at the Critters around me. I am finding
more sources each week on the internet : WTB; BugGuide.Net;
and some University collections. Bob Patterson's from Maryland
helped last night. Some of the species I've had little problem
with, but boy there are lots that are very difficult to identify.
I am trying to build a photo collection of wild critters of
this area & hope to eventually place the info onto a website
through the local Skull Valley Historical Society. I am not
familiar with your guidelines for submittal. Please let me
know how to make these communications more effective. I am
including the "comment" section and title for each
photo. I'll start with these two immages of what I think are
Golden-headed Scallopwing taken on 9/12/06 @ 12:22PM. (Title
info didn't transfer with the immage!) We are @ 4250 elevation
in a Valley with good water: Freemont Cottonwoods, mesquite,
Hackberry,desert willow, Screwbean, Four- winged saltbush,
Rhus Trilobata, catclaw;scrub oat (Q. turbanilla) and the
hills have pinion pine & Juniper . Martin Mountain &
Bradshaw> Mountains range up to 6200 & 7200 feet. There
are some Ponderosa Pine at the higher elevations. Man the
Dusky wings are a challenge: Juvenals or Funereal...? I spotted
these two "Lovebugs" with golden heads & thought
they would be a good place to start. Golden-headed Scallopwing
(Staphylus ceos) pair copulating, on Raspberry plant. Peavine
Ranch, Skull Valey, AZ Thanks for your help.
Bob Pearson
Hi Bob,
You submitted this perfectly, with a nice detailed letter,
a vivid description, and it is wonderful that you provided
your own identification. We also like getting only one species
per letter.
Common Birdwing
(01/04/2007) Butterfly: Thai/Myanmar border
Not sure what this is. Photographed in a forest near the Thai/Myanmar
border. Regards
Sean
Hi Sean,
The Common Birdwing, Troides helena, is found in much of Southeast
Asia, including Thailand. It is the largest butterfly in India.
We have located several online sites with information, including
Wikipedia,
but we really like this World
of Birdwing Butterflies site with a page devoted to subspecies
of the Common
Birdwing.
Owl Eye Butterfly
(12/20/2006) Butterfly or Moth?
Hello! I was given the opportunity to buy this beautiful creature
from an estate sale. I was wondering if it is a butterfly
or a moth and if you know what it is called. I have searched
high and low for a butterfly or moth that looks like this
and I have not yet seen one. I adore your site because I know
I can always find what I am looking for...and more!
Jennifer Guy
San Pedro, CA
Hi Jennifer,
This is an Owl Eye Butterfly, a member of the genus Caligo.
These spectacular butterflies live in the tropical Americas
and have large eye spots that mimic owls. Any predator will
be frightened away after sensing it is about to be devoured
by an even bigger predator.
Questionmark
(12/10/2006) Is this a Gray Comma (Polygonia progne)?
I have attached a couple of pictures of this butterfly my
husband found in our garden.
D. Maldonado
 
Hi D.,
We actually believe this is a closely related species, the
Questionmark.
Painted Lady
(12/02/2006) Identification of butterfly
To whom it may concern:
2) Also, could you give me the name of the butterfly, seen
in Rustler's Park in the Chiracauhua mountains, also in Portal,
ARIZONA? I have attached an image of both sides of the butterfly.
Thank you very much for your help!
Irene Kitzman MD
Portal, AZ and Hamden, CT
 
Hi Irene,
What wonderful photos of the Painted Lady you have supplied
to our website. The Painted Lady, Vanessa cardui, is a migratory
species that often forms impressive swarms. We are relatively
confident with this identification, but it might be a closely
related species, the West Coast Lady, Vanessa annabella.
Variegated Fritillary
(11/18/2006) Butterfly Identification
Good day -
I'm having a horrible time trying to identify this butterfly.
It was shot in West Central Texas (Tom Green County) in the
last couple of weeks and I cannot find a good identification
for it. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Warm regards
jim
Hi Jim,
This looks to be a Variegated Fritillary, Euptoieta claudia.
Caterpillar food plants include violets and passionvine.
California Sister
(11/15/2006) Unknown Butterfly from Big Bend National Park
in Texas
We spotted this butterfly on November 12th. It was resting
among some leaf litter near a spring at the base of the Chisos
Mountains (approx 4000 ft) in Big Bend National Park in southwest
Texas. The wingspan was about 3.5 inches. Any idea what species
belongs to? Thanks,
Daryl & Janet Eby
Hi Daryl and Janet,
Even though it ranges as far east as Texas, this beauty is
commonly called the California Sister, Adelpha bredowii. They
are rapid flying butterflies often associated with oak forests.
Unknown Skipper is Guava Skipper
(11/13/2006) ID THESE MOTHS PLEASE
I shot these photos at my home in south Texas and was wondering
if you could please help me id them. THANKS
DANNY
Hi Danny,
We don't recognize your Skipper in the Butterfly family Hesperiidae.
We have never seen a Skipper with red spots and believe it
might have strayed north from Mexico. We will see if Eric
Eaton recognizes the species.
Guava SKipper (11/14/2006)
Hey Guys, I think this is a Guava
Skipper (Phocides polybius). I've encountered it a couple
of times while butterflying/birding in the Rio Grande Valley
of Texas. I think it's an occassional vagrant in South Texas,
from Mexico.
Eric Duran
Red Spotted Purple
(11/11/2006) butterfly
This butterfly was real dark when i saw it. Itook the picture
with a flash. when i doenloaded it to my computer. It was
beautiful. Dont know what kind it is
Robert Potter
Hi Robert,
We believe the Red Spotted Purple is one of the most beautiful
American butterflies, but we think that your computer manipulation
was a tad heavy handed. The subtle beauty of the butterfly
has been rendered somewhat garishly through the high contrast.
White
Peacock
(11/10/2006) Butterfly
Hi WTB,
I photographed this butterfly in October near Menard, Texas.
It was the only black and white one I saw, despite seeing
hundreds of Monarchs and other species. Any idea what it is?
Thanks,
Will
Hi Will,
The White Peacock, Anartia jatrophae, is for the most part
a tropical species. According to BugGuide:
"Resident from Argentina north through Central America, Mexico,
and the West Indies to South Texas and southern Florida. Migrates
and temporarily colonizes to central Texas and coastal South
Carolina. A rare wanderer to North Carolina, Missouri, Nebraska,
and Kansas." We are amazed at the friendliness of your specimen.
Question
Mark
(11/09/2006) Found in Arkansas!
Found this in Arkansas in the woods..... Is it a moth, or
a butterfly?? He seems to LOVE to hang out with Yellow Jackets
and Green Flies at the bottom of this pine tree. Probably
eating sap. THanks!
Linda
 
Hi Linda,
This is an Anglewing Butterfly known as the Question Mark.
It was named for a silver mark on the underside of the hind
wing that resembles the punctuation mark for interrogation.
It can be distinguised from the other punctuation mark butterflies
by the row of four dark spots on the upper wing. According
to Jeffrey Glassberg in his book Butterflies Through Binoculars
The West, "Unlike most of our butterflies, adult anglewings
and tortoiseshells rarely nectar at flowers. Instead, they
often can be seen taking sap from trees, congretating on rotten
fruit, or even deriving sustenance from animal scat or carrion.
... Also unlike an other western butterflies, species in these
groups overwinter in cold areas as adults. The adult butterlies
crawl into narrow cavities in trees, or into cracks in human
dwellings. In warm days in the dead of winter, they can sometimes
be found flying in the sunshine! The overwintering adults
usually mate in the early springtime."
Cabbage
Butterfly
(11/06/2006) odd sulphur butterfly?
We found this little guy/gal in our kitchen the night my husbands
father passed away. we defintiely believe in the fact that
this was a message from him.... It doesnt look like any other
cloudless or clouded sulphurs ive seen anywhere else- but
we'd just like to know the definite name if you know... thanks!
brianne
Hi Brianne,
The Cabbage Butterfly, Pieris rapae, is one of our commonest
butterflies, but it is not native. It was accidentally introduced
to Quebec from Europe in the 1860s and quickly spread across
the continent, reaching Los Angeles in the late 19th Century.
The green caterpillars feed on cabbage and other wild and
domestic plants in the family Brassicacaea. The Cabbage Butterfly
is one of the Whites in the same family as the Sulphurs, Pieridae.
Longtailed Skipper and Buckeye
(10/26/2006) butterflys
This was feeding in my yard,can you tell me if it is a butterfly,or
a moth...my son says moth..I did not care it was so pretty.
thank you,
Sue Moore
Silsbee,Texas
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Skipper |
Buckeye |
Hi Sue,
We have combined your two letters together as both images
were of butterflies. The one your son thought was a moth is
a Longtailed Skipper and the other is a Buckeye.
Mourning Cloak
(10/17/2006) mourning cloak?
hi guys.
here's a photo of what i think is a mourning cloak? i took
the photo on a beach in michigan's upper peninsula in august.
after discovering your site on accident a short while ago,
it has officially become my new heroin. i absolutely love
this site. keep it up. thanks.
-epk
Hi again EPK,
This is a Mourning Cloak Butterfly, and we are thrilled you
have kicked the old heroin. Since we try our best to post
frequently, you should be guaranteed a daily fix.
Pipevine Swallowtail
(10/15/2006) butterfly
hi.
i just came across your site for the first time, and i'm enthralled.
great job. i didn't see anything like the butterfly in the
attached photo, so i thought i'd send it along. it was taken
in the pisgah national forest in north carolina in late summer.
thanks, and keep up the good work.
-epk
Hi EPK,
Thank you so much for sending in your gorgeous photo of a
Pipevine Swallowtail. It really is a beautiful butterfly.
Checkered Skipper
(10/12/2006) Common moth but what is it?
I ran across your site while trying to identify this moth.
It was sitting on the garage floor on a cool morning. I would
say it was less than 2 inches across. I live in Green Valley
AZ, just south of Tucson.
Thanks
chuck
Hi Chuck,
This is a Checkered Skipper, a butterfly in the genus Pyrgus.
Common Buckeye
(10/09/2006) mystery moth
Hi again:
I looked through all of the moth photos and didn't see one
like this on your website. It was resting on a leaf in our
yard in central North Carolina (Piedmont region) this morning.
It wasn't very big - maybe 3 inches across with its wings
spread. Can you help me identify it? As always, thanks.
Sandy
Hi Sandy,
The Common Buckeye, Jononia coenia, is a butterfly, not a
moth.
Not Comma but a Questionmark
(10/09/2006) what's this moth?
I have never seen this moth / butterfly before and I am having
trouble identifying it. I live in north central WV and saw
it in September. Thanks!
This is one of the Anglewing Butterflies in the genus
Polygonia. We believe it is the Eastern Comma, Polygonia comma.
BugGuide
has some good information.
Questionmark
(10/10/2006) gentle correction
Lisa Anne and Daniel:
Every time you update your photos, I learn several new insects/critters.
Thanks for doing the site. It is rare that I can spot an error,
so I must thank you for including one today. The butterfly
is not an Eastern Comma, but a Question Mark. On the upper
surface of the forewing, there are three dots on both these
species. On the Q.M., there is an "eyebrow" over the outermost
dot...as can be seen in the photo. The most abundant butterflies
here in southern Wisconsin (as of a couple days ago, anyway)
are Clouded Sulphurs. Alas, a hard frost is headed our way
in the next 48 hours or so. Maybe your photo submissions will
drop precipitously along with the temps, and you can get some
more sleep! Regards,
Dave Fallow
Madison, WI
Longtailed Skipper
(10/04/2006) swallowtail moth
Can you identify this for me? Thank you.
GG North Florida
Hi GG,
This is actually a butterfly known as a Longtailed Skipper.
Unknown Wasp and Gulf Fritillary
(09/19/2006) bug trade
Hey Bug man! Love your site, and usually find the name of
the bug just by browsing. But I'm stumped on this iridescent
blue bug, maybe he's a wasp? Want to make sure he's not going
to eat my catterpillars, who are happily munching my passion
vine (why don't they eat the flowers?).
In exchange, I have attached some cool pix of the catterpillar
who just today started to build its 'coccoon', you can see
it down at the base...and the fritillaries(I think), who come
out. I have roughly twenty cases in varied stages on my house
and fence, and roughly 50 or more catterpillars still munching.
They seem to love the passion plant for food, and once changed,
they enjoy a rose of sharon, crepe myrtle and lantana, also
they have been feeding at the hummingbird feeder, and some
at the pasion flowers. It has been a warm dry summer, so maybe
that's the reason for the explosion of critters - I didn't
have this many all last year! Here are the photos. I am going
to try and photo the one that's 'pupating'(?) now as it stages,
and can share the other stages with you if you like!
PS - I had visited your site before when I lived in Florida.
Just wanted to let you know that you were highly recommended
by the local AG office here in Perry, Georgia!
Kaye Fiorello
Perry, GA
 
Hi Kaye,
What a sweet complimentary letter. Sadly, we don't recognize
your wasp species, but we have high expectations that Eric
Eaton will correctly identify it. The Gulf Fritillary images
are awesome. We don't know why the caterpillars don't eat
the flowers.
Mating
Monarchs
(09/14/2006) bug love
hello!
I must say I enjoy your site immensely, and love sitting with
my son and looking at all the wonderful pictures. I thought
you might enjoy this picture of monarch procreation. The evening
I took it, I was most thrilled with the colors and the sky
and the beautiful way the shot turned out. It was not until
I got it home that I realized they were mating! (much to my
disappointment and embarassment) I do not share this picture
with everyone like I do my other shots, but I couldn't bear
to delete it because it is really beautiful. I do however
really appreciate the way these two were modest enough to
do their deed behind the cover of their marvelous wings! Have
a lovely day,
Ruby K
Hi Ruby,
We are quite happy your reluctance to share your image ended
once there was cyberspace between you and the viewer. Just
so you know that you are not alone in your fascination with
six legged procreation, your image is the 4th Bug Love shot
we received today.
Red Admiral
(09/11/2006) hope you can help identify this bug
I saw this insect hanging around on the east side of the house
on a sunny day in early September. Can you identify it for
me? Thank you.
This lovely, rapid flying butterfly is a Red Admiral,
though amateur lepidopterist, wordmeister and author of Lolita
Vladimir Nabakov referred to it as the Red Admirable. In our
Mount Washington, Los Angeles offices, this butterfly is often
found alighting on the hose in the late afternoon sun.
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