Butterfly Identification
November 18, 2009
Do you know what type of butterfly/moth this is? I took this picture in Ecuador
doesnt matter
Ecuador, south america

Morpho Butterfly

Dear doesnt matter,
This is a Morpho Butterfly, but we are uncertain of the exact species.  Since we have a book to finish, we cannot spend the time trying to get an exact species.  Perhaps Karl will come to our assistance.

Hi Daniel:
I would say this is a this Helenor Morpho (Morph helenor). There are a number of sub-species, some of which look quite different – my inclination is to go with M. helenor helenor. It occurs throughout the Amazon basin. It’s a very nice photo. In my experience, Morphos don’t pose very often and when they do they usually don’t spread their wings so nicely. Regards.
Karl

Beautiful Blue Butterfly
October 7, 2009
Hello Bugman,
Today I was rummaging about my garden shed when this gorgeous specimen decided to join me. He landed on the window sill that is too far above my head for me to get a shot of the full spread wings. I was just wondering if you knew what sort of species this was, as I have not seen a photo on your site. It’s wingspan was approximately five or six inches. I tried to get closer, but then it flew away.
It is very rare that I see these brilliant blue butterflies in my area. It’s a real treat on a cloudy day.
Bella
Northwest Indiana

Morpho peleides: In Indiana???

Dear Bella,
This is a tropical butterfly from Mexico (and Costa Rica and south to the rain forests of South America) in the genus Morpho, probably Morpho peleides, a common denizen of butterfly pavilions that have become so popular in zoos, botanical gardens and museums in recent years.  There is a photo of Morpho peleides posted to the Butterfly House of Missouri Botanical Gardens website.  Wikipedia also has a page on the species.  We can only theorize on how this tropical species came to alight in your garden shed.  Perhaps it is a fugitive from a Butterfly Pavilion.  Perhaps you have a secret admirer who purchased a butterfly pupa and left it in your shed so that you would be transfixed by this wondrous display of romantic interest.  Perhaps you (or we) are the victim of a hoax.  This butterfly looks like it might be dead.  We wonder if perhaps you were mistaken when you saw it land on the window sill and then fly away.

Wow, Mexico? Perhaps I am thinking of another blue butterfly I’ve seen around my parts before.
However, I assure you he was alive. I’d like to think he escaped from butterfly jail and he is now en route to be reunited with his loved ones.
Though that romantic gesture sure would be nice.
Thanks for the info!

If you have seen other large blue butterflies, we would think the Pipevine Swallowtail, Female Diana Fritillary, and Red Spotted Purple to be the most likely candidates, though none are as iridescent as the Morpho.  The Great Purple Hairstreak, though iridescent, is much smaller.

Update from Eric Eaton
Daniel:
I’m much more curious as to why Morpho butterflies are turning up in Bella’s shed in Indiana!
Eric

Tawny Emporer, or should I say hitchiker? lol.
September 28, 2009
Hey bugman,
I thought I would share this photo with ya’ll of a tawny emporer that tried to hitch a ride on my mom’s backpack strap. We had been to the IJAMS (pronounced Iams) Nature Center in Knoxville, Tennessee all morning (we live about 20 minutes away) and were packing up to leave when my mom suddenly said, “Oh, look!” and I look and there was this lovely butterfly on her backpack strap. It was very cooperative for photos except that it would not open its wings. It was identified by Bob Barber on bugguide. I hope you enjoy the photo, and as always I cannot thank you enough for having such an awesome website!!!
Blessings,
Michael Davis
Knoxville, Tennessee

Tawny Emperor

Hi Michael,
Thanks so much for contributing your wonderful Tawny Emperor image to our site.

Female Diana Fritillary Butterfly
August 25, 2009
Hi Daniel,
My property abuts Cocke County in East Tennessee on one side and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the other.  I have to consider myself a lucky person in that for the past several years I’ve been able to enjoy this lovely beauty and her male counterpart each summer.  They, and many other butterflies (Pipevine Swallowtail and Great Spangled Fritillary also photographed this month), so enjoy the ironweed in my backyard.  In the spring my backyard is full of a variety of wild violets.
The attached article may be of some interest to you.  I was lucky enough to get this photo just a few minutes ago.
http://www.tennessee.gov/environment/tn_consv/archive/teinsects.pdf
Thank you so much for all your help over the years,
R.G. Marion

Female Diana Fritillary

Dear R.G.,
In our humble opinion, the Diana Fritillary is one of the most beautiful North American butterflies.  We have also read that it is endangered, probably due to habitat loss.  The sexual dimorphism is especially marked in this species.

female Diane Fritillary
August 26, 2009
It never falis, I see a new isnect in my yard, and it shows up on your site! I am 99 % sure I caught and released a female Diana Fritillary yesterday. She was stuck in our garage, trying to “get out” of the window. I put a cup over her, and slid some paper underneath. She was healthy and seemed very robust. The BUT in all of this is we are in southeastern PA. According to the info on the internet, this is not her range. But I got a close look at her, and she was a Diana Fritillary. We have tons of wild violets in our yard, which may provide her with a food source.
Lee Weber

Hi Lee,
We are very happy to hear we don’t fail you.  According to BugGuide, the Diana Fritillary is found in “Souther [sic] Appalachian region, also Ozark Mountains in Arkansas, Missouri. Rather local and rare.“ BugGuide has reports from Virginia.  As we have stated in Mitigated Negative Declaration comment letters in our own Mount Washington, Los Angeles neighborhood, wildlife does not recognize arbitrary boundaries between properties, and the same goes for state and international borders.  You are in the Southern portion of Pennsylvania.  We are linking to a page with nice photos and a distribution map showing West Virginia, Virgina and the Carolinas.  It is entirely possible there is an undocumented population in your area, though you did not indicate if you live in a wooded area.  Dare we even entertain the possibility that global warming could be contributing to range expansion? or that Hurricane Bill storms may have blown your specimen off course?  We wish you had supplied us with a photograph.  Though we do not want to doubt your powers of observation, you might also compare images of Red Spotted Purples to see if that could be what you saw.

female Diane Fritillary
First, sorry for the typos. Second- darn, you could be right. The funny thing is, I almost let her beat against the window so I could get my camera!! Sad, huh? The reason I didn’t is because there are quite a few spiders in the windows of the garage. One lucky bugger snagged a cicada. I didn’t want her to get trapped. Anyway, it could have been the Red Spotted Purple. It did seem to be a bit larger than the little orange fritillaries around here. And the storms that have ripped through here lately would certainly blown a butterfly off course. Thanks for the response. Love your site!

Pics to Share
August 20, 2009
Hi there! I am a nature enthusiast and have been photographing wild flowers and insects all spring & summer here in Charlotte, NC. I just wanted to share some of the photos I have with you to use if you would like. I have identified them all but perhaps incorrectly so please correct me if necessary! Love your website!
Kari
Charlotte, NC, USA

Red Spotted Purple

Hi Kari,
We only chose our favorite image of the 10 files you attached on your four emails, the Red Spotted Purple, to post to our website.

August 13, 2009
Hello, What’s That Bug!
…
PS. to atone for the dreadful quality of my specimen’s (Plume Moth)  image, I have also included two marvelous cropped images of a Peacock I took on a lovely day at a campsite, in a thistle hedge.
Sincerely, Sam, aged 13
Hadfield, Derbyshire, England

Peacock Butterfly

Hi Sam,
Though we are unable to identify which species of Plume Moth you sighted, we are thrilled to post your photo of a Peacock Butterfly, Inachis io, a species found throughout Europe and Asia.  The BBC Science and Nature website has a nice page on the Peacock Butterfly.