World’s Smallest Butterfly
Location: Hawthorne, CA
November 7, 2011 11:27 pm
I was able to identify this tiny guy (about the size of a bottle fly) out at Bugguide today and thought I’d share it with you. It sat for about fifteen minutes feeding on the Bishops Flowers in the back yard. Such a little beauty. I’ve read it is the world’s smallest butterfly.
Signature: Thanks, Anna Carreon

Western Pygmy Blue

Hi Anna,
Your photos of a Western Pygmy Blue, Brephidium exilis, are quite lovely.  Thanks so much for supplying our site with this new species and a statistic as well.  According to Charles Hogue in Insects of the Los Angeles Basin:  “This is one of the world’s smallest butterflies;  the wing expanse of even the largest individuals barely exceeds 1/2 inch (13 mm). … The Pygmy Blue is seen mainly in wild areas, especially where the salt-loving food plants grow – in alkaline valleys and flats, in coastal salt marshes, and along beach bluffs.”  Jeffrey Glassberg, in his book Butterflies Through Binoculars The West, writes:  “The smallest butterfly in North America.”  According to BugGuide, the Western Pygmy Blue is “ The smallest butterfly in our area.”  We are not certain where your smallest butterfly in the world statistic came from.

Western Pygmy Blue

Hi Daniel,
Thanks for the compliment.  I read about it being the smallest in the world in a few places, none of them specialists in butterflies.  I used that subject title because I was sure it would catch your eye!
Anna

Ed. Note:  We wonder how it was determined that the Western Pygmy Blue is the smallest butterfly in North America.  Was it an average?  or perhaps, was it the smallest individual documented?

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moth identification
Location:  western north carolina
July 23, 2010 11:55 am
this was a very friendly moth that was so happy with my camera that it hopped right on it. i love the splash of orange and the black and white antennae. what is it?
mike

Gray Hairstreak

Dear Mike,
This is actually a Hairstreak Butterfly in the subfamily Theclinae, but we are reluctant to identify the species as so many look alike.  You can see the many examples on BugGuide.

Species Identified by Eric Eaton
August 11, 2010
Hi, Daniel:
Went through the site and found only a few minor corrections/clarifications, most recent to oldest: …
… Hairstreak Butterfly, western North Carolina:  Gray Hairstreak, Strymon melinus.
Otherwise, either very good or “I can’t help with that:-)”
Is the book out for everybody yet?  If so, I’ll link it to my blog, share on Facebook, etc.  I did get the pre-order e-mail from you.
Eric

Thanks Eric,
Now we can link to the species page on BugGuide for the Gray Hairstreak.  The book will be available in October 2010.

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Beautiful Butterfly
May 11, 2010
My 4 year old son and I found and caught this guy in my backyard. I’ve never seen a butterfly with these colors and markings before. He seemed to be having trouble flying, so we gently scooped him up and moved him onto a potted plant, where he’s been content to hang out for hours now. We’re in northern Florida near wetlands (St. John’s River). Can you help us identify?
Curious Dad
Orange Park, FL

Great Purple Hairstreak

Dear Curious Dad,
Though the Great Purple Hairstreak, Atlides halesus, ranges as far north as New York, Oregon and Illinois, according to BugGuide, it only breeds in the Southern states.  Most of our reports come from Florida, though we have also gotten photos from Texas.  The presence of the iridescent blue patch on the underside of the forewing identifies this as a male, though in two of your images, that patch is not visible.

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