rss Butterfly ID request
Tue, Oct 14, 2008 at 5:01 AM
There have been many of these in the area in September, although similar to Monarchs, they don’t appear the same.
cneal
North Carolina
American Painted Lady
Hi cneal,
Your butterfly is an American Painted Lady, Vanessa virginiensis. BugGuide has a nice set of images that explain how to differentiate between the American Painted Lady and the Cosmopolitan, the Painted Lady with a wold wide distribution.
Mantis vs Monarch
Hey Bugman,
I love this site! You have helped me identify the bagworns and army worms that have invaded my country yard this year, but today we had a nice treat in the garden. My children spotted this struggling monarch and thought he was just injured. Upon closer inspection we discovered that he was trapped by a well disguised mantis! While we don’t like to lose a monarch, it was fascinating to see nature in action!
Keeping it Country
Fairview, Texas (north of Dallas)
Preying Mantis eats Monarch Butterfly
Dear Keeping,
Thanks so much for sending us your fascinating Food Chain image. Mantids often wait in blossoms for unsuspecting pollinators like wasps, bees and butterlies. Your mantis appears to be immature as the wings don’t look fully developed.
Leaf-Like Moth?
Hi,
I found this creature on a piling of my beach house on the Jersey Shore in September on a warm day. I didn’t disturb it at all, just took a photo. I only see 4 legs so I’m not even sure it’s a bug. It appears to have an eye and teeth but they are just markings. Cool, huh? Can you identify?
Paul from NJ and CT
Northeast, coastal south New Jersey
Question Mark Butterfly
Hi Paul,
This is actually a Question Mark Butterfly, Polygonia interrogationis. The Question Mark is one of the Anglewing Butterflies, a genus of Nymphalida, the Brush Footed Butterfly Family. This family is known as Brushfooted Butterflies because the first pair of legs is modified into brushlike appendages not used for walking, so only four legs are visible. Your letter mentions this observation, and photo illustrate it. Your photo also nicely illustrates the silver Question Mark on the underside of the lower wings.
Butterfly love & more!
I thought you would enjoy having these butterfly photos I took while on vacation in Pennsylvania. Attached are photos of (what I believe to be) mating Silver-spotted Skippers, a Great Spangled Fritillary and a Zebra Heliconian. Enjoy! If I mis-classified them…my apologies. Thanks for the great site!
Kristin
Mechanicsburg area, PA
Silver Spotted Skippers Mating
Hi Kristin,
Your identifications are all correct, and we are very happy to post your images of the mating Silver Spotted Skippers and the Zebra Longwing. Please explain the Zebra sighting. This species is found in Florida and the southern states, and to the best of our knowledge, it does not stray north. Perhaps it caught a ride on Hurricane Ike. Please write back and verify that the Zebra Longwing was spotted in Pennsylvania, and clarify that it was in the wild and not in a butterfly exhibit.
Zebra Longwing: In Pennsylvania?????
Hi Daniel!
I’m sorry, I should have specified that! The Skippers & Fritillary were photographed in the wild and the Zebra Heliconian was photographed in the butterfly pavilion exhibit at Hershey Gardens in Hershey, PA. I also have a pic of a Common Buckeye that I photographed in the butterfly pavilion. I went ahead and attached it, in case you wanted to post that for others’ identification purposes.
Thanks again and have a great week,
Kristin
Unknown Butterfly
I found him in the Big Horns.
Was unable to identfy him.
Scotty
Wyoming, Natrona County
Weidemeyer Admiral
Hi Scotty,
Your butterfly is a Weidemeyer’s Admiral, Limenitis weidemeyerii. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of willows and aspens, and it is found in the Great Basin area north to the Canadian border in habitats where those plants are present like moist forests as well as marshes are riparian areas of arid country.
SPIDER
WHAT TYPE OF SPIDER AND BUTTERFLY?
CARY HARPLEY
FLORIDA PAN HANDLE
Crab Spider eats Gulf Fritillary
Hi Cary,
Your spider is a Crab Spider, Misumena vatia, also called a Flower Spider or a Goldenrod Spider. The prey is a Gulf Fritillary. To a certain extent, these Crab Spiders are able to change coloration to match their surroundings.
unknown butterfly
Good morning, We were at the Haw river in NC yesterday and one of the kids on the school field trip had this Butterfly land on her. She is very interested in finding out what kind it is. I thought it might be an Appalachian Brown, but those white spots eliminate that …is it some kind of Satyr? I can’t find it in my guide, even though it looks fairly common. If anyone would know…you would. Any help would be appreciated…as all the kids were very fond of the little guy.
Thank you,
Mary Sonis
Hackberry Emperor
Hi Mary,
Your butterfly is one of the Emperor Butterflies, most likely the Hackberry Emperor, Asterocampa celtis.
Unknown swallowtail butterfly?
Is this a giant swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes)? It was flying very quickly today, 21Sept08 at about 3 pm from phlox to phlox stopping briefly for a sip. It looked about as large as black swallowtail, but have never seen this one in my yard. I usually see Tiger ST on the phlox, especially this time of the year. Thanks,
Monarch Guy
Minneapolis MN
Giant Swallowtail
Hi Monarch Guy,
Your identification of the Giant Swallowtail is correct. It looks like your specimen is quite battered, and perhaps rode north on hurricane winds.
I like This