Subject:  Butterfly
Geographic location of the bug:  Ellensburg, Washington
Date: 09/13/2017
Time: 11:34 AM EDT
Hi,
Found this at work and wondered what kind of butterfly or moth this might be.
How you want your letter signed:  Anna

Fritillary

Hi Anna,
This is a Fritillary Butterfly, but we are not certain which species.  The Washington Butterflies page pictures several similar looking species.

Hi!
Thank you! I think I figured it out from the page you mentioned! I have attached the corresponding screen shots! (Ed. Note:  screen shot is Coronis Fritillary) You guys are the best!!!

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Subject:  Nymphalid Butterfly Mystery
Geographic location of the bug:  Beijing, China
August 29, 2017
Greetings Mr Bugman,
I came across this butterfly in a park in Beijing. I am having trouble identifying it, but to me it looks like a member of the Nymphalidae family. I thought it belonged to the genus Vanessa, but now I’m having some doubts. I will be grateful if you can help me identify this butterfly! Thank you very much!
How you want your letter signed:  Jonathan

Emperor Butterfly

Dear Jonathan,
We did not have any luck identifying your Brush Footed Butterfly, but we do agree it is in the family Nymphalidae.  Perhaps one of our readers will have better luck and write in to us with an identification.

Karl Identifies Emperor Butterfly
Nymphalid Butterfly Mystery, Beijing, China – August 29, 2017
Hello Daniel and Jonathan:
This is an Emperor butterfly in the genus Apatura. A number of species are native to China, all somewhat similar and diverse. The closest I can find is Apatyra ilia, which ranges all through Europe, Russia and northern Asia to Japan. There are a lot of images online, but you could check out this site (click on the thumbnails at the bottom of the page). There are a few species that I could not find illustrations for so there could be something closer. Regards. Karl

Thanks so much Karl.  We did try unsuccessfully to search the same genus as the Hackberry Emperor, the North American butterfly that most closely resembled this individual in our opinion.

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Subject:  Milbert’s Tortoiseshell
Geographic location of the bug:  Kenai Peninsula, Alaska
Date: 09/04/2017
Time: 03:13 AM EDT
From my research I gather this is a common butterfly, but I though you might be interested in a photo of the undersides of its wings. Almost looks prehistoric.
How you want your letter signed:  Jeanne

MIlbert’s Tortoiseshell

Dear Jeanne,
Your images are quite beautiful.  The Milbert’s Tortoiseshell is not considered a rare species, but we have not received an image since 2011.  Furthermore, we love getting submissions from Alaska.  The Milbert’s Tortoiseshell is considered one of the Anglewing Butterflies, a group that has brown, mottled markings on the underwings that help to camouflage the brightly colored butterfly when it alights and folds its wings near dried leaves and on tree trunks.

Milbert’s Tortoiseshell

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Subject: Butt-High Butterfly
Location: Memphis, TN
August 10, 2017 9:55 am
Sorry to bother you again so soon, but I can’t ID this butterfly. It doesn’t quite match up with any of the orange and black butterfly images I’ve found. Most of those show white markings and/or less “raggedy” wing edges. I think the wingspan was 1.5-2″?
It was standing in the shadier part of our driveway not long after sunrise with its head and foreparts crouched down and its hindparts raised. The abdomen was curled so that its tip was vertical. Any idea why?
Thanks so much for this site.
Signature: Laurel

Tawny Emperor

Dear Laurel,
This is a Tawny Emperor, Asterocampa clyton, which we identified on BugGuide, and it appears to be dead.  The position of its antennae is not something we would expect on a living butterfly.  According to BugGuide:  “Adults take fluid from dung, rotting fruit, carrion. Like the Hackberry Emperor, this butterfly is ‘friendly’, and likes to perch on sweaty humans.”

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Subject:  checkerspot or frittilary
Location:  Helena National Forest, Montana
August 8, 2017 5:10 PM
There was also another butterfly from the same place and date I haven’t had the time to ID either, though it looks like checkerspot or frittilary. Attached, just for fun.
Signature: Tina Toth

Checkerspot

Hi again Tina,
We have created a new posting with the image of the Checkerspot you attached to your response to our identification of the Weidemeyer’s Admiral.  We believe it is in the genus Chlosyne, but there are so many similar species, we do not feel confident with a definite species identification.  We gladly welcome any assistance our readership can provide.

Thank you! It’s fun reading your posts and seeing bugs from all over the world!

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