Subject: Mourning Cloak not yet awake in the morning
Geographic location of the bug: Mount Washington, Los Angeles, California
Date: 04/15/2021
Time: 06:55 AM PDT
Daniel had to leave early this morning for an MRI and he noticed a dark shape near the curb under a wisteria that is dropping dried blossoms. Closer inspection revealed a Mourning Cloak that spent the night on the ground and because the sun hadn’t yet hit it, it was still quite lethargic. Daniel has been seeing Mourning Cloaks flying for several weeks now.
Small Eyed Sailor from Iguazu Falls, Argentina
Subject: Butterfly ID please
Geographic location of the bug: Iguazu Fall, Nissiones province, Argentina
Date: 04/14/2021
Time: 10:45 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Could you ID this butterfly please. Photo taken on Feb.28. 2020 at Iguazu Falls, Argentina
How you want your letter signed: Vlad Morozov
Dear Vlad,
This pretty little butterfly is Dynamine artemisia, commonly called a Small Eyed Sailor, and we found it on the Fauna Paraguay site where it states: “Like all Dynamine this species is most easily identified by its underwing pattern which show the “sideways spectacles” of most other “blue sailors” but diagnostically lack the obvious “eyespots” present in other species. It is closest to Dynamine aerata and males are only reliably distinguished by the presence of clear dark eyespots in the “sideways spectacles”. Dynamine postverta has the most marked “eyespots” of all on the ventral hindwing, whilst males are easily distinguished by the presence of large black spots on the forewing. Female postverta has numerous large white spots on the forewing (5 in this species) and three thin white bands across the hindwing (two broad bands in this species). Dynamine tithiais the most distinctive of the “blue sailors” having an underwing pattern that is mostly white and more reminiscent of the “white sailors”. Males of that species are a much deeper blue in colour and have a diagonal row of three large whitish postmedial spots and two small white apical spots surrounded by black on the forewing.” Here is another image from FlickR.
Thank you very much Daniel.
The whole week I was digging net for results without success
Related posts:
Bug of the Month May 2020: Mourning Cloak
Subject: Dark Winged Beauty
Geographic location of the bug: Ventura, California
Date: 05/25/2020
Time: 07:27 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Dear Bugman,
I have noticed this beauty on my patio the past few days. It stays close and sometimes pauses briefly to bask in the sunlight. I was hoping to catch a picture of the open wing span, but instead it kept it’s wings together, eventually took flight pausing mid air about 6 inches from my face and then departed.
How you want your letter signed: Melanie in the Irish Chain
Dear Melanie on the Irish Chain,
Thank you so much for your entertaining telephone call describing this beauty, and you actually identified it as a Mourning Cloak during the call. You are absolutely correct. The Mourning Cloak often basks in the sun, and it is rarely seen nectaring from flowers. According to BugGuide: “Adults feed primarily on tree sap (oaks preferred) and rotting fruit; only occasionally on flower nectar.” Your posting lured Daniel back to the site he has ignored for nearly five weeks, and he has never in the eighteen years the site has existed, been away that long, even in the early days of exhausted band width when after about ten days, Daniel could post no more until the first of the next month. Thanks again for our enjoyable morning conversations and for making Daniel realize he really does need to make at least one posting per day. Though the month is nearly over, Daniel never selected a Bug of the Month for May 2020, so since it is the first identification request we have filled since April 21, it is now the Bug of the Month for May 2020.
Related posts:
Unidentified Butterfly from Florida is melanistic White Peacock
Subject: Butterfly
Geographic location of the bug: Southwest Florida
Date: 01/10/2020
Time: 03:39 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: I have identified & photographed well over 100 species of butterflies/moths over many years, but I am at a loss for the name of this beauty, and no amount of research has been successful. Many thanks for your help!
Respectfully, Kathy Genaw
How you want your letter signed: Kathy Genaw
Dear Kathy,
We too are having a difficult time identifying you Brush Footed Butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It looks most to us like the White Peacock, Anartia jatrophae, which can be viewed on BugGuide and on Carolina Nature, and we suspect it is closely related. It is found in Florida, but though the dorsal side is similar, the ventral side is quite different. We suspect it might be closely related, and is most likely a tropical species that has found its way to Florida. Perhaps one of our readers will be able to provide a more conclusive identification.
Update: January 24, 2020
We have received two comments that this is an unusually colored White Peacock. The darker coloration is known as melanism and both melanic and melanistic are appropriate adjectives to describe this individual.
Dear Daniel,
Many thanks for your follow-up comments regarding my mystery butterfly. I agree that it resembles the common White Peacock in some ways. As a matter of fact, my photos indicate that I had photographed one of them nearby. Perhaps the exact ID of this lovely butterfly in question is actually less important than having had the opportunity to observe and record such a beautiful flyer! May such opportunities continue for all of us for a very long time!
My best,
Kathy
Related posts:
American Lady Butterfly
Subject: Common Buckeye?
Geographic location of the bug: Central Florida
Date: 08/26/2019
Time: 07:30 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Hi!
I was stalking butterflies around my sister’s garden with my camera when visiting her recently in Florida…I snapped a photo of this pretty lady/fellow but discovered I missed getting it with wings open. Is this a common buckeye? Thanks!
How you want your letter signed: Leslie F.
Hi Leslie,
This is not a Buckeye. The two spots on the hind wings are distinguishing features of the American Lady. Here is a BugGuide image for comparison.
Related posts:
Hackberry Emperor
Subject: Butterfly near garden
Geographic location of the bug: Hershey pa
Date: 08/24/2019
Time: 09:23 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: I saw this pretty butterfly near my garden. Just wondering what it is?
How you want your letter signed: Sue Katerman
Hi Sue,
This is a Hackberry Emperor, which is pictured on BugGuide. According to BugGuide, the habitat is: “Deciduous woodlands with hostplant, Hackberry (Celtis).”
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