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

Small Eyed Sailor

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

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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

Melanistic White Peacock

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.

Melanistic White Peacock

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

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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.

American Lady

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.

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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

Hackberry Emperor

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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