Subject: Butterfly seen today
Geographic location of the bug:  San Francisco Bay Area nature preserve
Date: 02/01/2018
Time: 08:58 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman:  Saw this beauty today on an unusually warm February day.  ID help would be much appreciated. Thanks!!
How you want your letter signed:  David A

Mourning Cloak

Dear David,
Because they hibernate, Mourning Cloaks are often the first butterflies seen flying in the spring.  It is not uncommon to see a Mourning Cloak flying with snow still on the ground if it is a warm sunny day.

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Subject:  Probably Opsiphanes invirae
Geographic location of the bug:  Amazon rainforest in Peru
Date: 11/27/2017
Time: 02:01 PM EDT
Hi again,
This time I come with a probably identified species and just need to confirm it. Or not. 😉
I think it’s Opsiphanes invirae, and you?
It was in august 2009.
Thank you.
How you want your letter signed:  Ferran Lizana

Brush-Footed Butterfly

Hi Ferran,
Most images of Opsiphanes invirae that are posted online of living specimens show the ventral wing surfaces, like the images on Learn About Butterflies, and the markings on the ventral surface of your individual are barely visible, but they also appear much less ornate.  You may be correct, but we cannot state that for certain.  This image from FlickR appears very close.

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Subject:  Large butterfly
Geographic location of the bug:  Southern India
Date: 11/11/2017
Time: 08:36 AM EDT
Hi:) I saw this in our garden by the beach ( south india) . we have never seen this in all the years we have been visiting the beach! Am hoping you can help us spot which one this is..thank u Mr.Bugman:)
How you want your letter signed:  Atreyu Samuel

Great Eggfly

Dear Atreyu,
We wish you had sent a higher resolution image.  We feel confident that this is a male Giant Eggfly, Hypolimnas bolina, based on images posted to Butterflies of India.  According to Learn About Butterflies:  “The popular name ‘Eggfly’ refers to the extraordinary parental behaviour of several members of the genus including antilope, anomala and bolina, which have a unique way of safeguarding their offspring. Prior to laying any eggs they they inspect various leaves to ensure that there are no ants present. The eggs of antilope and anomala are laid in large batches on the upper surface of a leaf, while those of bolina are usually laid in very small batches on the under surface. After ovipositing the females then stand guard over their eggs, forming a protective umbrella to shield them from parasitoid wasps. They remain in this position until all the eggs have hatched and the caterpillars have dispersed, by which time the protective female has usually died in situ.”

Thank you Daniel so much for taking the time to reply to me. I really do appreciate it. I looked up the links you sent too. I shared it with my grandfather too, who is a bug enthusiast too.
I know ,I wish I could have taken more pictures…but it flew away:(
Thanks again and have a great week ahead!

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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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