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
This is definitely a White Peacock, a common species in Florida. This individual has an unusual pattern and may be an aberration.
It probably is a melanic White Peacock species. It is rare but I’ve seen Gulf Fritillary with melanism pattern.
Thanks for the second confirmation that this is a White Peacock.
Does fatima occur in Florida? We can see the band on the wings too. Couldn’t it be a hybrid?
Several people have written in that this is a melanistic White Peacock with unusual coloration.
I dunno if my comment wasn’t sent butm does A. fatima occur in FLorida? If so, couldn’t this be a hybrid specimen?
Hi again Cesar,
I have been offline for several days preparing for a new semester. Several folks believe this is a melanistic White Peacock.
It’s a great find. I see some dark specimens in North America, but they always have the dark spots on the HWs, that’s why I conjectured something else. Now I see some beautiful aberrant specimens:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326835520_A_very_peculiar_white_peacock_Anartia_jatrophae
https://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/L/anartia_j_jatrophae_types.htm
Thanks for the link Cesar.
It’s a great find. I see some dark specimens in North America, but they always have the dark spots on the HWs, that’s why I conjectured something else. Now I see some beautiful aberrant specimens:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326835520_A_very_peculiar_white_peacock_Anartia_jatrophae
https://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/L/anartia_j_jatrophae_types.htm
Thanks for the identification.
To answer the question about Anartia fatima, Banded Peacock, it has not been documented in Florida.
Thank you for that information.