mystery lep

[Bethsull919 at aol.com]

This one has me stumped..I think.   Just after noon, Tuesday,  at Barn Island 
Trail. We spotted a low flying lep. Very fresh looking.  Very distinct Brown 
Forewings and orange hind wings...Orange visible from top and bottom.   Seemed 
to be mid sized..smaller than..and not an anglewing.  Seemed to be feeding at 
piles of dog waste at the side of trail.
In binoculars there were cream bands coming down from upper edge..costal 
margin of forewings.  It flexed it's wings nearly continuously while feeding. Or 
kept them opened. Could not get clear look at body size or antennae. I could 
not place it in any category of butterfly I knew.  
I know what it is NOT. Not anglewing/buckeye/admiral/tortoiseshell.  It 
reminded me in color of an underwing moth...but there are none in Peterson's with 
the cream bars on forewing..and also wing shape was not the same.  Further 
looking led me to possibly The Infant, Archiearis infans...but this seemed a bit 
bigger and fuller winged than the Petersons or butterfly websites.  Fits the 
description of dayflying and early emerging.   Is this a common local species?   
Certainly new to me .   
    Glad I had binoculars..wish I had a net!    Beth Sullivan, Stonington



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