mystery lep

[jhimmel at comcast.net]

Beth - Sounds like one of the metarranthis moths (Metarranthis duaria?
Metarranthis obfirmaria?).  I've seen them this time of year kicked up
during the day.  Try googling the name to see what it looks like.

John

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John Himmelman
Killingworth, CT
jhimmel at comcast.net
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Visit my websites at:
  www.johnhimmelman.com
  www.connecticutmoths.com
  www.ctamphibians.com


  -----Original Message-----
  From: owner-ctleps-l at lists.yale.edu
[mailto:owner-ctleps-l at lists.yale.edu]On Behalf Of Bethsull919 at aol.com
  Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2007 1:49 PM
  To: ctleps-l at lists.yale.edu
  Subject: mystery lep


  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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