Butterflies thru Binoc -- mis-ID photos

[Harry LeGrand]

In my reviewing of Glassberg's new Butterflies through Binoculars: The East, I
have picked up a mis-identification of a skipper photo. 

Plate 65, # 6, is listed as a female Yehl Skipper.  It is actually a female
Broad-winged Skipper.  Thus, both photo #6 and #3 above it are of the same
species.  I was able to catch this because I have seen many Yehl Skippers, both
males and females. I didn't recollect female Yehl Skippers as having any white
spots above, unlike the photo. Before I go "public" with this, I checked several
references that have specimens showing the upper surface. Scott's tome,
Butterflies of Missouri, and Butterflies of Georgia ALL have upper female Yehl,
and ALL show orange but no white spots.  The female Yehl has three large and
contiguous squares or blocks toward the inner margin of the FW, plus orange
blocks toward the apex and the costal margin. Thus, the upper surface is orange
and black/dark brown, with more orange visible than shown on photo 6, with no
white.

Thus, the text on page 187 is incorrect: "Female above is very similar to
Broad-winged Skipper but ..."  Actually, they are not similar at all, and he is
using a comparison of photo 6 versus photo 3, which are of the same species. 
Photo 6 was taken at Dismal Swamp, VA, where the Broad-winged could certainly
occur. I do recall in the Dismal Swamp article in American Butterflies, I
believe the Feb. 1993 issue, that Glassberg mentioned that butterfliers were
having trouble distinguishing Broad-winged and Yehl Skippers!  Now I know why! 
In actuality, the female Yehl Skipper above looks quite a bit like the male
Broad-winged Skipper. (But, I'm not saying that the male Broad-winged in photo
#2 is a female Yehl. It looks like a good male Broad-winged, with the very
rounded wing shape and narrow abdomen.)  It also would have helped to have
gotten a fresher individual for the underside photo, in photo 4. That's a fairly
worn Yehl Skipper.

By the way, Jeff had me review the text and black-and-white copies of the photos
before publication. But, it's hard to review black-and-white photos (can't tell
white from orange on such a photo).

Harry Pavulaan has already pointed out to me the mis-identification of several
azure photos, particularly glaring being Plate 23, #12 -- female Dusky Azure.
The photo is a Silvery Blue, according to Harry P. I'll go along with him on
that. It certainly doesn't show the broad black borders and pale interiors of
the female Dusky Azure. Silvery blues often spread their wings when perched,
whereas Celastrinas seldom do. Perhaps that is how Jeff was able to get a
perched photo with wings spread -- it was a Glaucopsyche, not a Celastrina.   

I hate to start this nit-picking of photos in such a great book, but we need to
point out errors, such that 1) there can be corrections in a next edition, and
2) people don't start calling female Broad-winged Skippers as Yehl Skippers, or
all-blue azures above as female Dusky Azures.

                Harry LeGrand
                Raleigh, NC
                harry_legrand at mail.enr.state.nc.us