unidentified butterfly

[Chris J. Durden]

My first thought was *Pyrgus (Scelothrix) "centaureae" wyandot* - the
WYANDOT GRIZZLED SKIPPER. Do you have any of its foodplant - the
yellow-flowered strawberry-like *Waldsteinia fragarioides*. This species
can be locally common in midwest Maryland, northern New Jersey, and on Long
Island, in spring.
.......Chris Durden


At 03:49  10/05/00 EDT, you wrote:
>Christina, hmmmm...not much to go on!  Did you check Pyrgus communis, the 
>Common Checkered Skipper?  This butterfly is quite small and can give the 
>appearance of a browinish tinge in its usually grayish checkers, can be
quite 
>beautiful an overlooked...I don't know if it is around in Phila at this
time, 
>but I am near that latitude (OK that may be a lousy comparison) and there
are 
>plenty flying around...any Hollyhock in the garden?  It's one of their host 
>plants though they aren't too picky.
>
>Doug Dawn
>Woodland, CA
>
>in CA andIn a message dated 5/9/00 4:45:56 PM Pacific Daylight Time, 
>ciprit at snip.net writes:
>
>> Subj:  unidentified butterfly
>>  Date:    5/9/00 4:45:56 PM Pacific Daylight Time
>>  From:    ciprit at snip.net (ciprit)
>>  Sender:  owner-leps-l at lists.yale.edu
>>  Reply-to:    <A HREF="mailto:ciprit at snip.net">ciprit at snip.net</A>
>>  To:  leps-l at lists.yale.edu
>>  
>>  I hope you all don't mind a casual butterfly observer asking for help
>>  identifying a species.
>>  
>>  In Philadelphia on Sun., May 7 at very approximately 2PM , I saw a
>>  little (maybe 1-11/2" wingspan) butterfly on my lawn.  It was brownish
>>  and whitish (maybe some other color, too) with a kind of checkered
>>  pattern.  I couldn't get a very close look at it.  Every time I tried to
>>  lean near it, it went fluttering through the grass and also landed it
>>  some wet dirt (puddling?).  I had just watered some of my plants.  If
>>  this information helps, sage, lavender, and tulips--all in bloom-- were
>>  nearby.  Also, the leaves of various perennials are up in my garden--
>>  two types of echinacea, shasta daisy, speedwell, two types of coreopsis,
>>  New England aster, lilies, and various mums.  I tried to consult my
>>  Audobon Society Field Guide, but the only butterflies that looked
>>  anything like it mostly have a range on the west coast (or at least far
>>  west of here).
>>  
>>  I would appreciate any ideas about what species I may have seen.
>
>