unidentified butterfly
C. Steer
radioguy101 at netzero.net
Sat May 13 17:53:59 EDT 2000
Hi all:
I live in Philly, (PA) not far from a park. The numbers of different
butterflies that come every year to my yard in the city blows me away. I
keep a running record of this on my web page at:
www.qsl.net/wa3iac/butterfly Just today, I cough an under wing moth in
the grass.
Sincerely,
Chuck
ciprit wrote:
>
> Based on appearance alone (based on my field guide), I would have to agree with Common
> Checkered Skipper or Grizzled Skipper. Keeping in mind I could not get a close look, I
> would say the pic. of the Grizzled Skipper is closer. Definitely NOT the Pearly
> Crescentspot. Could either of the other species have landed on grass for water?--as I
> mentioned I had just watered my lawn. (Sorry if that is a silly question, I'm just a
> butterfly observer, not a lepidopterist.)
> Thanks to all,
> Christina
>
> > I agree with the way Chris and John have provided clues that the
> > Philadelphia Mystery Story does not star wyandot. However, I had the
> > same impression about Checkered Skipper that John voiced about Grizzled
> > Skipper, namely that it is a tiny grayish, mothlike blur, and even when
> > I know that it is what I am looking for where I am looking for it, it
> > has to perch before I can identify it. Therefore. Moreover, at least
> > in NJ, I would never have thought of P.communis as being brownish. It
> > is grayish to blu-ish. So my suggestion still is a Crescent---after all
> > one of the commonest yard butterflies at this season.
> >
> > MIKE GOCHFELD
> > ===========================================================
> > John Shuey wrote:
> > >
> > > Piecing clues together to say that this UFO is not Pyrgus centaurea wyandot:
> > >
> > > > "Chris J. Durden" wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > 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
> > > >
> > > > Chris,
> > > > I have what I think is wild strawberry with yellow flowers on my lawn--forgot to
> > > > mention that in my first post. I can't seem to find the Wyandot Grizzled
> > > > Skipper in my Audobon Field Guide.
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > Clue 1 - most eastern populations (with the exception of Michigan) are not
> > > associated with wild strawberry - but the similar appearing Dwarf Cinquefoil ,
> > > Potentilla canadensis.
> > >
> > > Clue 2. Pyrgus wyandot is very rare in the east, and is not a yard butterfly
> > > (Unless your yard is surrounded by natural barrens habitats maybe).
> > >
> > > >
> > > > > >> 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.
> > >
> > > Clue 3 - and this is a big one - no one who has ever seen P. wyandot in flight would
> > > say that it "fluttered through the grass". Wyandot in flight is a complete blur,
> > > wings are almost invisible, and it move so fast that its hard to follow visually for
> > > more than a few seconds.
> > >
> > > --
> > > John Shuey
--
Sincerely,
Chuck Steer
e-mail: wa3iac at juno.com
www.qsl.net/wa3iac/
FAX: 1-505-215-0069
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