ID help - photos

[Brian M. Godfrey]

Hi,
   About a week ago I saw a couple of butterflies/moths in front of my
house.  They appeared to be an iridescent royal blue with red heads and the
red extending back over their "shoulders."  The wings were narrower than
most butterflies and they beat them rather fast.  It appeared that they were
coming together, possibly to mate.  I went in the house to get my camera and
when I came out they were gone.  A few days ago I was poking around in the
weeds just below where I saw them and I found one body, though the head was
bent under or missing.  It had lost its iridescence, or possibly just didn't
look iridescent as it was an overcast day, and the wings looked black but
the body still looked blue.  Later that day I found another one down by the
beach (I live a block from the ocean on the northern Oregon coast.)  This
one had been stepped on but the head and front portions were still intact.
So between the two I had a complete specimen.  I photographed them on a
piece of white paper, top and side views, and put the photos here:
http://www.wildbirdshop.com/temp/bfly-morgue-front-P.jpg
http://www.wildbirdshop.com/temp/bfly-morgue-top-P.jpg
   These were very beautiful butterflies or moths.  I've never seen any like
them.  I'd sure like to know what they are and if they are native to the
Oregon coast.  If anyone can ID them I'd sure appreciate it.
   Thanks,

--
--Brian M. Godfrey
   brian at wildbirdshop.com



 
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