Need help with butterfly id

[Ron Gatrelle]

HI - Re your IDs... The first is *T. bathyllus* male.

The metalmark is a female and due to some darker looking banding on the
hindwing might be species *borealis* (Northern).  But I am not an expert on
metalmarks.  HOWEVER, the host of the Northern Metalmark is Squaw-weed
(*Senecio obovatus*) and the toothed stem leaves of the plant to the right
of your specimen may be the larval host! See
http://www.missouriplants.com/Yellowalt/Senecio_obovatus_page.html  I have
never seen this plant personally but, just looked it up in a couple plant
books and on the web this plant in your picture looks like those I found.
The bud in the photo does not match though.  This is a tip for those who
photo leps - do note and check out the plants they are sitting one.  They
can often provide a clue to what species they are esp. if females.  I do
know that the Northern was recorded in Arkansas in some numbers last year.

The *nycteis* (also a female) is atypical of eastern *nycteis* above as the
fulvous spots are spread out and blend together.   This is actually species
*ismeria*  *C. ismeria nycteis*, but everyone knows what *nycteis* and the
popular literature has not caught up with the science.

Do you have the book on Missouri butterflies by Hetman?  This is essential
for anyone living in MO.  (By the way my wife is an mule girl :-) Also get
a copy of the new Brock / Kaufman Focus Guide on North American
butterflies.  It is the best guide for those getting started.  Very
thorough and easy to use.

I don't know if you have been to our TILS web site, but there is an article
there in the "News" section on Thorybes confusis and bathyllus.   The
e-address is
http://www.tils-ttr.org   Also, check out the TILS-leps-talk list serve on
YahooGroups
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TILS-leps-talk/ and consider joining.  We
have about 220 members there and are much more chatty than any other US
list.   Toooo chatty for some - but one's email can be adjusted for just a
daily digest or no email at all - just get the messages by visiting the
home page when you want.   It is a bit technical there at times but a good
placed to learn and get _any_ question answered.

Ron Gatrelle
TILS president
Charleston, SC - USA
http://www.tils-ttr.org

----- Original Message -----
From: "Donna A. Brunet" <dbrunet at coin.org>
To: "Leps-L Messages (E-mail)" <Leps-L at lists.yale.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, March 12, 2003 10:22 AM
Subject: Need help with butterfly id


> I have 4 photographs from last summer that I feel a bit shaky on my id.
> Possibly because I'm wrong; possibly because if I'm right the butterfly
in
> the photo is the first one I've ever seen (other than a specimen in the
> entomology museum at the University of Missouri).
>
> The photos are at
http://www.missouri.edu/~dabf31/ConfirmId/ConfirmId.html
>
> All photographs were taken June 7 and August 15, 2002 in Missouri.
> My tentative identifications are a Confused Cloudywing (Thorybes
confusis),
> Swamp Metalmark (Calephelis muticum), and Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne
> nycteis).
>
> Thanks for any help.
>
> Donna
>
> ==================
> Donna A. Brunet
> Columbia, Missouri
> dbrunet at coin.org
>
>



 
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