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| A Brit abroad |
Lepidoptera GeorgianaFollowing another less than thrilling week for birding, I invested in a copy of the Kaufman guide to butterflies of N America, and waded back through my butterfly photos from earlier in the spring and summer. Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) is one of the easiest and most obvious butterflies to identify. A male Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) looking worse for wear following a presumed bird attack.  Staking out fresh coyote scat is an unsavoury but reliable way to spot butterflies. On the left we have a Harvester (Feniseca tarquinius), unique among American butterflies in being carnivorous (its larvae eat woolly aphids). On the right are a 'flock' of Spring Azures (Celastrina ladon).  The distinctive and common Red-banded Hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops).  Male Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae).  Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia).  Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos), a common and variable species.  It is superficially similar to Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis, below), but the latter has much more extensive black in the wingtips.  American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) in the front yard. Distinguished from the Painted Lady by only having two large eyespots on the hindwing.  Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia), the nearest equivalent I've found to the European Peacock.  Now onto a slew of drab-coloured 'eyed' butterflies. First up, the abundant Carolina Satyr (Hermeuptychia sosybius).  Described as uncommon and local in the Kaufman guide, this Appalachian Brown (Satyroides appalachia) was photographed along Cook's Trail last week.  The most interesting of the bunch, however, is this Creole Pearly-Eye (Enodia creola) which I found at the State Botanic Garden, described as 'rare and local around canebrakes in deep woods of the south'.  Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) is much larger than any European skipper I've seen.  After much deliberation, I decided that this butterfly, photographed in early April, is a Juvenal's Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis).  With a range encompassing the entire lower 48 states, the aptly-named Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis).  The Common Sootywing (Pholisora catullus) is almost as widespread.  A Zabulon Skipper (Poanes zabulon), identified by the enclosed yellow spot at the base of the hindwing.  While I'm not brave enough to launch into mothing, here are a few of the more distinctive species. This is the huge, impressive Luna Moth (Actias luna).  The equally huge Promethea Moth (Callosamia promethea).  A boldly-coloured (aposematic?) Grapevine Epimenis (Psychomorpha epimenis)...  ... and another coyote poop-lover, a Mournful Thyris (Pseudothyris sepulchralis). 
9:28 PM - Tuesday, July 7, 2009 - post comment
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