Can someone please tell me the name of this little beauty? Found it on my coreopsis this afternoon. Sorry the pic isn't so good.
**Leah**
butterfly ID
How 'bout a male "Pearl Crescent"?
http://www.carolinanature.com/butterflies/pc.html
Awesome, thanks tabasco!
Or possibly a Silvery Crescentspot.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/6683
Try this one...
It seems that, just as in taxonomy for plants and flowers, there is also room for multiple names for the same butterfly. The image in Melody's hyperlink is nearly identical to the image in Plate #631 in the National Audubon Society Field Guide to North Americal Butterflies. Melody's link calls it Silvery Checkerspot and the Audubon Guide calls it Silvery Crescentspot. In the Audubon guide the Latin name is given as Charidryas nycteis. Melody's link gives it as Chlosyne nycteis. It is interesting that they aggree on the species name but have it in different genera. Surely this is the same bug!
By any name it's a nice looking specimen!
Dave
I've found that my National Audubon Society Field Guides are sometimes a little slow in changing taxonomy. This is true for the plants as well as the insects. Sometimes an updated classification is not picked up as quickly. This may not be the case here, but as with most insects, multiple common names are quite frequent.
If you would like, I'll zip this thread to Ken and see what he says on the subject...he always seems to know the most current Latin classification.
it looks more like the photo of the male pearl crescent than the silvery checker/crescentspot to me am i right? the black markings are more delicate.
I agree that the Audubon field guides are lacking in certain areas. They often have interesting images but are certainly not comprehensive, and probably not up to date on taxonomic changes.
D.
.. Leah/gotpeace91 & Cymbalariadave ..
A big ol 'hearty' welcome, to DG .. to the both of you folks!
Leah ..
Do you find that there's a super 'crescendo' influx of these lil checkerspot/crescentspot flutterbyes this year? I've always seen several, but this year, there jes seems to be quite a profusion of them {here}.
As I step from the porches, I actually hafta to 'shoo' them up and away. They seem to be quite happy to 'stay put' a lil longer (this year), also.
For that matter, there's been quite a bit larger congregation of butterflies spotted this year (so far), along with a new one or two, to boot. The Sulphurs seem a bit 'late' and/or scarce tho' ..
- Magpye
gotpeace, seems so to me, too, but I am no expert.
Hey, thanks for the welcome Magpye! Yes, I have noticed more of these butterflies this year. I haven't seen as many swallowtails though. I wonder if the ice storm has anything to do with it?
Leah