Well I did manage to get a picture but now I can't get my easy share program to work so I hope you can help id this on my description. The back sides of the wings were black but when opened they were a metallic blue. The body was black with red, white . maybe orange, and the metallic blue...any clue what this one might be ?
butterfly id please
Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) ???
http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/go/46/
Yes or No ?
http://pics.davesgarden.com/pics/pford1854_1189892549_913.jpg
May have been ...except I didn't see any red in your pics ? Does the pipevine have red in the outside wings when they are closed (close to the body) ? I'll be talking to my son tomorrow and hopefully he can tell me why I can't get my pictures ...they are there, but I can't download them.
Thanks pford. I went back and looked in the bug files again. Don't know why I didn't see it last night but there it was....a great purple hairstreak. My cannas plants are just about a foot tall and I found it hiding inside the leaf......I wonder if it was just sleeping or laying eggs...hum ?
Wow!!! -- Lucky you. That is a very pretty butterfly.
Here's the Bug file link.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/go/118/
Then if this is the butterfly that you saw -- looks like it's solved.
Please select the solved option if so.
thanks for sharing your Bug.
Pford1854
Yes, that is the one. I finally got my problem fixed and can now post pictures That picture is a lot better than mine. I don't get many butterflies around here except the yellow ones that migrate thru here once a year. I was really surprised to see this one.
betterbloom -- what a coincidence.
Someone else was asking about the same butterfly.
Here is their posting.....
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/785614/
pford, yes I saw that someone else had the same butterfly. The hairstreaks must be migrating on something. I know I never could get mine to open it's wings but for a second. Thanks for your help. Now I want more of them.
Please - also add your pretty pictures to our Bug File.
Here's the direct link.
Thanks SO much for sharing your little jewel.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/go/118/
I'm really envious, as I've never seen that pretty little BF.
Keep sharing your great finds.
pford, Okay, I put two pictures in the bug files. Wish I could of seen it better with it's wings opened. I guess I'll have to start looking more inside my canna leafs.
betterbloom, here is a new link about your little butterfly.
http://butterfliesetc.com/greatpurplehairstreak.php
Betterbloom,
May be just a coincidence regarding the canna plants and the Great Purple. Their larval food source is mistletoe. And don't feel bad about not getting a shot of it with wings open. Only rarely does anyone get to see the dorsal side with wings open, except when flying. They don't usually bask to get warm like many others. In fact, the Gray Hairstreak is one of the few hairstreaks that does open its wings while at rest. Also, the fact that you saw iridescent blue on the back indicates it was a male. The female is a more common blue.
They seem to be migrating across the U.S. I got shots here in Houston in October. Others are reporting sightings in diverse areas. Now you get a shot in CA. This just adds to the fact that a lot of people are seeing more new butterflies this year than in recent memory.
Rod