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Author Topic: Help Identifying a butterfly  (Read 13378 times)

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Offline in my dreams

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Help Identifying a butterfly
« on: Apr 05, 12, 09:08:34 AM »
Sorry no pic  :-\

"Flappy" was motionless on our woodpile Mon eve, so my kids picked it up. Flappy could walk on my kids' hands, but not fly. I thought it was either too cold or they injured it with kindness.  We kept it in a butterfly habitat net thing in the house to warm up, by Wed it was ready to fly.  We let it go at a park in PH where there were plants in bloom.

I have never seen one like it. The back of the wings were black, the tops were black, edged in yellow, with a row of blue spots along the yellow edge. Wings wavey edged.  Tried to ID it online, no luck. If you know Flappy's real name, please pass it on!
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Offline flybabyfly

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Re: Help Identifying a butterfly
« Reply #1 on: Apr 05, 12, 01:53:08 PM »
Sounds like a swallowtail.
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Offline in my dreams

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Re: Help Identifying a butterfly
« Reply #2 on: Apr 05, 12, 04:56:44 PM »
Thanks flybabyfly! I was able to narrow the search which went off on a tangent and lead me to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymphalis_antiopa
It looked very similar to this, except blacker, thinner body, the under side of the wings were solid black, and it didn't have the yellow tabs at the top of the wings. Perhaps a local subspecies.
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Offline lagomorphmom

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Re: Help Identifying a butterfly
« Reply #3 on: Apr 05, 12, 06:11:45 PM »
How big was Fappy?
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Offline lagomorphmom

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Re: Help Identifying a butterfly
« Reply #4 on: Apr 05, 12, 06:19:57 PM »
This site is promising:
http://www.discoverlife.org/20/q?guide=Butterflies
But I'm handicapped not having seen it. I would click Calif and search first, then add the descriptives...
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Offline in my dreams

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Re: Help Identifying a butterfly
« Reply #5 on: Apr 05, 12, 06:41:11 PM »
No luck with the site. Flappy was about the size of a swallowtail, minus the spikes on the wings.
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Offline in my dreams

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Re: Help Identifying a butterfly
« Reply #6 on: Apr 05, 12, 07:48:57 PM »
(Thanks, by the way!)
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Offline Topdog

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Re: Help Identifying a butterfly
« Reply #7 on: Apr 05, 12, 08:27:30 PM »
Was it like this: http://en.butterflycorner.net/Nymphalis-antiopa-Camberwell-Beauty-Trauermantel-Le-Morio.419.0.html?
I saw one like that hanging out at Phelan park the other day.  Couldn't take my eyes off it...
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Offline in my dreams

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Re: Help Identifying a butterfly
« Reply #8 on: Apr 05, 12, 08:41:14 PM »
Very much so, the biggest difference is when the wings were closed, they were solid black. (the body was thinner too.) It is awesome in person! Pictures do not do it justice!
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Offline KrzyCatLdy

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Re: Help Identifying a butterfly
« Reply #9 on: Apr 05, 12, 10:10:41 PM »
I looked in my National Audubon Field Guide to North American Insects & Spiders and the Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) is the only one listed that even comes close to what you are describing.  Could it be a natural variation of this butterfly?  Maybe younger or older? 
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Offline in my dreams

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Re: Help Identifying a butterfly
« Reply #10 on: Apr 05, 12, 10:37:32 PM »
It must be.
Thanks for looking!
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