| Author | Content |
SandyD
White lk, MI (Zone 5a)
September 3, 2004 4:59 AM Post #1032639
| Is this a moth or butterfly? 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
Ulrich
Manhattan Beach, CA (Zone 11)
September 3, 2004 5:42 AM Post #1032674
| It is an Angel Wing butterfly called Satyr.
Polygonia satyrus |
kennedyh
Churchill, Victoria
Australia (Zone 10a)
 September 3, 2004 9:37 PM Post #1033501
| Ulrich, it is one of the Angel Wings, but I don't think it is the Satyr. I think this one is the Question Mark Polygonia interrogationis |
Ulrich
Manhattan Beach, CA (Zone 11)
September 3, 2004 10:11 PM Post #1033534
| They look the same to the untrained eye.
http://www.weaselhead.org/learn/butterflies_satyr_anglewing...
http://mamba.bio.uci.edu/~pjbryant/biodiv/lepidopt/nymph/sat... |
kennedyh
Churchill, Victoria
Australia (Zone 10a)
September 3, 2004 10:37 PM Post #1033567
| Here is a good matching picture of the Question Mark http://www.butterfliesunlimited.net/Species/interrogationis... |
Ulrich
Manhattan Beach, CA (Zone 11)
September 4, 2004 12:14 AM Post #1033653
| Yes, I know. That just proves that they practically look alike.
I don't reckon SandyD is losing any sleep over it. LOL |
SandyD
White lk, MI (Zone 5a)
September 4, 2004 2:03 AM Post #1033816
| Is it common to my area? |
Xenomorf
Valley of the Sun, AZ (Zone 9b)
September 4, 2004 2:25 AM Post #1033842
| SandyD,
The way I usaully can tell if it's a butterfly or a moth is:
A butterfly has the bulb on the ends of the antennae, and the moth has feathery things on the antennae. Plus, there's a 'very' different look of the wings.
And there's probably other ways to tell. |
Ulrich
Manhattan Beach, CA (Zone 11)
September 4, 2004 2:41 AM Post #1033871
| Butterflies fly by day, moths are nocturnal. |
Xenomorf
Valley of the Sun, AZ (Zone 9b)
September 4, 2004 2:52 AM Post #1033887
| Butterflies have a more sprightful flutter of the wings. |
PanamonCreel
Celaya
Mexico (Zone 10a)
 September 4, 2004 3:05 AM Post #1033905
| Yes they are common to your area:
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/bflyusa/mi/to...
Ulrich, there are also several diurnal moth species e.g. Hummingbird Clearwing Moth.
The thickened end on the antenna as Xenomorf mentioned above is most likely the best way to distinguish. Not all moth have the feathery antennas and some have filamentous antennas but lack the thickened ends. |
Ulrich
Manhattan Beach, CA (Zone 11)
September 4, 2004 3:24 AM Post #1033922
| Alle Regeln haben Ausnahmen. |
Xenomorf
Valley of the Sun, AZ (Zone 9b)
September 4, 2004 3:37 AM Post #1033950
| Ich verstehe!, ein Bissen. :-) |
Ulrich
Manhattan Beach, CA (Zone 11)
September 4, 2004 4:14 AM Post #1033997
| Ein Bisschen (a little). Ein Bissen is 'a bite'. LOL
All I said was "there is an exception to every rule".
Edited for clarification.
This message was edited Sep 3, 2004 10:34 PM |
