Pearl Crescent (sigh)

For my birthday, among other things, Clare gave me the National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Insects and Spiders of North America. When I photographed this butterfly in the garden today, I didn’t recognize it as anything I had photographed before, so I was anxious to wade through the Field Guide to identify it.

It didn’t take long to find the Gorgone Checkerspot (Chlosyne gorgone on p. 287), so I submitted it to BAMONA for confirmation.

In a day or so, the confirmation came back: Pearl Crescent, “Phyciodes tharos,” http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sighting_details/732615
Really? I was certain from the dorsal view that it was C. gorgone, so I politely emailed the regional coordinator.

The regional coordinator replied that he does not have the National Wildlife Federation’s field guide and while my image may be the spitting image of a C. gorgone in that guide:
“I am looking at photographs of the Pearly Crescentspot and Gorgone Checkerspot in my copy of the Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Butterflies and here your photograph looks like a spitting image of their photograph of a female Pearly Crescentspot :( What we really needed to see was the underside of the hindwings which would have been clearly different and diagnostic.”

Okay. I did have a terrible shot of the underwings, so I attached that back to him.

His reply: “Your attached photograph confirms my original id.” Gah! I thought I had discovered a new-to-me species in our garden. But there are two “positives” from my mis-identification.

First, I now have a pretty good dorsal view of a Pearl Crescent to go with a good ventral shot from several weeks ago, http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2012-07-02

Secondly, I now have a good strategy to follow when photographing butterflies. From Roger, my regional coordinator at BAMONA:
“Crescentspots and Checkerspots are not the easiest species to separate from single dorsal shots since there are a number of very similar looking species. Unlike moths many butterfly species are almost always easier to identify from ventral shots especially skippers and of course checkerspots, crescentspots and other fritillaries.”
Conclusion? I will try to capture ventral shots to go with my dorsal views of butterflies.

Finally, Roger’s initial explanation included the following: “The Audubon book does not consider these two species to be sufficiently similar to directly compare them. Opler and Krizek in Butterflies East of the Great Plains consider them somewhat similar and make reference to a more distinctly checkered fringe in Chlosyne gorgone. Your location is also marginal for Chlosyne gorgone. This butterfly occurs more frequently to your west.”

“My personal observation is that Chlosyne gorgone has fewer orange markings and this gives the butterfly a much darker appearance than P. tharos.”

Thanks again, Roger, for taking the time to educate me; I appreciate that!

A last note. I don’t know what it is, but I have photographed and posted this flower before: http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2012-05-31

A year ago (“Philately”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2011-08-23

23rd August 2012 23rd Aug 12