External queries

Discussion forum for getting a butterfly identified.
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Pete Eeles
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External queries

Post by Pete Eeles »

Hi all - I get quite a few requests for ID by email (and I'm sure the reset of the team do also) and I don't always have time to search through books etc. to respond in a timely manner. Rather than waiting for me to come up with a response, I thought I'd post any queries that I can't immediately answer in this thread (and will point the requester to it) so that we access the collective wisdom of the UKB community :) I'll also number each query so that any responses can tally with requests. And thanks in advance for any responses :) And, of course, feel free to add your own ID queries here too - just remember to number the items.

Cheers,

- Pete
Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies: http://www.butterflylifecycles.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
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Pete Eeles
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Re: External queries

Post by Pete Eeles »

Item 1:
IMG-20150525-WA0000.jpg
Item 2:
20150603_202049.jpg
Item 3 - "a reddish pink caterpillar on a pineapple I purchased...the pineapple is from Costa Rica":
IMAG2995.jpg
Item 4 - "found it in the garden on a rudbeckia plant and have made a home for it. It has been eating well and is now hanging off the nylon material on top of the box.":
image1.JPG
Item 5:
6tag_200615-201818.jpg
Item 6:
IMG_0349.JPG
Item 7 - "The picture was taken in Kent, nr Cooling at the RSPB Northward Hill reserve":
IMG_0132_2.jpeg
Cheers,

- Pete
Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies: http://www.butterflylifecycles.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
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Pete Eeles
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Re: External queries

Post by Pete Eeles »

Item 8 - based on the following description. Ideas please!

"About 1cm wide, light brown wings, each with a large yellow spot near the wing tip and a smaller yellow spot towards the wing root.. The head seemed to be dark, although the sun may have distorted the colour. The body was in black and white stripes (zebra) and that was what attracted my attention.".

Cheers,

- Pete
Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies: http://www.butterflylifecycles.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
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Pete Eeles
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Re: External queries

Post by Pete Eeles »

Item 9 - based on the following description:

"I have a query about a butterfly that I am struggling to find an image of. I live near Bridge of Cally, Perthshire. A week or so ago while walking I noticed a butterfly among some dandelions. In size and shape it resembled a cabbage white with its wings closed but when opened the top wings nearest its head were all white (didn't notice any spots) and its bottom wings were solid bright yellow with no other markings. Any ideas?"

Cheers,

- Pete
Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies: http://www.butterflylifecycles.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
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Padfield
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Re: External queries

Post by Padfield »

I too get dozens of requests and while I try to reply to all of them inevitably I miss some and then my inbox pushes the e-mail off the bottom. So my apologies to anyone reading this thread I seem to have ignored - it is not deliberate but it happens.

Guy
Guy's Butterflies: https://www.guypadfield.com
The Butterflies of Villars-Gryon : https://www.guypadfield.com/villarsgryonbook.html
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Pete Eeles
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Re: External queries

Post by Pete Eeles »

Padfield wrote:I too get dozens of requests and while I try to reply to all of them inevitably I miss some and then my inbox pushes the e-mail off the bottom. So my apologies to anyone reading this thread I seem to have ignored - it is not deliberate but it happens.

Guy
Indeed - so feel free to paste such items here, Guy, then send the requester a link to this thread. Job done :)

Cheers,

- Pete
Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies: http://www.butterflylifecycles.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
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Catteraxe
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Re: External queries

Post by Catteraxe »

I pretty sure Item 5 is a Knot Grass Moth larva.

Kevin.
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Pete Eeles
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Re: External queries

Post by Pete Eeles »

Thanks Kevin.

Item 10 - "I discovered your website while attempting to identify this caterpillar found in my garden this morning. I don't feel confident linking it to any of those pictured. It looks a little the worst for wear I'm afraid, possibly it's been chewed up and spat out by a cat or a bird but it didn't seem to be damaged in any other way. I moved it into hedge to offer it some cover. Any idea what it may be? I live in Kent on the border of S.E.London should this be of any help."
IMG_0441.PNG
Cheers,

- Pete
Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies: http://www.butterflylifecycles.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
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Jack Harrison
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Re: External queries

Post by Jack Harrison »

Pete. It might be helpful if people were encouraged to give an idea of size by:

Direct centimetre measurements
or
standard coin, suggest £1 coin. which is near enough 2 cms (actually 2.2 cms)

Or for those too mean to risk a pound :roll: UK coinage sizes here:

http://www.royalmint.com/discover/uk-co ... ifications

That last picture indeed has a coin but can't make out what it is (Probably a 5 pence. Was the query form a Yorkshireman or a Scot? That would give a clue) :D

Jack
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Re: External queries

Post by Yellowperil »

As the sender of the pic with the coin I can readily affirm that it was indeed a £1 coin so what we have in the photo is quite a sizeable beast.
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Pete Eeles
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Re: External queries

Post by Pete Eeles »

For item 10 - an Oak Eggar is a possibility:

http://www.ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=992

Cheers,

- Pete
Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies: http://www.butterflylifecycles.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
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Pete Eeles
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Re: External queries

Post by Pete Eeles »

Catteraxe wrote:I pretty sure Item 5 is a Knot Grass Moth larva.

Kevin.
I think it's actually a White Satin moth:

http://www.ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=4536

Cheers,

- Pete
Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies: http://www.butterflylifecycles.com
British & Irish Butterflies Rarities: http://www.butterflyrarities.com
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Catteraxe
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Re: External queries

Post by Catteraxe »

Hi Pete,

I stand corrected, White Satin moth it is.

Cheers,

Kevin.
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Essex Bertie
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Re: External queries

Post by Essex Bertie »

item 7 could be an Emperor moth caterpillar. I've never seen it on nettle, but they do use various foodplants or it could just be resting
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Vince Massimo
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Re: External queries

Post by Vince Massimo »

Item 11

Identity please of a batch of eggs found on a gladioli petal. Some caterpillars also found, but they have pupated.
Location Twickenham.
20150722_210711-1.jpg
20150722_210711-1.jpg (72.34 KiB) Viewed 6483 times
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bugboy
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Re: External queries

Post by bugboy »

Pete Eeles wrote:For item 10 - an Oak Eggar is a possibility:

http://www.ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=992

Cheers,

- Pete
Agree with Oak Egger for Item 10, here's a pic of one I took a few months back in a similar pose:
Oak Egger larvae, South Downs Way, Eastbourne #1.JPG
Sorry Jack, no coins were used in the obtaining of this picture!
Some addictions are good for the soul!
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William
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Re: External queries

Post by William »

I'd go Mottled Umber for number 1.

BWs,

William
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Vince Massimo
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Re: External queries

Post by Vince Massimo »

Item 12

This photo has just been sent to me by a resident of Suriname in South America.
Aviary Photo_130838702878086440.jpg
I do not have a book which covers this area so would be grateful if someone could come up with an identification please (including the scientific name).

Many thanks,

Vince
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Re: External queries

Post by Padfield »

Hi Vince. I received that last query directly and replied to Chaandnie. The butterfly is Helicopis cupido, a member of the Riodinidae (the longer hindwing tails have broken off).

Guy
Guy's Butterflies: https://www.guypadfield.com
The Butterflies of Villars-Gryon : https://www.guypadfield.com/villarsgryonbook.html
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Re: External queries

Post by Vince Massimo »

Thanks Guy. She made no mention of having gone to the correct end of the horse :)

Vince
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