Black butterfly with iridescent blue patch.

[Gaina]

Today I was in my garden when a black butterfly lolled past me. It was completely black (or maybe an extremely dark blue/purple?) and had an iridescent blue patch on the rear of it's wing (only visible when it caught the sun). The wing shape was the same as a monarch, ie 'long' and the only way I can describe it's flight pattern is like a piece of paper being blowin in the wind, a little bit 'skippy' but not as perky as a Skipper. I'd say it's wings were about 2 inches long.

As usual, it showed up on the ONE occassion I didn't have my camera with me .

I can't find anything remotely matching it in my book, so I am thinking it's either an escapee from a private collection or maybe something from Europe that was blown over here?

If anyone has a clue what it might be I'll be very grateful for a suggestion .

Gaina

[Padfield]

Your description fits the pipevine swallowtail (Battus philenor) very well:

http://www.nenature.com/PipevineSwallowtailPhoto.htm

I've seen these in New England and even the flight pattern seems right. It would have to be an escape though, if it is this!

I can't immediately think of anything European (butterfly, at least) that matches.

Guy

[Gaina]

Thanks Guy . It didn't have the 'swallow tail', that's what flummoxed me, it was more like two large, broad 'tear drops'**. The same thing happened to me about two summers ago with a bettle that had huge antenna - frustrated the wotsit out of me trying to find out the species! haha.

**EDIT = The front part of the wing on that swallow tail you showed me looks right without the back part (if that makes sense?).

[Gaina]

I'm currently going with the escapee theory and I've had a mooch around online and I am 99% certain the shape of the butterfly was closest to 'Heliconius' family. Do we have any European or UK butterflies close to that shape?

[Padfield]

No native European species have that appearance!

Do you have any local butterfly farms? If so, it might be worth seeing what species they stock (usually a relatively small number). The number of exotic black butterflies with trailing irridescent blue in the whole world is quite large!!

Hope it comes back for a picture shoot...

Guy

[Gaina]

No native European species have that appearance!

Do you have any local butterfly farms? If so, it might be worth seeing what species they stock (usually a relatively small number). The number of exotic black butterflies with trailing irridescent blue in the whole world is quite large!!

Hope it comes back for a picture shoot...

Guy

Haha, knowing my luck I think a revisit is unlikely sadly .

The nearest butterfly farm I can find is Swindon, so I suppose it's not beyond the realms of possibility that it could be from there. There's also Bristol Zoo Gardens which is much closer but I haven't heard anything about a 'jail break' of butterflies and I that would have made the local news *lol*.

[Eris]

Well I was just going to post asking if anyone knew what butterfly looked totally black when it flew past and I spot your post.

Seen it twice now but each time it has vanished over the hedge and away into the distance, once over the next field and once over a neighbours hedge, so haven't been able to see it settle or close up.

Today was a better glimpse of it though, and it certainly had a blueish tinge to it. I was already deciding it had to be an escapee of some kind, but as you are in Somerset and I am in Sussex I am now curious.

[Dave McCormick]

Wondering would it be a red admiral? They have a bluish mark on underside: http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species. ... %20Admiral if not I am not sure, curious t know that this has been seen in two different locations.

[Gaina]

Wondering would it be a red admiral? They have a bluish mark on underside: http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species. ... %20Admiral if not I am not sure, curious t know that this has been seen in two different locations.

Hi Dave . I can't speak for Eris bit for mine it's totally the wrong wing shape - the nearest description I can give you is to imagine 'Heliconius melpomene' but totally glossy black in colour with the iridescent blue patch I described.

Eris, I am sorry you're frustrated by your sighting but glat to know I'm not alone!

[Eris]

No,

There was no way this was a red admiral. It looked entirely black but when I was chasing it across the garden I could see it from behind and that is when I saw the blueish colour which did look iridescent.

I'm wondering what sort of butterflies they are using for releases at weddings? Whatever it is, I hope it comes back!

[Dave McCormick]

Could it be Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus)? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spicebush_Swallowtail if not I am stumped

[Gaina]

Could it be Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus)? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spicebush_Swallowtail if not I am stumped

Sorry Dave, I think we're both stumped now! . It was black and the wing was definitely more of a broad, elongated oval than the swallowtail shape.

[Eris]

The one I saw had more a rounded wing as far as I could tell and was around the size of a meadow brown.

Just wondering - could the one you saw have been a male cherry moth http://webzoom.freewebs.com/saturnids/W ... methea.jpg as they have long wings?

[Gaina]

The one I saw had more a rounded wing as far as I could tell and was around the size of a meadow brown.

Just wondering - could the one you saw have been a male cherry moth http://webzoom.freewebs.com/saturnids/W ... methea.jpg as they have long wings?

Thanks for the suggestion Eris, but that's too big. The wing shape looked like a 'beautiful demoiselle' but it definitely wasn't that - the flight pattern was 100% butterfly (or maybe day flying moth?) and it was a short body too.