Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Cloudywings, revisited

I was almost right!  Thanks to Nick Grishin for verifying these:
1) female Thorybes bathyllus - southern cloudywing (correct, but wasn't sure of sex)
2) female T. pylades - northern cloudywing (correct, but wasn't sure of sex)
3) female T. pylades - northern cloudywing (wrong on this one, but thought it was a female)
4) female T. bathyllus- southern cloudywing (correct, but wasn't sure between this and T. confusis)
5) male T. bathyllus- southern cloudywing (correct)
6) male T. bathyllus- southern cloudywing (correct)
The numbers correspond to the photo in the previous post, first row left to right is 1 and 2, second row is 3 and 4, third row is 5 and 6.
If you feel like boggling your mind and trying your own hand at identification, try this "Thory Test" that Nick put together: http://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/knowhow/ThoryTest.htm
Here are the resources that may help you learn the key identification points:
First two pages of this newsletter by Ron Gatrelle
Article 1 by John Calhoun
Article 2 by John Calhoun
Also, you can examine the photos on these Butterflies of America species pages:
Thorybes bathyllus - southern cloudywing
Thorybes pylades - northern cloudywing
Thorybes confusis - confusing cloudywing
Enjoy!

p.s. I took the "Thory Test" and only got 8 wrong!

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