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Photo#398533
Mystery Butterfly with Open Wings - Chlosyne nycteis - male

Mystery Butterfly with Open Wings - Chlosyne nycteis - Male
Goodview, VA, Bedford County, Virginia, USA
May 19, 2010
Size: about an inch
This version is the same butterfly only with its wings open.

Images of this individual: tag all
Mystery Butterfly with Open Wings - Chlosyne nycteis - male Unknown possible crossbreed - Chlosyne nycteis - male

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

Even the experts sometimes get it wrong,
but mostly such things are sorted out now. In Holland's 'The Butterfly Book' (and others), both C. nycteis and C. gorgone (as P. ismeria) were placed in the genus Phyciodes and called "Crescents". But, that was in 1904, less was known about them then. He may have fixed that in later printings too (but I don't think so).

And, yes, this is definitely Chlosyne nycteis, a male.

 
Thanks for the confirmation
I thought C. nycteis. I think I have a few specimens of these from years ago that still have Phyciodes on the labels..

Highly variable - These guys occasionally give me fits ;)

Looks like a Silvery Checkerspot, Chlosyne nycteis
I'm pretty sure this is a Silvery Checkerspot.


Occasionally, these little guys can be tricky to id without the specimen. Chlosyne and Phyciodes species are very similar and tend to be variable not only among taxa, but within taxa as well.

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