Sunday, February 21, 2016

A Butterfly Break

Tired of grey February skies? Here's a nice butterfly from warmer and brighter times last year. It's an American Lady, Vanessa virginiensis. Its upper side is black and orange with white spots and a touch of purple in some of the spots on the hindwing. 
From below it looks like another butterfly altogether: pink and beige and purple with a spider-web-like net of white lines. The two large eyespots on the hindwing distinguish it from the similar closely related butterfly, Vanessa cardui, the painted lady, which has a row of four small eyespots there. Click to enlarge. 
Here is the underside of a Painted Lady for comparison. Note four eyespots on the hindwing.  

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