Butterfly ID help

[David Shilman]

On the 15th, I saw a small (~2cm), black butterfly, with 2 distinct white spots on each wing (2 on each forewing, 2 on each hindwing for a total of 8 ).

Anyone?  Craig?

David

[David Shilman]

No one?  Where ya be, Craig?

David

[Craig McL]

Good morning Dave  ( well its 4:45 am so ya its morning  :lol: )

I have bin doing a film just north of the Toronto Zoo as of late and the small butterfly you describe has bin fling in that area also , and in the Durham forest and almost every wear I look ( except my back yard ??)

BUT its not a Butterfly its a day flying moth !!  :shock: !! ya man their are a number of species like this in the moth family , if you might have seen will you watched them they tend to land and move out of the sun rather than set in it like other Butterflies do !!

once I unpack my moth books I will be a ball to give you a name on it ,

best of best
Craig

[Axeman]

Hi,

A few weeks ago, I spotted a moth that looked like a hummingbird visiting some apple blossoms...the body was shaped like a shrip (fat at the head and tapering to end) and it had two yellow stripes like a bee.....it was a pinkish brown colour...

Please fill in the blank.... You saw a __________________ otherwise known as scientific name.

[Craig McL]

O your going to hate this one !! :wink:  what you saw was a "Hummingbird Moth" their wide spread from Point Pelee to Algonquin park !! still not in my back yard yet !! but I have only bin hear for a month !! hahahaaa..

I hope you can get a closes look though ! their vary good looking but move fast ..

Craig

P/S I still have not got to my moth book so I do not have the scientific name

[Tommy]

It is the Eight-Spotted Forester Moth (Alypia octomaculate)  

[David Shilman]

That's it...cool, thanks.

Oh, and the Hummingbird Moths are also known as Sphynx Moths.  Saw one at Carden a couple of weeks ago.

David

[Tommy]

:arrow:
It’s actually known as the Hummingbird Clearwing Moth (Hemaris tysbe). (I call it a flying shrimp :lol: )
It belong to the Sphinx Moth family Sphingidae, subfamily Macroglossinae and the Genus Hemaris.
Here is one:

[David Shilman]

Nice pic...where was it taken?

David

[Napper]

Would one of you fine ladies or gentlemen please tell me what this is...

I have never seen one until this year.

this was at the Wainfleet bog

thanx Napper  :lol:

[Craig McL]

it looks to me like a Great Spangied Fritillary , was it large ?? or small ?? but it is from the fritillary famaly

Craig

[Napper]

thanx  Craig McL

It was sitting on an old rail line used I assume to extract peat from the bog.
The rail line was small unlike a true Rail car line..   Maximum 2 inches in width (rail)

from this info you can get an idea of the Butterfly and it's size..  

Napper:)

[Axeman]

Thanks to Tommy from June 29 photo post...that is exactly the animal I saw...after Craig said it was a hummingbird moth, I tried to look up the exact one...and couldn't find it...

             

[Craig McL]

your discripson and sise wood mack it a Great Spangied Fritillary

Craig