How to photograph butterflies. Part 6: Identification

The painted lady butterfly is found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica.

Identifying butterflies can range from very easy to near impossible, and rarely impossible as it ends up being a new species.  Caterpillars can also be identified but tends to be difficult as information on that topic is not always available or reliable.  I intend on sticking with adult identification as this is where I have had success and can make a few relevant suggestions.

Field guides are an important source for aiding identification and I have several of them.  Mine tend to be by province (British Columbia) or region (Pacific Northwest), which makes things a bit more difficult if I am out of that area.  Fortunately, many species have a broader range than the limitations of the texts and I find they help even if I am some distance away.  Another issue is that not all species are covered as minor ones may be excluded and there are always the accidentals to contend with.  But, in general, I suggest having at least one or two good field guides relevant to the area you live in.

The internet also helps a great deal in identification.  This is providing you have access, which I do not always do.  Since I camp a lot, internet access can be somewhat flaky; I often use my phone as a hotspot for my computer.  I am not fond of searching on my phone and prefer the larger screen and available profiles for my computer.  The problem here can be cost if you have limited data.  When traveling, I often use 50-80 gig per month for my posts, Facebook access, and googling.

My field guides are often ones put out by Lone Pine, Peterson, Audubon, Kaufman, and so on.  You can find them on Amazon, at the publisher's website, or in your local bookstore either by browsing or ordering.  I also have a few field guides geared to insects in general that do a modest service to lepidoptera.

Searching the internet can be more hazardous, but there are a few places I have learned to peruse when my field guides are at a loss.  These include BugGuide.net, iNaturalist.ca, and ebutterfly.org.  I will use my photos to figure out the species and then do a specific search for those results using common and/or scientific name to verify my suspicions.  I can usually get pretty close.

One of the challenges you will find is that there may be a lot of geographic variation for species that don't have a wide range or migrate much.  Then there is variation within a species due to temperature and light levels during pupation or whether the pupae matures during spring or summer.  I recently did  a post on margined white butterflies that will appear differently depending on the season they mature.  Males may differ from females.  Butterflies may use mimicry as a form of defence - the toxic monarch and the edible viceroy look very similar but are completely different species.   

When it comes to photographing butterflies for identification, it is helpful to get photos of both ventral and dorsal aspects of the fore and hind wing.  The body too helps, as do the antennae and the legs, but typically it is the wings that will help with the bulk of the process.  

It is also helpful to have a general idea of the different butterfly families.  There are quite a few, but if you start with the colours (blues, sulphurs, coppers, and whites), brush-footed butterflies, and skippers you will be well on your way.  I am still figuring much of this out, so I by no means claim to be an expert in butterfly identification.  However, I have had a lot of success so far, although no one has ever confirmed or questioned my conclusions.  I am figuring it out as I go.

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com