Davoud:
Finally, you failed to identify the species. It's Epargyreus clarus,
Silver-spotted Skipper http://eol.org/pages/184797/overview.

PeterN:
I do not know many moth or butterfly species. Most of the time I am
happy if I can tell the difference between a moth and a butterfly. I
just proved that. According to your link, should that critter have been
where I shot it? (Longwood Gardens, Kennet Square, PA.)

Yes, Longwood is certainly within its wide range. I'm 73 mi (great
circle) / 118 km southwest of Longwood and I've got these by the
ton--about a half-dozen of them on my butterfly bush at any given time
on a warm summer day, along with the Delaware Skippers (Anatrytone
logan). See the map on the EOL page that I referenced.

A skipper is a type of butterfly. It gets its name from the fact that
it is skittish-looking as it feeds, spending very little time on a
flower before skipping on to the next one. Some butterflies have a
comfort zone so close that you can hold out your finger and they'll
alight on it. The Delaware Skipper, in particular, is very difficult to
approach. The skippers that I know of are smaller than most other
butterflies.

For ID I recommend http://www.bugguide.net.

Here's a 2-year-old photo of Epargyreus clarus that I just posted to
Flickr for your viewing pleasure. Creative Commons, no copyright!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/primeval/19894735066/in/photostream

And if you're really into butterflies, you might like these short
videos that I made yesterday. The first was made with a DSLR and the
second with a GoPro.

https://vimeo.com/primordial/papilio-glaucus 01:16

https://vimeo.com/primordial/butterfly-dance 03:37

--
I agree with almost everything that you have said and almost everything that
you will say in your entire life.

usenet *at* davidillig dawt cawm