Butterfly sightings for September 2008

The Giant Swallowtail was a big surprise. This is the first I've seen here; I just returned from Florida where there were many. Today, I also had a glimpse of a fast moving dark swallowtail, but it flew off around some trees and was lost to sight before I had a good look.

This is my first sighting of a giant swallowtail this summer. I thought I saw one 2 weeks ago, but wasn't certain at that time. The ponds are a better place for spotting shorebirds than butterflies, but it turned out to be rewarding for both.

Windy and way too hot...

I was here for about an hour and a half this morning, and these were the only 2 butterflies that I saw. I saw the Crescent when I crossed through the pine plantation to the other side of the property, and the Sulphur only flew up because I almost walked into it. I thought that maybe the numbers were down due to the heat, but there were butterflies flying around on my property after I got home in the afternoon.

Many tiger beetles out. C. tranquebarica, C. punctulata, C. formosa and C. purpurea.

Torch sunflowers have relatively small but very bright, orange blossoms that attract butterflies, especially Monarchs, and bees, as the attached photos demonstrate. A week later (9/9/08), the bumble bees are still in the garden but, no butterflies other than a cabbage white or two. NOTE: The smaller of the 2 Monarch caterpillars I am raising in the house molted on 9/2/08. Photo of Monarch caterpillar just after molting attach

There were a large number of blues "puddling" along the gravel roads in the park. The tiger swallowtail was a dark phase female with it's wings in shreds. It was still an impressive site against thet yellow sunflowers.

These are 2 Monarch caterpillars "rescued" from a neighbor's sparse patch of milkweed plants that were inhabited by numerous Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillars (Note: Female Milkweed Tussock Moths lay eggs in "rafts" and caterpillars are gregarious during instars 1-3, solitary in later instars, when marked with bright tufts. May defoliate patches of milkweed.*) There was a 3rd, larger Monarch caterpillar with what appeared to be wasp eggs laid on it. I have been raising these 2 smaller caterpillars at home to try to protect them from the same fate (or running out of milkweed due to the Tussock caterpillars!)

*http://bugguide.net/node/view/433/bgimage

Went out for about an hour, and even with some sun there were more tree crickets than butterflies or bees.

Just some documentation photos. I think this is only the second individual of this species that I've seen all year.

Our large group split into two: one group got fantastic views of the Pipevine nectaring on Verbena. Beautiful day. Photos from the trip submitted by Charles Roberts.

Cool, mostly cloudy, and sometimes rainy = not much flying.

Lots of very fresh-looking Eastern-tailed Blues. Also many pretty bottle gentians and dragonflies.

Cool and partly cloudy.

2 photos of the 2 Monarch caterpillars I have been raising: One changed to a chrysalis JUST LAST NIGHT! Photo #1 - the larger Monarch caterpillar as it looked exactly 1 week ago before transforming into a chrysalis. Photo #2 - the chrysalis as it looks today, 1 week old. As each butterfly emerges, I will release it to "fuel up" on the Torch sunflowers in my garden and then they can start their amazing migration down south to Mexico for the winter!

I saw a single Red Admiral while taking a lunch break about noon. Interestingly this is only the 2nd Red Admiral I've seen all summer. Last year I saw hundreds.

It was pretty windy again and he stayed all day. Longer than I have ever noticed in my yard. He even rested on the Blue spruce for a while and then right back to the butterfly bush...

Large numbers of monarchs the last few days.

Sunny and warm with temps in 70s and SW winds. Nice activity for this late in the year here in the northwoods.

It was a good day in our front yard. The Gray Hairstreak and Buckeye were nectaring on White Snakeroot. Also saw a possible Black Swallowtail.

The Tiger had but three wings, but was flying around quite well.

One of the Common Buckeyes was the fall form.

I'm working at an assignment on busy Odana Road on Madison's west side. But next door is a large undevoloped area with goldenrods, asters and a few butterflies.

I stopped by a boat dock to photograph the sunset. There was a storm coming from the north and there were 100s of monarchs flying ahead of the storm.

This Black Swallowtail was a little worn but one male was very fresh. Lots of Fringed Gentians on the north side of the hill.

Wed 9/17, details of Monarch wing very visible through chrysalis. Thur 9/18, Monarch butterfly emerged from chrysalis. After wings were relatively dry and butterfly was able to fly, released it to the backyard. Spotted a Monarch (was it the same one?) this morning, partaking in nectar from Torch sunflowers in my garden. Great day to be a Monarch butterfly!

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail was the black form. Also lots of Lance-tipped Darners and Autumn Meadowhawks.

The alfalfa field to the north of the area was teeming with sulphurs and in the 1st field every patch of asters had many sulphurs nectaring.

Another warm day with decent activity. Still had a Hummingbird Clearwing Moth and plenty of darners, including this Shadow Darner.

Many Hemileuca maia (Buck Moth)flying among the willows.

One of the Eastern Tailed-Blues was the smallest male I have ever seen.

The male Sachem could be the offspring of the female Sachem that I saw in the same spot in August. Crabgrass is said to be one of their caterpillar host plants; plenty of that in my yard!

One of the Common Buckeyes chased the Mourning Cloak around for at least a minute.

One sat on the viburnum bush, I think just resting and then one went to the butterfly bush and then to the cosmos.

Also saw an unidentified swallowtail and one of the ladies did a flyby.

I just had time to go to a pretty small area of the prairie. I've never seen so many Clouded Sulphurs!

The Orange Sulphur that I spotted was the first one that I have ever noticed. I always see the white and yellow almost daily here. He was too fast for me to photograph.
The Viceroy was soaking up some sun on the Blue spruce.

The Painted Lady in the photo was absolutely fearless. It REALLY liked Verbena...the other Lady fancied Liatris, Garlic Chives, and Cosmos; it ignored the Verbena completely.

Not a great deal of butterfly activity, but a nice smattering of species.

Still lots of sulphurs, but not much else.

This was only the second Buckeye I've seen all year.

We went for a walk and seen a couple of them flying around in an open field close to home and then the other three were in the yard..one is in such terrible shape.

12:30-3:30. No sun and cool. Most butterflies were moving slowly, except for the Sachem which I didn't sit still. The Sachem and the Gray Hairstreak were the first ones I have seen this year.

The Buckeyes were getting chased from the goldenrod by bees, but they were persistent and stayed in the garden area all afternoon.