Butterfly sightings for July 2018

3 hours. 76-82 degrees F, 15% sun. We saw more than 1,015 Aphrodite Fritillaries in the 1st two hours; then the weather declined drastically and butterfly activity stopped. 60% of the Aphrodites were found along roads, and 40% on the 5 walking surveys in the grassland we did. Only 1 of the 5 surveys was in a unit that we expect to be good for Regal Fritillaries, but we found Regals in all 5 units.

Hot and humid, 8:30 am - 9:30 am

Monarchs were depositing eggs. Skippers were nectaring on Motherwort, and some skippers were mating.

The Red Admiral and 1 Monarch were depositing eggs

Monarch was laying eggs on milkweed. Tiger swallowtail nectaring on Bouncing Bet.

On WI River Bank

Not as many as Saturday morning, but still a good variety.

Observation at 140th & 200th Avenue

Six counters. The 30th annual count. Temperature from 69 to 86 degrees. Sunny. 36 species. (We have not yet received the count from Audubon's Goose Pond.) Photo of Viceroy and Bronze Copper by Jim Otto. Others by Karl Legler. Large concentration of Clouded Sulphurs. Monarchs at nearly double the highest previous count in the 30 years. But otherwise, butterflying seemed overall somewhat slow.

First Baltimore of my life!! Three in the parking lot while I got my boots on, then no more sightings.

Beautiful sunny and milder.

Prairie and Oak Savanna in starting to bloom.

Seven mated pairs of Monarchs. My first Orange Sulphur of the year.

I was driving down a back gravel road and came to an area about 2 blocks long that was filled with Clouded Sulphurs. It was like driving in a fairyland. I hadn't seen this many in years and my count is probably conservative.

462 individuals with 36 species.

a dragonfly trip turned up an unexpected butterfly.

-Observed in my front yard which is surrounded by woods and on a lake.

I fist saw it on watermelon that I had set out. Then it landed on the deck railing.

Warm and sunny. Wonderful to see so much Milkweed at this small urban prairie.

These gardens are just off the Mariners Trail. They have lots of nectar sources but few butterflies today.

Happy to see a Black Swallowtail--perhaps attracted to the dill I planted for them to lay eggs. I'm seeing at least one Monarch each day now, but I have milkweed species planted in many spots.

6:30pm late afternoon sighting feeding on milk weed in my back yard in Glenwood City.

Southern Wis Butterfly Association annual 4th of July field trip. This is a private Preserve. Weather alert because hot and high humidity. Led by Tod Highsmith and Karl and Dorothy Legler. 25 participants. We found 14 species of butterfly (with 3 Hairstreaks) and 12 dragonflies.

trail through the prairie to the ephemeral pond and swamp boardwalk.

The Bronze Copper was seen at Swamp Lovers outing (Dane County) with the Southern Wisconsin Butterfly Association's fieldtrip. Very Hot and windy day

recent construction/grading has resulted in the loss of some forb areas next to the pond.

I was so happy it flew from the milkweed to the grass which allowed me to get the top view shot.

The Tawny was a lifer for me, but otherwise the count was disappointingly low for a hot sunny midsummer day.

I've seen several of these American Ladies on the prairie.

Sunny, breezy, upper 70's. All before noon.

2:30 pm - 3:30 PM viewing butterfly weed and wild quinine plants.
unidentified hairstreak
unidentified skipper, maybe Delaware skipper
Wasp Mantidfly
1 first instar Monarch caterpillar

Around 5 p.m. I saw 3 Monarchs in my backyard. Two flew off and one started sipping nectar from the milkweed flowers in my garden. It wouldn't stay still long enough for me to get a photo, so I sat on a chair near there to watch. Soon the monarch started flying, circulating around me and coming very close. Then it went back to the milkweed, then back to flying around me. Really neat!

Back yard

9 1/3 hours. 65-83 degrees F, 100% sun. We surveyed sixteen 0.5 mile walking transects, including 15 of our 24 Regal Fritillary long-term monitoring units here. 95% of the butterflies listed here were found on transects, and 5% were found along the road. Nearly every unit broke its record high for Aphrodite Fritillaries, and this total count is probably our highest in a day anywhere. More than 96% of the Regal Fritillaries we saw were males.

4th Annual Oconto Count. No Red Admirals, American Coppers or Eyed Browns, nor Hobomoks or Silvery Checkerspots. The latter two were common a few weeks ago.

Weather--full sun, 64 degrees F at 9am, warmed to 82 by 1pm. Thanks to Nicole Shutt and her USFS crew for making this possible.

This butterfly was resting on the ground and not nectaring.

Incidental while atlasing

The monarchs and Swallowtail were both laying eggs. Yeah!

14 additional large fritillaries

Sunny and mild. Happy to see better numbers of Monarchs than last year. Also seen today: several Ctenucha virginica moths.

It was a good day for the field trip. We were too spread out to get accurate numbers, so this is mainly a listing of the species seen. There was also a sighting of an unidentified Tiger Swallowtail. After the field trip ended at Sandhill, several of us traveled to a bog along Seneca Road in the town of Cranmoor where the Bog Copper was found. A special highlight of the trip unrelated to butterflies was finding a set of Bobcat tracks, which was a first for many of the participants. Thank you to Lester Doyle for supplying the photos of Acadian and Coral Hairstreaks, Aphrodite, Appalachian Brown, Bog Copper, Dun and Peck's Skippers, Karner Blue and the Milkweed gathering. The Bobcat track photo is by Ron Arnold, special thanks to Emily Thurber for spotting them.

9:11 - 10:28

The Gorgone Checkerspot is was a lifer for me.

Incidental sightings while doing breeding bird atlasing

I found this, what I believe to be a northern crescent resting on an unknown, non-flowering prairie plant.

Walking around today in the Village, I was pleased to see good numbers of Monarchs. Quite a few people are planting Milkweed, both the common and the orange ones. Besides private house gardens, I found Milkweed growing in a library garden, next to the front door of a church, and in the alley behind a women's club.

Very Unsure of ID...found in moist prairie, WI River Bank, on American Germander

Backyard garden.

Hay Lane is now open, so I took a drive out in the prairie but there are very few flowers. In two weeks it should be a loaded with flowers.

Incidental with doing breeding bird atlasing

Monarchs were nectaring on various flowers in bloom, and laying eggs on milkweed (I didn't get photos of the egg-laying, but my milkweed has many eggs on it). I saw Monarchs at least 10 times--all day in various spots around the garden--could have been the same ones (saw two at the same time), but impossible to tell.

Hickory Hairstreak found on milkweed in flower garden 7/8/18.

This was the 28th annual Madison NABA Count. 5 observers in 2 parties spent 6.3 hours finding 168 individuals of 23 species. Harvester was new to the count. Tawny Emperor hadn't been seen for 7 years. Coral Hairstreak had highest count ever. Edward's Hairstreak bounced back from none last year to 16 this year. Encouragingly Monarchs had their 2nd highest number in the 28 years!

This was the Wisconsin portion of the Dubuque NABA butterfly count. 5 hours. Up to 82 degrees, sunny. Only 14 species and 61 individuals, about 60% of the average for the 14 previous years. Habitat loss and dryness.

Also saw some beautiful dragonflies.

Mid afternoon. Found on milkweed in my flower garden. Had a visitor 7/8/18 as well. I’m not sure if this is the same Hickory Hairstreak or a different one all together. They were in the same area of the garden.

Found near our parking lot at Wehr Nature Center. Resting on Leafcup.

Temps near 80 and headed up. All seen before 11am.

10am, 80 degrees and sunny, wind out of the west at 12mph. Oddly enough, I saw my first Mourning Cloak of the year. Usually I see them in the woods in early spring, not in mid-summer right in the middle of a hot path through the prairie.

These were incidental sightings while I was doing bird bath videos. I have had a fantastic year with rare birds. While I was sitting out there today, I had a Juvi male Blue Grosbeak show up. Watching it take a bath on Wisconsin soil was a Hoot and a first time for me. The King Rail pictures are from back in May but the pair are still out there clicking/calling.

Special Note: The Lone Rock Bridge will be Closed Starting July 16th through August. Anyone going to the Avoca / Naba butterfly count will need to cross at Spring Green or Muscoda.

Finally a Question Mark has come to visit my hops.

I found this butterly nectaring on a common milkweed

29th annual Butterfly Count for the North American Butterfly Association. 13 observers. 12 party-hours. 292 individuals of 38 species. Gray Copper and Gorgone Checkerspot are Special Concern. Variegated Fritillary is only the count's 3rd record. Giant Swallowtail is 4th record and Juniper Hairstreak is count's 5th record. Monarch had highest numbers of the 29 years!

Watched two monarchs in an aerial courtship dance.

Watched two monarchs in an aerial courtship dance.

On Anise Hyssop

about 9-11 am, warm and sunny. Mosquitos and ticks were abundant.

First Peck's Skipper for me in Wisconsin

Seen while walking

Several individuals in this area

Beautiful area full of native wildflowers. Saw several other butterflies besides monarchs, but they wouldn't stay still long enough to ID.

Feeding on dianthus.

Butterfly flew into yard during our dinner and I took the picture on the hedge. It did not survive the evening with the baby chickadees. I took what was left and got the pictures on the white paper

Nectaring on butterfly milkweed

The Juniper Hairstreak was new for the count. Also 2 anglewings. The Juniper Hairstreak photo was taken by Marcie O'Connor

Highlight of trip was a peregrine falcon hunting a great egret. VERY dry at this venue

Observed on Black Eyed Susan's in yard

On Rudbeckia

Warm, humid, overcast following a heavy rain

Several in my driveway and back yard.

incidental sightings while doing breeding bird atlasing

Only four reports of Little Yellows this year, all in the southern third of the state, so to find it in Oneida Co. in northern WI was quite surprising. The White Admiral photo is one for the over-the-hill collection.

This Little Yellow must have blown in with yesterday's storms, and isn't likely to stay since I only have one plant of senna on the farm. Doubtless there are also grass skippers, some swallowtails, hairstreaks, azures, cabbage whites and clouded sulphurs out there but this guy and some Monarchs were all I really noticed. I saw a Baltimore yesterday, so it may still be there someplace.

incidental sightings while doing breeding bird atlasing

nectarine on swamp milkweed

Hot and humid, partly cloudy by noon. Nice to see GOOD numbers of Monarchs in the past weeks. Many eggs and small cats on the milkweed.

Saw these in the morning while picking beans.

Monarch was flitting from one milkweed plant to the next, then stopped on my cone flowers to sip nectar.

This is a Diogmites misellus (two separate specimens) that Mike mentioned today. The first was rather large and the other about half the size. I found it on July 8 and the smaller one on July 15. They disappear very rapidly in tall grass so I have only a one shot deal to get the picture. After initial sighting for the day I could not relocate them.

photo taken by Joe Henry

photo taken by Joe Henry

10:35 - 11:14

Sandy Shoreline of WI River sand island

Resting on an unidentified prairie plant

Mark E. Johnson found Diogmites misellus, a species of robber fly new to the state at this location. I went looking for this species and found this one in the same genus that I had only seen in Grant County.

Watched three monarchs in my backyard this morning, one sipping nectar from milkweed flowers and two in an aerial courtship dance.

We were traveling many back roads visiting SNAs in Marinette and Oconto Co. July 12-16. Apparent "Explosion" of Dun Skippers virtually everywhere - hundreds!!!
Several clusters of Himmelman's Plume Moth - Geina tenuidactylus

Incidental siting while walking in our District Recreational & Educational Facility on Tower Road.

photo taken by Joe Henry

10:15 - 11:00 walking my dog 1.3 miles

22nd annual Northern Kettle Moraine Count. 6 people observed for 7 hours and found 318 individuals of 34 species. Red-spotted Purple, Northern Pearly-eye, Black Swallowtail and Dun Skipper had highest count of the 22 years. Giant Swallowtail was only the 2nd record. Acadian Hairstreak was the 5th record. (Black-tipped Darner should be a county record.) We finished with the annual ice-cream cones!

Fun to see butterflies while shopping at the Menards garden center this morning.

incidental while taking a walk in Two Rivers.

Feeding on bee balm

Alternating between sun and clouds, mostly calm, lower 70°s. The "Prairie is a reclamation of an old parking lot, used by the Uniroyal Tire Factory and then for snow removal, so environmentally "challenged". It is now planted with a variety of native forbs and grasses.
Besides butterflies as below, Snowberry Clearwings were out in numbers (14 counted).
Field Milkweed is done here. Butterflies mostly on Monarda (fistulosa). Monarchs mostly on Butterfly Weed.
Personal note to Mike: The P cresphontes Cat I collected on June 25 (I think) eclosed this past weekend, having been kept inside at around 70°. I released it yesterday and it flew away. This period of enclosure coincides very well with the dip in seasonal sightings logged on your page. I guess it's assumed that the second flight peak consists mostly of individuals that developed up here?

We planted milkweed last year and also have a lot of monarch caterpillars.

Giant Swallowtail appeared on red verbena in my large floral container next to the porch. Slight breeze. Warm , sunny day mid 80’s. It was not shy. Stayed a long while, circling back to land again by me.

Male Northern Crescent on garden Coreopsis

Recently I found several Black Swallowtail caterpillars and purchased parsley plants to feed them. This morning the Banded Hairstreak was on top of the plants.

Incidental while doing breeding bird atlasing

I also saw a blue.

Four large Monarch caterpillars on our lone swamp milkweed plant.

Two Hickory Hairstreaks were spiraling around each other. I am assuming it was two males. One ended up landing nearby to where I was standing. I was able to get some photos of it and then later on confirm what I was seeing.

I saw A pair of Giant Swallowtails that appeared to be mating.

Rain on and off.

60% rain forecast was wrong! We had great sunny weather for this morning field trip. Led by Douglas Buege and Rich Henderson. 20 species. Nice view of Regal Fritillaries!