Sunday, September 22, 2013

Brukner Butterfly Transit on September 14

We had family visiting so I didn't walk the transit but I have pictures from Jim and Phil.

Meadow Fritillary (Boloria bellona) Wingspan 1.25-1.90 inches  (3.2-4.8 cm)

I would have liked to have seen this one.  I have never identified a Meadow Fritillary on my own.

Monarch (Danaus plexippus) Wingspan 3.5-4.0 inches (8.9-10.2 cm)

This female Monarch is another butterfly I would have liked to have seen.  If this were a male there would be a black scent patch on one of the black lines in the wing.

Normally, I see lots of Monarchs but this year I have seen very few.  Ruth says that because of new farming practices, there are fewer Common Milkweed, the preferred food plant of Monarch larvae.

Photo by Phil Shafer
Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) Wingspan 1.75-2.40 inches (4.4-6-1 cm)

It is always nice to see the Painted Ladies.  They visit us during the summers but the freezing winter temperatures are more than they can handle.  Often they overwinter in Mexico.  The numbers that visit us vary a lot from year to year.

Photo by Phil Shafer
Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme) Wingspan 1-6-2.4 inches (4.1-6.1 cm)

Orange Sulphurs are Ohio residents.  The ones that emerge from their chrysalises during  the warmer summer months are generally larger and brighter than the ones that emerge in the cool spring and fall months.

Photo by Phil Shafer

This is a beautiful close up of this butterfly's underside.I didn't realize this butterfly had blue in its wings.  I wasn't sure what it was until I saw Jim Bowell's photo of the entire butterfly.

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) Wingspan 1.75-2.50 inches (4.4-6.4 cm)

Jim's photo shows the red band in the upper wing and the faint red of the red band along the bottom of the lower wing, faint because the photo shows the wing from the bottom.  Viewed from the top this band would be as red and bright as the one in the upper wing.

Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos) Wingspan 1.25-1.60 inches (3.2-4.1 cm)

These are the butterflies I often see on grassy park trails.



Photo by Phil shafer
Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) Wingspan 1.5-2.0 inches (3.8-5-1 cm)

The cabbage white was accidentally introduced from Europe around 1860 and quickly spread across much of the United States.  It is one of the very few butterflies which are considered serious agricultural pests.

Photo by Phil Shafer
Eastern Tailed-Blue (Everes comyntas) Wingspan 0.75-1.00 inches (1.9-2.5 cm)

These little butterflies are hard to photograph.  First of all, they are very small.  Second, they never sit for long.

Photo by Phil Shafer
Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus)  Wingspan 1.75-2.40 inches (4.4-6.1 cm)

Thank goodness there is one easy to identify skipper.

Skipper (possibly Fiery)  

If I hear that there was a positive identification I will add more information about it.



1 comment:

  1. I love butterflies, so pretty :) Those are mostly similar to the ones we have here, which is interesting, too.

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