I can confirm Michigan generation cloudless sulphur at Crosswinds Marsh. I found a fresh male Saturday next to the pupal case, photo attached.

Here is the cloudless sulphur.

Dwayne will get the specimen in a couple of days. He called it and netted it within seconds, fantastic!

It was a good day with duke's, little yellow and the cloudless as highlights..

From: "Mo", 23 July 2006:
WOW!  You do good work. How were some of the other shots---as good? I'm still smiling about our finds yesterday.  

I quickly tallied the no. of species seen/taken in Mecosta, Montcalm, Newaygo co's=18. You have one or two skippers that may bring it to 20, as I only included metacomet.

From: Roger Kuhlman, 21 July 2006:
I have included a photo of a Duke's Skipper seen today from the Ash Road location.

E. dukesi, Ash Road woodlot, 21 July 2006
Photo by Roger Kuhlman  © 2006

 

 

 

From: "Mo", 21 July 2006:
I'm still 'ok' to go tomorrow-assuming it's 'go' for you. If so, just send me an email anytime tonight, and indicate when you may arrive in our driveway. I haven't checked the weather, but it did indicate a warm/sunny day! I'm having fun with my three bait traps in the backyard. To date, I've taken 8 species of Catocala, and several species of butterflies, including L. anthedon!! I'm still looking for my 'Black Witch' to arrive. ha. ha.

---

 

 

 

From: Kay Decker, 26 June 2006:

 

Arogalea cristifasciella
Photo by Tom Wallenmaier  © 2006

---

 

 

 

 

 

From: Julie A. Craves, Rouge River Bird Observatory, U of M Dearborn, 17 June 2006:
While out bird atlasing today in Romulus, Wayne Co. (T4S R10E sec 3), I
collected a worn Common 'Inornate' Ringlet.  This is the third I have
found in Wayne County: in 2003 I collected on in Brownstown Township,
and in 2004 one in Canton.  It seems as if the only strange butterflies
I ever find turn out to be this species!  It will join the others in the
UMMZ insect division collection.

This vacant lot also has more Baltimore Checkerspots than I've ever seen
in one place in Michigan.  It is county property just south of
Pennsylvania and east of Vining, and I received permission from the
police to let me atlas there after I showed credentials.

---

From: John C. Farmer, 09 June 2006:
A lone, small, fresh hackberry butterfly was keeping company with a comma in the Owen Perkins trap today.  We've been gone since Monday, and the bait was probably pretty dry and unattractive after that first day, but I can't push the early date back any earlier than today, June 8, under these circumstances.  Even so, unless someone has seen one before today, I believe that may be a new early date by for the species since the Greater Washtenaw records began accruing back in '95.  A quick check of the online records revealed what looks like the former early date on June 9, 1999.

 

 

From: Mogens C. "Mo" Nielsen, 31 May 2006:
Yesterday, I saw my first swallowtail butterfly-an immaculate P. troilus nectaring on our

backyard lilacs. Today, a Polygonia comma flew in the yard. Though I didn't net either

one, you may say "anything less is hearsay'! ha.

 

 

 

 

 

 

---

From: Martin Bialecki, 11 May 2006:

---

From: Eugene Karolinsky, 10 May 2006:
Butterflies continue emerging, so one more brief report.

May 9, Notre Dame and vicinity, St. Joseph Co, Indiana:
Silver-Spotted Skipper (*E. clarus*) - one
Wild Indigo Duskywing (*E. baptisiae*) - a few
Common Checkered Skipper (*P. communis*) - a few
Zabulon Skipper (*P. zabulon*) - several males
Black Swallowtail (*P. polyxenes*) - one female looking for oviposition
Cabbage White (*P. rapae*) - many
Clouded Sulphur (*C. philodice*) - one male
Orange Sulphur (*C. eurytheme*) - several, including a female looking
for oviposition
American Copper (*L. phlaeas*) - a few
Eastern Tailed Blue (*E. comyntas*) - one male
Spring Azure (*C. ladon*) - one
Pearl Crescent (*Ph. tharos*) - many
Unidentified nymphalid (probably *P. comma*) - one
I am attaching a photo of Zabulon.
PS: I am also attaching a photo of a Zabulon female seen today.


P. zabulon, male, Notre Dame, Indiana, May 09, 2006
Photo by Eugene Karolinsky  © 2006

 

P. zabulon, female, Notre Dame, Indiana, May 10, 2006
Photo by Eugene Karolinsky  © 2006

 

---

From: Martin Bialecki, 07 May 2006:

P. tharos, 10 May 2006, Waterloo
Photo by Chris Rickards © 2006

A. vialis, 10 May 2006, Waterloo
Photo by Chris Rickards © 2006

P. catullus, 10 May 2006, Waterloo
Photo by Chris Rickards © 2006

P. catullus, 10 May 2006, Waterloo
Photo by Chris Rickards © 2006

---

From: Kyle, 25 August 2006:
Hi all,

Here is a brief account of my time in the field this past month, if you are interested.  I revisited several frigga sites in
Schoolcraft/Luce counties (MI), and it seems that Salix pedicellaris might be the secret to finding this animal anywhere in the Great Lakes
region...only real mystery is Point Isabelle in Keweenaw Co...but the willow is VERY hard to spot and I may have overlooked it there...it is
usually less than 18" tall, and looks superficially similar to bog rosemary and short Myrica gale.

I might have a chance to collect in the UP over labor day weekend- I will certainly be up there to visit my Grandpa, who is stricken with
advanced lung cancer...I suppose it's been a hard year for many.

July 29- Brampton, Delta Co, MI: Speyeria aphrodite (co. record)- I've been collecting here since I was 5, and have never seen it before!
- Legend Lake, Menominee Co, WI (not MI!): lots of moths at UV!

August 2- Albany SWA, Green Co, WI: lots of moths at UV (one unID'd Papaipema)

August 6- Green Bay area, Brown Co, WI: Catocala cerogama, C. cara, & others at bait (surprisingly no other cats-nice hardwood forest)

August 9- Iowa Co, WI: lots of moths at UV (one Papaipema); no cats at bait!

August 10- tried to find bog/poor fen in Portage Co, WI, but found nothing but thick alder swamp, and ran out of time to fight my way to
the site interior!
-Norrie Bog, Marathon Co, WI: windy evening, didn't see too much, but picked up an abundant little white crambid that I never saw outside of the bog- another to the bog/peatland list?

August 13- Bairds Creek, Brown Co, WI: Catocala cerogama & C. ultronia at bait; fair amount of moths at UV- yet again not many cats- very nice oak/hickory etc. hardwood forest

August 17- Lipsky Swamp, Kewaunee Co, WI: Catocala relicta, C. concumbens, C. cerogama, C. cara, C. briseis?, & C. unijuga? at bait
(surprised no semirelicta-lots of balsam poplar here-maybe next year?); lots of moths at UV, including probable Macaria
sexmaculata/submarmorata (not spread yet).

August 18- Westman Lake Bog, Menominee Co, MI: Catocala concumbens, C. cara, & C. unijuga? at bait- surprised no C. semirelicta- lots of balsam poplar; fair amount of moths at UV, including Catocala cerogama & C. sordida?, & probable Oligia minuscula, Xestia youngii, & Coenophila opacifrons (not yet spread).  No Papaipema appassionata (my big target this trip!)

August 19- McFarland Bog, Marquette Co, MI: couple late Colias interior hanging around; cold night, hardly anything at UV (although
got one Oligia minuscula or Xestia youngii: No P. appassionatat); only got Catocala relicta at bait, C. concumbens got away)

August 20- Woodruff Lake Bog, Schoolcraft Co, MI (the frigga site N of Manistique)  Although I have never been here at the right time for B. frigga, I suspect the prime spot is on the W side of the highway, just N of the junction with Spruceville Road.  NOTE TO FRIGGA FANS: This area has a large amount of Salix pedicellaris (bog willow), more so than the birch; habitat here is intermediate fen.
Day collecting: vouchered Boloria selene atrocostalis, Nymphalis antiopa, Colias interior, & Celastrina neglecta
Night collecting: Catocala relicta, C. concumbens, C. ultronia at bait; caught worn C. coelebs flying erratically near bait over
Sturgeon Hole Creek (Myrica gale rich fen along stream) Sorry Dwayne, no extras!  Fair amount of moths at UV, including probable Oligia
minuscula, Xestia youngii, & Coenophila opacifrons (not yet spread).

August 21- bog in NW Schoolcraft Co, about 2-3 miles S of Shingleton, on SW side of M-94, along old RR grade: vouchered Boloria selene atrocostalis, Lycaena dorcas, & mystery gray geo.  Habitat here is mostly intermediate fen, w/ shrubby cinquefoil & white cedar present in some areas.  Lots of pitcher plants- hope to search for Exyra fax/Papaipema appasionata here one year.  Also, there is Salix
pedicellaris here in fair amounts (but localized), so this should be a high priority site for B. frigga

-peatland along Tahquamenon River along CR 415, Luce Co, MI (frigga site): thunderstorms, & no leps to speak of (got a phantom crane fly, that's it)
NOTE TO FRIGGA FANS:  Yet again I found the mystical Salix pedicellaris here; localized near the road, not in very large amounts,
but it is VERY hard to spot.

-421 Bog, Luce Co, MI (frigga site): a few B. selene atrocostalis flying late in the evening.
NOTE TO FRIGGA FANS: Last July I searched for the bog willow Salix pedicellaris here,  but failed to find it.  I searched more
intensively this time, and sure enough found the willow- in large amounts in fact, but it is highly localized, and VERY hard to spot. 
In the large open bog (poor/intermediate fen really) on the E side of 421, I only found the willow within 50' of the road or so- for those
who have observed frigga here, did you find it localized along the road?  In the small open bog on the W side of 421 (on the N side of
the sandy two-track), I only found the willow on the S margin, and in much larger amounts than the E side- for those who have observed
frigga here, did you find it localized and more aboundant here?
- Night collecting: Only Catocala at bait were C. relicta & C. concumbens; I baited a ways to the west down the sandy trail where
there is a lot of Myrica gale, but no coelebs!  Not too many moths at UV, but did get probable Oligia minuscula, Xestia youngii, &
Coenophila opacifrons (not yet spread).

August 22- 421 Bog, Luce Co, MI: Vouchered Nymphalis antiopa, Boloria selene atrocostalis, Colias eurytheme, Speyeria atlantis, and a semi-abberant Limenitis archippus; I also observed some late Colias interior and Lycaena dorcas, among others.

-Wolf Inn Bog, Luce Co, MI: Vouchered Colias interior, and missed Hesperia leonardus.  I searched a fair amount of this bog, and found
some areas that look worthy of B. freija exploration.  How much searching has been done here early in the season?

-415 peatland along Tahquamenon River, Luce Co, MI: Vouchered Boloria selene atrocostalis; I also found more areas with the sacred Salix pedicellaris

-Night at FFH-13 Bog, Delta Co, MI:  Absolutely nothing at bait, other than two daddy-longlegs!!!  Not too many moths at UV, but did get
probable Oligia minuscula, Xestia youngii, & Coenophila opacifrons (not yet spread).  AND, after five straight night of dragging my
borrowed generator (courtesy of Dan Young) right out in the middle of bogs, I took my first ever PAPAIPEMA APPASSIONATA! (Delta Co. record Mo?)

August 23- Kentucky Bog, Alger Co, MI: Nothing, but the bog looks somewhat interesting for B. freija.

- Sixteenmile Lake Peatland, Alger Co, MI: Vouchered Boloria selene atrocostalis and Limenitis arthemis; The wet floating Sphagnum mats
are absolutely loaded with pitcher plants.  Also plenty of Myrica gale for C. coelebs.

-Au Train Falls, Alger Co, MI: Vouchered Pieris oleracea, Speyeria cybele, and second brood Phyciodes selenis.  Saw one Polygonia
interrogationis.

-Carlshend Bog, Marquette Co, MI (along old RR grade W of Carlshend): Vouchered Colias interior & Limenitis archippus; The site is mostly
moderately timbered spruce bog, but grades into cedar rich fen on the NE side.  In the slighly more mineral rich areas I readily found Salix
pedicellaris; I didn't further investigate this area (didn't want to get my hiking boots wet!), but I think this site has definite B.
frigga potential.  Most of all, I was looking for E. discoidalis habitat, and this site looks like a winner to me.  Not as hummocky as
McFarland, but it has a suspiciously similar assortment of sedges.  And when you consider the gradation to cedar rich fen, there's a very
large assortment of sedges (the discoidalis host in peatlands in almost certainly a sedge- grasses are absent from acid bog, and very
uncommon in poor/intermediate fens- uplands are another story, of course.)  This site also has magnificent blackberries, if you're into
that sort of thing!

-McFarland Bog, Marquette Co, MI: Only things in the bait trap were N. antiopa and C. concumbens...and lots of yellow jackets!  No vouchers (both were worn/ripped)

-Night at Cedar River Bog, Menominee Co, MI:  Not too much at UV, other than 2 C. concumbens (no vouchers) & probable Oligia minuscula, Xestia youngii, & Coenophila opacifrons (not yet spread).

---

 

From: Kyle Evan Johnson, 23 June 2006:
Here's the highlights from my recent lengthy adventure up to the great north.

(June 8) Summit Lake Bog, Langlade Co, WI: B. eunomia fresh to a little worn, O. jutta very worn.  Eufidonia discospilata N of Eagle
River in Vilas Co, WI (co. record)

(June 9) Muskeg N of Kenton, Houghton Co, MI: couldn't even find O. jutta; perhaps missed flight of E. mancinus?  Habitat looks beautiful,
certainly worth future expeditions.  Several records for common bog moths (M. truncataria, E. discospilata, H. pistaciaria).  Coastal
peatland N of Washburn, Bayfield Co, WI: cold & windy, only got E. discospilata (got this one at all but two sites on my trip!)

(June 10) Belden Swamp, Douglas Co, WI: One fresh & one slightly worn B. eunomia; O. jutta very worn; probably missed E. mancinus- some pretty good habitat here.  Saw Syngrapha microgamma nectaring on bog buckbean.  Milchesky RD Bog, Douglas Co: B. eunomia quite fresh. Lyman Lake Bog, Douglas Co: O. jutta very worn.

(June 11) McNair, Lake Co, MN: E. mancinus rather worn, a couple in somewhat good condition.  (NOTE: I did not find them at the site
proper W of the tracks along Langley River RD, but rather at a bog on the N side of Langley River, just W of the tracks)  O. jutta worn.  B.
eunomia fresh.  Rollins, ST Louis Co, MN: could not find E. mancinus. O. jutta very worn.

(June 12) Sand Lake Bog, Lake Co, MN: Syngrapha montana (probable state record?), B. eunomia fresh, O. jutta worn, could not find E.
mancinus!  Greenwood Lake Muskeg, Lake Co, MN: One fairly worn female E. mancinus.  Rollins, ST Louis Co, MN: Again could not find E.
mancinus.  B. eunomia fresh/slight wear.  Oeneis macounii fresh to quite worn, all males (new species for me!)  Black lighting for moths
at large bog near Cook, ST Louis Co, MN.

(June 13) large bogs near Cook, ST Louis Co, MN: O. jutta very worn at one site only, not much else other than the common bog moths.  Didn't even find B. eunomia.  Black lighting for moths at massive raised bog in Koochiching Co, MN.

(June 14)  Massive raised bog S of Big Falls, one large & one small bog near International Falls, Koochiching Co, MN.  Couldn't find O.
jutta or B. eunomia...perhaps the flight was over?  Some good E. mancinus habitat at small bog near Int' Falls, other sites seem to
lack good habitat.  Black lighting for moths along stream in far northern ST Louis Co, MN

(June 15)  Several bogs in far northern ST Louis Co, MN, S of the Boundary Waters area.  Very worn O. jutta at one site.  Another
Syngrapha montana, in E. mancinus type habitat.  Holomelina lamae at one site (very early!), and fresh Anarta luteola at one site (very
strange considering season is way ahead of normal).  Many bogs in the area look good for E. mancinus.  Also many interesting stony jack pine ridges for O. macounii.  Black lighting for moths at McNair, Lake Co, MN (one H. columbia, among many others).

(June 16) Bog along Gunflint Trail, Cook Co, MN: Syngrapha montana, in E. mancinus type habitat.  B. eunomia mostly fresh.  O. jutta very
worn.  Bogs near Seagull Lake, at far northern part of Gunflint Trail, Cook Co, MN: nothing remarkable; one has very limited E. mancinus
potential, but was disturbed by fire, so perhaps once was?  Seagull Lake: single O. macounii on stony jack pine ridge along lakeshore. 
Blacklighting for moths at Seagull Lake.

(June 17) Bogs near Seagull Lake, Cook Co, MN:  O. jutta very worn, B. eunomia fairly fresh.  One bog looks very good for E. mancinus, but is not very obvious from highway.  Per Ron Huber, John Masters claimed to have taken both Erebia mancinus and Colias gigantea in the Seagull Lake area.  There are certainly a few spots in the area which are/were good for E. mancinus.  I seriously doubt the C. gigantea record. There is a fair amount of bog willow in a Sphagnum/heath/Myrica gale/sedge fen along Seagull Creek, but if C. gigantea could persist
in this "lower quality" habitat, it should be quite widespread in the north.  Uplands S of Seagull Lake:  single O. macounii flying along
gravel road by stony jack pine ridges, right after rain!

(June 18) Bog along Eastlund RD, S of Radisson, Sawyer Co, WI: only the common bog species M. truncataria & E. discospilata (co.
records).  Bog along Hwy 27, on Rusk Co side of Rusk/Sawyer Co line: 
M. truncataria & Macaria argillacearia (co records).  N side of Hwy
64, Spruce Lake, Taylor Co, WI: M. truncataria (co record), L.
epixanthe & L. dorcas (co records, very early!)

Now back in Green Bay, and flat broke!!!

In summary I pretty much missed the E. mancinus flight period- It's been a hot one up north this year!  At least I made up for it with a
multitude of bog moth records, most notably Syngrapha montana.  This sp. seems to inhabit bog forests (esp. mancinus type stands of park-
like spruce) as opposed to open areas, and behaves differenly than the very similar S. microgamma; montana often flies erratically up and
down, not straight like microgamma.

I'll send out the precise details of locations, etc. with my specimen data in the fall/winter.

Hopefully I can make up north again, if I can make some money!

---

From: KyleEvan Johnson, 5 June 2006:
I plan to head north for mancinus/macounii this Thursday morning, and get back to Green Bay on Sunday, June 18.  Then I better get to work, because I'm almost broke!

My first main stop will be June 8/9 in Houghton County, MI for E. mancinus.  I will then head straight to Douglas County, WI, and spend
two "good weather" days after mancinus and macounii.  I will camp out for a couple extra days if necessary due to poor weather.  From there I will head north into Minnesota until I head back to Wisconsin (no later than the night of June 17)

Let me know if you will be able to get up there during this time.  If you wait longer you might miss prime mancinus time, but you might do
better for macounii(?).  Let me know and we'll try to coordinate something.  Would you like any sites/directions information?

---

Report from Kyle Johnson for May 7-30
Here is a brief (by my standards!) summary of my adventures roaming the northlands this spring. 

May 7:  I met up with Harry King at the southernmost Boloria freija population in the East, in Langlade County, Wisconsin.  Perfect weather from the start, with temperatures in the 70’s, sunny, and calm- don’t get that everyday in bog country!  We were there for almost three hours, without any sign of freija.  I did pick up a couple of the usual bog suspects (Callophrys augustinus and the geometrid Macaria truncataria), and saw but MISSED two Anarta luteola (one hovered slowly in front of me, the other flushed within easy reach of my net...still missed...no excuse for failure here!).

Harry King on the lookout for Boloria freija in Langlade County, Wisconsin (May 7, 2006)
photo by Kyle Johnson ©2006

We then checked out the nearby southernmost locality for Erebia discoidalis.  Still sunny at first, but soon the clouds moved in.  I documented a few more of my usual bog friends (Callophrys augustinus, the geometrids Macaria truncataria and Mesothea incertata, and a county record for the black & silver bog micro Glyphipterix haworthana).  I also suspect seeing Anarta luteola, but it was too fast and far away to be certain.  No discoidalis; a rather disappointing start to a beautiful day.

Driving north into Oneida County we ran into some light rain.  We stopped at a bog were I had caught a worn B. freija back in 2003, but released it without a voucher.   Despite mostly cloudy and windy conditions I did manage to get a voucher freija for the site, plus many of the commoner bog species, including a county record Glyphipterix haworthana (got to love micros...since almost no one is searching for them in Wisconsin, just about everything is a county record!).  After seeing a total of three freija, we ended the day at my classic TNT Speedway Bog.  Disappointingly, only three freija (this site has an extremely large population).

The following day consisted of rain, more rain, and a dead car battery...best not to take a nap with your headlights on!

May 17:  I left Green Bay in the morning and raced to one of my favorite bogs in Lincoln County, Wisconsin.  When I arrived around 11:30am, conditions were sunny & breezy, with a temperature around 65°F...but storm clouds were minutes away!  I jumped out of my car, threw on my boots (yes, BOOTS!) and some quick gear, and raced to the nearest section of the bog.  Minutes later I was soaked from rain!  Soon the rain stopped, and the sun shined brightly.  Still with minimal gear, I made out for a better section of the bog, where I hoped to find Boloria freija.  When I got to the bog conditions were nice, but another storm cloud was minutes away!  I searched frantically for several minutes, but all I got was another soaking of rain!  I returned to my car (the rain stopped only after I got there!), and got prepared with full gear, including a rain suit...not surprisingly it didn’t rain for the rest of the day.  Temperatures were around 60°F and mostly sunny for the day, but the wind was quite awful most of the time.

The habitat at the site is magnificent for both Boloria freija and frigga, but I was not encountering any freija, which puzzled me quite a bit.  In the hummock-hollow open meadows I did finally get a Boloria- but it was a fresh male frigga!  I also found one more frigga in the more typical bog willow/birch fen habitat.  After hours of treading across the bog I reached the extreme northern part...and finally got freija.  I counted nine within a fairly short time; all were fairly worn.  The habitat here is a little drier than the rest of the bog, but I really don’t know why I didn’t find them throughout this bog, which is nearly identical to other bogs with high density freija populations.

May 18:  I spent the entire day on foot at the massive Riley Lake Bog complex in Price County, Wisconsin.  The high was only about 55°F and windy, but the sun was out most of the day.  Boloria bellona and Erynnis icelus were quite common on the uplands.  On Riley Lake Road I encountered a basking Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) and a spider wasp (Pompilidae) carrying a caterpillar over twice its size.

Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) basking on Riley Lake Road in Price County, WI (May 18, 2006)
photo by Kyle Johnson ©2006

In the bog Callophrys augustinus were abundant as usual, but Boloria freija numbers were surprisingly low (9 for the day).  Moth finds include a Glyphipterix haworthana county record (surprise) and my first Eufidonia discospilata (black/white speckled geo) of the season.

Riley Lake Bog in Price County, Wisconsin (May 18, 2006)
photo by Kyle Johnson ©2006

May 19: Another entire day on foot at Riley Lake.  Conditions were again sunny & windy, but at least the temperatures rose to around 65°F.  Boloria freija numbers were again lower than expected (only 90 counted for the day- yes, lower than expected!).  Also got my first Erebia discoidalis of the season.  Their numbers were far lower than what I expected- only four for the entire day.  I kept several females of freija and discoidalis for rearing.  I had many interesting encounters with freija on this day.  When I set my backpack down, males would approach, and fight amongst each other over who could perch on my backpack!  They would also confront me, and land on my legs, arms, and especially my watch!

Boloria freija fond of highly valuable watch at the Riley Lake Bog in Price County, Wisconsin (May 19, 2006)
photo by Kyle Johnson ©2006

May 20:  Spent the morning searching a large bog in Ashland County, Wisconsin, waiting for Les Ferge to arrive.  Before he got there I documented several of the common bog species (but no Glyphipterix haworthana, oddly), and also Boloria freija; they were fairly common but quite worn.  When Les arrived it was very cloudy.  While waiting for a sunny break, I hiked the hummocky open meadow, hoping to spook up my little Glyphipterix.  Hiking along I spotted a noctuid moth resting on a hummock.  My mind was suddenly in a dream-like trance, not quite grasping the significance of what I was seeing.  The beast then took off, leaving two symmetrical flashes of white burned into my eyes.  It was a creature I had been desperately searching for... Heliothis borealis.  I snapped out of my trance and took a swing low over the hummocks.  I almost thought I got it, but then I saw it shoot off away from me, never to be seen again.  So it eludes me yet another year!

Later we got a few sunny spells, but not enough to find our target...Erebia discoidalis.  As of yet there seems to be no VOUCHER records from Ashland County; only a single reference from Jeff Nekola, whose work does not seem to be backed by vouchers.

Les Ferge on the lookout for Erebia discoidalis in Ashland County, Wisconsin (May 20, 2006)
photo by Kyle Johnson ©2006

May 21:  Quite a cold day; 45°F with a strong wind in the morning, but by mid-day the temps soared into the 50’s.  Not too promising, but I decided to investigate a new bog in Florence County, Wisconsin.  At least I could get some bog moths!  In the first two hours I picked up most of the usual suspects, including the Florence County record for Glyphipterix haworthana (surprise again!).  Hiking the southern end of the site, I finally got out of the dreaded wind.  Although only 55°F and sunny, within 13 minutes I saw four Anarta luteola, and ACTUALLY VOUCHERED it this time (!), for the Florence County record.

I later stopped at another bog in Florence County, and aside from the usual bog species, successfully vouchered another Anarta luteola.  I suppose that partly makes up for earlier blunders!

May 22:  Woke up with frost covering my windshield, but at least the temperatures got up into the 60’s today.  I began the morning a moderate sized bog in Marinette County, Wisconsin.  I had previously scoped out this place for a potential Boloria freija county record.  In my hour and 45 minutes of hiking I failed to find my target, but it’s certainly worth a try to work this place some more.  The bog is quite hummocky and dry; reminds me of the Mastadon Bog in Iron County, Michigan.  Good potential for a small freija population.  Despite my failure with freija, I did come across something even better (to me!).  In the midst of my search I flushed and caught Erebia discoidalis (MARINETTE COUNTY RECORD).  Not a bad way to start the day!

My second stop was at a small bog near Argonne, in Forest County.  Erebia discoidalis was first collected in the continental U.S. in 1929 by William Elder at Argonne, in a “grassy meadow” habitat.  This site fits the original description to a “T”, since an open wiregrass bog meadow could certainly pass as a “grassy meadow”.

Despite some pretty good weather I failed to get discoidalis at Argonne, but I knew it wouldn’t be easy to find it, especially considering the very low numbers I had seen at Riley Lake, a huge population.  I will certainly be back, for I am certain this is the spot.  Although I didn’t get my main quarry, I did see AND successfully voucher Anarta luteola...on a roll with that one!

My final stop for the day was at the classic Armstrong Creek Bog.  Last year I had found a single Erebia discoidalis resting on wiregrass under cloudy skies, but I’ve heard accounts of discoidalis being common here, and by looking at the habitat, I believe them.  Armstrong Creek is a very peculiar bog for the area.  The most striking feature is that it is a graminoid (grassy vegetation) dominated bog, even in the hummocky areas; heath cover is very low.  With such sedge dominance, discoidalis ought to be common.  But today was not the day to see it in numbers; I saw only a single individual within an hour and 40 minutes of searching.  It was patrolling a flat wiregrass margin with scattered sedge hummocks and clumps of bog birch.

I ended the day setting up a bait trap that Dwayne had lent me.  Hopefully something good would come!

May 26:  I left Green Bay for my third spring trip to the Canadian Zone.  By 9:30 am I was at the north end of the Hope Lake Bog complex in Iron County, Michigan (remember, Iron County Michigan is on Central time, NOT Eastern.  Menominee County is Central, Ontonagon County is Eastern...who comes up with this!)

A few rather worn Boloria freija were patrolling the northern open meadow, along with many of the common bog moths.  Eufidonia discospilata was now out in good numbers.  Also vouchered Anarta luteola.  No discoidalis here.  I then worked my way south to a large open meadow on the northern margin of Hope Lake.  Beautiful, sunny, and in the 70’s.  More freija, my first Oeneis jutta of the season (saw three total), but still no discoidalis.  I watched a female freija oviposit a single egg on a twig of Leatherleaf.

I then hiked along an old railroad grade to the eastern portion of the bog.  The aerials show several minerotrophic areas on the eastern margin, so I was hopping to find Boloria frigga here.  I soon came upon a nice little pocket of bog birch and...yes, the all precious bog willow (Salix pedicellaris) that is closely associated with frigga in most areas.  Seeing the willow made me very hopeful of finding frigga.  I decided to check the willow/birch fen areas later, and went on into another hummock/hollow bog area, this time with more sedges.  By dumb luck, at 12:30pm I ran into a mating pair of Erebia discoidalis perched on leatherleaf.  Later on I flushed one more individual, but that was it.  Definitely low numbers for discoidalis.

Erebia discoidalis mating pair at the Hope Lake Bog in Iron County, Michigan (May 26, 2006)
photo by Kyle Johnson ©2006

I then got back on the old railroad grade, which here was a dirt path running through the margin of hummock-hollow open bog and bog birch/willow poor fen.  I was hoping to find a late Heliothis borealis on the path.  On the bog birch/willow side I spotted a Boloria flying lazily along, and ran in after it...sure enough, Boloria frigga (NEW SITE).

My next stop was at a rather small bog (with a bog pond) along M-69 east of Crystal Falls.  Despite low numbers of bog leps, I did manage to get both Boloria freija and Erebia discoidalis.  On the south end of the highway the bog gives way to fen habitat supporting alder, bog willow, and bog birch.  No frigga in the limited time I spent (it was cloudy by now as well), but I did get my first Hethemia pistasciaria, a small green geo with an orange underside.  I’ve probably overlooked this one in the past, due to the much more common Mesothea incertata.

My final stop was at the good ol’ Channing Bog in Dickinson County.  It was quite late when I started (4:30pm...Central time, remember!) but I was still hoping to see freija/discoidalis, and maybe even a late Heliothis borealis.

Driving in I noticed an abundance of shrubs on the SE corner of the site.  I had noticed this before, but never investigated until today.  Sure enough, bog birch was plentiful.  I didn’t see any bog willow right away, but I decided to check later on.  At any rate, I thought Boloria frigga might be a possibility here.  I then returned to the more hummocky area by the road.  Boloria freija were out in unusually low numbers (16 for the day), and were mostly very worn...more than at Hope Lake.  At 4:48pm in a moist hummocky area near the road I saw a Boloria fly by which was a little bit too large and bold to be freija.  I chased it down, and much to my surprise, out of my net I pulled...Boloria frigga (DICKINSON COUNTY RECORD)!  Who would have guessed it?  One of the most popular bogs in Upper Michigan, and here I get a county record for frigga!

Later on I moved into the vast open meadow past the spruce island.  Here I ran into a single Erebia discoidalis, and thought I saw an Anarta luteola, but it vanished before I could get close.  Also plenty of the usual suspects, including numerous Eufidonia discospilata, and my favorite little Glyphipterix haworthana (possibly Dickinson County record...who knows?).  At the very end I returned to the SE corner of the site, to investigate where the lone frigga may have come from.  It took a little searching, but sure enough I came across several nice patches of the bog willow Salix pedicellaris, which seems to be the secret to frigga in MN, WI, and the at least the western U.P.  Only problem is that the plant can be very hard to spot; it is usually only a foot high!

Boloria frigga habitat in the SW corner of the Channing Bog in Dickinson County, Michigan (May 26, 2006):  tamarack poor fen with bog birch (Betula pumila) and bog willow (Salix pedicellaris- not visible in photo).
photo by Kyle Johnson ©2006

May 27:  I spent half the day at my favorite McFarland Bog, before attending my cousin’s grad partly (with the bog having priority, of course).  I was there mainly for my now ritualistic Erebia discoidalis count, as well as to fill in a few bog moth records from the site.  I also set up another bait trap Dwayne had lent me.

To get a real handle on the low discoidalis numbers, I focused my efforts on the very reliable NE corner of the bog.  Yes, the numbers were indeed low...only seven within the two hours I spent in that portion of the bog.  Most were quite worn, indicating that peak flight was probably past here.  I failed to find any discoidalis in the NW portion of the bog.  This further highlights the uniqueness of the NE meadow and its unusually dense population of discoidalis.  The sedge diversity and cover in this area is unusually high, and there are scattered minerotrophic indicators (bog birch, bog viburnum, Carex with wider leaves), so maybe this area is at least partly bog-like extremely poor fen.  Monarchs were notably abundant in the bog, necataring on leatherleaf, bog rosemary, and bog laurel.

May 28:    I spent five hours hiking the McFarland 444 Bog, a large bog west of McFarland on the south side of CR-444.  I was hoping for a new discoidalis locality, as well as filling in gaps for the more common bog species.  Got my first Ematurga amitaria  of the year (small orangish/brown geo that sometimes looks like a worn Boloria freija, especially if you really want to find freija!).  I was headed to the far SW corner of the site, where the aerials show good sedge patches.  On the way I checked an upland spruce island in the bog, where there were several male Oeneis jutta darting about (new site).  It was a hot one today, hitting the 80’s!  I must say, quite tiring hiking the hummocks when you’re weighted down with a back-packing type backpack loaded with plenty of gear.  I eventually reached to sedge area, but no discoidalis.  This looks like very good habitat, and I hope to try again during a better season.

May 29:  I spent over five hours searching the vast western portion of the Cyr Swamp, south of Gwinn in Marquette County.  I had hiked this area over winter, noticing that it was absolutely loaded with bog birch throughout, and would probably have bog willow, so naturally this would be a good place to search for Boloria frigga.  But there was another target I was much more interested in finding here...

Papilio canadensis was finally out in good numbers; I ran into a large swarm puddling along an ATV trail.  Along a powerline cut by the edge of the Cyr Swamp I sighted two dark Boloria...almost surely frigga.  Interestingly, this was in a very wet rich fen/sedge marsh dominated by wide-leaf Carex sedges, with scattered bits of bog birch, and plenty of the sacred bog willow, Salix pedicellaris.  I hung around for a little bit longer, but I was eager to get into the main portion of the Cyr Swamp.

Puddling swarm of Papilio canadensis at the Cry Swamp in Marquette County, Michigan (May 29, 2006)
photo by Kyle Johnson ©2006

Not long into the far western portion of the Cyr Swamp I did indeed voucher Boloria frigga (NEW SITE).  This far western portion is open poor fen with Sphagnum, heaths, thick bog birch, scattered bog willow (hard to spot due to the dense bog birch), and widely scattered dead tamarack.  After hiking a ways through the thick bog birch and past the dead tamarack, the site becomes more mineral-rich, with plenty of sedges in the mix.  Boloria frigga was quite common throughout.  During the day I counted an even 50 individuals...low because not much was flying in the heat of the day (temps in the 80’s!).

Not long after reaching this more open sedge dominated area I saw what I had hoped for...but it disappeared before I could get close.  I now was jittery with excitement about my sighting.  Within minutes I got my quarry...Erebia discoidalis....in a fen!!! (NEW SITE). 

Erebia discoidalis is often associated with the same hummock-hollow bog habitat occupied by Boloria freija.  Indeed, the two species are often found together.  But last year I had a number of experiences that made me seriously reconsider this idea.  In Douglas County, Wisconsin, I was finding them in wet sedge- dominated poor fen habitat on the bog margin, not in the hummocky bog areas.  At Tanglefoot Lake in Marquette County, Michigan, I first found discoidalis in hummock-hollow bog habitat, but never bother to search to bog birch/willow fen areas.  When I returned for frigga, I noticed most of the discoidalis were in bog birch/willow fen, NOT in the hummock-hollow freija areas.  However, these fen areas are always adjacent to hummocky acid bog habitat, so there is no definitive evidence that fens are discoidalis habitat.

The presence of Erebia discoidalis at the western portion of the Cyr Swamp is clear evidence that some fens can provide suitable habitat; there is no acid bog habitat for miles.  This vast open wetland is dominated by open intermediate fen dominated by Sphagnum (not continuous everywhere), heaths, bog birch, bog willow, shrubby cinquefoil (unusual this far west in the U.P.), and a great diversity of sedges (and probably some true grasses as well).  In some areas there is limited tamarack, with occasional spruce, cedar, or jack pine.  This appears to be a patterned peatland of sorts, with alternating bands of more Sphagnum dominated areas versus more sedge dominated areas.

Habitat of Erebia discoidalis and Boloria frigga at the western part of the Cry Swamp in Marquette County, Michigan (May 29, 2006).  Vast open intermediate fen dominated by Sphagnum, heaths, bog birch, bog willow, shrubby cinquefoil, and a great diversity of sedges (and probably grasses).
photo by Kyle Johnson ©2006

 

Habitat of Erebia discoidalis and Boloria frigga at another part of the Cry Swamp in Marquette County, Michigan (May 29, 2006).  Intermediate fen dominated by Sphagnum, heaths, bog birch, bog willow, shrubby cinquefoil, a great diversity of sedges (and probably grasses), and scattered jack pine.
photo by Kyle Johnson ©2006

This fen is by no means marginal habitat for discoidalis; in fact, I’d say this habitat is more suitable than acid bog.  The discoidalis I was finding were mostly rags, at the very end of their flight.  The male frigga were already worn.  And it seems to be a very poor year for discoidalis in our area.  Despite this, I counted TEN discoidalis, the most I’ve seen anywhere this year.  Furthermore, I flushed several in the heat of the afternoon when almost nothing was flying...and this was during a random meander through vast open habitat, and not along any sort of path or corridor.  The chances of flushing several individuals under these conditions are very low unless you have a very large population.  All said, I would say this area supports the largest known Michigan population of Erebia discoidalis BY FAR.  Same goes for Boloria frigga as well.  There are many square miles of outstanding habitat, and both seem to be present evenly throughout, based on many miles of hiking.  I’m sure hitting this place at peak discoidalis flight on a good year would be simply amazing.

Erebia discoidalis has not yet been documented from the eastern U.P.  Over the years many have searched bogs during its flight period, but with no results.  Perhaps it is simply not found here.  My thought, however, is that no one has been checking the right habitats for this animal.  I haven’t spent much time in the eastern U.P., but the bogs I’ve visited don’t strike me as good discoidalis bogs- they lack much of the sedge diversity of bogs further west.  Early in the season folks are focusing on these acid bogs, but who is searching fens?  If discoidalis is present in the eastern U.P., I predict it will be fen habitat, not true acid bog.

There are many vast fen peatlands across the eastern U.P., and I doubt anyone has searched these at proper discoidalis flight time, if at all.  Some of these look quite similar to the Cyr Swamp on the aerials.  At the top of my list is the vast Creighton Marsh in northern Schoolcraft County.  This looks like a clear example of a patterned peatland, with linear flark pools obvious from the aerials.  Aside from Erebia discoidalis, this would also be a great place to search for Colias gigantea, a peatland butterfly which has not been recorded from Michigan.  Fens, and patterned fens in particular, are largely unexplored in our area for butterflies and moths, and many new exciting records surely await.

That night I set up my blacklight at the classic McFarland Bog.  “Big things” included H. cecropia, A. polyphemus, P. modesta, C. undulosa, S. poecilla, D. pholus, S. cerisyi, and S. jamaicensis.  Bog moths included Hethemia pistaciaria, Eufidonia discospilata, my first nocturnal bog Macaria (possibly oweni), and possibly others that need an ID.

May 30:  On the way back to Green Bay I checked the bait trap set up at the Armstrong Creek Bog in Forest County, Wisconsin.  I had soaked an old sock with bait, hoping that the bait would last longer.  At the bait trap there were only a few flies...hmmm?  I then looked down- something had taken my baited sock!

As a side note, I am attempting to rear Boloria freija, B. frigga, and Erebia discoidalis; I have eggs from all three.  My freija eggs had all hatched by May 31, and I’m hoping those discoidalis ones hatch soon!  I am trying to rear freija on cranberry, frigga on bog willow (Salix pedicellaris), and discoidalis on unidentified Carex sedges, and on my lawn grass.  Hopefully they don’t all die, since my only talent with rearing seems to be killing things!


Erebia discoidalis eggs, from females captured at the Riley Lake Bog in Price County, Wisconsin (May 31, 2006)
photo by Kyle Johnson ©2006