Listedspecies

At long last I was able return to the U.P. for a few days. Most of October 26 was spent visiting relatives, but at night I got out for some moth action on my uncles’ property (Brampton in Delta Co, MI). With cloudy skies and a balmy low of 45°F the moths were out in force, especially the late fall/early winter geometrid Operophtera bruceata. These were mostly spotted (by way of ATV headlights!) flying in the woods. At bait Pseudaletia unipuncta was common, and a couple Lithophane (possibly grotei) were enjoying the goodies as well. Surprised not to see any Eupsilia. I put out several bait traps (hoping for Lithophane thujae in the cedar swamp), but all I got was a single Pseudaletia unipuncta...should’ve fixed the holes in the traps!

Lithophane sp. (possibly grotei) probing delicious bait on my uncles’ property in Brampton, Delta County, MI (October 26, 2007)
photo © Kyle Johnson 2007

October 27 I visited my aunt on Brampton Lake (Delta County)...always a favorite place since a nice bog rings the lake! The day was cold & rainy to start (temps around 40°F), but later in the afternoon the sun come out and temperatures soared into the mid 40’s. In a narrow band of Leatherleaf along the lakeshore I readily found the peatland tortricid Acleris oxycoccana (likely a county record).

View of Brampton Lake in Delta County, MI (October 27, 2007). In the foreground is a narrow band of leatherleaf and three-way sedge (Dulichium arundinaceum) along the lakeshore where I found Acleris oxycoccana. In the background the narrow “intermediate fen” band widens into a nice tamarack/spruce acid bog.photo © Kyle Johnson 2007

Acleris oxycoccana resting on leatherleaf at Brampton Lake in Delta County, MI (October 27, 2007). This moth is closely associated with leatherleaf, the likely host (despite the name “oxycoccana”, which suggests small cranberry!).
photo © Kyle Johnson 2007

Later that night I returned to my uncles’ property in Brampton, motivated for night moth action. A hard frost and low temperatures quickly sunk my hopes of finding much.

Hard frost on the top of my car...usually not a sign of good moth collecting!
photo © Kyle Johnson 2007

Balmy night in Upper Michigan!
photo © Kyle Johnson 2007

Despite the frost and frigid temperatures I decided to grab my net and hop on the ATV to see what crazy moths might be active at such low temperatures. It seemed like a hopeless mission...extremities were getting numb with cold! But suddenly I spied a moth in the headlights...Operophtera bruceata!!! I must have seen at least TEN ACTIVELY FLYING...YES THAT’S ACTIVELY FLYING IN TEMPERATURES AROUND 25°F!!! A heart warming experience for sure!

Operophtera bruceata “playing dead” on leaf, Brampton, Delta County, MI (October 27, 2007). It was actively flying when the temperature was around 25°F per my thermometer (perhaps between 25-30°F in the forest considering any possible “warming effects” of tree cover), with a hard frost on the ground.
photo © Kyle Johnson 2007

Operophtera bruceata in the palm of my hand, Brampton, Delta County, MI (October 27, 2007)
photo © Kyle Johnson 2007

On October 28 I made a short trip up to my favorite McFarland Bog in Marquette County, MI. Temps were cool (around 40°F) but the full sun helped warm things up. Acleris oxycoccana was active out in the bog, and I found two Operophtera bruceata flying (in the day!) amongst an aspen/balsam poplar stand in the sandy uplands.

View of the McFarland Bog in Marquette County, MI (October 28, 2007). The tortricid Acleris oxycoccana was actively flying out in the bog, despite temps around 40°F.
photo © Kyle Johnson 2007

View of the sandy uplands (part of a terminal moraine) at the McFarland Bog in Marquette County, MI (October 28, 2007).
photo © Kyle Johnson 2007

The tenebrionid beetle Upis ceramboides found balsam poplar bark in sandy uplands at the McFarland Bog, Marquette County, MI. I failed to find any leps under bark, but my search was not very extensive. Most leps probably hide in leaf litter rather than under bark.
photo © Kyle Johnson 2007

After the McFarland Bog I made a quick stop at the nearby West McFarland Bog which produced more Acleris oxycoccana (new site). And stopping at another uncle’s place in Rock (Delta County) I found a Operophtera bruceata on the side of the house...a little bonus to end my trip!

Operophtera bruceata resting on side of house in Rock, Delta County, MI (October 28, 2007).
photo © Kyle Johnson 2007

My next trip to the U.P. will probably be around Christmas, and yes I will certainly be out looking for leps! Winter is the only time to get good hibernating data.
If you want to prove species like Polygonia interrogationis really overwinter in MI (the suspicion is that P. interrogationis doesn't???) you need to find them hibernating in the winter, not flying around in the early spring. So there is no off season when it comes to leps!

From: Jack Reinoehl, 30 October 2007,

On Sunday (10/28) at the butterfly garden at Fenner Arboretum in Lansing, there were three individual butterflies: one each of Painted Lady, Fiery Skipper and Silver-spotted Skipper. The Fiery Skipper exceeds the late date in Mo's book by 2 days. [Note from OAP: A new late date record.]
The first two have been regulars there this month; the latter species -- a full month later than the latest in Mo's book -- had not been there since September.
In Hillsdale, I've seen the Silver-spotted Skipper as late as 10/11/98 [Note from OAP: A new late date record.] and I've seen it in October during four other years. I suspect that the extremely warm last half of September caused this species to have a third brood since I saw quite a few the first week of October in Hillsdale county, including 4 on October 6th, but I'd seen none since.

From: John Swales, 25 October 2007,
Today, October 25th, a remarkably fresh Painted Lady in downtown Ann Arbor. (Late date Roger?)
[Note from OAP: Was it a Painted Lady or an American Painted Lady?
The late date for the Painted Lady is October 16 by Michigan Lepidoptera Survey Records.
The late date for the American Painted Lady is October 26 by Michigan Lepidoptera Survey Records.

From: John C. Farmer, 25 October 2007,
I spent most of the day in the old field area of Mary McCann Park (York Township, Washtenaw County, between Bemis and Willis Roads on the E. side of Warner Rd.).

Saw two and possibly three "ladies." Was doing park work at the time and didn't have binoculars on me, so was unable to make positive I.D.'s, but was inclined toward American Painted Lady for the one I saw best. As Owen indicates, that would be more consistent with past records than a Painted Lady.

If anyone wishes to check the site over the next few days for a possible late date (for either species), my sightings were atop the large mound just east of the woods.

From: Jack Reinoehl, 25 October 2007,

First, thanks to John; I appreciate his comments. I have received much good data as a result of being included in these e-mails and would be happy to receive other records of interest.
My experience with American vs. Painted Ladies is that by the last half of October, a lady, sp. is quite a bit more likely to be a Painted Lady even though that species is often all but absent from the state. I hypothesize that this is because Painted Ladies sometimes migrate into the region late in the season. In Hillsdale County I have recorded Painted Ladies as late as 10/29/95 and 11/12/05. Below is a slightly edited remark about the later date from the 2005 butterfly survey.

Several Painted Ladies were seen on 12 November 2005. Instead of having survived the previous colder weather, it is plausible that these individuals had just arrived with the help of strong southwest winds that had been blowing for the last week. Several Orange Sulphurs were present at the same location, a slightly elevated cemetery in southern Hillsdale County.

[Note by OAP: Thus the new late date for the Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) is 12 November and the new late date for the Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme) is 12 November, both by Jack Reinoehl.]

From: OAP to John Swales, 26 October 2007,
Great! A new late date record!
Keep the records coming.

[Note from OAP: Well it would have been a new late date record if the Michigan Lepidoptera Survey had the record from Jack Reinoehl. Hopefuly he will provide us with his data for other species.]

From: OAP, 23 October 2007,
I received this email from Carolyn Sohoza, vice-president of the Southeastern Michigan Butterfly Association (SEMBA) AND I want to share it with all those lep enthusiasts out-there. My wife, Grace, and I are making plans to attend. You may also wish to attend and see Carolyn perform in the musical CHICAGO.

This is Carolyn's email:

I just wanted to let you know that I will be playing Velma Kelly in the musical Chicago at the River Raisin Performing Arts Centre in Monroe, November 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17. All shows are at 7:00 pm with the exception of Sunday November 11, which is at 2:00 pm.
[Note from OAP: Velma Kelly was played by Catherine Zeta-Jones in the movie, Chicago.]

Information about the Musical Theatre Company that is putting on the show

http://www.riverraisincentre.org/MTC/MTC%20Current/Chicago.htm

The link to the performing arts center is

http://www.riverraisincentre.org/

(Yes, the girl in the poster is in the show. She plays the Hungarian inmate and is in one of the instructors from the Ballet Company that is also run out of the performing arts center.)

Tickets can be purchased from the box office by phone or there is also a link to purchase the tickets on line.

I'm so excited to have been offered this role (It's a lot of dancing like I used to do...a long, long, time ago!) The cast is so awesome to work with. The director, vocal director (who also conducts the orchestra that will be on stage) and the choreographer are all incredible. We're working hard to make sure we deliver a great production.

Hope you'll be able to come.
Thanks,
Carolyn

Carolyn Sohoza, at the Karner Blue butterfly meeting described below.
photograph by Owen A. Perkins copyright © 2007

From: OAP, 23 October 2007,
On 10 October 2007 my wife, Grace, and I went to Cabela's that evening for
The Department of Natural Resources and the Detroit Zoo public meeting to discuss statewide and local plans for recovery of the federally endangered Karner Blue Butterfly (KBB).

The following photographs are from the event:

Cabela's Dundee, Michigan Retail Store is located just southwest of Detroit off U.S. Highway 23.
In addition to offering quality outdoor merchandise, the massive 225,000 sq. ft. showroom
is an educational and entertainment attraction, featuring a décor of museum-quality
animal displays, huge aquariums and trophy animals interacting in realistic re-creations
of their natural habitats.
photographs by Owen A. Perkins copyright © 2007

L to R: Carolyn Sohoza and Stephanie Rife, officers in SEMBA - John C. Farmer, frequent contributor to Lepalert
photographs by Owen A. Perkins copyright © 2007

Joe Robison, DNR Wildlife Biologist.
photograph by Owen A. Perkins copyright © 2007

DNR presentation.
photograph by Owen A. Perkins copyright © 2007

L to R: DNR Endangered Species Coordinator, Todd C. Hogrefe & Sue Tangora
Land Owner Incentive Program, MDNR.
photographs by Owen A. Perkins copyright © 2007

Laura Palombi, Detroit Zoological Park Assistant Invertebrate Director, give presentation
on her efforts to collect, raise, and release the Karner Blue butterflies in 2007 and 2008
at the Petersburg State Game Area in Monroe County.
photograph by Owen A. Perkins copyright © 2007

Laura Palombi, Detroit Zoological Park Assistant Invertebrate Director, give presentation
on her efforts to collect, raise, and release the Karner Blue butterflies in 2007 and 2008
at the Petersburg State Game Area in Monroe County.
photograph by Owen A. Perkins copyright © 2007

From: Kyle E. Johnson, 22 October 2007,
Field Update from Kyle Johnson (August 29-September 30)
It has been a while since my last report, so here’s a brief “catch-up” from the field since the end of August.

View of some magnificent sandy short grass to tall grass prairie/oak savannah at the
Skull Lake WMA in Kittson County, far NW Minnesota (August 29, 2007).
The area has some distinctive western fauna; among other things I caught
Western White (Pontia occidentalis), the first time I’ve seen this species east of the Rockies.
photo © Kyle Johnson 2007

Tenebrionid Beetle in the genus Eleodes; this genus is very common in arid regions of the western U.S.
photo © Kyle Johnson 2007

View of my right hand after yellow jacket sting (Skull Lake WMA).
The night before I reached into the moth bait bucket for a rotten banana, and got stung by a yellow jacket
(felt like a cicada killer though!). I used to get stung by yellow jackets all the time,
with almost no effect. But the past couple years the stings became more painful, with a little swelling
(size of a dime). This sting however was blown out of proportion with pain & swelling.
I hate to see the next one (time for an epi-pen!).
[As a side note, I was in an area where I did not see another human being for my full 24 hours there!]
photo © Kyle Johnson 2007

Sunset at the Red Lake Peatland, Beltrami County, MN (August 31, 2007).
This was my last collecting night before heading south back to Madison, WI.
photo © Kyle Johnson 2007

The bog/barrens noctuid Epiglaea apiata at light, Red Lake Peatland (August 31).
This was the earliest I’ve seen this species.
photo © Kyle Johnson 2007

One of my collecting trips back in the “Deep South” of southern Wisconsin.
Here is Les Ferge stalking a comma (Polygonia comma) at the
Lower Wisconsin Riverway State Wildlife Area (LWRSWA)
Avoca Unit in Iowa County (September 8, 2007).
Many “southern specialties” on this day, including numerous Nathalis iole and Eurema lisa.
photo © Kyle Johnson 2007

Another trip to Avoca LWRSWA produced many Eurema nicippe (Sleepy Orange),
a WI first for me, and also for Les Ferge (September 11, 2007).
Mystery muscoid fly looks on in the background.
photo © Kyle Johnson 2007

I was able to make one last brief trip up to my study region in northern Minnesota in mid-September.
On my way up SNOW WAS FALLING, WITH ~1” ACCUMULATED ON THE GROUND
(Red Lake Peatland area, Beltrami Co). Sorry, no pictures (too dark!).
Fall colors were showing; picture here from Norris Camp (Lake of the Woods County)
on September 17, 2007.
[Side note: Per my grandmother there was also a dusting of snow in Upper Michigan,
at least in the Rock/Gwinn area]
photo © Kyle Johnson 2007

Face to face with giant water bug (Lethocerus americanus: Belostomatidae)
from the Rapid River Road Bog, Lake of the Woods County, MN (September 18, 2007).
They were very common at light, and one somehow ended up inside the truck
where I was sleeping overnight!
photo © Kyle Johnson 2007

Kyle training for the possibility of sudden giant heavily armored moth attack
(part of any entomologist’s training!) My fall trip “coincided” with the BCA
(Bureau of Criminal Apprehension) training at Norris Camp.
If I’m lucky next year, they might be able to give me an overnight helicopter drop
into some of the “big bogs” of northern MN...
places where no one has collected before! (or even set foot!)
photo © Kyle Johnson 2007

Sharp contrast to my mid-September trip back to far northern MN, in late September
I led a UW-Madison Entomology Club trip to the southern tip of Illinois
and adjacent Kentucky...climate shock for sure!
View here is a southern deciduous forest opening at Brownfield Bluff, Pope County, IL
(September 30, 2007). Species here included Phoebis sennae, Colias cesonia, Eurema nicippe,
and Hermeuptychia sosybius.
photo © Kyle Johnson 2007

“Mega-Moth” at light, at Lake Glendale in Pope County, IL (September 30, 2007).
This one is probably in the family Gelechiidae.
Moths can be quite a bit smaller, with nepticulids having an incredible wing expanse of 3mm!
photo © Kyle Johnson 2007

From: Julian Donahue, 22 October 2007,
To Population Connection and Lepidopterist colleagues:

Thought you might be interested in knowing of this symposium honoring Charles Lee Remington, co-founder of Zero Population Growth (now The Population Connection, with Paul Ehrlich), and co-founder of The Lepidopterists' Society (with Harry Kendon Clench).

As a career lepidopterist and long-time supporter of ZPG/Population Connection, I am humbled in the knowledge that I have followed in the footsteps of three lepidopterists I have long known and admired.

Are lepidopterists hard-wired to recognize so quickly the environmental impacts of overpopulation, or is it because we just happen to be intimately aware of concepts like "reproductive potential," "carrying capacity," and "limiting factors"? All we have to do is look at the introduced Gypsy Moth to see what happens when populations explode unchecked. (And I have recently learned that this population is now crashing--not because of the millions of dollars spent in unsuccessful control efforts, but because a previously unknown virus has accidentally been imported that is wiping them out.)

Best wishes,
Julian

Julian P. Donahue
Assistant Curator Emeritus, Entomology
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
900 Exposition Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90007-4057, U.S.A.

e-mail: jdonahue@nhm.org; bugbooks@aol.com
home phone: 323-227-1285
home FAX: 323-227-0595

LACM home page: http://www.nhm.org
Lepidopterists' Society home page: http://www.LepSoc.org
"Overpopulation is our fundamental environmental problem." http://www.populationconnection.org/
"All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing."--Edmund Burke

REMINGTON SYMPOSIUM:
http://www.peabody.yale.edu/collections/ent/clr.jpg
On Saturday 10 November 2007, the Peabody Museum of Natural History will be hosting a one day symposium celebrating the life and career of the late Charles Lee Remington. The symposium will take place in the Peabody Auditorium from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm, and will feature presentations by nine students and colleagues of Charles. For additional details and information on registering for the Symposium, refer to the flier posted at the link above.
This annoucement has been sent initially to three listservers (LEPS-L, LEPEX-L, CTLEPS-L), but please feel free to pass it along to other interested individuals and organizations. Apologies for any cross postings.
Best regards,
Larry
--
Lawrence F. Gall, Ph.D.
Head, Computer Systems Office
Curatorial Affiliate in Entomology
Executive Editor, Peabody Publications
Lepidoptera Section Co-Editor, Zootaxa

Peabody Museum of Natural History
P.O. Box 208118, Yale University
New Haven, CT 06520-8118 USA
http://www.peabody.yale.edu

email: lawrence.gall@yale.edu
phone: 1-203-432-9892
FAX: 1-203-432-9816

From: Ted Herig, 21 October, 2007,

[Note from OAP: Ted is the Michigan authority with respect to the Wild Cherry Gall Azure (Celestrina serotina)!
He searches for this species in egg, larva, pupa, and adult stages. He raises the species. AND he is documenting the life history of the species. We all owe a debt of gratitude for his efforts, his perseverance, and research!
THANK YOU Ted! And thank you for sharing some of the results of your efforts.]

Wild Cherry Gall Azure (Celestrina serotina) etc.
photograph by Edward "Ted" Herig copyright © 2007

From: Martin Bialecki, 21 October 2007,
Today the first Buckeye I've seen in at least a year -- a few miles s. w. of Jackson Community College.

From: Bill Rapai, 18 October 2007
The photo of the arctic skipper is attached.

I found it in Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich., on June 7, 2005, in the early afternoon. At the time, I was out doing a survey of birds for the soon-to-be published Michigan Breeding Bird Atlas. The area where I found the skipper is about 500 yards north-northeast of the intersection of Lakeshore Boulevard and Moross. There is a long, narrow strip of vegetation that has built up along the lakeshore in an area just north of Pier Park in Grosse Pointe Farms. This is mixed vegetation -- some phragmites, some very young cottonwood, some cattails and aquatic plants. It is a good area in the spring to document nesting red-winged blackbirds, grackles and song sparrows.

If Google Earth is accurate, the lat and long are: 42 deg 24'31.42"N, 82 deg 3'8.28"W.

Looking at the photo closely, it appears that the arctic skipper is resting on a plant in the family Rudbeckia since the leaves appear to be hairy. In the background there appear to be phragmite stalks.

Obviously at the time I had no idea how important this would turn out to be. As I said, I really didn't pay much attention to butterfly identification. But please do let me know if there is anything additional that you might need to complete the documentation.

From: Bill Rapai, 18 October 2007,
Greetings from Grosse Pointe. My name is Bill Rapai, and I am the president of the Grosse Pointe Audubon Society.

Only recently have I started paying attention to the comings and goings of the butterflies in my yard and community. In my own yard since July, I've found Snout Butterfly, a couple different kinds of skippers and usual suspects like Monarchs, Tiger Swallowtails and Red Admiral. Having gotten some good photos, I decided to build a data base of the butterflies of Grosse Pointe on an Excel spreadsheet.

One night recently, after the kids had gone to bed, I decided to go back through my hard drive to see if I had any photos of butterflies that I'd taken and forgotten about. I found several photos of butterflies I could ID, and one -- let's just say that I had no idea...

The photo was taken on June 7, 2005, in some accretion along the Lake St. Clair Shore line in Grosse Pointe Farms while I was surveying for the Michigan Breeding Bird Atlas. I e-mailed the photo to Roger Kuhlman, who identified the butterfly as an arctic skipper! He also indicated that it was the first Wayne County record.

Holy Smoke!

So, is there a record committee for Michigan butterflies? If so, how do I go about submitting my sighting of the arctic skipper?

Many thanks for your time.

[Note from OAP: I replied to Bill and my reply included:

"This indeed is a county record and the furtherist south this species has ever been recorded in Michigan.

I had previously held the record for a specimen I caught in Oakland County."

From: Roger Kuhlman, 10 October 2007,
Martin, Another Cloudless Sulphur wow. Maybe they are breeding somewhere nearby. I have found Little Yellow (Eurema lisa) in numbers the past few times I have visited Leonard's Preserve (southwest Washtenaw county near Manchester) and I now think they have quite likely bred there this year. This belief was strengthened when I found quite a bit of its hostplant Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata) [Note from OAP: aka Showy Partridge Pea (Cassia fasciculata)] growing in the further back fields of the preserve. We may now be in the middle of the process of Little Yellow becoming a regular breeding butterfly in southeast Michigan. Conditions are ripe--the breeding population at Crosswinds Marsh has been stable for many years now and Partridge Pea seems to grow well in driest soils in our region. Since Cloudless Sulphur can also use Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata) as a larval host maybe Cloudless Sulphur will also follow Little Yellow to become a regular butterfly. I hope so. Seeing giant Yellows flying around is so exciting.

Little Yellow (Eurema lisa), Leonard's Preserve (southwest Washtenaw county near Manchester)
photograph by Roger Kuhlman copyright © 2007

[Note from OAP: Or is this Sensitive Partridge Pea (Cassia nicitansa )?]

From: Julie A. Craves, 10 October 2007,
And here is a photo I took on 29 Sep 07 of a Gray Hairstreak at the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge Humbug Marsh Unit, Trenton, Wayne Co., where Darrin & I have been doing Odonata surveys. It's the first I've seen in southeast Michigan.

Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus) at the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge Humbug Marsh Unit,
Trenton, Wayne Co., 29 September 2007.
photograph by Julie A. Craves copyright © 2007

From: OAP, 10 October 2007,

I will be at Cabela's this evening for
The Department of Natural Resources and the Detroit Zoo will host a public meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 7:00PM to discuss statewide and local plans for recovery of the federally endangered Karner Blue Butterfly (KBB).
See Report/Notice dated 17 September below!

From: Martin Bialecki, 09 October 2007,
Sorry about the CC coverage for Roger and Owen. I've been using webmail and I still can't figure out some key parts …like the address book. Owen, I received your pipevine mailer, thanks. I'll get that going as soon as I get a decent digital camera so I can take some photos per Roger's request.
FYI my last GSF (Great Spangled Fritillary) was 9/28 along with my last WID (Wild Indigo Duskywing). Both here near the bridge. I've never seen so many Checkered Skippers. I have 1 - 2 in my yard daily.
Also in my yard today was another Cloudless Sulfur. I ran for the net but that beauty was very quick to take off.
At least I got to lie next to it and see it from about 3 feet for several seconds before deciding to dash for the net.
As a consolation I did find a late ETB (Eastern Tailed Blue) nearby. Still in the net, too.
I was quite sure I had a Painted Lady (cardui) last week but didn't see it close enough to say.

From: OAP, 10 October 2007,
While on a daily walk in the neighborhood on 03 October 2007, I observed a Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole) at the northwest corner of West Webster Avenue and Woodland Avenue in Royal Oak, Oakland County. It was alighting on various plants in the boulevard. I attempted to catch it with my hands but was not successful.
This is the first observation of the Dainty Sulphur in Oakland County that I have made. Sherman Moore in his two publications of Butterflies of Michigan does not list it in this county. I do not know who reported it to Mo Nielsen for the county record, but I will endeavor to find out. The extremely warm weather that Michigan has experienced this year (2007) most certainly has been a factor in the migration, straying, movement of specimens from the south into Michigan and afforded many experiences of sightings in places not previously recorded or repeats.

From: Julie A. Craves, Rouge River Bird Observatory, University of Michigan-Dearborn, 07 October 2007,
Roger and Owen,
Today while finishing up with bird banding on the UM-Dearborn campus, an anglewing flew past me and landed under a leaf on a tree, about 9 feet up. I looked over and was immediately struck by 1) the deeply scalloped wings, 2) the very dramatic two-tone underwing pattern, and 3) the bold comma. I knew this wasn't an Eastern Comma (Note from OAP: as it commonly appears) nor, as I looked at it with binoculars, did I see any of the striated pattern of a Gray Comma. I called over Darrin O'Brien (my husband) who had a pocket camera. Attached is one lousy photo! It is cropped and lightened, but not altered in any other way (the comma really was that bright). Of course, we had no net, and when we tried to get closer, it took off over the trees. Eastern Comma is the only species I've had at UM-D in 15 years, and I wonder what your opinions are on this one.
Later in the afternoon I was able to take a brief walk though a large field of asters in Livonia. I saw five Fiery Skippers, and three Common Buckeyes. I don't recall ever having multiple buckeyes in one place.

[Note from OAP: The following is the email that Roger Kuhlman sent to Julie and me on 08 Ocotber 2007.
Hi Julie,
My guess is that it is an Eastern Comma. Eastern Commas in the fall sometimes have a very pronounced two-toned underwing pattern. I do not think it is a Gray Comma because the comma does not tapir to a fine point at the ends. I have almost no experience with Hoary Comma (P. gracilis) so on a purely perceptual basis I can not rule it out but I think range distribution would make a gracilis sighting in Wayne county a major oddity.
I am interested to hear what Owen thinks.

Further note from OAP: I agree with Roger. The photograph, although not extremely clear, in this instance provide enough detail to establish the identity as a Polygonia comma. It is definitely not a P. gracilis, P. faunus, P. progne, or P. interrogationis from my perspective!
But I applaud Julia for her keen observation as this fall specimen does have a pattern similar to fall specimens I have in my collection. Thanks for your report.]

Eastern Comma aka Comma or Hop Merchant (Polygonia comma), UM-Dearborn campus,
07 October 2007.
photograph by Darrin O'Brien copyright © 2007

ALERT UPDATE