Listedspecies

Last Saturday, during my Open Garden a Red-Spotted Purple laid two eggs on my Corkscrew Willow, which I'm raising. And Friday, Aug 29, for the first time ever there was a Common Buckeye nectaring on my Pink Delight Butterfly Bush. I was so excited. I have only seen a Common Buckeye twice before. One was at Grassroots Nursery and the other was in a Butterfly House.

The Swallowtails are laying eggs now so keep an eye out for them.

I hope you have all had a lot of fun this year with the butterflies. We still have a little time left to enjoy them this year.

Happy Butterflying,

Report from Brenda Dziedzic, 29 August 2008,
I was soooo excited today, 8-29-08. This was the first time a Common Buckeye - Junonia coenia has been in my yard. It was nectaring on the Pink Delight Butterfly Bush - Buddleia davidii.

Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia), Westland, Wayne Co, 29 August 2008.
photograph by Brenda Dziedzic copyright © 2008

Report from John Swales, 26 August 2008,

I was on my way this afternoon to look for warblers in my local Eberwhite woods (a few nothing special), but i got distracted by the new wetland mitigation to control overflow from the drain--and which replaced the Project Grow.

Anyway there I found in a short visit (it is quite a small site, and now fully dried up) the following:

Cabbage white 23

Clouded sulphur 7

Eastern t-b 19

Peck's skipper 13

Tawny-edge 4

Checkered sk. 4 (conservatively)

Wild I d-wing 2 (both very fresh)

Silver-spotted 1

Report from John C. Farmer, 20 August 2008,
I know that Roger Kuhlman has seen quite a few Checkered Skippers in and around Washtenaw County over the past several years, but for me, this was the first ever that I've seen east of Hillsdale County, where they're far from rare most summers.
Checkered Skipper in my garden today, Washtenaw Co.

Report from John Swales, 20 August 2008,

One checkered has been hanging about the Project Grow plot near Pioneer HS in west AA; today, i thought there might be two, a male and a female.

Good hunting!

And where are the fieries?

Report from Barb Barton, 20 August 2008,
Had a checkered last week at the Irwin Farm in Grass lake.....

Report from Brenda Dziedzic, 25 August 2008,

This is the first year I have raised a Silver-spotted Skipper. She laid eggs on my Wisteria. The first time I saw her laying eggs was 6-12-08 and the second time I saw her laying eggs was 8-6-08. I have attached pictures of the metamorphosis. When the caterpillar first eclosed from the egg it was about 1/8 inch.

Question from Brneda Dziedzic, 25 August 2008,

I first saw this in my yard 8-19-08. Would you please ID it for me. I think it might be a Tawny-edged Skipper.
[Note from OAP: I agree with your ID.]

Question from Harry King, 25 August 2008,
Did you guys’ record discoidalis from bog 3344 again this year? Could I have data so I can look up on topo? What were the dates?

[Note from OAP: To my knowledge no Erebia discoidalis were reported as being sighted, vouchered, or photographed in Michigan in 2008.]

Report from: Brenda Dziedzic, 24 August 2008,

Yesterday, 8-23-08, a Red-Spotted Purple laid eggs on my Corkscrew Willow - Salix matsudana 'Tortuosa'. I brought in two eggs. Attached is a picture of one of the eggs.

\Report from: Todd Smith, 20 August 2008,
Just a quick report on lep sightings in Huron County on 8-16 at MIL's

2nd brood Ringlets - several
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail - 1
Black Swallowtail - 2 males, 1 female, lots of Queen Anne's Lace in the area.

Giant Swallowtail - 4 very fresh, 2 nectaring on Trumpet Vine. All 4 were in the yard at the same time late afternoon. Saw several other single sightings earlier during the day. A very good showing for this species this year.

Cabbage White - several, found 1 very small female, about the size of a large Pearl Crescent.

Clouded Sulfur - several
Orange Sulfur - 1
Monarch - 1
Pearl Crescent - several

No skippers, wonder why?

Report from: Kyle Johnson, 03 Aug 2008,
From July 21-24 I left my study region (Glacial Lake Agassiz peatlands in northern Minnesota) northbound into Manitoba on a quest for boreal peatlands and their Lepidoptera. Churchill didn't fit the time frame nor the budget, but that place had always gotten the most attention from collectors in northern MB. Sundance and Gillam were the ultimate destinations on this trip, where roads end and the subarctic begins...and along with it the largest peatland complex in the world, the Hudson Bay Lowlands.

Collecting in general was good. The first three days were hot, soaring above 80F, with scattered rain on the fourth. Days were quite productive for butterflies (most were rather worn), and several diurnal macros. Nocturnal collecting was OK, the main culprits being a clear bright sky, and in the case of the micros, tremendous numbers of caddisflies (hydroptilids in particular look convincingly like little micros!). Some finds included:

Micros- Sthenopis quadriguttatus, Chionodes sattleri, and a number of unfamiliar UFO's

Macros- Itame "argillacearia", Itame sulphurea , several odd looking mystery Semiothisa spp., Parasemia plantaginis, Grammia williamsii, Syngrapha alias/abstrusa, Syngrapha montana, and Xestia mixta

Butterflies- Colias gigantea, Colias palaeno, Vacciniina optilete, Lycaena dorcas, and Boloria chariclea. Two very significant finds include 1) Lycaena epixanthe at Sundance, and SW of Wabowden. This is a significant range extension to the northwest 2) A few mystery Colias, one of which may turn out to be Colias pelidne, which may a provincial record...more details & specimen images in the future.

Following are captions for the many attached pictures. Most are habitat photos of collecting areas. Sorry no field images of micros...and even the macros/butterflies didn't turn out too well (very windy!)

Dry forested acid peatlands near Thompson (July 22).
Nocturnal species included Sthenopis quadriguttatus and Semiothisa oweni. Diurnal species included Colias gigantea,
Colias palaeno, Vacciniina optilete, Lycaena dorcas, Boloria chariclea
photograph by Kyle Evan Johnson copyright © 2008

Vaccinia optilete near Thompson (July 22). Common but local here within semi-forested dry acid peatlands with small cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccos), and for whatever reason always in areas supporting bog bilberry (Vaccinium uliginosum).
photograph by Kyle Evan Johnson copyright © 2008

The road to Sundance, in the Hudson Bay Lowlands (July 22). Peatland in all directions!
photograph by Kyle Evan Johnson copyright © 2008

"Camp" and UV collecting area in the Hudson Bay Lowlands, near Sundance (July 23).   This was on a "peat plateau", a dry upwarped mound of peat with a permafrost core (dug down and indeed found permafrost!). Labrador tea, caribou lichen & gooseberry dominate the ground layer. Species present included: Chiondes sattleri (Gelechiidae), Grammia williamsii, Syngrapha alias/abstrusa, and Boloria chariclea.
photograph by Kyle Evan Johnson copyright © 2008

Poorly developed stand of "drunken forest" near Sundance (July 23). Here the ice core of a peat plateau likely collapsed,
leaving a low wet center & stand of leaning black spruce. Drunken forests are better developed further north from this area.
photograph by Kyle Evan Johnson copyright © 2008

"Ribbed Fen" near Sundance (July 23). This wet peatland habitat consists of slightly elevated peat ridges (strings)
and wet hollows (flarks). Species present included Itame "argillacearia", Itame sulphurea, Colias gigantea,
Lycaena dorcas, and Lycaena epixanthe (which was ONLY found in ribbed fens)
photograph by Kyle Evan Johnson copyright © 2008

Colias gigantea working flowers along Hudson Bay Railway, near Sundance (July 23).
The area was surrounded by wet ribbed fens and dry peat plateaus.
photograph by Kyle Evan Johnson copyright © 2008

Eggs of Colias gigantea on Salix sp. (possibly serissima...yet to be ID'd), near Sundance (July 23).
photograph by Kyle Evan Johnson copyright © 2008

Moist acid peatland complex of acid bog & poor fen, near Sundance (July 23).
Cottongrasses (Eriophorum vaginatum and others) in foreground.
Species in area included Syngrapha alias/abstrusa, Vacciniina optilete, Lyceana dorcas, and Boloria chariclea.
photograph by Kyle Evan Johnson copyright © 2008

Exposed peat visible on dry peat plateau, near Sundance (July 23).
photograph by Kyle Evan Johnson copyright © 2008

Open acid bog near Sundance (July 23)
photograph by Kyle Evan Johnson copyright © 2008

likely Syngrapha alias/abstrusa?? (I have the specimen!) resting on black spruce branch, near Sundance (July 23)
photograph by Kyle Evan Johnson copyright © 2008

View along the Hudson Bay Railway, near Sundance (July 23).
Note the bowing of the tracks due to permafrost thaw.
The best collecting was along the tracks, due to prevalent nectar sources. Colias gigantea, C. palaeno, C. interior,
possibly C. pelidne(?), and Boloria chariclea were all common in this area, a mix of dry peat plateaus,
semi-dry acid peatland (acid bog/poor fen), and wet ribbed fens.
photograph by Kyle Evan Johnson copyright © 2008

Extremely wet ribbed fen SW of Wabowden (July 24).
The wet flarks have shallow standing water, while the raised strings have stunted black spruce/tamarack.
Notable finds here included Lycaena epixanthe; crambids were also common (likely Crambus lyonsellus,
and one Munroessa icciusalis).
photograph by Kyle Evan Johnson copyright © 2008

Further investigation of these peatlands may reveal many far northern "tundra restricted" species, including various Syngrapha spp., Xestia spp., Erebia rossii, and Boloria polaris to name a few, and who knows what for micros!

Report from Roger Kuhlman, 01 August 2008,
July 31 I found a new location for Dukes' Skipper (Euphyes dukesi) in Washtenaw County at Leonard Preserve in the southwest corner of the county. This Washtenaw County property has a good range of varied habitats and in several places has abundant patches of Carex lacustris the larval hostplant for the Michigan state-threatened butterfly Dukes' Skipper. Besides Dukes' Skipper, the larva of Appalachian Eyed Brown (Satyrodes appalachia) and Broad-winged Skipper (Poanes viator) also feed on Carex lacustris. Knowing these facts, for several years I have searched this preserve periodically for both Broad-winged Skipper and Dukes' Skipper. Previous efforts yielded a grand total of one Broad-winged Skipper and no Dukes' Skippers.

Yet things were different on Thursday. Just after parking my car at the preserve, I found my first Broad-winged Skipper nectaring on Swamp Milkweed near the entrance gate. Entering one of the big lacustris meadows I started finding one Broad-winged Skipper after another. Then I saw an interesting skipper feeding on some Buttonbush. The underside markings looked good for Dukes' Skipper but both Dion Skipper (Euphyes dion) and sometimes Broad-winged Skipper can present similar patterning. As I tried to get closer to the butterfly for a better look, it flew off. I spent maybe ten minutes in the vicinity looking for it but did not see it again. I was just about ready to leave when I noticed the butterfly back at the Buttonbush. This time I snuck up on it and netted the butterfly. I put it into my jar hoping to see its upper wings. However the butterfly did not cooperate and I carried it around with me for two hours. It was as I was about to leave the preserve that I was able to see the upper wings. Indeed what I had captured was a female Dukes' Skipper. After confirming this fact and taking some pictures I returned the butterfly to where I had found it and released it.

This find is significant. It is the first time ever to my knowledge that Dukes' Skipper has been found in the southwest corner of Washtenaw County.

Leonard Preserve:
www.ewashtenaw.org/government/departments/parks_recreation/napp/preserves/leonard.html

All previous sightings have either occurred in the Ann Arbor or the extreme southeast corner of the county. Hopefully Dukes' Skipper can become established at Leonard Preserve in the future.

Dukes' Skipper (Euphyes dukesi) in Washtenaw County at Leonard Preserve, 31 July 2008.
photograph by Roger Kuhlman copyright © 2008

Dukes' Skipper (Euphyes dukesi) in Washtenaw County at Leonard Preserve, 31 July 2008.
photograph by Roger Kuhlman copyright © 2008

Dukes' Skipper (Euphyes dukesi) in Washtenaw County at Leonard Preserve, 31 July 2008.
photograph by Roger Kuhlman copyright © 2008

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