Last Updated:  03 December, 2008 03:05 PM

Welcome to Lepidoptera Alert.  

I just couldn't resist saying: "You got a friend in me!"
And provide you with a URL to hear Connie Talbot ~ Ben ~ Over The Rainbow album ~ GMTV.
What do you think?
Click on this URL to hear Connie:

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/connie-talbot-ben-over-the-rainbow-album-gmtv/1341965885

Report from Kyle E. Johnson, 17 September 2008,

One last field report from northern Minnesota, then on September 19th it's back to the Deep South of Madison, WI.


Exposed gracillariid moth larve inside "leaf cone" of rolled over boxelder leaf, Agassiz NWR, 
Marshall Co., MN (20 August 2008).  Later reared to adult...likely Caloptilia negundella.


Eastern Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) crossing road at Jay V. Wessels WMA, 
Pembina Co., North Dakota (27 August 2008)


Collecting in the Pembina Hills, Cavalier Co., North Dakota (27 August 2008).  
Species vouchered included Pieris rapae (OH YEAH!), Lycaeides melissa melissa, 
Limenitis archippus, Catocala ilia, C. relicta, Monopis spp. (Tineidae), and many others.


Pre-sunrise at the Porter Ridge Road Bog, Koochiching Co., MN (31 August 2008).  
Highlights the night before included Papaipema appassionata, Epiglaea apiata, 
Epinotia septemberana, and Chionodes sattleri.


Hike into the Lost River Peatland in Koochiching Co. MN (31 August 2008).  
This is probably the 2nd toughest of the peatland state natural areas to reach...easiest route 
is over a mile of this thick white cedar swamp.


Interior of the Lost River Peatland in Koochiching Co. MN (31 August 2008).  
Shown here is pristine "ribbed fen" with slighly elevated peatland ridges (strings) 
and water filled depressions (flarks) which alternate in a ladder-like fashion.


Rare Linear-leaved Sundew (Drosera linearis) in the above ribbed fen.  
This species is dependent on pristine peatlands.


Interior of the South Black River Peatland in Koochiching Co. MN (September 8, 2008).  
This is easily the toughest peatland state natural area to reach in the state (or nation!).  
15 mile round trip.  View of moderately timbered acid bog, within raised bog interior.  
A gelechiid moth of the genus Aristotelia was quite common here, along with several other species.


Another view of the South Black River Peatland, looking South over the water track fen 
which flanks the raised bog.  Ominous weather in the distance, and a long way from home!  
Vouchered a lone Limenitis archippus at this spot (anything is a welcome find this far in the middle of nowhere!).


A couple other notes of interest:

-September 1, 2008: late Boloria chariclea grandis at the Oaks Corner Peatland, Lake of the Woods Co., MN

-September 5, 2008: likely STATE RECORD peatland noctuid Chortodes basistriga at the Seven Mile Corner Peatland, Lake of the Woods County.

Report from Kyle Johnson, 17 September 2008,
Some potentially amusing news in a world so full of political garbage.  [By the way, I'm running my campaign on a platform of Sphagnum moss!]

The attached pictures were taken back in August, on a trek deep into the interior of Minnesota's Red Lake Peatland.  The monitoring equipment (transported via helicopter) belongs to Paul Glaser, a  peatland researcher & major contributor to "The Patterned Peatlands of Minnesota".   Keep in mind that this is one of the greatest wilderness areas in the continental U.S., an area that probably sees less human foot traffic in a century than Mt. Everest does in a year.  So NOBODY should ever find your equipment, right?

Remember Russia's invasion of Georgia?  That was merely a diversion from their REAL plan, a secret assault on our nation's most diversely patterned peatland.  Nobody saw it coming.  The attached photos reveal a terror so great, so unthinkable, so petrifying, that words have no hope of describing it.  May God have mercy on our souls!






August 2008, on a trek deep into the interior of Minnesota's Red Lake Peatland.
photographs by Kyle E. Johnson copyright ©  2008

Report from Brenda Thomas (Brenda and Don) 09 September 2008,

Buckeye, Pointe Pelee, Ontari Canada, 11 September 2008
photograph by Brenda Thomas copyright ©  2008

Hackberry, Pointe Pelee, Ontari Canada, 11 September 2008
photograph by Brenda Thomas copyright ©  2008

Crescent, Pointe Pelee, Ontari Canada, 11 September 2008
photograph by Brenda Thomas copyright ©  2008

A request from Brenda Dziedzic:
Will you please ID this butterfly for me?



[Note from OAP: I replied : 

Report from Roger Kuhlman, 08 September 2008.

The Goose Egg, lay an egg, nada, none, nill, zilch, the empty set. All these concepts are unhappy ideas when applied to resident breeding butterflies in the Greater Washtenaw County area but it looked like it would fit for Leonard's Skipper (Hesperia leonardus) this year. While I have not been able to get out butterflying much outside of Ann Arbor for about a month because of my Mother's health problems, I was able to visit Petersburg State Game Area for half a day on Labor Day September 1. Since Petersburg is the best spot for Leonard's Skipper in the Greater Washtenaw area I felt sure I would find it there. However I was disappointed and I did not see a single Leonard's. The explanation could have been they had already had their flight season earlier in August and the drought cut it short or even worse the drought took out the whole population--a very sad thought if true.
 
So after Petersburg I thought we would have no Leonard's Skippers for 2008. But then we finally got some rain in our area, somewhat relieving the drought. On Saturday afternoon September 6 I walked the trails at Botanical Gardens in Ann Arbor and what did I see but one Leonard's Skipper in its normal environs. It had sought out and was nectaring on some Spotted Knapweed. I was pretty surprised. Maybe Leonard's Skipper is just late this year due to the drought and we will be able to now find it flying in some of its other normal locations. I am sure happy southeast Michigan has not lost this beautiful species.

Report from Brenda Dziedzic, 09 September 2008,

Red-spotted Purple egg, Westland, Wayne Co, 23 August 2008.
photograph by Brenda Dziedzic copyright ©  2008

Red-spotted Purple larva, Westland, Wayne Co, 28 August 2008, the day it hatched.
photograph by Brenda Dziedzic copyright ©  2008

Red-spotted Purple larva, Westland, Wayne Co, 01 September 2008.
photograph by Brenda Dziedzic copyright ©  2008

Red-spotted Purple hibernaculum, Westland, Wayne Co, 03 September 2008.
photograph by Brenda Dziedzic copyright ©  2008

Report from Roger Kuhlman, 08 September 2008,

The Goose Egg, lay an egg, nada, none, nill, zilch, the empty set. All these concepts are unhappy ideas when applied to resident breeding butterflies in the Greater Washtenaw County area but it looked like it would fit for Leonard's Skipper (Hesperia leonardus) this year. While I have not been able to get out butterflying much outside of Ann Arbor for about a month because of my Mother's health problems, I was able to visit Petersburg State Game Area for half a day on Labor Day September 1. Since Petersburg is the best spot for Leonard's Skipper in the Greater Washtenaw area I felt sure I would find it there. However I was disappointed and I did not see a single Leonard's. The explanation could have been they had already had their flight season earlier in August and the drought cut it short or even worse the drought took out the whole population--a very sad thought if true.
 
So after Petersburg I thought we would have no Leonard's Skippers for 2008. But then we finally got some rain in our area, somewhat relieving the drought. On Saturday afternoon September 6 I walked the trails at Botanical Gardens in Ann Arbor and what did I see but one Leonard's Skipper in its normal environs. It had sought out and was nectaring on some Spotted Knapweed. I was pretty surprised. Maybe Leonard's Skipper is just late this year due to the drought and we will be able to now find it flying in some of its other normal locations. I am sure happy southeast Michigan has not lost this beautiful species.

[Note from OAP: This has been an unusual year in many respects. Many species have been up to two weeks late in flight. Some species were never observed. The abundance of rain, sun, hot and cool periods, have all had their affects. This has been especially true for skippers. The weather reduced my field work, but much was accomplished, and I look forward to next year, with some work still to be accomplished this year.] 

Report from John S. Mills, 07 September 2008,
No fiery this year.  Lots of Leonard’s a few weeks ago in Tobermory.

Report from Martin Bialecki, 07 September 2008,
No fiery here.  Last week another Checkered and my first Milberts.  My first buckeye yesterday.  No Leonard's yet (surely they should have been at Leonard's preserve!).

Report from John C. Farmer, 07 September 2008,

Report from John Swales, 07 September 2008,

Report from Brenda Dziedzic, 05 September 2008,
From JOURNEY SOUTH:
Monarchs Moving Out! Large Roosts Reported in North
Monarchs rested last week in Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa
during their long migration to Mexico. With over a thousand miles left
to fly they formed large roosts and waited for winds that would carry
them southward. A research team in Michigan watched a roost break up on
the morning of August 25th:

"There were around 400 monarchs on three different trees. Temperatures
were around 50 degrees that night, so the monarchs were slow to leave
the next morning. But, with perfect wind conditions, they started
heading south before noon. We could stand at the end of the peninsula
and watch the monarchs flying south over Lake Michigan."

Report from Brenda Thomas, 01 September 2008,
[Note from OAP: I received these fine photos form Brenda Thomas and I am awaiting captions with dates, locations, etc., but include them now to keep current. As soon as she responds, I will update this report.]

[Update by OAP: All photos were taken on Harsen's Island. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~miharsen/history.htm 
Harsen's Island, Clay Twp., St. Clair Co., located in the St. Clair River is named for Jacob Harsen who bought the island from Chippewa Indians in 1797.]


Harsen's Island, Clay Twp., St. Clair Co., 04 August 2008.
CAN ANYONE ID THIS LARVA?
[Reply to the question from Brenda Dziedzic, 06 September 2008 :

Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes), Harsen's Island, Clay Twp., St. Clair Co., 27 Aug 2008.
photograph by Brenda Thomas copyright ©  2008


Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele), Harsen's Island, Clay Twp., St. Clair Co., 30 Aug 2008.
photograph by Brenda Thomas copyright ©  2008

Papilio sp., Harsen's Island, Clay Twp., St. Clair Co., 31 Aug 2008.
photograph by Brenda Thomas copyright ©  2008

Little Wood Satyr (Megisto cymela), Harsen's Island, Clay Twp., St. Clair Co., 26 June 2008.
photograph by Brenda Thomas copyright ©  2008


Common Sooty Wing (Pholisora catullus), Harsen's Island, Clay Twp., St. Clair Co., 22 July 2008.
photograph by Brenda Thomas copyright ©  2008


Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax), Harsen's Island, Clay Twp., St. Clair Co., 21 August 2008.
photograph by Brenda Thomas copyright ©  2008

Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus), Harsen's Island, Clay Twp., St. Clair Co., 25 August 2008.
photograph by Brenda Thomas copyright ©  2008


Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele), Harsen's Island, Clay Twp., St. Clair Co., 25 August 2008.
photograph by Brenda Thomas copyright ©  2008


Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus). Harsen's Island, Clay Twp., St. Clair Co., 04 September 2008.
photograph by Brenda Thomas copyright ©  2008

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