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May 27- June 2, 2012
Omaha, Nebraska
* Now with Beetles!
Backyard butterfly weekly list. Number indicates the number of days sighted. Names in bold represent new sightings for the year.
Butterflies:
Cabbage White(3)
Orange Sulphur(2)
Question Mark(2)
American Lady(1)
Common Buckeye(1)
Pearl Crescent(1)
Red Admiral(1)
Eastern Tailed-blue(1)
Skippers:
Silver-spotted(1)
Last week was not a great week for butterfly spotting. Aside from the fact that we had cooler temperatures and several days of rain, I didn't get home until after 6:00pm Tuesday through Friday and after 4:00pm on Saturday. Still, Last Sunday and Monday were pretty good. I did record my second-ever American Lady and my first Common Buckeye of the year. I usually think of Buckeyes as a late summer butterfly, so it's pretty cool seeing them around already. The only decent butterfly picture I was able to manage was the Question Mark(Polygonia interrogationis) pictured left. I found this one on the floor of my garage, just after opening it. I don't know if it had been trapped in there, or it flew in while I wasn't looking, but it wasn't in very good shape. I had to pick it up to get it out of the garage. Anyway, I thought the markings were remarkable in that you seldom see them this distinct.
Though I didn't get a lot of butterfly photos, my butterfly gardening efforts didn't totally go to waste. Monday I spotted what I am fairly sure is a Goldenrod Leaf Beetle(Trirhabda canadensis, below left) reclining on a patch of Tall Goldenrod. I noticed later there were several of them. I hope they don't do a lot of damage, but my goldenrod patch is overgrown anyway. Wednesday there was a Red Milkweed Beetle(Tetraopes tetropthalmus, below right)on one of my new Orange Milkweed plants. I really can't afford to lose any of the milkweed, but one beetle can't hurt. Besides, there is plenty of Honeyvine Milkweed around here and they can help themselves to all they want.
So, what are you seeing in your area?