The Daily Bucket is a place to catch your casual observations of the natural world and turn them into a valuable resource. Whether it's the first flowers of spring or that odd bug in your basement, don't be afraid to toss your thoughts into the bucket. Check here for a more complete description.
May13-19, 2012
Omaha, Nebraska
Backyard butterfly weekly list. Number indicates the number of days sighted. Names in bold represent new sightings for the year.
Butterflies:
Orange Sulphur(3)
Red Admiral(2)
Cabbage White(2)
Question Mark(2)
Variegated Fritillary(1)
Monarch(1)
American Lady(1)
Mourning Cloak(1)
Eastern Tailed-blue(1)
Spring Azure
Skippers:
Silver-spotted(1)
Moths:
White-lined Sphinx(1)
It's been a busy week and I haven't had much time for observation during weekdays. Saturday and Sunday were a different story. I got home about 4:00 Saturday afternoon and spent maybe about an hour in the yard and recorded six butterfly species, a skipper and a moth. One thing that has helped is my Viburnum is in full bloom and it is still in the sun in late afternoon.
Last Sunday I was finally able to photograph and ID that Comma that had been flying around the yard. It turned out to be a Question Mark(Polygonia inerrogationis,pictured left). The Question Mark is in the same genus as Commas and is similar to several species, so I will continue to refer to them as Commas whenever I lack a positive ID. Also on Sunday, I recorded my first Spring Azure(Celestrina ladon). As was the case here, many Spring Azures are indistinguishable form Summer Azures. I suppose it is possible, especially given our warm weather, it could have been an early Summer Azure. But given I did not record the first Summer Azure until late July of last year, I think Spring Azure is a safe bet.
I had a couple of first-ever recordings Saturday. The first was an American Lady(Vanessa virginiensis,pictured above the squiggle). I had been excited about the possibility of recording an American Lady after seeing my first two, ever, earlier this year. My hopes were realized shortly after returning home from work. Sadly, this individual was tattered and faded, so I could not fully appreciate its beauty, but the two large eyespots on the underside of the hind wing are clearly visible and separate it from its more common cousin, Painted Lady.
The other big spotting Saturday was the Mourning Cloak(Nymphalis antiopa, pictured right). Typically, I could go all year without seeing a single Mourning Cloak. Perhaps due to the mild winter , I have been seeing a lot of Mourning Cloaks around this year, mostly to the south in Bellevue, but this is the first I have ever recorded in my yard. It lingered at the Viburnum long enough to get several pictures, but would not cooperate and open its wings to expose the beautiful upper surface.
I've added my first noteworthy moth of the year, White-lined Sphinx Moth(Hyles lineata) While mowing the lawn, I spotted it feeding at my Petunias. This one was quite a bit smaller than typical, and I didn't get a chance to photograph it, but it was still good to see, given I recorded none last year.
So, what are you seeing in your area?