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September 2-8, 2012
Omaha, Nebraska
Backyard butterfly weekly list. Number indicates the number of days sighted. Names in bold represent new sightings for the year.
Butterflies:
Monarch(4)
Cabbage White(2)
Orange Sulphur(2)
Gray Hairstreak(2)
Eastern Tailed-blue(2)
Black Swallowtail(1)
Mourning Cloak(1)
Skipper:
Fiery(4)
Peck's(3)
Silver-spotted(3)
Sachem(1)
Moths:
Ailanthus Webworm(3)
The Goldenrod is in bloom and that means lots of pollinators. Mostly, they are flies, bees and wasps, but the Gray Hairstreaks(Strymon melinus) seem to like it and an Ailanthus Webworm Moth(Atteva aurea, pictured left) seems to have taken up residence.
I finally managed a picture of a Black Swallowtail(Papilio polyxenes), though not a very good one. Black Swallowtails are difficult subjects as they generally never stop flapping their wings. The female pictured below made repeated attempts to lay eggs on some dill, though it doesn't appear she actually did manage to lay any eggs.
Monarchs(Danaus plexippus) are still the dominant butterfly, though I still haven't managed to get a good picture of them either. I suspect, when their numbers increase in the fall, I shouldn't have a problem getting a photo or two. The photo above the fold is an Orange Sulphur(Colias eurytheme), which graciously posed on a Zinnia while I took pictures.
So, those are my butterflies for last week. What are you seeing in your area?