2024 is up and running. 
It is always interesting to start speculating this time of year about how the year will go and what interesting species will be seen. 
This year I hope to add at least one species to my Michigan list. 

 HI All
It's nearly the end of July already and I have not posted much,if anything. Time does seem to get used up pretty quickly even when you don't realize it.

Any how, Michigan has had pretty good butterflying in 2023. One thing I have noticed is skippers seem to be in lower numbers than in recent years except for European Skippers.
While visiting a friend's cottage in Michigan's upper peninsula, there was a massive emergents of European Skippers. In the 4 days I was there, I can safely estimate that I encountered 15,000 individuals.

Today, 7/29/2023, I was able to get a decent picture of a (Eastern) Giant Swallowtail. Some taxonomists separate the giant swallowtails in to 2 species. Here in Michigan we have the Eastern Giant Swallowtail. Farther west, there is the Western Giant Swallowtail. 

(Eastern) Giant Swallowtail
7/29/2023
Michigan, Ingham County

 

Texas Butterflies December 1-7, 2022

My son David and I took a trip to the Rio Grande Valley area of Texas from December 1-7, 2022. Early December in south Texas is the best time to find rare and unusual species. This trip did not disappoint. We had originally planned to go to south Florida in November to look for Miami Blue, but hurricane Ian made that impossible. To compensate, we opted for a south Texas trip.

Arriving in McAllen on December1, we found the weather to be uncooperative for butterflies with cloudy skies and temperatures in the high 50’s. The decision was made to go to Bentsen State Park to see if we could find any of the Hook-billed Kites that were being reported and to see if we could start our butterfly list. We found 2 of 5 (we would see 4 in one day later in the trip) reported kites in the late afternoon from the hawk tower. Not the best looks as they were distant views. Butterflies were hard to find. The garden at the boat launch proved to be the best location. Here we found a few roosting Gulf Fritillaries, Clouded Skippers, Lyside Sulphurs, Queens, and American Snouts.

December 2 was another day of weather that was going to make it difficult to find butterflies. With this in mine, we headed to University of Texas Rio Grande Campus to look for North America’s first record of Social Flycatcher. The bird has been at the campus for over a year. We looked for a few hours but could not located it. With the weather still not cooperating and reports of a Tropical Parula coming to a water feature at Laguna Atascosa NWR we made the drive. After waiting at the water feature for awhile and no parula, we hiked around a bit and found a Monarch and Clouded Skipper.

After leaving Laguna Atascosa we traveled to a location on Boca Chica Blvd (Hwy 4) known as Smiley Face due to a smiley face painted on a large metal channel marker. This location has produced Xami Hairstreaks in the past. With the temperature finally getting in to the upper 70 range, we began to get some decent butterfly activity. During our 1.5 hour visit (cut short due to the mosquitos) we were able to find Queen, Brown Longtail, Sickle-winged Skipper, Obscure Skipper, Ceranunus Blue, Western Pygmy Blue and Vesta Crescent. No Xami Hairstreak.

After Smiley Face, David suggested we stop at Sable Palm Sanctuary and see what was around. It was 75 degrees but still cloudy. Most of the time was spent at the butterfly garden. We were able to see our first Dusky-blue Groundstreaks, Clydie Ministreak, and Fawn-spotted Skippers among the 13 species recorded.

With some afternoon daylight left, we stopped at Resaca de le Palma State Park. We arrived at 3:45 and started working the garden. We did well here with 19 species in 1.5 hours. Many new species for the trip were added, including a gorgeous fresh Guava Skipper, Purple-washed Skipper, Blue Metalmark and Red-bordered Metalmark. Also in the mix were Mazans Scallopwing, Common Mellana, and Whirlabout.

The morning of December 3 took us back to the Social Flycatcher location. After directions from a local birder, we were able to locate the bird quickly. We also saw birding friends from Michigan. After the successful chase of the flycatcher, we chased after Walker’s Metalmark at Texas Parks and Wildlife Coastal Fisheries Field Station on Fish Hatchery Road. The small garden had been hosting Walker’s Metalmarks for at least a week. We missed them. We were too early in the day, as they had been reported as an afternoon species. Along Fish Hatchery Road, we had our first White Peacock, Laviana White Skipper and Little Yellow.

After Fish Hatchery Road, we returned to Resaca de le Palm State Park. We worked the garden for 1.5 hours and came up with many new trip butterflies. Among the 25 species we saw, our best finds were Band-celled Sister and White-striped Longtail.

Our next stopped was Dan Jones yard at Progresso Lakes. Unfortunately, the skies grew cloudy with rain and drizzle returning.  We managed a few new trip butterflies including Giant White and Mexican Yellow.

We decided to make a quick stop at Estero Llano Grande. After getting a quick butterfly update from John Yochum, we went through the butterfly garden near the headquarters and at the far end of the road. Not much happening with butterflies, but many species of birds were added to the trip list.

The next three days were spent at the National Butterfly Center. We were spending 8-9 hours per day. The weather had turned and was excellent for butterflies. There were plenty of butterfliers around that led to multiple chases at the center.

Highlights at the National Butterfly Center from December 4 to December 6
Florida White (Dec 5,6), Giant White (4,5,6), Orange Barred Sulphur (Dec 4), Curved-winged Metalmark (Dec 4,5,6), Mexican Silverspot (Dec 5,6) Malachite (Dec 5,6), Spot-celled Sister (Dec5,6), Pale-spotted Leafwing (Dec 6), Guava Skipper (Dec 4,5,6), Yellow-tipped Flasher (Dec 6), Double-dotted Skipper (Dec 5,6).

In addition to many butterfly and bird highlights, we were able to see many friends (some from Michigan and Ohio) and make some new ones.

Malachite (Siproeta stelenes)
National Butterfly Center
Texas, Hidalgo County
December 5,2022

Spot-celled Sister (Adelpha paroeca)
National Butterfly Center
Texas, Hidalgo County
December 5, 2022

Yellow tipped Flasher
National Butterfly Center
Texas, Hidalgo County
December 6, 2022

Pale-spotted Leafwing (Anaea pithyusa)
National Butterfly Center
Texas, Hidalgo County
December 6, 2022

Butterflying in Michigan Done For 2022?

 Ingham County, Michigan has it's first snow fall of the 2022-2023 season today. And it is still coming down. We are expected to get 1-3 inches today.

              2022 has been a pretty good year. Many of the southern migrants that did not show up last year made appearances this year. Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Fiery Skipper (Hylephia phyleus) and Zabulon Skipper (Poanes zabulon) all had nice numbers this year.
It appears that Zabulon Skippers are here to stay and have been expanding their range northward in recent years. Ingham and Eaton counties both had their first records in 2022.

Marine Blues had a northward movement in early summer 2022 with sightings in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. There was a probable siting of Marine Blue (Leptotes marina) in Kent County, Michigan. 

Already planning for 2023. Perhaps the biggest trip I hope to do in Michigan next year is to visit the western area of the upper peninsula. Like a lot of Michigan, the western UP is a very under butterflied area. The Holy Grail of such a trip would be finding a Gorgone Checkerspot (Chlosyne gorgone). The Gorgone Checkerspot has been seen in 6 Michigan counties, but has not been seen in Michigan since 1958.

Hoary Comma (Polygonia gracilis) would be another amazing find. It is currently list as a species of special concern in Michigan. There are no confirmed records of this species in Michigan for more than 50 years. I believe it still exists in Michigan. I need to find one.

 

MICHIGAN IS MOVING ALONG NICELY

 Here we are at the end of July already! Again, I have had very few posts. 
Butterflying got off to a slow start this year in Michigan but has come on strong in July.

This Past June I set a personal best June total with 54 species. It looks like I am going to end July with 45 species for the month. An OK total but not great. 

I live in Ingham County, Michigan. We have not had much rain in the last month or so. You can see the lack of nectering plants. and, yes, it has caused less numbers of individuals seen while surveying.

Outside of Ingham County seems to be different. On July 26, I ventured down to Lenawee County. Lenawee County is in the first row of counties in Michigan and shares a border with Ohio.
I visited Lake Hudson SRA, Riverside Park Natural Area, West Mulberry Road and Morenci Sewage Ponds. I have been to each of these locations on previous visits to Lenawee County and did very well.
This visit was no different. At the end of the day, 22 species with 154 individuals were recorded.

Michigan Off To Slow Start

 Michigan has had lower than normal temperatures nearly every single day during the month of May. We did have a few very warm days, but they did not last. 
If I had to choose a place to start my butterfly year in Michigan, it would be Allegan State Game Area. It is without a doubt a Michigan butterflying hot spot.
So, for my first butterfly excursion for 2022 I visited Allegan SGA. Most of the 10 species seen were located along 48th St south of M-89. This general area has a nice variety of habitats.
Species seen on 05/13/2022 were:
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail - 1
Spicebush Swallowtail - 2
Olympia Marble - 8
Frosted Elfin - 1 (ovipositing on lupine)
Eastern Pine Elfin - 1
Spring Azure - 7
Silvery Blue - 1
American Lady - 2
Juvenal's Duskywing - 53
Sleepy Duskywing 1

Juvenal's Duskywing
5/13/2022
Allegan County, Michigan
Allegan SGA

Eastern Pine Elfin
5/13/2022
Allegan County, Michigan
Allegan SGA

Twenty twenty-one is going fast. We are half way through June already!
This year has been a very good for butterflies/skippers so far. 

May was very cold with snow in the early part of the month. I wondered if this would effect butterfly populations and/or emergent times. It seemed, at first, that species were emerging later, but as  temperatures warmed up, butterflies caught up and are emerging on time.

Hoary Edge is considered an uncommon specie in Michigan and can be difficult to find if you don't know were to look. So on May 30, 2021, I went to a location reported to have a good population of Hoary Edge skippers.

I arrive at the location in Washtenaw County, Michigan around 10 o'clock and starting exploring the area.
It took about 20 minutes to locate 1 of 2 Hoary Edge seen for the day. This was a lifer skipper for me!
There were a few other species at the location including - Little Wood Satyr, Pearl Crescent, Silver-spotted Skipper, Juvenal Duskywing and Common Road Side Skipper. 

Hoary Edge - Achalarus lyciades

May 30, 2021
Washtenaw County, Michigan