365Caws is now in its 14th year of publication, and was originally intended to end after 365 days. It has sometimes been difficult for me to find new material, particularly during the winter months, but now as I enter my own twilight years, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to provide daily posts. It is my hope that along the way I may have inspired someone to a greater curiosity about the natural world. If so, I can rest, content in the knowledge that my work here has been done.
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Pyrgus Ruralis, Two-Banded Checkered Skipper
Day 209: When it comes to Lepidoptera, I'm not ashamed to admit that I dispense with the field guides and run straight to the professionals for help. That said, I got this one right, as confirmed by BugGuide.net. I could tell it was a Skipper; the way the wings are held is very distinctive. That allowed me to narrow the choices in BAMONA's regional checklist which allows you to select country, state and county if you so desire. BAMONA? "Butterflies and Moths of North America" is another excellent on-line reference, especially when used in tandem with BugGuide.
According to my sources, it is uncommon, appearing in some locales but not in others, and may even be rare in some areas of its range. In all my years of observation, it was a first for me.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment