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.
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Pontia Beckerii On Plantago Lanceolata
Day 266: Another score for Team Biota! During one of our recent botanizing exploits, we were minutely examining a rock wall near Box Canyon when something near ground level caught my eye: a white butterfly on an inflorescence of Buckhorn, Plantago lanceolata. The similarity in colour to the individual Buckhorn flowers was striking, a pale yellowish green which seemed almost luminescent. The butterfly was perfectly motionless, so I sneaked in for a close-up even though I figured I wouldn't be able to identify it without a dorsal view. When I got home, I submitted the photo to BugGuide.net. Their response took a little longer than usual, and before I received it, I got a note from Joe and Sharon (my botany partners) saying that they had shown their photos to an entomologist who had identified it as Pontia beckerii (Becker's White). A few minutes later, I had confirmation from BugGuide. Joe later got an email from a contact at BAMONA (Butterflies and Moths of North America). In his words, "...this is probably a first county record for Pontia beckerii in Lewis County, so it's a great find!"
When you're out hiking, don't just look at the broad views. Sometimes the greatest sights are those within arm's reach.
Labels:
Becker's White,
Box Canyon,
butterflies,
MORA,
Pontia beckerii,
Team Biota
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