Snug As A Bug

Day 74: I can think of better places to take a long winter's nap than glued to the side of my house, but when a biological urge as strong as this is upon one of Nature's creatures, it cannot be suppressed. Given the markings and the distinctive shape of the chrysalis, I am going to assume that this is Pieris marginalis until someone corrects me. Margined Whites are common in my yard. Some old-school lepidopterists will refer to them as Pieris napi, but marginalis is now considered a distinct species. The older terminology tends to slip between my lips more often than not, force of habit from having learned them from an out-of-date field guide. Note the dark spot and obvious veination in the wing, as well as the "belly-band" thread securing the chrysalis to the wall. Just how did the butterfly manage that, anyway?

Fern, Comma

Day 209: Yesterday's walk in Pack Forest served a dual purpose: to do a patrol for invasive plants and to pay a visit to Butterfly Alley. I've made several trips to the Alley over the last two months, but with very little success. I missed the emergence of the Mourning Cloaks, one of the first species to appear in the spring. The Commas follow a month or so later, and are usually quite numerous. Their heavy bodies and ragged wings make them very distinctive, but issues arise when trying to determine whether an individual specimen is Polygonia faunus or Polygonia satyrus.

This problem opens the door for me to explain a little about field-guide photography. When you are taking pictures of specimens for identification purposes, it is important to capture as many markings or features as possible. You should also maintain a good depth of field for your subject; having the entire critter in focus is mandatory. The background can sometimes be helpful in making a positive ID if the habitat gives clues as to what plants may be host species, but it should not be so cluttered that it becomes a lesson in camouflage.

Let's take Mr. Comma as an example of art vs. science. As hard as I tried to sneak up on him from a better angle, I could not get into a position where the view of the lower margin of the hind wing was not obscured by the curled, dry fern. Seen in the dorsal view, Polygonia faunus shows a darker border than Polygonia satyrus. Without that crucial piece of information and lacking a ventral view, I can only say that based on previous observations at this site, I believe (but am not positive) that this is Polygonia faunus.

Woodland Skipper, Ochlodes Sylvanoides

Day 297: "Hey, Crow! What are those cute little orange and brown moths with the weird wings that are all over my dandelions?"

I hate to break it to you, but you're wrong on both counts.

In the first place, those foot-tall "lawn daisies" which plague our yards and shoot up stiff, tough stems from a basal rosette of leaves resembling harsh-textured velour are Cat's-ear (Hypochaeris radicata). In the second place, that ain't no moth. It's a butterfly. How can you tell? The easiest way is by looking for club-shaped tips on the antennae. Butterflies have them; moths have feathery antennae. However, this little fellow's wings don't seem to fit the familiar profile for either, and because he's fuzzy, many people mistake him for a moth. In fact, he's a Woodland Skipper, Ochlodes sylvanoides.

When in "alert mode" (i.e., preparing for take-off), many Skippers exhibit a distinctive wing position peculiar to the species. The hind wings are held flat and the forewings are held at an angle to the body. Imagine the Skipper in the photo with only its hind wings spread. At rest, the wings are folded as shown. The odd morphology allows Skippers to dart about and change direction quite quickly.

Having Skippers in my yard by the dozen isn't simply entertaining. It gives me the perfect excuse to leave the lawnmower in the garage. They really like the Cat's-ear, and who am I to deprive a cute little butterfly of a treat?

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.

1000 Road Butterfly Hunt

Day 187: There is a stretch of about a tenth of a mile's length on Pack Forest's 1000 Road (north side) which the Mourning Cloaks have deemed prime territory for reasons known only to them, and it was in search of Mourning Cloaks I went, on my annual "1000 Road Butterfly Hunt."

One of the earliest butterflies to emerge, individual Mourning Cloaks may overwinter under flakes of bark, a behaviour which allows the species a head-start over other butterflies in the spring, mating soon after their emergence. The adult butterfly then enters a period of aestivation, going dormant during late summer after the females have laid their eggs. The larvae hatch in the fall and undergo several instars in which the skin is shed as the caterpillar grows larger. The mature caterpillar then pupates and metamorphoses into the adult butterfly.

As for my Butterfly Hunt, I was rewarded not only with a dozen or more Mourning Cloaks (Nymphalis antiopa), but Commas (presumably Polygonia faunus) as well as Green-Veined Whites (Pieris napi) and some unidentified Blues. That's a pretty good score for mid-April!

Satyr Comma, Polygonia Satyrus

Day 197: Of the Polygonia species found in the Pacific Northwest, the Satyr Comma (P. satyrus) can be distinguished in the dorsal view from its very similar relative, the Green Comma (P. faunus) by the lack of yellow or yellow-green spots inside the margin of the hind wing. That said, the Commas are named for a small whitish figure which appears on the underside (ventral view) of the hind wing. In P. satyrus, this strongly resembles the comma of punctuation, a "head" with a "tail." In P. faunus, the marking is more L-shaped and angular. Both species fall into the category of "big orange butterfly," a safe simplication which makes them no less enjoyable in the field.

Mourning Cloak, Nymphalis Antiopa

Day 173: If you take into account the fact that we're still in the month of March, you'd have to agree that Pack Forest offered up a butterfly bonanza today. Not only did I see two Commas (presumably Green, although they didn't alight to let me check their identification), I saw four individual Mourning Cloaks (Nymphalis antiopa). Three were between the Reservoir Trail and the water tower; the fourth was a mile closer to the administrative compound. My field guide says that adults may over-winter, emerging to fly on "snowy-sunny days."