IA-BTRFLY : Messages : 642-671 of 1640

#643 From: "Harlan Ratcliff" <bugs@...>
Date: Sat Jul 3, 2004 1:24 am
Subject: butterflies today bugtographer
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I spent a couple of hours photographing butterflies today at the Medora
Prairie (owned by TNC) in Warren County.  The diversity wasn�t really high�I
only identified 10 species, but the numbers were high.
	 I saw a few orange sulfurs, two eastern tailed blues, one cabbage white,
one very ragged gray copper, two monarchs, one question mark, and couple of
great spangled fritillaries.  I only saw a couple of skippers but I did not
get a good enough of a look at them to identify them.
The air was thick with the other three species�There were probably hundreds
of common wood nymphs and pearly crescents and dozens of regal fritillaries.
	 Seeing the regal fritillaries was both satisfying and frustrating.
Satisfying because they are such beautiful butterflies.  Frustrating because
I never got close enough to one for a photograph.  A couple of them sat down
briefly on butterfly milkweed, but flew away when I approached.    They
cover a lot of territory in a short period of time, apparently with very
little effort.
	 Watching the courtship chases of the pearly crescents was interesting.  The
place was fairly thick with butterfly milkweed, and the female (I presume)
would typically sit on the flower cluster with its wings in a horizontal
position.  Pretty soon that single butterfly would be joined by two or three
others (rarely only one), which would sit behind the original butterfly with
their wings in the vertical position, usually with the forewing tucked under
the hindwing.  Then they would fly off chasing each other.  I am not sure I
ever saw the entire event, but I attempted to get pictures of the initial
exchange.
	 All in all a pretty pleasant outing.

Harlan Ratcliff

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#644 From: "MJ Hatfield" <mjhatfield@...>
Date: Sat Jul 3, 2004 1:18 pm
Subject: RE: butterflies today mjhatfield@...
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Is there anyone on this list pretty good at Id'ing caterpillars?
Please email me privately.
Thanks.
MJ Hatfield

Reply | Messages in this Topic (5)

#645 From: "Harlan Ratcliff" <bugs@...>
Date: Sat Jul 3, 2004 3:57 pm
Subject: Nature for sale bugtographer
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In case anyone is interested, there seem to be a couple of properties for
sale--old pasture land--near this Medora prairie I have mentioned.  They are
listed with Iowa Reality, and they seem to border Tyler Street and 90th Ave.
in Warren County.  I really don't know any details other than that.

The nearest town is New London.

If anyone is looking for natural areas to purchase, these would likely be
good.  I would hate to see them go to someone who wants several acres of a
gulf course type lawn.

Harlan Ratcliff

#646 From: "Ann Johnson" <aj@...>
Date: Sat Jul 3, 2004 4:08 pm
Subject: RE: Nature for sale hologrambirds
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Harlan,

Better make that “Nearest town is New Virginia”.

Ann Johnson

From: Harlan Ratcliff [mailto:bugs@...]
Sent: Saturday, July 03, 2004 10:57 AM
To: Iowa butterflys and dragonflys
Subject: [IA-BTRFLY] Nature for sale

In case anyone is interested, there seem to be a couple of properties for
sale--old pasture land--near this Medora prairie I have mentioned. They are
listed with Iowa Reality, and they seem to border Tyler Street and 90th Ave.
in Warren County. I really don't know any details other than that.

The nearest town is New London.

If anyone is looking for natural areas to purchase, these would likely be
good. I would hate to see them go to someone who wants several acres of a
gulf course type lawn.

Harlan Ratcliff

#647 From: Grantridge@...
Date: Sat Jul 3, 2004 3:53 pm
Subject: Re: Nature for sale onosmodium
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I also saw this land for sale, and wished it could be purchased by conservation buyers or given some other protection.� There are four pieces of protected native prairie in that immediate area (Rolling Thunder, Medora, and two private remnants).� From peering over fences, I think the pastures for sale have good native plants that would greatly increase if the land were properly managed.

If some public or private entity had the funding, this is a potential opportunity to create a good prairie complex in Warren County, and protect prairie pastures that are in increasing danger of conversion.� One resident told me that land in his immediate area has already been bought with future acreages in mind.��

Cindy Hildebrand
grantridge@...
Ames, IA �50010

"The surrounding country had been burnt about a month before, and young grass had now sprung up to a height of 4 inches, presenting the live green of the spring...This scenery, already rich, pleasing, and beautiful, was still further heightened by immense herds of buffalo, deer, elk, and antelopes, which we saw in every direction, feeding on the hills and plains." (Meriwether Lewis)

http://www.ent.iastate.edu/imagegal/lepidoptera/thistlecat/thistlecaterpillarlateral.html

#648 From: buttrflzia@...
Date: Sat Jul 3, 2004 9:13 pm
Subject: Re: butterflies today kathleenziemer
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I have a Peterson First guide called Caterpillars. It may help. There are a couple of breeders around the country that can id cats easily.

Kathleen Ziemer
ButterfliZ of Iowa
www.butterfliz.com
515-280-1555
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
IBBA Member
www.butterflybreeders.org
Buy butterflies ONLY from IBBA (International Butterfly Breeders Association) members to ensure the highest quality and adherence to USDA standards and regulations!

Reply | Messages in this Topic (5)

#649 From: "MJ Hatfield" <mjhatfield@...>
Date: Mon Jul 5, 2004 12:52 pm
Subject: indignation! mjhatfield@...
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OK, I’m a little slow. I finally saw my first painted lady caterpillar (at least I assume that is what it is) on a native thistle. And while searching for answers I ran across the ISU entomology image gallery where they call it the thistle caterpillar, no scientific name. And if one did not connect to the original article one would never know it is the caterpillar of our beloved painted lady.

How outrageous is that? Or am I just super sensitive?

http://www.ent.iastate.edu/imagegal/lepidoptera/thistlecat/thistlecaterpillar.html

Type in their search engine “painted lady” and nothing is found.

http://www.ent.iastate.edu/imagegal/lepidoptera/thistlecat/thistlecaterpillarlateral.html

#650 From: "MJ Hatfield" <mjhatfield@...>
Date: Mon Jul 5, 2004 12:58 pm
Subject: indignation! mjhatfield@...
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How outrageous is that? Or am I just super sensitive?

http://www.ent.iastate.edu/imagegal/lepidoptera/thistlecat/thistlecaterpillar.html

Type in their search engine “painted lady” and nothing is found.

#651 From: "Michael S. Hummel" <mshummel@...>
Date: Mon Jul 5, 2004 1:20 pm
Subject: Re: indignation! mshummel@...
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MJ,

I would agree with you on the no scientific name. I'm surprised that ISU would not include scientific names or at least some kind of a notation about what the common name of the adult butterfly is when a different name is used with the caterpillar.

Steve Hummel

Lake View

OK, I'm a little slow. I finally saw my first painted lady caterpillar (at least I assume that is what it is) on a native thistle. And while searching for answers I ran across the ISU entomology image gallery where they call it the thistle caterpillar, no scientific name. And if one did not connect to the original article one would never know it is the caterpillar of our beloved painted lady.

How outrageous is that? Or am I just super sensitive?

http://www.ent.iastate.edu/imagegal/lepidoptera/thistlecat/thistlecaterpillarlateral.html

http://www.ent.iastate.edu/imagegal/lepidoptera/thistlecat/thistlecaterpillar.html

Type in their search engine "painted lady" and nothing is found.

MJ

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#652 From: dws1108@...
Date: Sat Jul 10, 2004 3:25 pm
Subject: Prairie Skippers dws1108@...
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Frank, Jerry Selby and I were back on the NW Iowa prairies (Cayler, Anderson and Freda Hafner) this week. The recheck was just as bad as last week. First, there were only about 6 species on each prairie, all garden stuff. The only common species was the wood nymph. Other than themistocles and origenes at Anderson there were NO Skippers at Cayler or Hafner. This was with 2 days of effort for one person. The means that 3 large populations of Oarisma poweshiek, a prairie obligate skipper, are gone or so few that they are undetectable. Also gone are their populations of the Iowa Arogos Skipper. This is a huge disaster and one that has been predicted for 15 years.

If anyone is available in the next week, please check for yourself. We all the data we can get.

Regrets,

Dennis Schlicht

#653 From: "Harlan Ratcliff" <bugs@...>
Date: Mon Jul 12, 2004 12:50 am
Subject: prairie skippers bugtographer
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Dennis:

I haven't been out much this year, but when I went to the Medora prairie a
couple of weeks ago I only saw a couple of individual skippers, and did not
see them long enough to identify them.  It seemed a little unusual because
normally I would have expected to see a bunch.  Could it be that this is
just a bad year for skippers?  It has been wetter and cooler than normal.

Was there burning done at the prairies you visited recently?  Do you think
there might have been something else--spraying for mosquitoes for example?
Do you think the Poweshiek skippers are gone for good?

I am thinking about visiting Hoffman prairie later this week.  Poweshiek
skippers are reported from there.  Is there a good population there?  Where
should I look to find them?

Thanks for your help.

Harlan Ratcliff

#654 From: "Jessica Davis Skibbe" <jessicadavis79@...>
Date: Mon Jul 12, 2004 12:51 pm
Subject: RE: Prairie Skippers jessicadavis79@...
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Dennis and others,

Along the HWY 60 RR ROW, during our surveys we saw four Oarisma poweshiek
(July 11) split between two survey locations as well as a few more poweshiek
that were not in our survey.  I have not conducted my surveys at Cayler or
Anderson for round two, but will probably do those today.  As you say, we
are seeing only themistocles and origenes during our second round.

On a related note, we saw approx. 30 Speyeria idalia at Wolter's Prairie in
Osceola Co. yesterday.  However, the common wood nymph was the only other
species we saw in our surveys.

-Jessica Skibbe

----Original Message Follows----
From: dws1108@...
Reply-To: IA-BTRFLY@yahoogroups.com
To: neil@..., IA-BTRFLY@yahoogroups.com, Hamfam@...
Subject: [IA-BTRFLY] Prairie Skippers
Date: Sat, 10 Jul 2004 15:25:45 EDT

Frank, Jerry Selby and I were back on the NW Iowa prairies (Cayler, Anderson
and Freda Hafner) this week. The recheck was just as bad as last week.
First,
there were only about 6 species on each prairie, all garden stuff. The only
common species was the wood nymph. Other than themistocles and  origenes
at
Anderson there were NO Skippers at Cayler or Hafner. This was with 2 days of
effort for one person.  The means that 3  large populations of Oarisma
poweshiek,
a prairie obligate skipper, are gone or so few that they are undetectable.
Also gone are their populations of the Iowa Arogos Skipper.  This is a huge
disaster and one that has been predicted for 15 years.

If anyone is available in the next week, please check for yourself. We all
the data we can get.

Regrets,
Dennis Schlicht

#655 From: dws1108@...
Date: Tue Jul 13, 2004 9:55 am
Subject: Re: prairie skippers dws1108@...
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Harlan,

We have only seen, P. mystic, A. logan. P. origenes and P. themistocles. Mystic on the prairies the other on pastures and unmanaged areas. I do thing something general has happened this year. The prairie preserve populations were apparently too low to survive it. Most of these sites are isolated so have less chance for recolonization.

All of the State prairies were partially burned this year. I don't think that it is likely that there was any insect spraying and I haven't heard of specific ag insect problems this year.

Hoffman has had poweshieks over the years but I haven't looked this year.

Regards,

Dennis Schlicht

#656 From: "Bruce and Georgeann Morrison" <crazcoot@...>
Date: Fri Jul 16, 2004 2:28 pm
Subject: Re: prairie skippers coot51201
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Does the possibility exist, that last year's wide range spraying of the soybean aphids throughout the state could have possibly contributed to low numbers of butterflies in general (Skippers in this case) this year? Spraying was commonplace and extensive statewide. Many people began complaining soon afterward as to the sudden silence and "apparent" absence of invertebrates in their areas...us included.

So far, our pasture has been visited by one P. communis and a T. lineola or two. Very scarce on Monarchs this summer too. Perhaps one every 2-3 days. A few Whites and Sulphurs recently (but specific ID's not made). An individual Eastern Black Swallowtail was seen for the first time yesterday.

Bruce Morrison, SE O'Brien County

www.morrisons-studio.com

#657 From: "MJ Hatfield" <mjhatfield@...>
Date: Fri Jul 16, 2004 2:40 pm
Subject: RE: prairie skippers mjhatfield@...
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Thank you Bruce!

I was reluctant to say anything since I caught some flack last year for “complaining” about poison from the sky. (Even as I had 2 friends sprayed in their cars when the plane didn’t stop praying as it went over the highway from field to field, another acquaintance whose hose was sprayed, etc.)

But this year my yard is nearly devoid of easily spotted butterflies and invertebrates in general. The last few years it’s been a noisy racket! I’ve got a couple of acres of cultivated flowers, patches of fake prairie, water tubs, bogs, a creek, woods, wet areas, a little bit of everything bugs could want and it’s all connected to the Skunk River greenbelt. There’s very little going on out there.

I have to wonder, What’s going on?

#658 From: credwards@...
Date: Fri Jul 16, 2004 6:22 pm
Subject: RE: prairie skippers credwardsnl
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My experiences this spring and summer have been pretty discouraging also. I've had very little butterfly activity in my yard this year compared to previous years. I thought perhaps it was the wet weather but that's just a guess.

Over the past four evenings, I've been scouting various locations around Johnson County for a butterfly count this weekend. Diversity has been fairly good -- 29 species -- but numbers are very low for most species. It will be interesting to see what a full day of counting brings.

I did a butterfly count at Yellow River State Forest in Northeast Iowa on July 4.� The 28 species and 280 individuals were the lowest of the 13 counts I've done in Eastern Iowa during the past five years.

In contrast, the count I did at Shimek State Forest in Southeast Iowa on June 19 was on par with previous years -- 36 species and 556 individuals.

Chris Edwards
North Liberty, IA
credwards@...

#659 From: credwards@...
Date: Fri Jul 16, 2004 6:34 pm
Subject: Dragonfly Numbers credwardsnl
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I'm curious, have our dragonfly enthusiasts noticed any apparent population declines this year similar to what butterfly watchers have been reporting?

Chris Edwards
North Liberty
credwards@...

#660 From: "Ann Johnson" <aj@...>
Date: Sat Jul 17, 2004 12:15 am
Subject: RE: Dragonfly Numbers hologrambirds
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I was just commenting this week that gomphids have been terribly hard to come by for me. I am honestly not sure just what has created the effect, but hydrology has so much to do with finding odonates. I don’t know if my local population of Ebony Jewelwings (Calopteryx maculata) is missing because of the recently constructed beaver dam, periodic flooding, or perhaps spraying. I’ve got to believe the heavy rains and rivers that seem to continually rise and fall must have some impact on our river species.

After work yesterday I went out to Annett Nature Center by Lake Ahquabi SP and still can’t figure out what is happening there. The first pond, which usually by this time of year is loaded with dragonflies, is low, green, and a desert. One lap around the pond produced only a few pair of damselflies in the grasses up the hill. When I can’t even find a Common Green Darner flying there, something is seriously wrong.

Ann Johnson

From: credwards@... [mailto:credwards@...]
Sent: Friday, July 16, 2004 5:35 PM
To: IA-BTRFLY@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [IA-BTRFLY] Dragonfly Numbers

I'm curious, have our dragonfly enthusiasts noticed any apparent population declines this year similar to what butterfly watchers have been reporting?

Chris Edwards
North Liberty
credwards@...

#661 From: "Gaylan Crim" <gbcrim@...>
Date: Sat Jul 17, 2004 2:40 am
Subject: RE: Dragonfly Numbers gbcrim
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Does anyone have any data/info from 1993? Or possibly another year with a cool spring? Did we see similar lack of numbers or delayed sightings of either dragonflies or butterflies that could potentially be correlated with either cool weather or flash flooding type years? And since the timing of this year’s flooding came earlier than 1993 would we even see a similarity? What does flash flooding in the middle of a May that was possibly a bit warmer than usual, followed by a cooler late May-early June time period with periodic heavy rains do to these populations?

Gaylan Crim

-----Original Message-----
From: Ann Johnson [mailto:aj@...]
Sent: Friday, July 16, 2004 6:16 PM
To: IA-BTRFLY@yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: [IA-BTRFLY] Dragonfly Numbers

Ann Johnson

From: credwards@... [mailto:credwards@...]
Sent: Friday, July 16, 2004 5:35 PM
To: IA-BTRFLY@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [IA-BTRFLY] Dragonfly Numbers

I'm curious, have our dragonfly enthusiasts noticed any apparent population declines this year similar to what butterfly watchers have been reporting?

Chris Edwards
North Liberty
credwards@...

#662 From: dws1108@...
Date: Fri Jul 16, 2004 11:18 pm
Subject: Re: prairie skippers dws1108@...
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Bruce, In O'Brien and B. V. we did find skippers on unmanaged private lands.

Dennis

#663 From: "Bruce and Georgeann Morrison" <crazcoot@...>
Date: Sat Jul 17, 2004 4:22 pm
Subject: Re: prairie skippers coot51201
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Dennis, were you able to check the Waterman Prairie tracts? Just curious...

...Bruce Morrison, SE O'Brien County

www.morrisons-studio.com

#664 From: dws1108@...
Date: Sat Jul 17, 2004 7:51 pm
Subject: Re: prairie skippers dws1108@...
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Jerry Selby did. I believe he found P. origenes and themistolces on one part of it.

Dennis

#665 From: "Harlan Ratcliff" <bugs@...>
Date: Sun Jul 18, 2004 2:02 am
Subject: skippers bugtographer
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I went to Hoffman Prairie and Union Hills wildlife management areas in Cerro
Gordo county yesterday, hoping to photograph the Poweshiek skipper.  I did
not find any, and only saw a couple of skippers and few butterflies of any
species.

I would not draw any conclusions from that because:  1.  Yesterday was a
little too windy for a lot of butterfly activity, 2.  I am unfamiliar with
any of those areas, having visited them for the first time yesterday, and 3.
I have not yet seen a live poweshiek skipper--I am not sure I am looking in
the right places.

It does seem the skippers are a little scarce this year, but I remember
thinking that painted ladies were a little scarce about the middle of the
summer last year.

I have a tendency to blame a lot of it on weather conditions, and think it
is a temporary.  In fact I hope that is the case because I don't like the
alternative too much.

Harlan Ratcliff

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#666 From: credwards@...
Date: Sun Jul 18, 2004 9:40 pm
Subject: Iowa City Butterfly Count credwardsnl
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On Saturday six enthusiastic butterfly watchers joined me on our annual Iowa City butterfly count. We visited Kent Park, Hawkeye Wildlife Area, Lake Macbride, and Solon Prairie. We finished with 30 species and 540 individuals, which is below average but still a good day considering the season we've had so far. For comparison, during the previous five years we averaged 34 species and 771 individuals. We saw seven skipper species, most of which were in one meadow nectaring on an extensive stand of mountain mint. One of the highlights of the day was seeing a Spring Azure (form 'marginata' which is dusky gray below with dark brown margins) puddling right next to one of the more numerous 'Summer' Spring Azures. It made for a great contrast.

Black Swallowtail 4
Giant Swallowtail 3
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail 7
Cabbage White 79
Clouded Sulphur 143
Orange Sulphur 37
Cloudless Sulphur 5
Little Yellow 6
Bronze Copper 5
Eastern Tailed-Blue 29
Spring Azure (form 'marginata') 1
'Summer' Spring Azure 101
Great Spangled Fritillary 20
Meadow Fritillary 2
Pearl Crescent 9
Question Mark 3
American Lady 1
Painted Lady 1
Red Admiral 2
Common Buckeye 3
Red-spotted Purple 1
Viceroy 12
Common Wood-Nymph 17
Monarch 12
Silver-spotted Skipper 12
Common Sootywing 2
Least Skipper 5
Peck's Skipper 3
Tawny-edged Skipper 5
Crossline Skipper 3
Byssus Skipper 7

Species seen earlier in the week but not on count day (darn it!) were Dainty Sulphur, American Snout, Eastern Comma, Delaware Skipper, and Dun Skipper.

Chris Edwards
North Liberty, IA
credwards@...

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#667 From: budgode@...
Date: Tue Jul 20, 2004 5:00 pm
Subject: Re: Dragonfly Numbers budgode@...
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Bob and I often talked about how weather and stream conditions affected ode numbers during the season. There seems to be little doubt that floods have an effect on larvae populations.