Bugs and Butterflies

[freeztar]

Interesting. The blue variety (like the pic at wiki) would match nicely with the lupine flowers they are said to love. I wonder if the white variety has the same affinity.

[Cedars]

Originally Posted by freeztar

Interesting. The blue variety (like the pic at wiki) would match nicely with the lupine flowers they are said to love. I wonder if the white variety has the same affinity.

You mean white Lupine?

BTW, I discovered there is a very similar species, the Northern Blue (Lycaeides idas) that could be confused with the Karner and has the orange going up the outside of both wings. But the Northern Blue and Karner habitats are not known to overlap in Wisconsin, and there are no known Northern Blues in any of the counties surrounding Crex Meadows. Northern Blues and Karners have very different caterpillar host plants also.

[freeztar]

Originally Posted by Cedars

You mean white Lupine?

I'm not sure really because I've never been there, but my understanding is that the only lupine that grows (wild) in the Great Lakes region is this one:
PLANTS Profile for Lupinus polyphyllus (bigleaf lupine) | USDA PLANTS

White lupine seems to be a genetic variation of L. Angustifolia from what I can tell with a few searches. Overall it seems that blue is the dominant color for Lupinus.

BTW, I discovered there is a very similar species, the Northern Blue (Lycaeides idas) that could be confused with the Karner and has the orange going up the outside of both wings. But the Northern Blue and Karner habitats are not known to overlap in Wisconsin, and there are no known Northern Blues in any of the counties surrounding Crex Meadows. Northern Blues and Karners have very different caterpillar host plants also.

That begs the question....
What caterpillar host plant does the Northern Blue require?

[Cedars]

Originally Posted by freeztar

I'm not sure really because I've never been there, but my understanding is that the only lupine that grows (wild) in the Great Lakes region is this one:
PLANTS Profile for Lupinus polyphyllus (bigleaf lupine) | USDA PLANTS

White lupine seems to be a genetic variation of L. Angustifolia from what I can tell with a few searches. Overall it seems that blue is the dominant color for Lupinus.

Yes, thats the lupine, white or blue, but what did you mean by..

"I wonder if the white variety has the same affinity."

Originally Posted by freeztar

That begs the question....
What caterpillar host plant does the Northern Blue require?

Habitat: Open pine forests where its host plant Dwarf Bilberry (Vaccinium caespitosum) occurs. The host plant is also a Wisconsin endangered species.

wisconsinbutterflies.org | Northern Blue

Seems the Northern Blue has a critically endangered status also:

Species Detail | Butterflies and Moths of North America

[freeztar]

Originally Posted by Cedars

Yes, thats the lupine, white or blue, but what did you mean by..

"I wonder if the white variety has the same affinity."

The pic you posted shows a white butterfly. The pic at wiki shows a blue butterfly. I'm curious if this genetic variation is random (like albino) or if it is selected for based on the host plants that the two varieties might use. It seems that from what you are saying, there is no selective advantage in the colors.

In other words, it seems that the blue color of the butterfly would blend well with the blue lupine flowers, keeping it hidden from predators. The white variety would not share this camoflouge and might be presumed to prefer white flower plants instead.

It was just speculation that appears to not hold any weight...

[Cedars]

Originally Posted by freeztar

The pic you posted shows a white butterfly. The pic at wiki shows a blue butterfly. I'm curious if this genetic variation is random (like albino) or if it is selected for based on the host plants that the two varieties might use. It seems that from what you are saying, there is no selective advantage in the colors.

Ah ha!

The Karner Blue (Melissa Karner blue is another name for the same butterfly) is the white spotted color on the under side. The blue shows on its top side and I only got one semi-decent picture of the open wing (in flight). Females can be almost brown with orange spots on the lower wing. Males are blue on top, with just a white border and black line between the border and the blue.

This page has an interesting photo essay on the karners (link to it on right side):
Nature Conservancy Magazine: Spring 2007 - Rhapsody in Blue - Karner blue butterfly - butterflies

[freeztar]

Aha...

That was a good link. I love TNC.

I didn't realize they were so small...

[Cedars]

Took another trip to crex meadows on the 19th. Butterfly numbers are falling, but once again, the meadows revealed something new or seldom seen. I had seen the phantom crane fly a few times in my life and found my first on the meadows.

The picture quality isnt the best, as the camera had much difficulty spotting this thin critter and kept focusing on the background. I had to manually focus which is a problem area for me.

These guys fly funny. Apparently their wide legs help them glide as their teeny wings beat furiously. When I first saw it, I thought it was a spider moving through the grass.

More info on the phantom crane fly:
eNature: FieldGuides: Species Detail

[Cedars]

This family of predators varies in size and color. Some look like bumble bees, some look like long legged flys and some look like these.

The likely specie for this one is the Milbert's Proctacanthus - Proctacanthus milbertii but because I did not get a good shot of its tail, it could also fall under the Proctacanthus brevipennis specie. The wing length is also an identifying factor as is the flight time, but insect data is always improving so the person who ID'd this one would not commit to Milberts without mentioning brevipennis as a potential ID.

[Monomer]

I found this rather large ant (at least I think it's an ant) in my garden one day. I thought the other ants were kinda large, but this one was a little over an inch long. I was wondering if anyone has seen anything like it before and knows what it is.