Bugs and Butterflies

[Cedars]

Spending alot of time in Crex Meadows taking pictures this last few months, I have come across a few sites that might be of interest:

Bug guide is probably the all around coolest:

www.bugguide.net

In their forums sections, I picked up some good tips on close up photography. There are some amazing pics of caterpillers developing in their eggs and Teeny little parasitic bugs crawling around on the caterpillers.

Another specific to butterflies and moths is this one:

Butterflies and Moths of North America | Occurrence maps, species accounts, checklists, and photographs

From the above site, I have the Minnesota contact person and am waiting for a response on how to submit some of the local butterflies I have snapped pics on, that do not show records in my county.

As Crex Meadows is in Wisconsin, I came to this site in attempts to ID various butterflies and found it very helpful:

wisconsinbutterflies.org | The Butterflies

The above site is very helpful, listing similar species and details on how to tell them apart.

Browsing his site, I found several of the photos I had taken at the meadows were not confirmed via photo submission. So far, I have submitted 7 different types of butterflys that have allowed this site to update their map indicating a photo has been submitted (and confirmed) for a particular county in Wisconsin. 2 of these seven were butterflies that had only a historic reference black dot, and now they have a photo confirmation.

[Racoon]

Great thread start Cedars..
If theres bugs I love its Dragonflies and Butterflies.

We have plenty of exceptional yellow Swallowtail butterflies around here this time of year.

This might sound strange, but when you are outside, calm, and contemplating something.. To have a big yellow butterfly cross your vision makes you internalize that what you were thinking was right!

This is a very common butterfly around here. They get pretty big.
I'm not so familiar with Butterflies and clsssifications ..

[freeztar]

Originally Posted by Racoon

This might sound strange, but when you are outside, calm, and contemplating something.. To have a big yellow butterfly cross your vision makes you internalize that what you were thinking was right!

Not strange at all Rac, very profound, very taoist.

They seem to have the effect of bringing one into the Now. The end result is not mentally distracting though so we are able to synchronize those thoughts we were thinking into the Now.

@Cedars
Very good of you to document your findings.
I would recommend contacting the WI DNR (or equivalent office) and document your findings with them. They should also be able to tell you what species are of noted concern and can be helpful in ID'ing. Of course they might ignore you altogether, as they typically are not concerned with invertebrates, unless they're aquatic.

[Cedars]

Originally Posted by Racoon

Great thread start Cedars..
If theres bugs I love its Dragonflies and Butterflies.

We have plenty of exceptional yellow Swallowtail butterflies around here this time of year.

This might sound strange, but when you are outside, calm, and contemplating something.. To have a big yellow butterfly cross your vision makes you internalize that what you were thinking was right!

This is a very common butterfly around here. They get pretty big.
I'm not so familiar with Butterflies and clsssifications ..

The Tiger Swallowtails are great. One of the first to hatch out, its the late spring when they are very common here.

For your area, its the Western Tiger Swallowtail.

Species Papilio rutulus - Western Tiger Swallowtail - BugGuide.Net

The butterfly pics in my profile (so far) are ones I took at the meadows, including my avatar (hobomok skipper).

[Cedars]

Originally Posted by freeztar

@Cedars
Very good of you to document your findings.
I would recommend contacting the WI DNR (or equivalent office) and document your findings with them. They should also be able to tell you what species are of noted concern and can be helpful in ID'ing. Of course they might ignore you altogether, as they typically are not concerned with invertebrates, unless they're aquatic.

Heres the Wisc web site:
WDNR - Butterflies & Moths of Wisconsin
Their online docs regarding submitting specie accounts do not cover butterflies that I have documented (so far anyways). If I do run across one of the endangered or threatened I will submit, however, Crex Meadows is already a documented Karner Blue habitat.

The butterflies and Moths.org was formerly run by the USGS:
This Resource Has Moved

On this page in the FAQs they tell you how to submit sightings for record updates:
Get Involved | Butterflies and Moths of North America

State and Regional coordinators:
Who are the state/regional coordinators, and what do they do? | Butterflies and Moths of North America

The wisconsinbutterflies.org person is the point man for the butterfly site, so I am hoping that this information I am submitting to him is ending up as regional data, updating our knowledge on a national scale.

Its been fun for me to get my little "your submission has been approved and the species location record was updated ..." confirmation note the wisconsin site gives me.

Right now I am waiting to see if I ID'd the skipper in my avatar correctly

[freeztar]

Awesome, Cedars!

I'm inspired now and am heading outside for some photo shots, perhaps I'll happen upon some photogenic invertebrate.

[Cedars]

Originally Posted by freeztar

Awesome, Cedars!

I'm inspired now and am heading outside for some photo shots, perhaps I'll happen upon some photogenic invertebrate.

You probably already know this, but I am gonna say it anyways ..

Try to get both a open wings and side shot. Some of these guys are almost impossible to sort without being able to compare both angles.

One thing I have noticed when stalking flutterbys, when I flush one whos been feasting on nectar, about half the time they circle back to that same patch of flowers, so waiting patiently can result in good shots. Often with the perchers (such as the commas -- Subfamily Nymphalinae - Genus Polygonia), they will return to the same sun exposure (or very nearby) if given some time.

[TheBigDog]

In the attic of my parents house is my grandfather's collection of mounted butterflies and moths. The collection is in wood frames with glass fronts. I remember putting them up there back in the late 80's. I am going to be there next week, and I will venture into the attic and see what I can find. If they are still up there I will bring them home and document them here. They are at least 50+ years old. I remember there being 4 cases.

Bill

[Cedars]

Originally Posted by TheBigDog

In the attic of my parents house is my grandfather's collection of mounted butterflies and moths. The collection is in wood frames with glass fronts. I remember putting them up there back in the late 80's. I am going to be there next week, and I will venture into the attic and see what I can find. If they are still up there I will bring them home and document them here. They are at least 50+ years old. I remember there being 4 cases.

Bill

Good Idea to document them anyways. Sometimes those collections are worth more than imagined depending on the types of butterflies and moths in them. Should some kind of accident happen, you could have an insurance claim.

[Racoon]

Originally Posted by TheBigDog

In the attic of my parents house is my grandfather's collection of mounted butterflies and moths. The collection is in wood frames with glass fronts. I remember putting them up there back in the late 80's. I am going to be there next week, and I will venture into the attic and see what I can find. If they are still up there I will bring them home and document them here. They are at least 50+ years old. I remember there being 4 cases.

Bill

Very excellent BigDog!

I have in the garage a frame of 4 butterflies from Costa Rica. When my mom went there to vacation, she asked me if there was anything I wanted..
I replied "some butterflies" ..
This was several years ago. I was hoping for something more elaborate, but
I'll dig them up as well and post the photo here.
It seemes appparent that preserving the fragile wings of the butterfly is a difficult task.

But, a Butterfly in the net is worth two in the bush!