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Old 06-07-2009, 05:35 AM   #1
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Smile Butterflies Over Winnipesaukee

Two years ago, at my winter residence, my neighbors roped me into their new hobby: butterfly field trips.

I had no particular interest but enjoyed playing "spotter" for local bird life sightings, so I went along: Later, I found myself as host to Dr. Robert Pyle—who, I learned later, is a major US expert on the subject. (Wikipedia page here). He'd received a shoestring grant to roam the US for butterfly studies, and was hoping to sight a rare and endangered species in my immediate (County) locale.

In just two years, I confess to having developed an interest in this new outdoor recreation. Much info is to be had, as butterflies:

1) live only around six to eight weeks.

2) "nectar" (feed) at most any flower; however...

3) eggs are placed on the underside of a single plant species. (The "host plant", which can differ for each species of butterfly).

4) utilize an organic chemical (a drug) for "dating" purposes.

5) can be seen flying around with big "beak-shaped" chunks missing from their wings.

6) can have very different appearances when viewed from above or below.

7) in several species, males and females can look very different.

8) iridescence in coloration is a common affect.

As the summer progresses, I hope to see more common species close up, and will file a follow-up report here: One butterfly that is everywhere over Lake Winnipesaukee's waters (right now), is the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail:



If you see a pale white version, the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail species overlaps this region by just a little bit.

Hmmm...pale...white...Canadian....

Another, over the lake—rescued yesterday from a spider web—was the American Lady:



Once you've learned only about a dozen local varities, you can be seriously hooked by this outdoor hobby. Buying "The Book" is just some evidence that you're hooked...



Buying a pair of "close-up", image-stabilized, binoculars would be incriminating...



Buying the camera most desired for outdoor butterfly photography will constitute absolute proof!



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Old 06-07-2009, 05:55 PM   #2
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Default Butterflies

A friend introduced me to the Monarch butterfly many years ago. At the time I had a field filled with milkweed and disliked having the seeds flying around every fall. Therefore, I set out to eradicate it from my property. My views have changed drastically since then. One day a friend showed me a yellow and black striped caterpillar munching on my milkweed and informed me that it was actually a Monarch in disguise. It was fascinating to watch it grow larger and eventually reach the pupa stage, hanging from a twig in its chrysalis. In a couple weeks it emerged as a beautiful butterfly and fluttered off into the world. I have since learned that the milkweed is the only plant Monarchs lay their eggs on, as it is the only leaf the caterpillars eat. It is essential for their survival. I now let the milkweed grow at will, so there is an abundant supply. Each summer brings many Monarchs to my back yard and the wild purple asters along my property are also an attraction for them.

Thank you for posting the photos. I will be on the look out for the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail and the American Lady. What do their caterpillars feed on? Are they as selective as the Monarchs?
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Old 03-22-2010, 05:31 AM   #3
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Exclamation Monarch-News...

It looks like willow and sycamore are the host-plants for the above Eastern Tiger Swallowtail:
Check out this host-plant chart for our more common butterflies: http://www.thebutterflysite.com/crea...y-garden.shtml

The Message: To encourage a return of butterfly caterpillars, just plant some host-plants—then watch the leaves disappear!

Quote:
"...Milkweed is the host plant for the monarch butterfly's larvae, thistle is one of the host plants for the caterpillars of the American Lady butterfly, stinging nettle hosts the Red Admiral's caterpillars, wild carrot is a host for the larvae of the Black Swallowtail butterfly..."
http://butterflybushes.com/save_the_butterflies.htm

The "Red Admiral"......patriotic in red-white-and-blue.



(I saw very few butterflies over Lake Winnipesaukee last season).

This morning, a friend in Massachusetts advised me of yesterday's temps in the 70's (In the garden—in shorts and sleeveless blouse (!) —and "seeing a yellow butterfly!")

Also, she reported the news that Monarchs suffered a major die-off in Mexico due to winter-temps in the 20°-range. It may be some years before they become common again.
http://www.monarchwatch.org/news/021102.html

Quote:
"This is our concern with monarchs. If the forest in the overwintering areas is degraded and this degradation leads to higher than normal attrition of the overwintering monarchs and even higher mortality in snow, ice or freezing rain storms, then the time needed for the population to recover after catastrophic mortality will increase.

"Furthermore, if the number of overwintering colonies is reduced due to deforestation, the vulnerability of the population to catastrophic mortality is likely to increase. Biologically this will be the equivalent of putting all the eggs in one basket and sooner or later catastrophic mortality at the remaining colonies could result in a substantial reduction of the population.

"Measures of the mortality of monarchs in forests of differing qualities are needed to determine the relationship of mortality to the integrity of the forest and the most favorable conditions for overwintering monarchs."
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Old 03-24-2010, 07:12 PM   #4
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I thought this might be a good spot to show a few butterfly images I've taken over the years. I am terrible at I.D.s so please feel free to let me know what I've got.

This first one I took on the Outer Banks in NC. I know this is a Palamedes.



The rest were all taken indoors at The Butterfly Place in Westford, MA and I have no idea what they are.









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Old 03-25-2010, 03:04 AM   #5
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Wink "Bugs", as the experts call them...

WOW! Very nice photos!

The best way to identify "bugs" is through photographs like these. It is helpful to have both upper- and lower- views of butterflies to aid identification. (But...with living butterflies, anyway—impossible )

Outdoors, near-identical butterflies can be identified by their flying behavior. There are "high-fliers", some with a "darting flight", some flutter, and some are good at "soaring": Notes are a good thing.


1) I can confirm the Palamedes that is "nectaring" on the flower: found in North Carolina, but rarely seen in Delaware—right next door!


In Westford, MA (and likely, Lake Winnipesaukee) are—in order:

2) Mimic female—the male is very different. (I don't know why it's called a Mimic, nor what it's a "mimic" of).

3) The next is a likely one of the Buckeyes—named for the "eyes"—and doesn't appear in my Butterflies through Binoculars book.

4) Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. ("Tiger" for the orange and black stripes—BIG and common-enough—from Canada to Florida).

5) Not located (yet) in my book of Eastern US butterflies.

6) The stripes suggest White Admiral, but not exactly what appears in my book.

Some of these could be imported "bugs", but can also be one of those occasional "hybrids" that can stymie an identification.

I'll "run-this-by" my neighbors with their wide-ranging knowledge and much finer resources.

(The search continues).
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Old 03-25-2010, 09:01 AM   #6
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Default The marvels of nature

Awesome photography. Many thanks for sharing these magnificently, artistic butterflies; their markings are surreal.
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Old 03-27-2010, 07:54 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Acres per Second View Post
WOW! Very nice photos!

The best way to identify "bugs" is through photographs like these. It is helpful to have both upper- and lower- views of butterflies to aid identification. (But...with living butterflies, anyway—impossible )

Outdoors, near-identical butterflies can be identified by their flying behavior. There are "high-fliers", some with a "darting flight", some flutter, and some are good at "soaring": Notes are a good thing.


1) I can confirm the Palamedes that is "nectaring" on the flower: found in North Carolina, but rarely seen in Delaware—right next door!


In Westford, MA (and likely, Lake Winnipesaukee) are—in order:

2) Mimic female—the male is very different. (I don't know why it's called a Mimic, nor what it's a "mimic" of).

3) The next is a likely one of the Buckeyes—named for the "eyes"—and doesn't appear in my Butterflies through Binoculars book.

4) Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. ("Tiger" for the orange and black stripes—BIG and common-enough—from Canada to Florida).

5) Not located (yet) in my book of Eastern US butterflies.

6) The stripes suggest White Admiral, but not exactly what appears in my book.

Some of these could be imported "bugs", but can also be one of those occasional "hybrids" that can stymie an identification.

I'll "run-this-by" my neighbors with their wide-ranging knowledge and much finer resources.

(The search continues).
Thank you very much!
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Old 03-27-2010, 07:57 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by Redwing View Post
Awesome photography. Many thanks for sharing these magnificently, artistic butterflies; their markings are surreal.
Thank you.
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Old 03-30-2010, 06:12 AM   #9
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Default Nice Thread

I've always loved the butterflies we see each year at the lake.

In todays USAToday is an article that reviews the current situation with the Monarchs. I never knew that the ones that make it to the lake from Mexico are actually the 3rd or 4th generation of the ones that leave Mexico.

Interesting stuff.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science...chs30_ST_N.htm
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Old 07-06-2013, 04:52 AM   #10
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Wink "Butterflies Over Winnipesaukee"

Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveA View Post
I've always loved the butterflies we see each year at the lake.
Excepting the sudden profusion of Swallowtails this spring, the past few seasons have been lean ones for butterflies. But this season, I happened upon a couple I haven't seen before.

This first one is a "rescue" from the middle of The Broads Thursday. He's bright orange, his wings have a large transparent area -- the antenna tells me it's a moth. He spent the night in my boat, and disappeared when it got dark, like moths are wont to do.



The second appeared one morning on my porch -- stayed a couple of days, then disappeared. Google didn't return anything on the "Ragged Wing" that looks like the second attachment. I didn't try "raggledy-taggledy-wing"...



BTW: the title "Butterflies Over Winnipesaukee" has nothing to do with this Fourth of July weekend on the lake.

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Old 07-13-2013, 06:41 PM   #11
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Arrow Polyphemus moths on Rattlesnake Island

Two of these showed up on Rattlesnake Island this afternoon. I think they came here to die because the were so body heavy and just couldn't fly. I took a top and bottom shot, so you could see how crazy big the body of them were. I thought moths had furry type antenna?
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Last edited by Rattlesnake Gal; 07-13-2013 at 08:56 PM. Reason: Add name
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Old 07-13-2013, 06:43 PM   #12
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Arrow Bottom shot

They were both 5" - 6" wide.
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