Last week I was fortunate to see this Hummingbird Clearwing Moth zipping around the gardens here at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History. It flew from flower to flower trying to get in to each as far as possible to feed.
As you may be able to see in the photos the clouds were coming and going but at least it was remaining sunny and dry for much of the day. The recent weather – being cooler and far wetter than average – is likely taking a toll on some Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) and Odonata (damselflies and dragonflies) species. At the very least it is making it difficult to for them to feed and breed and for us to find them during our survey efforts across the Chautauqua-Allegheny region. As we enter August we will be working rapidly to discover and record as much natural life as we can with autumn already around the corner.
Scott Kruitbosch
Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
