Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia) and Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele)
The Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia) and Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) can both be found in the Northeast in meadows and fields. The Variegated is much less common in Connecticut, being as it is mostly a southern species. Right now in the Northeast more and more butterflies are being seen migrating on emerging from new habitats. Photographed by RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser for the Meet Your Neighbours global biodiversity project in Connecticut while on assignment for the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History.
Read MoreLesser Maple Spanworm
I had literally one shot of this moth, and here it is! I suppose the camera and the flash at dusk was enough for it to think about finding a better spot as it flew off to another bush. It looks to be a Lesser Maple Spanworm (Speranza pustularia), a common species with its name as a host plant, among several other abundant trees. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreSpot-winged Glider
Today was the best day that I have experienced so far this year for migratory insects! Red Admiral and Monarch butterflies were on the wing, and dozens of dozens of dragonflies were zipping by including Common Green Darners, Black Saddlebags, Carolina Saddlebags, Swamp Darners, Wandering Gliders and Spot-winged Gliders (Pantala hymenaea) like this one. You can see the spots of this very difficult to catch species here. Keep an eye out for Sean’s Meet Your Neighbour photo of it sometime soon. So much more life is emerging every day now that we have entered the summer, and it is so...
Read MoreButterflies Coming
Butterflies like this Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) will be emerging next month! As we near the end of avian migration and enter their breeding season we will be seeing many more of our insect friends taking flight. I have not had a lot of time to spend surveying for them yet, but butterflies I have seen so far this year include Black Swallowtail, Eastern Tailed-blue, Orange Sulphur, Clouded Sulphur, Cabbage White and Monarch. When June hits our staff will be sure to begin surveying sites from our Natural History Atlas as well as other critical habitats, or locations that...
Read MoreAmerican Oystercatchers in Flight
That is one chatty American Oystercatcher! I wonder if the other two had nothing to say or didn’t even bother talking to me, knowing they wouldn’t be heard over their friend…our work in the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds continues seven days a week. We had the first American Oystercatcher chicks of 2015 hatch at Milford Point this week! Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
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