Leps & Odes
This is a busy time of year for the dragonflies and butterflies of our lands! Here is a Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina) and Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes), two gorgeous species you may be able to find in your own favorite patch right now. Go outside today and enjoy the summer activity! 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 MoreHarvester (Feniseca tarquinius)
It might not look like an unusual butterfly, but the Harvester (Feniseca tarquinius) is North America’s only carnivorous butterfly. That’s right, flying around in our very own woodlands is a carnivorous butterfly! Its larval stage feeds on aphids usually found on Alder trees instead of a host plant. The adults will eat the honey dew excreted by aphids or tree-hoppers. These butterflies can be very difficult to find, usually only discovered while resting on the ends of leaves during territorial and mating disputes. Photographed by RTPI Affiliate Sean Graesser for the Meet Your...
Read MoreAmerican Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)
This American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) is a good example of the species that will be loving the recently posted sunflower plot! 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 MoreVariegated & Great Spangled Fritillaries
Here’s a beautiful close-winged view of the Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia) and Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele). 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 MoreLilypad Clubtail (Arigomphus furcifer)
Any day you manage to see a clubtail species is a good day in Sean’s book. He recently found this male Lilypad Clubtail (Arigomphus furcifer), and subsequently saw another trying to capture some Ebony Jewelwings along a forested stream. 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.
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