American Lady Butterfly
This is the American Lady butterfly (Vanessa virginiensis) using those wings to keep its head and eyes out of the sun while on the hunt for a tasty flower. The very similar Painted Lady would have four eyespots on the lower wing instead of the two seen here. You can also see the white spot inside the orange square patch on the upper wing that the Painted Lady lacks.
Read MoreWorn Black Swallowtail
You can see the wear and tear on this Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) even as it was being battered by the wind and difficult to capture with my camera. It is so gratifying to see individuals like this surviving for so long. Fight on, butterfly! Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreMonarchs Moving
It is really starting to turn into a good couple of weeks for Monarch butterflies in their expected migratory hotspots, especially along the Atlantic coast, with more individuals like this one being seen feeding and flying every day. Whether it is on a clover, some goldenrod, a sunflower, coneflowers or many more pollinator plants not coated in chemicals these insects are getting the fuel they need to keep moving south. Sunny and calm weather means conducive conditions for flights, and likely means more of them survive their journey. I don’t know about you but the fact they have become...
Read MoreMonarch on Mexican Sunflower
I spotted this Monarch (Danaus plexippus) butterfly feeding on this Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia Rotundifolia) earlier today. I don’t know about you but I have been spotting Monarchs more frequently in the last week or so. Have you had any in your yard yet, or are you also seeing high numbers recently? Let us hope we have a huge fall migration coming up. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreClover Up Close
In today’s episode of “Clover Up Close” we see the all too typically busy bee hard at work. Hey, it looks like you missed some of that pollen, come back! And please bring all of your friends…remember, if we build it, they will come.
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