WWF has reported that the number of Monarch butterflies overwintering in Mexico this past winter (2024-2025) has roughly doubled from the previous year (2023-2024). But before we pop the champagne corks realize that 2023-2024 population was the second lowest on record, so the bar was set pretty low. Read all about it here. Also inContinue reading “Good News (sorta) and Trees Useful to Lepidoptera”
Author Archives: hpahaska
More New Moths
The other day I got an email from Colin Croft who resides in the Scotts Bluff area and is an avid observer of the natural world (including Lepidoptera). Colin had connected with Chuck Harp (curator of the insect collection at Colorado State University in Fort Collins) and sent him some moths to identify. Chuck identifiedContinue reading “More New Moths”
Plants for our Insect Friends
Several days of snow and sub-zero temperatures (not to mention “brisk” breezes) were bringing on a case of the winter blahs. Then I open my email and there’s a Nebraska Statewide Arboretum newsletter. Pictures of green things – instant cheer! Then it gets better. There is a Zoom presentation March 13 on the importance ofContinue reading “Plants for our Insect Friends”
James and Brian’s Excellent Adventure
On pages 185-193 of the 2024 winter edition of News of the Lepidopterists’ Society (vol 66 #4) James Adams and Brian Scholtens documented the first leg of their Lepidoptera field trip through Nebraska, the Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska (again) and Kansas this past summer. The first four pages (185-188) document in text and photosContinue reading “James and Brian’s Excellent Adventure”
2024 Moth Finds
In 2024 Lepidoptera enthusiasts found six previously unreported species in the state. Moth savant Mark Brogie added three new species from his residence in Creighton (Knox County) – a Four-dotted Agonopterix, Aethes baloghi and a Milky Plume Moth. sageraine (iNaturalist) reported a White-spotted Cankerworm Moth in Lincoln (Lancaster County). Colin Croft attracted a Lethal PyraustaContinue reading “2024 Moth Finds”
Correction/Addendum
In case you missed the comment, Casey Galvin reached out to provide more accurate information on the populations of Diana Fritillaries from whence the male Lori photographed likely strayed. It turns out there are no resident populations of the Diana Fritillary in Missouri (as I had stated), instead the nearest are in northwest Arkansas/northeast Oklahoma.Continue reading “Correction/Addendum”
Thanks to All!!
What a great 2024! I’d like to extend a thank you to everyone contributing records and expand our understanding of Nebraska’s diverse Lepidopteran fauna. On the butterfly side one state record and ten county records were found/submitted. Lori Tomes had the find of the year when she photographed this male Diana Fritillary in Saunders CountyContinue reading “Thanks to All!!”
Haven’t Seen That in Awhile
Last Sunday afternoon Jonathan Nikkila was attending the Fall Nature Festival at Kearney’s Yanney Heritage Park (Buffalo County) when he photographed a non-descript skipper. Then yesterday in our yard in Elm Creek (also Buffalo County) I noticed a similar skipper visiting my wife’s flowerbed. Both are Eufala Skippers (Lerodea eufala), a species inhabiting more southerlyContinue reading “Haven’t Seen That in Awhile”
The White M Hairstreak Enigma
Last week (October 10) Loren and Babs Padelford photographed a White M Hairstreak at their residence in Bellevue (Sarpy County) Nebraska. This butterfly is a rather recent addition to Nebraska’s butterfly fauna, first being reported from Fontenelle Forest in 2012. It’s home range includes most of the eastern United States including portions of Iowa andContinue reading “The White M Hairstreak Enigma”
Addendum to Sphinx Moth Post
Thanks to Jen Corman for the reminder/prompt. What a scrooge I am!! Of course I should have included the crayon drawing that began this journey of discovery. Below is Azalea and Ezekial Witter’s depiction of a Gaudy Sphinx (before being run over by a mower).