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”
Author Archives: hpahaska
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).
Two Late Sphinx Moth Records
I apologize for the dearth of posts this past season, but I’ve been fighting various tech issues this past summer. Of course, now that the season has pretty much passed, I think I finally have everything resolved. Jonathan Nikkila’s insect investigation network has discovered a couple of amazing sphinx moth records. On September 5 EmilyContinue reading “Two Late Sphinx Moth Records”
Two New Custer County Records
Terry Mason reached out to inform me that he has sighted two butterflies in Custer County that had not yet been recorded there, these being an Olive/Juniper Hairstreak and several Snout Butterflies. Larvae of the hairstreak feed on cedars so this species should eventually be found in every county. But being very local, small (easilyContinue reading “Two New Custer County Records”
Niobrara Valley Preserve Annual Butterfly Count
Earlier this month (July 2) eleven persons participated in the 37th Annual Butterfly Count at The Nature Conservancy’s Niobrara Valley Preserve. The day started out cool and overcast, limiting butterfly activity, but by early afternoon the skies had cleared and numbers increased. Despite the slow start 356 butterflies from 33 species were recorded, up fromContinue reading “Niobrara Valley Preserve Annual Butterfly Count”
Nessus Sphinx found in Buffalo County
Sorry for the dearth of posts. We were gone for a bit in June and then I came back and messed up my mapping software. So am in the catchup mode. Back in early June (the 8th) Christian Jacobs photographed a Nessus Sphinx (Amphion floradensis) in Kearney (Buffalo County) where it had not been previouslyContinue reading “Nessus Sphinx found in Buffalo County”
County Lists Now Available on Nebraska Lepidoptera Website
We are excited to announce a new feature on the NebraskaLepiodoptera.com website that allows you to access lists of butterflies found in each of Nebraska’s 93 counties. This feature will allow you to see what butterflies have been found in a county where you live or plan to visit. This feature (County Butterfly Lists) canContinue reading “County Lists Now Available on Nebraska Lepidoptera Website”
Central Nebraska Zabulon Skipper Record
On May 26 Dr. Jacob Cooper (assistant biology professor at University of Nebraska at Kearney) photographed a skipper along a wooded section the Dannebrog Bike-Hike trail adjacent to Oak Creek just west of Dannebrog in Howard County. After posting it to iNaturalist it was determined to be a male Zabulon Skipper – an identification IContinue reading “Central Nebraska Zabulon Skipper Record”
Two More County Records
Cathy Prettyman was going through some “old” pics recently and came across one of a Funereal Duskywing she took in Washington County back in 2019. Great pic Cathy (and a county record). I cropped Cathy’s pic a bit to bring attention to the white fringe on the hindwing. This species strays north into Nebraska fromContinue reading “Two More County Records”