Tying up loose ends for the 2023 season I’ve found several submissions that I let “fall through the cracks” and did not recognize this past year. First on the list are Lori Tomes’s county records which she found in Saunders County this past year. This past May 3rd she photographed/identified a Gray Comma (Polygonia progne) in Saunders County where it had not been previously reported. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has listed this butterfly as a Tier 2 species in their Nebraska Natural Heritage Program. As it is not common, the Gray Comma has been found in fewer than half of Nebraska’s counties. But it is surprisingly absent from several counties where there should be found and there are observers to identify it (Otoe, Platte, Hall and Scotts Bluff). So, wherever you live go through your photos/records and see if you can help fill in some of those gaps.

Later in the season Lori also reported seeing American Painted Ladies (Vanessa virginiensis) on multiple occasions which according to my maps was a county record. Unfortunately, that was an oversight on my part as Richard A. Leussler had reported it from near Cedar Bluffs in Saunders County over 100 years ago in 1921. Sorry Lori, my bad!!

Another finding brought to my attention was a record of a Snout Butterfly (Libytheana carinenta) from Hamilton County. On July 1 of this year Sarah Bailey photographed one at Lincoln Prairie near the east side of Aurora. This southern stray shows up in Nebraska most years where it likely breeds, the larvae feeding on Hackberry trees. It should eventually be found in all 93 counties but is rarely common with lone individuals most frequently encountered.

Thanks again to Lori and Sarah!!

More 2023 addendum are likely to follow. If you find anything in your records/files you believe to be a county record, please let us know at nebraskabutterflies@gmail.com

A couple of new butterfly records have been reported.

On October 1 Cathy Prettyman spotted a Texan Crescent on some asters in Washington County. Southern strays have been few and far between in Nebraska this year with this one being an exception. Great find Cathy!!

On September 28 Barb Rimel photographed a rare form “americus” male Black Swallowtail at Lauritzen Gardens in Omaha.

Thanks to Cathy and Barb!!

Another state record and two more county records have been reported.

Let’s start with the state record. On September 12 Eric Strehlow found an interesting moth that was attracted to a mercury vapor light. It turned out to be Papaipema beeriana (a Blazing Star Borer). Its larvae bore into and feed in stalks of various Liatris species. According to the Moth Photographers Group website it is midwestern in distribution, the nearest records being in central Iowa. In the comments section of the BugGuide.net species page it suggests that this species may be sensitive to habitat disturbance and populations might be vulnerable to extirpation. This is the second new Papaipema (stalk borer) moth species reported from northeastern Nebraska in the past several weeks (see previous post).

On the butterfly side of the Lepidoptera family, Jen Corman reports that the town of Bassett (Rock County) has been overrun with Purplish Coppers (Tharsalia helloides). I witnessed a similar population explosion like this once before, also in September, at Cedar Point Biological Station many years ago. So even this late in the year good finds are still possible.

Returning to moths, on September 26 Travis Hardy found a Five Spotted Hawk-Moth at Lake McConaughy in Keith County where it had not previously been recorded.

Thanks to Eric, Jen and Travis. The season is winding down, but good finds are still out there. Keep ’em coming!

Back on August 11 Colin Croft found Glena nigricaria (sorry, no common name) in the Wildcat Hills south of Scotts Bluff/Gehring. This moth is western in distribution with Colin’s Nebraska record the easternmost in the United States The larvae feed on pines and are cryptically colored to blend in with pine needles (click on the link to view the larva).

Then on August 29 Mark Brogie found Papaipema circumlucens (Hop Stalk Borer Moth) in Creighton (Knox County). This moth was previously unreported in Nebraska. Larvae bore into and feed in the stalks of Hops and Dogbane. It has been found in roughly the northeastern fourth of the United States. According to the Moth Photographers website the nearest record to Mark’s would be from the Kansas City area.

Many thanks to Colin and Mark!!

Two more moths have been added to our state’s ever growing moth list. The two latest additions come from opposite ends of the state, one from Lincoln and the other from the Scotts Bluff area.

On August 11 Colin Croft found a neat Geometer Moth (Glena nigricaria) in the Wildcat Hills south of Scotts Bluff. It is western in distribution with the western Nebraska record being the easternmost in the United States. Its larvae feed on pines. BugGuide post

Then a day later on August 12 Jan Olmstead sent Steve Spomer a photo of a moth which Steve identified as an Inornate Pyrausta (Pyrausta inornatalis), also new to the state and the northernmost record in the central United States.

Thanks to Colin and Jan!!

Many thanks to contributors who continue to submit moth records. This past week Jen Corman verified a Snowberry Clearwing record from Rock County. That makes 44 counties with records for a species that occurs statewide. More work to do. Good job Jen!

Mark Brogie continues to amaze. In the past week he has added two new species to Nebraska’s moth list. On July 27th he found a White-shawled Isocorypha (Isocorypha mediostriatella) in Knox Co. The other nearest records are from Missouri and Oklahoma (MPG). He followed that up on July 30th with another state record Homosetia argentinotella, also from Knox County (nearest record – Oklahoma!). Those two moths put Mark’s personal moth species list at over 800 for the state and over 700 in Knox County (most from his yard in Creighton).

Keep up the good work!!