In the latest “Journal of the Lepidopterists’ Society” Steve Spomer (recently retired from UNL) has described a new subspecies of the Taxiles Skipper – Lon taxiles albimaculatus. For those of you struggling to keep up with the latest taxonomy Lon has replaced Poanes for some members of the genus, taxiles included. The type locality (seeContinue reading “New subspecies described from Nebraska – Lon (Poanes) taxiles albimaculatus”
Category Archives: Learning About Butterflies
William Lewis Carpenter – Nebraska’s First Lepidopterist
While perhaps not the first lepidopterist, the earliest known listing of butterflies in Nebraska comes from W. L. Carpenter way back in 1880. Mr. Carpenter was born in Dunkirk New York in 1844 and served first in the US Navy and later the Army during the Civil War. After the war the Army reassigned himContinue reading “William Lewis Carpenter – Nebraska’s First Lepidopterist”
Megathymus yuccae – Yucca Giant Skipper
If you’ve followed me through my big year effort last year this might be a little deja vu from one of my first posts last year. But this year I found a neat video link about this critter from Dr. Andrew Warren at the University of Florida. One neat side note (for me) – Dr.Continue reading “Megathymus yuccae – Yucca Giant Skipper”
Hesperia leonardus pawnee Dodge 1874 Another butterfly described from NE
This is probably one of my favorite group of butterflies (skippers actually). Members of the genus Hesperia are native prairie specialists. Finding any of them today is to rediscover habitat roughly unchanged from what white settlers first encountered when entering our area in the early 1800s. They are the insect equivalents of the American Bison.Continue reading “Hesperia leonardus pawnee Dodge 1874 Another butterfly described from NE”
Butterflies with Type Localities in Nebraska: Lycaena rubidus longi K. Johnson and Balogh, 1977
Pardon my neglect in putting out new material. I’ve been learning some new mapping software to make new distribution maps for Nebraska’s 200+ species (the last ones for the state were put out in 2004/05). I’ve also been comparing notes with Steve Spomer to synchronize our data. So hopefully it will all be worth it.Continue reading “Butterflies with Type Localities in Nebraska: Lycaena rubidus longi K. Johnson and Balogh, 1977”
Butterflies with Type Localities in Nebraska – Smoky Eyed Brown – Lethe eurydice fumosus (Leussler 1916)
This is another butterfly Richard Leussler (that man again – see Jan 8 post) named, this time as a subspecies. The name he originally gave the butterfly was Satyrodes canthus n. v. fumosus but the genus was later changed to Lethe and the species to eurydice. So the current name is Lethe eurydice fumosus (Leussler,Continue reading “Butterflies with Type Localities in Nebraska – Smoky Eyed Brown – Lethe eurydice fumosus (Leussler 1916)”
Butterflies with Type Localities in Nebraska – Bernadetta Checkerspot (Euphydryas anicia bernadetta)
Staying on the theme of butterflies with type localities in Nebraska, back in 1920 Richard A Leussler (that man again – see Jan 8 post) described what he believed to be a new species of Checkerspot which he called Euphydryas bernadetta. In the years since the powers that be have decided that it is actuallyContinue reading “Butterflies with Type Localities in Nebraska – Bernadetta Checkerspot (Euphydryas anicia bernadetta)”
Butterflies with Type Localities in Nebraska – Nebraska and Kohler’s Fritillaries with an updated distribution map
Let’s revisit a theme from the Jan 2 post (butterflies with type localities in Nebraska). The Silver-bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene) currently has eight named subspecies spread across the northern half of the United States. Among these eight two are named from type localities in Nebraska. The first B. selene nebraskensis (W. Holland, 1928) was namedContinue reading “Butterflies with Type Localities in Nebraska – Nebraska and Kohler’s Fritillaries with an updated distribution map”
Found one time in Nebraska – The Hermit (Grais stigmaticus)
On 9/20/2005 Doug Long found another butterfly (skipper actually) in the state for the first time. This time is was a Hermit (Grais stigmaticus) which he found near Holbrook in Furnas County. While certainly not the most colorful “butterfly” in Nebraska (many people would have mistaken it for a moth) Doug alertly noticed the yellowContinue reading “Found one time in Nebraska – The Hermit (Grais stigmaticus)”
Found one time in Nebraska – Cobweb Skipper (Hesperia metea)
Back on May 2 1989 I was looking to get outside for a spring butterfly outing. Harlan County Reservoir was just an hour away so off I went. I parked in the lot at the south end of the dam and started checking the chokecherry, lilac and aromatic sumac flowers which were all in bloom.Continue reading “Found one time in Nebraska – Cobweb Skipper (Hesperia metea)”