Roadside Skipper found in Scotts Bluff County

August 10 Colin Croft took a picture of a couple of Roadside Skippers (Amblyscirtes vialis) in a ravine in the Wildcat Hills in Scotts Bluff County where they had not previously been reported. Congratulations and a thank you to Colin. This butterfly is still unreported from roughly one third of Nebraska counties. While most commonContinue reading “Roadside Skipper found in Scotts Bluff County”

2020 Niobrara Valley Preserve Butterfly Count Results

Due to the Corona virus and other scheduling issues this year’s annual Niobrara Valley Preserve butterfly count was a two day affair by two different teams. On July 11 Jonathan Nikkila and his son Bennett covered a majority of the count. Jen and I followed that up on July 15 covering the remainder of theContinue reading “2020 Niobrara Valley Preserve Butterfly Count Results”

Harlan County Spring Trip

Ever since finding the first and only specimen of the Cobweb Skipper (Hesperia metea) in Nebraska at this site on May 2 1989 I’ve frequently revisited this location trying to recapture lightning in a bottle (or a skipper in a net) but to no avail. But over the years I’ve found quite an interesting mixContinue reading “Harlan County Spring Trip”

Return to Box Elder WMA

On May 3 I met Jon Nikkila at Box Elder SWMA in Lincoln county for a second look at this WMA. Our first visit was very early (April 11) and we looked almost exclusively for Giant Yucca Skipper tents (of which we found two) along with one Olympia Marblewing. This trip the main target speciesContinue reading “Return to Box Elder WMA”

Road trip to Indian Cave State Park

Welcome back!!  Since our initial April 11 foray to Box Elder SWMA (where we found two species) winter has been back to central Nebraska several times and spring seems to be on hold.  But my wife Jen and I did find two new species (for 2020) at Sandy Channel SRA where we walk – a checkered skipper andContinue reading “Road trip to Indian Cave State Park”