Master Naturalist Colin Croft contacted me to report another county record for the Dainty Sulfur (Nathalis iole), this one from Scotts Bluff County where he has sighted/photographed it on numerous occasions. Many thanks Colin!! That leaves eight counties without iole records. We likely won’t get them knocked out this year but be on the lookoutContinue reading “Another Dainty Sulfur Record”
Tag Archives: Dainty Sulphur
Firey Skipper and Marine Blue Alert
This past weekend Jon Nikkila and Jen and I both found Firey Skippers (Hylephila phyleus) in previously unrecorded counties, Jon in Valley County and Jen and I in Polk County. In addition both Jon and I have seen Marine Blues (Leptotes marina) in our yards here in Buffalo County. Last weekend I saw one inContinue reading “Firey Skipper and Marine Blue Alert”
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”
Hunt for Henry’s Elfin Larval Hostplants
What a strange spring (but what does a “normal” spring look like). Once in a while a nice “butterfly day” followed by another week of cold weather. I guess it’s been several weeks ago Jen and I made our annual spring pilgrimage to Harlan County Reservoir to kick off butterfly season. We were met thereContinue reading “Hunt for Henry’s Elfin Larval Hostplants”
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”
Crescent Lake/Ash Hollow Trip – 18 species, 6 new
Jen and I decided to visit the Crescent Lake area north of Oshkosh in hopes of crossing Lupine Blues, Giant Yucca and Uncas Skippers off my big year list. To cut two hours off the three and one half hour trip we traveled as far as Ogallala the night before. That also enabled us toContinue reading “Crescent Lake/Ash Hollow Trip – 18 species, 6 new”
Platte River Bottom Lands – Alda to Wood River
Chris Helzer sent me a skipper picture Wednesday which he had correctly ided as Peck’s Skipper (Polites peckius). He’d taken the pic at a Nature Conservancy tract south of Alda and he commented that they were not uncommon there. As I had not yet sighted that skipper this year and it was only an hour’sContinue reading “Platte River Bottom Lands – Alda to Wood River”