This past Saturday (August 14) Jon Nikkila and I drove the back roads of the loess hills south of North Platte in search of Baird’s Swallowtails. We found none which, unless there is a late discovery makes this the second consecutive year without a Baird’s sighting. During our travels we decided to check out WapitiContinue reading “Painted Crescents by the Dozens!”
Tag Archives: Lincoln County
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”
2020 – A look back (Season Summary)
Every year I compile a Season Summary to submit to the Lepidopterists’ Society highlighting new county/state records for butterflies, new moth species for the state and anything other interesting finds. I’ll briefly summarize what I reported this year. 2020 turned out to be a pretty good year diversity wise. Roughly a dozen observers recorded 113Continue reading “2020 – A look back (Season Summary)”
102 species – Season Recap
So I guess with snow and temps in the teens that butterfly season is officially over. Despite late season trips to the North Loup, Niobrara and Republican Rivers I’ve been stuck on 102 species since just before Labor Day. So 102 species it is. That exceeds what I expected thanks in large part to myContinue reading “102 species – Season Recap”
White-M Hairstreak
Joanne Langabee and her friend Holly have been doing weekly butterfly surveys at Fonenelle Forest and Lauritzen Gardens for a few years now (three and five years respectively). In doing so they have observed the comings and goings of quite a number of species and gotten a handle on when and where a particular speciesContinue reading “White-M Hairstreak”
Working for Them – 3 Days, 3 Species
Day 1 – Friday July 3rd I decided it was time to cross Little Wood Satyr (Megisto cymela) off my list before they disappeared for the season. Their normal flight period is mid June to early July so there was not much time to spare. They inhabit open woodlands/woodland margins. My spot of last resortContinue reading “Working for Them – 3 Days, 3 Species”
Return to Box Elder/Jeffry Canyon WMAs – Three new species and a “midden”
After being stuck on 23 species for the year for 12 days due to the cold snap and still stinging from being shut out at the Scotia Chalk Mine I made another trip to Lincoln county to check out Box Elder WMA for third time this year. It took till noon for the morning cloudsContinue reading “Return to Box Elder/Jeffry Canyon WMAs – Three new species and a “midden””
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”
First trip of 2020 season
April 11, 2020 Jon Nikkila, his sons and I went on a trip to Box Elder SWMA in Lincoln County (in two cars practicing social distancing) Saturday April 11 for our initial foray for Lepidoptera. The weather was nice, with temps in the 70s, but of course windy. It was early for most flying Lepidoptera,Continue reading “First trip of 2020 season”