A couple more October county records to report: On October 16 Colin Croft photographed a Crescent butterfly in the Wildcat Hills of southern Scotts Bluff County. We forwarded the photograph to Steve Spomer at UNL who shared it with other experts and identified it as a Mylitta Crescent (Phyciodes mylitta). Scotts Bluff County is onlyContinue reading “Just when you thought it was over …”
Tag Archives: Marine Blue
End of the Season Blues
Although most of Nebraska has seen a frost a few hardier plants and butterflies are still hanging on for our viewing pleasure. So the following sightings might not be the last county records for 2022. On October 11 Lori Tomes spotted a Marine Blue (Leptotes marina) in Fremont which was a Dodge County record. ThisContinue reading “End of the Season Blues”
More Marine Blues, Pt. 2
Since our last post on Marine Blues (Leptotes marina) a week ago observers have come through with sightings from eight additional new counties. Diane Miller found them on alfalfa in Boone and Madison counties, Joanne Langabee and Holly Hoffreiter recorded the species while doing a butterfly survey at Homestead National Monument east of Beatrice inContinue reading “More Marine Blues, Pt. 2”
More Marine Blues
While most other butterflies have passed their peak numbers, the same cannot be said for Marine Blues. This past weekend five observers reported Marine Blues from six counties where they had not been previously reported. Colin Croft found one in Banner County in the far southern reaches of Wildcat Hills SRA. Jonathan Nikkila found themContinue reading “More Marine Blues”
Marine Blue found in Scotts Bluff County
On July 19 Colin Croft was exploring Buffalo Creek Wildlife Management Area in southern Scotts Bluff County when he came across a Marine Blue (Leptotes marina) which hadn’t previously been found in Scotts Bluff County. Marine Blues stray to our area from their southern home range and breed continuously (feeding on various legumes) once arrivingContinue reading “Marine Blue found in Scotts Bluff County”
Firey Skippers and Marine Blues – One Last Time?
OK, you’re probably getting tired of hearing about them but that is about all that is flying that is even slightly interesting. Saturday I accompanied Jen for a day on the Junk Jaunt. Our first stop was at a multi vendor location along NE Highway 2 in Ansley. One of the vendors was selling plantsContinue reading “Firey Skippers and Marine Blues – One Last Time?”
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”
Alfalfa Rules/Six New County Records
This past weekend Jennifer, I and the dog made a road trip to fill in a few gaps in the maps while the weather was still nice. We traveled to the Norfolk area with the number one goal of finding a Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice) in Boone County, the lone remaining county where it hadContinue reading “Alfalfa Rules/Six New County Records”
First Record of Giant Swallowtail in Garfield County and the Beginning (maybe) of the late Summer Southern Invasion
On July 30 René McMullen sent a picture of a swallowtail butterfly she took in Garfield County to her nephew (and my friend) Jon Nikkila. Jon correctly identified it as a Giant Swallowtail (Heraclides cresphontes). Upon checking the records it was discovered that this butterfly had not yet been recorded from that county. Jon noted thatContinue reading “First Record of Giant Swallowtail in Garfield County and the Beginning (maybe) of the late Summer Southern Invasion”
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”