Monthly Archives: August 2014

Why They Call Them Brushfoot Butterflies

Posted on August 22, 2014 by the roused bear

This is a male pearl crescent, Phyciodes tharos. Butterflies are insects, and insects have six legs, right?  But this one only seems to have four. Pearl crescents belong to a family of butterflies, Nymphalidae or nymphalids.  The group is also … Continue reading →

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The Other Color

Posted on August 18, 2014 by the roused bear

A couple of days ago I posted a photograph of a female eastern tiger swallowtail.  I should have been a little more specific in my description–it was the yellow form. Eastern tiger swallowtails have two different forms (or morphs) of … Continue reading →

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On a Better Day for Butterflies

Posted on August 17, 2014 by the roused bear

Today was a good day for butterflies–certainly better than yesterday.  I spent some time walking the prairie and the roadside and found some good ones.   This is a Peck’s skipper, Polites peckius. A nice silver-spotted skipper, Epargyreus clarus.   … Continue reading →

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A Good Butterfly on a Bad Day for Butterflies

Posted on August 16, 2014 by the roused bear

This morning I wanted to take pictures of butterflies but the weather was not right for it.  It had been rainy and misty, and while the rain had stopped the ground was still wet and it was still cloudy.  I … Continue reading →

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What Does a Butterfly Know About Death?

Posted on August 11, 2014 by the roused bear

I walked past a dead orange sulfur butterfly along the road.  It is not such an unusual sight, and who knows what kills them.  I would guess it was a victim of traffic. But as I traveled on, I saw … Continue reading →

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The Silver-Spotted Skipper

Posted on August 9, 2014 by the roused bear

The silver-spotted skipper, Epargyreus clarus, has been missing around here this year.  Today I spotted a few working the wild bergamot. They spend ten seconds or less on each flower, but usually don’t move too far to the next, so … Continue reading →

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Green-eyed Lady

Posted on August 7, 2014 by the roused bear

I just got back from a work trip to Camp Ripley in central Minnesota.  I took the opportunity to visit some local wild areas there after work.  There is a SNA site called The Ripley Esker.  I was mainly chasing … Continue reading →

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We are Butterfly Bait

Posted on August 2, 2014 by the roused bear

I hadn’t seen my brother Carl in several months, and I was getting the urge to chase butterflies near where he lives.  So I called him up.  Carl brought his son John and I brought my son Max.  I was … Continue reading →

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