Category Archives: Junonia coenia

The Dance of Life

Posted on August 6, 2017 by

Butterflies have a little dance they do prior to mating (or sometimes prior to not mating).  It often includes shimmering, shaking, and flying around in circling chases.  I saw two silver-spotted skippers in the dance this morning. They started in … Continue reading →

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Failing at Butterflies (but working through it)

Posted on July 4, 2017 by

There is an old saying that a bad day fishing beats a good day at work.  The same is true about chasing butterflies.  Still, when you do something you love to do there are times it just does not work … Continue reading →

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Highly Modified Nature

Posted on July 10, 2016 by

Yesterday I did some photography along Saylorville Reservoir.  This is a flood-control reservoir on the Des Moines River. From an ecological standpoint, flood control reservoirs are a really bad idea.  They create environments that are highly modified by man.  Still, … Continue reading →

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A Brushfoot Fetish

Posted on August 31, 2015 by

The Nymphalidae family of butterflies are called brushfoot butterflies because the front pair of legs are greatly reduced and the hairs on those legs remind some people of little brushes.  The legs are difficult to spot in the field, but … Continue reading →

Posted in butterflies, common buckeye, Junonia coenia, pearl crescent, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

What I Did on My (Involuntary, Unpaid) Vacation

Posted on October 8, 2013 by

As an employee of the State of Iowa in a federally supported position, the government shutdown has affected me.  As of now, I am laid off for fifteen work days.  That may change, but I expect to be out money … Continue reading →

Posted in butterflies, dragonflies, Junonia coenia, widow skimmer | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Last Butterfly of the Year?

Posted on November 7, 2011 by

We had a warm (for this time of year) sunny day today.  I like to walk over my lunch break, and when I do, I count butterflies.  The days I could go last week were too cool, so I didn’t … Continue reading →

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More Butterflies

Posted on October 9, 2011 by

I spent a very enjoyable afternoon at a private prairie near New Virginia, Iowa today.  Today was in the 80’s–probably our last day of the year with these unseasonably warm temperatures. This was a silver-spotted skipper.  This common buckeye has very … Continue reading →

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History of the Butterfly, Part 37: Henry’s List

Posted on November 6, 2010 by

In the April, 1870 edition of American Entomologist and Botanist, Henry W. Parker published a list of butterflies found in Iowa.  It included a list of butterflies previously reported by Mr. Samuel Scudder as having been found in Iowa, and thirteen species … Continue reading →

Posted in butterflies, butterfly surveys, clouded sulfur, common buckeye, eastern tailed-blue, gray hairstreak, Junonia coenia, little yellow, monarch, oarisma poweshiek, pearl crescent, question mark, The History of the Butterfly, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Another View of the Snake on a Buckeye

Posted on August 24, 2010 by

On August 14th I posted a couple of photos and mentioned how you can see a snake on the upper surface of a buckeye’s wings.  Monday I took a photograph that shows it better. Still can’t see it?  Sometimes it … Continue reading →

Posted in butterflies, common buckeye, common buckeye, Junonia coenia | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Can You See the Snake?

Posted on August 14, 2010 by

A few years ago I had a butterfly calendar.  I had it on the wall on the other side of my office.  Sometime after I had changed to the month that had a common buckeye on it, I happened to … Continue reading →

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