Category Archives: mudding

More Insects

Posted on July 27, 2021 by the roused bear

Summer allows me to get out, sometimes for just a few minutes a day and sometimes for much longer. The critters that are out are not too rare, but can be quite spectacular never the less. These cabbage white butterflies … Continue reading →

Posted in Biological diversity, butterflies, damselflies, mudding, Silver-spotted skipper, Uncategorized | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Yesterday’s Bugs

Posted on April 18, 2021 by the roused bear

Yesterday I went to Elk Rock State Park in southern Iowa to do some butterfly photography. This park has good numbers of a small, seldom seen butterfly called Henry’s elfin. This butterfly is found where its caterpillar hostplant, redbud, occurs … Continue reading →

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Butterfly Forecast for Central Iowa–June, 2020

Posted on June 1, 2020 by the roused bear

May gave us wet, cool weather following a late spring. We had a few warm days with a surprising number of butterflies, but most days had few on the wing. I expect that to change pretty soon as the season … Continue reading →

Posted in butterflies, clouded sulfur, eastern tailed-blue, mudding, pearl crescent, Silver-spotted skipper | Tagged , | Leave a comment

More Bugs

Posted on June 5, 2016 by the roused bear

I chased some more insects today. This tawny-edged skipper, Polites themistocles, was spending time around a mud puddle, but perched on a small weed briefly. The northern pearly-eye, Enodia anthedon, emerged from a shady area along the path and sought … Continue reading →

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Recent Butterflies

Posted on July 23, 2015 by the roused bear

I have been lucky enough to have some time to photograph butterflies recently, and here are a few I have seen. This red-spotted purple was at The Ledges on Sunday. This eastern tiger swallowtail was visiting a wild bergamot in … Continue reading →

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Why does the Monarch Hide its Eyes?

Posted on September 20, 2014 by the roused bear

I have been taking photographs of butterflies for a long time, and I have some photos that I consider pretty good.  However, I have had a hard time getting photos that I really like of monarchs.  I think I figured … Continue reading →

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Back at the Mud Flats

Posted on July 22, 2012 by the roused bear

I revisited the same muddy shoreline that I visited yesterday at Lincoln Access, along Saylorville Reservoir in Iowa. Two bumblebees were still working the remnants of a cattail plant.  Their pollen baskets are loaded. A weevil wandered along the dried … Continue reading →

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Butterflies “mudding”

Posted on August 16, 2010 by the roused bear

A few days ago after a short rain I ran across these butterflies mudding in the road.  They are mostly clouded sulfurs, but there is a little yellow in the group as well.

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Road Hunting for Butterflies

Posted on August 4, 2010 by the roused bear

We had over three inches of rain this morning–saturating the gravel roads around here. That makes great conditions for butterflies–the engage in a behavior called “mudding”.  Most of the butterflies which do this are males.   They stand on the wet … Continue reading →

Posted in butterflies, eastern tailed-blue, mudding, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment