BUTTERFLIES of the Trails and Fields at Rice Creek Field Station State University of New York at Oswego
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SNEAK A PEEK INSIDE... A Guide to the BUTTERFLIES of the Trails and Fields at Rice Creek Field Station State University of New York at Oswego Michael Holy - August 2010 Compton Tortoise Shell (Nymphalis vau-album) Nymphalidae Description: [L] Various shades of brown with black and white markings above. Compton Tortoise Shell Underside is a dark gray with a silver comma on its hindwing. (Nymphalis vau-album) Interesting Fact: This species is known to aestivate (“hibernate”) during the hottest Nymphalidae weeks of summer. Best Observed: Area around Herb Garden, wooded Red Trail between the upper field and parking lot. Milbert’s Tortoise Shell (Nymphalis milberti) Nymphalidae Description: [M] Orange bands across black wings above with blue spots along edge of hindwing. Milbert’s Tortoise Shell Interesting Fact: In flight this species is easily mistaken for a Comma or Question (Nymphalis milberti) Nymphalidae Mark despite its wing colors. Best Observed: Herb Garden, Beaver Meadow on Green Trail, and open fields nectaring Milkweed, Joe-pye Weed, and Purple Loosestrife, June through August. Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) Nymphalidae Description: [L] Wings above are a rich brown black color bordered with blue spots and a pale yellow band. Mourning Cloak Interesting Fact: A true hibernator, this species can be observed in wood settings on (Nymphalis antiopa) Nymphalidae warm early spring days with snow still on the ground. Best Observed: Woods in spring, fields and all trails in summer, April through early November . White Admiral ( Limenitis arthemis) Nymphalidae Description: [L] White bands interrupt a black/brown wing color. White Admiral Interesting Fact: A variant, the Red-spotted Purple, lacks the white wing bands, (Limenitis arthemis) Nymphalidae substituting a blue green metallic hue. Best Observed: At Herb garden and along woods-bordered areas of the Green, Red, and Blue Trails, from June through early September. Viceroy ( Limenitis archippus) Nymphalidae Description: [L] Wing shape like White Admiral, but with orange and black color of Monarch. It possesses an additional black band on the hindwing. Viceroy Interesting Fact: This is the butterfly that mimics the distasteful Monarch. Best Observed: Late June through early October in open areas along all trails. (Limenitis archippus) Nymphalidae Monarch ( Danaus plexippus) Nymphalidae Description: [L] Larger than the Viceroy; lacks black band on inner hindwing. Interesting Fact: In the autumn Eastern U.S. Monarchs migrate all the way to Mexico. In spring they only make a partial trip back. It is their offspring that actually return north. Best Observed: All locations except the mature woods of the Blue and Red Trails. Look for it from late May to mid October. Monarch (Danaus plexippus) Nymphalidae 14 15 Species Checklist Species Checklist cont’d This list includes all butterfly species observed from transect studies by Dr. Peter This list includes all butterfly species observed from transect studies by Dr. Peter Weber, Nicholas Weber, and Michael Holy from 1996 through 2009. Weber, Nicholas Weber, and Michael Holy from 1996 through 2009. Papilionidae Nymphalidae ___ Black Swallowtail ___ Canadian Tiger Swallowtail ___ Snout Butterfly ___ American Lady (Papilio polyxenes) (Papilio canandensis) (Libytheana carinenta) (Vanessa virginiensis) ___ Giant Swallowtail ___ Spicebush Swallowtail ___ Variegated Fritillary ___ Painted Lady (Papilio cresphontes) (Papilio troilus) (Euptoieta claudia) (Vanessa cardui) ___ Eastern Tiger Swallowtail ___ Great Spangled Fritillary ___ Red Admiral (Papilio glaucus) (Speyeria cybele) (Vanessa atalanta) ___ Atlantis Fritillary ___ Common Buckeye Pieridae (Speyeria atlantis) (Junonia coenia) ___ West Virginia White ___ Orange Sulphur ___ Aphrodite Fritillary ___ White Admiral (Pieris virginiensis) (Colias eurytheme) (Speyeria Aphrodite) (Limenitis arthemis arthemis) ___ Cabbage white ___ Dainty Sulphur ___ Pearl Crescent ___ Red Spotted Purple (Pieris rapae) (Nathalis iole) (Phyciodes tharos) (Limenitis arthemis astyanax) ___ Clouded Sulphur ___ Northern Crescent ___ Viceroy (Colias philodice) (Phyciodes selenis) (Limenitis archippus) ___ Baltimore Checkerspot ___ Northern Pearly-eye Lycaenidae (Euphydryas phaeton) (Enodia anthedon) ___ Harvester ___ Striped Hairstreak ___ Question Mark ___ Eyed Brown (Feniseca tarquinius) (Satyrium liparops) (Polygonia interrogationis) (Satyrodes eurydice) ___ American Copper ___ Gray Hairstreak ___ Eastern Comma ___ Appalachian Brown (Lycaena phlaeas) (Strymon melinus) (Polygonia comma) (Satyrodes appalachia) ___ Bronze Copper ___ Eastern Tailed-Blue ___ Grey Comma ___ Little Wood-Satyr (Lycaena hyllus) (Everes comyntas) (Polygonia progne) (Megisto cymela) ___ Coral Hairstreak ___ Spring Azure ___ Compton Tortoise Shell ___ Common Ringlet (Satyrium titus) (Celastrina ladon ladon) (Nymphalis vau-album) (Coenonympha tullia) ___ Hickory Hairstreak ___ Summer Azure ___ Mourning Cloak ___ Common Wood-Nymph (Satyrium caryaevorum) (Celastrina ladon neglecta) (Nymphalis antiopa) (Cercyonis pegala) ___ Banded Hairstreak ___ Milbert’s Tortoise ___ Monarch (Satyrium calanus) (Nymphalis milberti) (Danaus plexippus) 22 23.