2 Learning about Butterflies

3 What Is a Butterfly? 3 Looking at a Butterfly 4 Male or Female Butterfly? Butterfly Conservation 5 Kinds of Butterflies A New Consciousness about Butterflies Gardening ToAttract Butterflies Contents 8 Butterfly Life Cycle 8 Complete Metamorphosis Suggested Projects for Personal Discovery 8 Egg Regional Explorations 10 Caterpillar Species Focus 11 Chrysalis 12 Adult Natural History and Behavioral Themes 12 Parasitoids, Predators, and Diseases Analytical Life History Table 13 Passing the Winter References and Resources 14 Growing Butterflies Butterfly Identification

15 Butterfly Habitats, Ecology, and Behavior Butterfly Manuals 15 Habitat Associations Miscellaneous References on Butterflies 16 Larval-Food Plant Interactions Butterfly Gardening Seasonal Appearance Photography Behavior Plant Identification Sources A ctive Periods Societies and Clubs Basking Collecting Equipment and Supplies Adult Feeding Territoriality Appendices Court.ship, Mating, and Oviposition Dispersal and Migration A. Updated List of New York State Butterflies Sheltering and Roosting B. Larval Food Plants of Some Common New York Butterflies C. Flowers Attractive to Butterflies described and at least skeletal life histories known, there is a need for focused studies of life histories, Learning abozct Bzctterfes distributions, behavior, and ecology. A well-known naturalist from the Butterflies, because of their beauty Saugerties, New York, area, Spider and mystique, are our most visible Barbour, has written a "Nature insects. Their images appear in Walk" column for the Woodstock clothing, jewelry, advertisements, Times for many years. In his 17 May magazines, movies, books, literature, 1979 column he reported fascinating and on television. In warm seasons, details about the falcate orange tip, living butterflies attract our atten- one of the loveliest and most tion as they sip nectar from flowers, mysterious butterflies of the North- lazily fly by, or spiral together east: "The falcate orange tip is an upward in the air. Entire museums elusive butterfly. I've been chasing and conservatories are devoted to it for four years now. Call it research helping us learn about their life or just craziness. It's all the butter- pattern. Great museum collections fly's doing. The butterfly raises the house millions of butterfly speci- questions, the butterfly gives the mens from all over the world, answers; I just watch and say 'ahah!' striving to record their diversity in and 'hmmm."' an ever-shrinking natural landscape. In this booklet we will pose a Butterflies are familiar, fascinating, number of questions about butter- and admired, but few people really flies, and suggest specific activities know them well. or strategies for finding the answers. Learning about butterflies is not Our purpose is to teach you to ask difficult. Today's lepidopterists the questions (or to look to the have available a large variety of butterfly to pose them, as Spider has books that provide basic information done so successfully), and develop on butterflies (see References your own methods of investigation. section). Most books emphasize We hope this will help you discover identification, describe the butterfly new facts about butterflies, and fauna of a limited area, or tell how to encourage a lifelong interest in and garden to encourage their presence. respect and love for these beautiful Very few books, however, detail the small animals that share our world. natural history and ecology of butterflies. With northeastern North American butterflies now thoroughly The head bears a pair of clubbed or hook-tipped antennae between the two large compoundeyes. Examine The abdomen has 10 segments, with your lens. Can you see a hint of some difficult to see without the hundreds of facet, appearing on dissection. The abdomen contains the surface of the eyes? Theprobos- the digestive tract and reproductive cis is a slender, straw-like mouth that organs; the latter include an oviposi- is coiled against the head when not tor in females and paired claspen in being used to suck up liquids. The males (Fig. I), located at the end of pa/ps, a pair of accessory mouthparts, the abdomen. Neither is easy to see are attached on either side of the in butterflies. proboscis. Use your lens to see these Looking at a Butteffly structures on your butterfly. For this section you will need a The thorax has three segments Figure 1. AduH structure. Male swallowtail butterfly to examine. A living (which may be hidden under hairs). with parts labelled. Note prominent specimen is ideal. (The ubiquitous Each segment bears a pair of jointed claspers at end of abdomen. cabbage white works very well.) legs. Notice the tarsi or "feet" and Confine a living butterfly in a large their tiny claws, with which the transparent jar and chill in the butterfly clings to surfaces. The tarsi refrigerator or on ice for half an hour also bear the organs of taste. The to slow its activity and permit easy wings attach to the two rear thoracic observation. Road-killed butterflies segments. Their often-beautiful or other dead specimens also work colors result from a covering of tiny well for this activity. A 10X or 20X shingle-like scales (Fig. 3). Do you see scales of different sizes or shapes hand lens or 2 112 X magnifying glass HEAD (front view) will help you see body parts more on your example? Are there scales, easily (Fig. 1). or only hairs, covering the body? If you have a dissecting microscope Like other insects, butterflies have available, as in a science lab or three main body divisions: the head, classroom, it will help you see the thorax, and abdomen. How many wing scales, although your hand lens pairs of legs do you see? Six legs are should permit rudimentary examina- standard for insects, but you may tion. These wing scales give butter- think you see only two pairs if your flies and moths their order name, example is a nymphalid or danaid, or Lepidoptera, which comes from two male lycaenid or libytheid (see Greek words, lepidos for scale and Kinds of Butterflies, pages 5-7). In ptemn for wing. Of course, couching these groups, the forelegs are the wings rubs off the scales and reduced and may not be obvious mars their beauty. without a closer look. There should be two pairs of wings as well. How doyou know your lepidopteran Male or Female Butterfly? is a butterfly?Some moths closely How can you tell the sex of a resemble butterflies and are active butterfly?With somespecies this is during daylight hours. Thebest way very easy, inothers the differences to tell is to look closelyat the are more subtle, andwith a few it is antennae(Fies. . 1.. 2).. Is there a knob . .. -- . ,, quite difficult. at the tip?All butterflies and skippers have a swellingat the end Todiscover sexual differences, Figure 3. Butterfly of their antennae,but almost no examineseveral specimensof the androconia. Male moths do. Generallywe can say that same species. These may be a wild- monarchs have an butterflies are daytimefliers, they caught series, oryou might grow a androconium, a are brightly colored,and that their dozen from larvae and closely conspicuous black bodies are not so hairy as those of examine the adults, about half of spot on one of the moths. But there are exceptions to which should be male and half hind wing veins all of these. female. (Asection in the next (arrow), shown chapterhas some noteson rearing.) enlarged at the If you have been looking at a live Can you separate the butterflies into bottom. The butterfly, allow it to warm up again two groups?Look especiallyfor specialized scales and release it outdoorswhen you contrasts inforelegs, abdomen size, produce a have finished. pheromone (scent) ! that is released ' during courtship. Note the regular rows of scales between the wing veins.

wing markings,wing shape, textural evidentat the end of the abdomen differences in wing scales, and in swallowtailsand some other overall size of the butterfly. butterflies (see Fig. 1). Claspers occur onlyin males, and are used to Figure 2. Male or female butterfly?In Generally,female butterflies are grasp the female during mating. general, female butterflies (left) average larger in wingspan and individual This character is not easily seen in slightly larger, have fatter abdomens, and wing size than males of the same many butterflies, however. have less angular, more rounded wing kind. Some female butterflies have than males (right). Sexual or seasonal more roundedwings than males of Many species aresmual/y dimorphic dimorphism, unique for each species, may their species. Theirabdomens, (males and females are markedor also aid in separating males from females. containinglarge numbersof eggs, colored differently).Some females (See Fig. 1 for an illustration of claspers and are fatterand heavier than the are less brightly colored,or not as Fig. 3 for androconia, other sexual slender onesof males (Fig.2). boldly marked. Theclouded sulphur differences in males.) Prominentpincher-like claspers are and alfalfa butterfly are thorphic (three color forms) due to a frequent Guide Butterfliesand Moths by Family groups used in this publication follow recent checklists albino (white)form of the female Mitchell and Zim (see References) (see References): (Fig. 4c). Polyphenism(seasonal color has excellent illustrations of female forms) adds anotherdimension to and male differencesfor many Hesperiidae - skippers separating butterfliesby sex. species. Papilionidae - swallowtails Differences in forelegs in female Pieridae - whites, sulphurs, and orange tips and male butterflies of certain Kinds of Butterflies families are mentioned under Kinds Lycaenidae - gossamer-winged butterflies,including of Butterflies. (Be sure the forelegs Butterflies are grouped by specific Miletinae = Gerydinae - harvesters have not somehow been broken off.) shared characteristics.Eleven Lycaeninae coppers These are useful clues to sex of the butterfly families (some divided into - insects. subfamilies) are recognized from Theclinae- hairstreaks and elfins northeastern North America. Family Polyommatinae= Plebeiinae - blues On the hind wing, male monarchs names end with "-idae," the sub- have a "sex patch," aconspicuous families with "-inae" (for example, Riodinidae - metalmarks black spot consisting of specialized Lycaenidae = the family; Theclinae Libytheidae- snout butterflies androconialscales(prominent scent and Lycaeninae = subfamiliesin this scales) which females lack (Fig. 3). family). Heliconiidae- long-wings or heliconians Male skippers may have a fold along Nymphalidae brush-footed butterflies,including the costa (front edge of the forewing, Thesystem of scientific names we - see Fig.1). Male hairstreaks and use was developed by Carolus Argynninae - fritillaries elfins may have a "sex-patch" Linnaeus of Sweden, who published Melitaeinae - cresents and checkerspots his SystemaNaturae in 1758.It is a (stigma)on the forewing upper Nymphalinae - anglewings, tortoiseshells, vanessids,buckeyes surface, quite different in texture binomial (two-name)system, Limenitinae viceroys, purples, admirals from the surrounding area; female consisting of a genus name, always - hairstreaks lack this. Sulphurs, capitalized, and a species name, as Apaturidae - hackberry butterflies whites, swallowtails, wood nymphs, in Papiliopolyxenes.(Note that both Satyridae browns, satyrs, wood nymphs, arctics and fritillaries may have more subtle names are always written in italics or - structures of this sort. All of these underlined, whereasfamily and Danaidae - milkweed butterflies, monarchs. produce and release pheromones subfamily names are not.) The (scents) used by the males to attract genus and speciesof butterflies are females during courtship. Scott's written in Latin or latinized Greek, Briefdetails on each of thesegroupsfollow. book on Butterfliesof NodAmerica and this scientific name is recog- (see References) has a detailed nized worldwide. Subspecies names discussion, with illustrations,of are sometimes used with butterflies, butterfly androconia. . giving a trinomial (three names), for example, Papiliopolyxenes asterius. With sufficientpractice you develop Common names, although locally a sort of "sixth sense" for recogniz- useful, may differ from areato area. ing a butterfly's sex. Although at Scientific and commonnames of times frustrating, the challenge of New York State butterflies are given this area of butterfly study provides in Appendix A. a fertile avenue for independent discovery. TheGolden Nature The HESPERllDAE(skippers; Fig. 4aX)are small stout-bodied The LYCAENIDAE(gossamer-winged butterflies;Fig. 4d) are a very butterflies that fly with a rapid, erratic skipping motion. When at large group, containinga number of subfamilies. They are small, rest, some species hold both pairs of wings flat, but others hold the delicate, often brightly colored butterflies with slender bodies and forewings and hind wings at different angles. Theantennae are white-ringed eyes and antennae.The eyes are notched about the widely separated on the head, and have stronglycurved or hooked base of the antennae. The males use four legs for walking because tips. Skipper caterpillars are usually smooth with the thorax con- their front pair is reduced, but the females use six. The larvae are stricted behind the head, resembling a "neck." They often feed flattened or slug-like, and many secrete honeydew(a sweet sticky inside a leaf shelter held together with silk, and may pupate in a fluid) that attracts ants. Thechrysalis is smooth, attached by the loose cocoon made of silk-bound leaves. Most species overwinteras cremaster, with asilken girdle about the middle. larvae in leaf shelters or structures resemblingcocoons. The silver- The Miletinae or Gerydinae (harvesters)contains only one spotted skipper, found in the larval stage on black locust and other species in the United States-the harvester or wanderer.Its larva legumes, overwintersas a pupa, and may thus be easier to study. feeds on woolly aphids and is one of the very few predaceous lepidopterans. The PAPlLlONlDAE(swallowtails; Fig.4b) are among the most TheLycaeninae (coppers)are small orange-red to brown beautiful of our butterflies-large and showy with one or more tail- butterflies with black markings, often with a coppery sheen. like extensionson each hind wing. Many speciesshow sexual Coppers are found in bogs, marshes, meadows,and along roadsides. dimoqhism(different color forms in males and females). The TheTheclinae (hairstreaks and elfins). Hairstreaks have twoor caterpillars are smooth-bodied andpossess a scent gland, the three hair-like "tails" on each hind wingand a swift darting flight. osmeterium,that can be everted from the upper portion of the thorax They are often found in meadows and along roadsides and are when the larva is disturbed (Fig. 7). Theosmeterium gives off a especially fond of milkweed nectar. Elfins lack "tails," usually occur sharp, disagreeableodor and has a protective function. The chrysa- in dry habitats, and fly early in the spring. lis (Fig. 8) is attached by the cremaster(a hooked projection) and is held upright by a silken girdle spun by the larva around the center The Polyommatinae or Plebiinae (blues) usually have the of the body. Swallowtails overwinter aschrysalids. upper surfaces of their wings blue. Females are darker, often more brownish than the males. Some species have more than one color form. Thespring azure is an example; there is considerable geo- The PlERlDAE(whites, sulphurs, and orange tips; Fig.4c) are often graphic and seasonal variation in color and size in this group. The quite common and abundant. In some seasons, mass migrations of Karner blue (Fig. 14) is an endangered butterfly in New York and these butterflies may be seen. The alfalfa butterfly (a sulphur) and New Hampshire, and is vulnerable throughoutits range. The larvae the cabbage white (a white) can be significant pests of field crops or of some blues are mymecophifous(ant loving), and have complex vegetables. Adults are small to medium size, and brightly colored- interactions with ants. yellow, orange, or white. Larvae are relatively smooth, and the chrysalis is elongate, narrow, and attached by the cremaster and a silken girdle around the midsection of its body. Females deposit The RlODlNlDAE(metalmarks; Fig. 4e) are small dark butterflies elongated tapered eggs on the host plant. Orange tips are small with metallic markingson the wings. The larvae feed on specialized white butterflies with a few dark markings, many withthe front plants confined to specific habitats. One representative of this wings tipped with orange in the males. They are relatively rare in largely tropical family barelyreaches the Northeast. the East, but several species occur in the West. The falcate orange tip is our only northeastern representativeof this group. In the The LIBYTHEIDAE(snout butterflies; Fig. 4f) are small brown Northeast, most pierids pass the winter as pupae. butterflies with long beak-like projecting palps(the "snout"). The females use all three pairs of legs for walking, but the males use two, having reduced front legs. The larvae are cylindrical, smooth, and slender-bodiedand feed on hackberry. One species, the snout, * Figure 4 appears on pages 18-19. lives in the Northeast. 6 The HELlCONllDAE(longwings or heliconians; Fig. 4g) include the mimicing bird droppings. The viceroy is the classic Batesian mimic; zebra butterfly (Heliconiuscharitonius) and gulf fritillary of the it resembles the distasteful monarch and is therefore avoided by southern Gulf States.They are rather slow-flying butterflies, with predators that have once tried to eat a monarch. Recent studies long, narrow front wings. Many are known to be distasteful to suggest that viceroys themselvesalso may be distasteful. predators. Thechrysalis, attached by the cremaster, wiggles and creaks when disturbed. Adults of this family are present in the The APATURIDAE(hackberry butterflies; Fig. 4i) include the tawny Northeast only as strays. emperor and hackberry butterfly. Bothare medium size, tawny brown or grayish-brown incolor, with black and white to yellowish- The NYMPHALIDAE(brush-footed butterflies;Fig 4h). a large family, white markings. Thefront legs are greatly reduced in both sexes. have very reduced front legs that lack claws in both sexes. Only the The tawny emperor has tailed hind wings; other species have hind and middle legs are used in walking. Many of the larvae have eyespots on the upper surface of the wings. The larvae of both our branched spines(Fig. 7); and the chrysalis, which hasconspicuous species feed on hackberry, overwinteringpartly grown. protrusions, hangs from the cremaster (Fig.8). This family is divided into several large groups: The SATYRIDAE(satyrs, browns, wood nymphs, and arctics; Fig. 4j) The Argynninae (fritillaries) are brownish-orange butterflies are small to medium size, grayish or brown butterflies with an with numerous black markings, some with silver spots on the erratic, dancing flight. Thefront legs are greatly reduced, more so undersides of the wings. The larvae of most fritillaries feed on in males than in females. Many have eye-likespots on the wings. violets. Size varies: some medium to large, others quite small. The larvae taper at both ends and have a forked "tail" on the last The Melitaeinae (crescents and checkerspots) aresmall abdominal segment (Fig. 10). They feed on grasses or sedges, and butterflies with bare eyes, and the palps are densely hairy beneath. the chrysalis is suspended by the cremaster. Three species of arctics They have a characteristiccheckerboard wing pattern of black, (genus Oeneis)are restricted to bogs and the tops of high mountains orange, and white. The caterpillars feed on asters and related in the Northeast. Satyrs hibernate as larvae (Fig. 10). plants. The Baltimore checkerspot spins a larval nest on its host plant, turtlehead. The DANAIDAE(milkweed butterflies; Fig.4k) are large, brightly TheNymphalinae (anglewings, tortoiseshells,and mourning colored brownish-orangebutterflies with black and white markings. cloak) have angled or short-tailed hind wings. They are amongour Thefront legs are very small, lack claws,and are not used in largest and showiest butterflies. walking. The larvae are smooth and cylindrical, with pairs of fleshy filaments protruding from the thorax and "tail" end. They feed on ANGLEWINGS(genus Polygonia)are small to medium size, milkweeds. Thegold-spotted green chrysalis hangs by the brownish-orangewith black markings, and with irregularly cremaster. Adults, larvae, and pupae are protected by distasteful notched wings. The underside of the wings may look like a dead chemicals obtained from the food plants. leaf (Fig. 12). The mourning cloak (Fig. 9) is one of the few but- terflies that overwintersas an adult. Stinging nettle is an impor- Can you recognize the different butterfly groups?One method to tant larval food plant for several species in this group (Fig. 5). determine unknowns is to catch the butterfly, examine it closely, VANESSIDS or Thistle butterflies (genus Vanessa)are medium- using the booklet SomeButterfIies andMoths (139M-6-8) or your field size species with hairy eyes; the margin of the hind wing is guides (see References). Release it afterwards. Recognition of rounded. Adults nectarat thistles and many other flowers, and butterfly groups becomes automatic aftera bit of practice. larvae feed on thistles, nettles, and everlastings. The Limenitinae (purples, admirals, and viceroys) are medium- size butterflies, often found along roadsides orin open areas along streams. The larvae and pupae of our species arequite grotesque, Figure 5. Milbert's tortoiseshell life history. The life cycle of this splendid brown and orange nymphalid butterfly begins with the Batterfly Life Cycle bright green eggs (I), which are laid in large masses (one egg shown greatly magnified). N The female butterfly clings with closed wing (8) to the edge of a leaf of stinging nettle (10). the only larval food plant, and arches her abdomen under to place the eggs. It may take one-half hour or more to vary greatly in size and shape; many lay the entire mass. The eggs hatch in 4-5 are intricately sculptured (Fig. 6). days, and the caterpillars move to the top of The egg consists of a hard, protec- the plant (2). feeding communally during tive outer shell that is somewhat the first few instars and forming a porous to allow air movement, an conspicuous silk web. After two weeks, the inner waxy layer that prevents water spiny black larvae (3) have scattered wer loss, and the embryo with yolk or the nettle plants, leaving denuded, webbed distinct stages: egg, caterpillar food supply. Shortly after the stalks as evidence of their presence (4). The (larva), chrysalis (pupa), and adult fertilized egg is laid, the embryo shiny golden chysalis is suspended by the (Fig. 5). This four-stage develop- develops into a tiny caterpillar. cremaster in a sheltered place off the fwd ment is called complete metamoqhosis Some species that overwinter in the plant (5, side view; 6, back view). The adult (metamorphosis means change in "egg stage" may actually do this as a emerges a week later. Males are four-fifths form) and is shared with other insect tiny caterpillar surrounded by the the size of females, and a bit more brightly orders such as Coleoptera, Diptera, eggshell. and Hymenoptera. It contrasts to colored (7). During courtship, a male lands the three-stage incomplete metamor- Carefully observe female butterflies and crawls behind a resting female before phosis of egg, nymph, and adult outdoors, checking plant parts they mating (7). Three or more broods are characteristic of Hemiptera, have visited for any eggs that might completed in the course of one season, the Odonata, Orthoptera, and several have been laid. When you find earliest larvae being found in May. Adults other orders. them, use a hand lens or microscope hibernate in stone walls or other protected to look for the micropyle, a minute places, issuing forth on bright days in late opening at the summit of the winter to feed and mate. The wing EtX eggshell through which the egg is undersides resemble bark or dead leaves, Eggs are laid by a female butterfly on fertilized (Fig. 6). In species with providing excellent camouflage (8). or near a specific host plant, usually transparent eggshells, the fully Milbert's tortoiseshell larvae are frequently singly or in small groups, but some- formed caterpillar can be seen inside attacked by wasp parasitoids; one is shown times in large masses. Butterfly eggs shortly before hatching. with its white cocoons on a caterpillar mummy (9). [All liesize, to scale. @1991by Robert Ding.] Figure 6. Butterfly eggs. Eggs of the Karner blue butterfly on wild lupine. The egg at the lower left shows the micropyle (depression containing a tiny opening through which it is fertilized). The eggat the upper right is in side view. This reticulate, turban-like shape is typical of lycaenid eggs. Actual size is about 0.7 mm in diameter and 0.35 mm high. Figure 7. Caterpillar structure. Questionmark (upper right) and swallowtail (upper left and below) caterpillars with parts labelled. Note osmeteria of swallowtail larva. The eye-like marking on the third thoracic segment of the swallowtail is thought to have a defensive function. helping the caterpillar to mimic a snake. Tubercles of the questionmark caterpillar are likewise for defense against predation.

Caterpillar (Larva) When it is time for the egg to hatch, the cateqillar (larva) chews a hole in the shell and pushes its way out, often eating part or even most of the eggshell as its first meal. After feeding on thefoodplant (the plant that provides the nutrients needed for growth and development) for four or five days, the caterpillar stops eating and rests as it prepares to molt. Within a few hours the larval skin splits down the back, the head capsule drops off, and the second spines, or tubercles (fleshy protuber- Observe the large chewing man- instarcaterpillar crawls forth with a ances, Fig. 7) may be present and dibles (jaws), moving from side to new, larger, very soft skin. Within a the larva may have changed color side, as the larva chews the edges of few hours this new exoskeleton patterns and markings a few times. leaves. Below the mandibles on the hardens and the larva resumes its It may also be very beautiful. lower lip or labium is the spinnenet, a normal activities. A caterpillar is an small projection through which the To find a butterfly caterpillar, look eating machine, feeding and silk glands open. for feeding holes or ragged edges in growing. Most species molt four food plant leaves, then seek the The larval body is composed of 13 times (thus undergoing five instars) larva that made them, which may be segments plus the head (Fig. 7). before reaching their full size. Some hidden nearby. Using Figure 7 to The first three segments behind the lycaenid larvae undergo only four help you, examine the head and head make up the thorax, with one instars. locate the simple eyes by which pair of jointed true legs per segment. Young larvae usually have simple caterpillars sense light and dark. The remaining segments make up hairs or bristles on the body, but by (Caterpillars do not have compound the abdomen. There are pairs of the time they are fully grown, hairs, eyes and cannot see very well.) short fleshy swellings (prolegs) present on four abdominal segments foothold as they move about, and is pad of silk, then attaches its anal the cremaster does not hold, the and the last (anal) segment. The also used to form an anchor for larval prolegs to it. Depending on the type newly formed chrysalis will fall to prolegs have a series of hooks molts and pupation. In some species of caterpillar, it may or may not spin the ground and be killed or severely (crochets) which help the caterpillar the larvae use silk to fasten leaves an additional belt (girdle) of silk to injured. A predator may come upon move about and hold onto surfaces, together, forming tubular hideouts. support the chrysalis (Fig. 8). Larvae it in this defenseless posture and even clinging upside-down or at an Also, some caterpillars hang from that spin a belt include the Lycaen- find an easy meal. angle. The hind (anal) prolegs are silken threads, especially when idae, Pieridae, and Papilionidae. used to grip a button of silk when young. The caterpillar hangs upside down Chryralis (Rlpa, the caterpillar molts. Never try to or at an angle to the surface to which Having reached maturity after pull a caterpillar off the host plant or they are attached, and within 24 to The formed chvsalis (Fig. 8, several weeks of feeding, the any other surface. It may be so 36 hours the last larval skin splits is soft and form'ess* but caterpillar begins to wander, often firmly attached that you could and is gradually cast off until it within a few hours it hardens into leaving the food plant to seek a seriously injure or kill it by tearing reaches the anal prolegs. At this the shape and color characteristic for protected place in which to pupate. off the prolegs. point, a tiny hooked spike called the its species. In summer, the pupa1 It has stopped feeding, and may cremaster is twisted into the silk period lasts from one to four weeks; Many caterpillars spin a trail of fine void the gut, excreting a large, dark button to hold the chrysalis as the but butterflies (e.g.$ strands of silk wherever they go. green, semiliquid mass. When it old skin drops. This is a very Papilionidae, Pieridae, Lycaenidae) The silk gives the larvae a better finds a safe place, it spins a small vulnerable period for the insect. If as the and adults will not appear until the following year. Note that the butterflies that overwinter as chrysalids are the ones which are suspended by the cremaster anda silken belt. Can you suggest a reason for this?

Figure 8. Chrysalis structure. Mourning cloak and black swallowtail chrysalids with parts labelled. Note single suspension by the cremaster in the former (two on right) and double suspension by cremaster and silken girdle in the swallowtail (left). Can you find the same parts on the swallowtail pupa? Parasitoids, Predators, and may be disappointing at the mo- witness to an unsuccessful predation Diseases ment, it is perhaps more interesting attempt. Mammals likewise will eat than having the butterfly emerge, caterpillars, pupae, and adults; A female butterfly can lay a large because of the chance of discovering squirrels, mice, and shrews are number of eggs--over 1,000 in the something new. examples. Snakes, lizards, frogs, and Adult buckeye, for example. Clearly, if all toads are also insectivorous, and may Adult butterflies may also harbor As the adult inside the chrysalis of these eventually produced an feed on larvae, but probably rarely trueparasites, which feed on but do approaches eclosion (hatching), you adult, the earth would soon be consume adult butterflies. may see changes+ompound eyes, overrun by millions of these beauti- not kill their hosts. One example is the proboscis cover, legs, and wing ful animals. Momentarily spectacu- tiny mites, which Asher E. Treat of Other insects prey on butterflies as covers become visible. Wing buds lar as that might be, it would soon the American Museum of Natural well, including mantids, dragonflies, History studied for many years, and begin to enlarge near the surface of cause problems in the ecological and ambush bugs. Stinkbugs and wrote about in Mites of Moths and the chrysalis, and change color a day scheme of things, particularly as other predaceous Hemiptera and ' or two before the butterfly emerges larval food plants were consumed. Butte~lies(see References). Hymenoptera feed on caterpillars. Butterflies are also caught in spider so that the wing markings of the Egg, larval, and pupal parasitoids are There is little danger of this hap- webs or by well-camouflaged crab species become evident. Soon the either Diptera (usually Tachinid pening. Butterflies, in all four life spiders that lurk on flowers. Sun- pupal covering splits, and the flies) or Hymenoptera (Braconid, stages, are beset with parasitoids, dews, tiny insectivorous plants of butterfly's long legs and antennae Chalcid, and Ichneumonid wasps). predators, and diseases that limit bogs, may occasionally trap butter- poke out. The butterfly must grab Specimens of parasitoids should be their numbers. flies on their beautiful sticky leaves. onto something (often the shell of carefully labelled as to locality and Bog coppers have been found stuck its chrysalis) before the remainder of Parasitoids (Fig. 5) feed on their butterfly host. They may be difficult to round-leaved sundew plants, for the body can emerge. The wrinkled hosts' tissues during part of their life for most collectors to identify, but example. butterfly hangs upside-down and cycle, eventually killing the host. specialists at large insect collections pumps blood and fluid into the wing The female parasitoid lays its eggs or at the Smithsonian Institution can Fungal, bacterial, and viral diseases veins. The tiny crinkled wings in or on the egg, caterpillar, or usually help, and should welcome infect butterflies. Such infections rapidly expand, attaining full size in chrysalis, or on the food plant leaves. well-prepared specimens (see are especially noticeable in the larval 10-15 minutes. The fluids are then Butterfly parasitoids may be tiny Labelling andStoring an Znsect stage. When caterpillars in captivity withdrawn into the body and the wasps that lay their eggs inside CoNection in the References section). are too crowded, or their enclosures wings harden. The adult is ready for butterfly eggs. The wasp larvae and Samuel Hubbard Scudder, in his are not properly cleaned, diseases flight after an hour or two. Adults pupae quickly develop within the great classic on New England readily attack. Diseased larvae take food to meet their energy egg, producing adult wasps instead butterflies, presented detailed become sluggish, turn a darker color, needs (see Adult Feeding, page 17). of tiny caterpillars. Mourning cloaks chapters on their fly and wasp excrete fluid frass (waste pellets), (Fig. 9), which lay large masses of parasitoids (see References). and have an unpleasant odor. If you are fortunate to find a butter- eggs around twigs, are very suscep- fly chrysalis in spring or summer, tible to egg parasitism, although all Butterflypredators directly consume All of these natural controls function watch for the changes that are sure butterflies probably have at least entire eggs, larvae, pupae, or adults. to keep butterfly populations within to come. Chrysalids of the cabbage one species of egg parasitoid. Some Znsectivorous (insect-eating) birds are the carrying capacity of their white (the larva is the imported of these still may be unknown to important Lepidoptera predators, habitats. Observations, specimens, cabbageworm, a pest of cole crops) science and are a potential avenue but we rarely observe them eating and photographs of any of these are may be easy to find in gardens, and for investigation. adult butterflies; birds are probably important. Sightings of adult are good subjects to examine more important predators of the butterflypredaton, especially, are closely. Other parasitoids attack larvae and other three stages, especially of rarely documented. This area of pupae. Wild-collected caterpillars larvae. Bird beak marks occasionally butterfly natural history is wide frequently produce wasps or flies show on a butterfly's wings-mute open for investigation. instead of butterflies. While this Passing the Winter , Have you ever marvelled at a mourningcloak (Fig. 9) flying along sunny wooded lanes during a warm spell in winter?If butterflies are f year-long residents in our northeast- -, --,,- ern climate, they must be able to survive adverse winterconditions. Figure 9. Aduk Butterflies pass the winter in a state hibernator. The of diapuuse (metabolicslowdown or dent, spring-emergedbutterflies. maroon, yellow- arrested development),most as The monarch (Figs. 3,4k) and edged mourning caterpillars (Fig. 10) or chrysalids, cosmopolitan painted lady (Fig.4h) cIoakpassesthe but some as eggs and a few as adults. are the best-known long-distance winter as an adult Diapause may be triggered by migrants. Shapiro discusses butterfly decreasing daylength (photoperiod). migration in detail in his publication snow on Usually only one stage successfully Butterflies andSkippers of Nmj York February and diapausesfor each butterfly species. State (see References). March days in open Butterflies that may overwinter as Trying tofind diapausingbutterflv woodlands-or adults, in addition to mourning eggs or larvae outdoors provides pausing to bask on cloaks, are the questionmark (Fig. quite a challenge,and any such a warm stone. Life 12), comma, and Milbert's tortoises- observationsare very valuable. size. hell (Fig. 5). Red admiralsand Chrysalidsare more frequently painted ladies (Fig.4h) may over- discovered,but are not easy to find. winter, but also migrate. Adultsof A careful searchof hollow trees, rock this wintering brood are much or log piles, overhanging ledges, longer-lived than those of the cellars, attics,and unheatedbuild- summer broods. ings may revealoverwintering adults. Viceroys and purples over- About twenty of our butterflies are winter as partly growncaterpillars in near the northern limits of their --- hibernacula (Fig. lo), tube-like nests ranges, and are only marginally Figure 10. Hibernating butterflylarvae. A little wood satyr formed of silk-bound leavesthat hardy in the Northeast. A flush of caterpillar (top), grown in captivity, nibbled orchard grass every few closely resemble miniature northward migrants canbe seen days throughout the winter, but otherwisewas inactive until May. A promethea moth(Ca//osamia every May and June, evidentby partly grown viceroy larva was found outdoors in January. inside its promethea) cocoons. Thesecan be their sudden appearance andfrayed hibernaculum (bottom), a silk-lined willow leaf bound to the twig found on willows in winter. or faded wings, in contrast to the by a band of silk (arrow). The caterpillar emerged in early May and fresh unblemished colors of resi- began to feed on new leaves of its food plant

13 Once eggs are obtained or found Crowing Butterflies wild, they should be kept in a small closed container where they can be Have you found butterfly eggs, carefully watched for hatching. Do larvae, or chrysalids outdoors, or not include food plant leaves, except Adult butterflies that emerge in a Figure 1 1. Feeding a buttefly. Dissolve a have you kept a female butterfly in a small pieces trimmed closely around screen cage will batter themselves quarter-teaspoonful of table sugar in tap jar and obtained eggs? One of the the eggs. very quickly, marring their beauty. water inside an inverted jar cover, and add most fascinating and instructive As eclosion approaches, pupae can a small piece of crumpled facial tissue to aspects of butterfly study is rearing. Caterpillars are best kept either in form an "island." Hold the butterfly gently tightly closed plastic containers, or be moved to a dark cupboard or Growing butterflies is not difficult, but firmly between your thumb and index sleeved over growing food plants closet, where the resplendent adults once "livestock" is obtained. will rest quietly until the door is finger, and set it on the piece of tissue. As outdoors. Containers must be kept its feet grasp the substrate, the butterfly With patience and practice, eggs and opened, letting in light. Or they can scrupulously clean, and larvae given should taste the sweetened fluid, unroll its larvae are rather easy to find on their be allowed to emerge in a closed fresh food daily. Condensed mois- proboscis. and begin to eat If it is food plants (see Appendix B). room, where they will congregate at ture should be wiped off the inside "stubborn" (perhaps traumatized by being Brightly colored caterpillars that are the windows. of their enclosures at least once a handled), use the tip of a pin to gently especially easy to find include day, and heat should not be allowed Pairing captive butterflies is diffi- unroll the proboscis, drawing it down to the monarch, black swallowtail, mourn- to build up inside. Directions in cult, but most wild-caught females fluid. Once feeding starts, slowly release ing cloak, and Baltimore Growing Moths (see References) for have already mated, and can lay your hold on the butterfly. Feeding may last checkerspot. egg and larval care apply to butterfly fertile eggs. for several minutes. A large transparent eggs and caterpillars as well. Eggs may be obtained by confining plastic box can be placed over the feeding one female butterfly in a tightly As pupation approaches, the larvae butterfly to keep it from escaping. closed transparent container with a will seek a place to "hang up." A piece of appropriate larval food piece of paper or cheesecloth under plant, and setting this on a shelf or the lid will prevent pupae from table near a south-facing window for forming on the inside of the box 1-2 days. Pierids, vanessids, pearl cover, and they can be moved easily. crescents, lesser fritillaries, and Or they can be allowed to pupate in buckeyes will lay very easily in a 12- the container if it is deep enough to oz. peanut butter jar. Larger butter- accommodate wing expansion when flies-monarchs, anglewings, the adults appear. If you don't want swallowtails, viceroys, and purples- to leave chrysalids where they form, will need more space. Gallon glass wait until they have hardened and jars, large plastic boxes, plastic bags, tease off the silken pad with a pin, and marquisette "sleeves" over then fold a piece of tape over the growing plants will work better for silk, move to a more convenient these. Obtaining eggs from some location, and pin through the tape. lycaenids is difficult. Trial and error may reveal a method that works. Feeding the butterfly daily with a dilute sugar-water solution increases your chance of success (Fig. 11). and Behavior

with limestone throughout the Northeast; distribution of the olive fritillaries, pepper-and-salt skippers, hairstreak, which feeds as a larva on and mustard whites. Riverside this tree only, coincides with its food marshes should have viceroys, plants' distribution. Similarly, wild Acadian hairstreaks, eyed browns, Habitat Associations lupine grows in sandy soil, most bronze coppers, mourning cloaks, often in pine barrens habitats, and Milbert tortoiseshells, and Delaware Butterflies are excellent examples of the Karner blue (Fig. 14) and frosted skippers. Swamps may support habitat-specific animals. A majority elfin occur with it. Larvae of the spring azures, Appalachian eyed of our butterflies need a specific giant swallowtail feed mostly on browns, pearly eyes, and purples. home area that contains certain prickly ash at this latitude. These Pine barrens harbor many habitat- plants and vegetation conditions for shrubs grow in limy areas, and the specific butterflies, including blues, carrying on their life processes. butterflies are tied to such habitats crescents and checkerspots, and a Once a butterfly's habitat require- as well. ments are understood, it can predict- large variety of skippers. The vegetation covering the soil also ably be found in such places at the Additional examples could be given, influences the butterflies that can proper season. but it will be more instructive to live there. For example, dense discover these yourself. Books in the Geological history and edaphic (soil) forests on acid soils will not have the References section will provide conditions of the site may have a same resident butterflies as mead- many clues. Making lists of butter- strong influence on its butterfly ows or marshes on the same soil in flies found in specific habitats would residents. For example, soils adjacent areas. weathered from limestone bedrock be an interesting project. Roadsides, will have a high lime content, and Wetlands have strongly associated beaches, old fields, city parks, plants growing there will be lime- butterflies. Sphagnum-heath bogs woodlands, mountain tops, conifer loving, or at least lime-tolerant. Red may be home to bog coppers, bog forests, and lakeshores are habitats cedar is one such caldp/Ii/e associated elfins, spring azures, silver-bordered to explore. Larval-Food Plant Interactions Seasonal Appearance Food plant specificity is a corollary In a phenological study of butterflies you keep a butterfly calendar you to strong habitat association. Some Many species, however, can accept at Ithaca, New York, in 1967-1970, may notice adults of the meadow butterflies will eat a variety of plants various stages of growth of the host, Arthur M. Shapiro recorded the fritillary, for example, in May, July, in one family. Others are much more or the hosts are so varied that seasonal occurrence of all the and September, corresponding to its specialized, feeding on only one acceptable food is available through- butterflies noticed throughout these three annual broods in central New genus, or even on a single plant out the season. These butterflies are four years. The earliest species, York--or there may be only two species. Although most butterfly double-, triple-, or multiple-brooded. appearing in March in some years, broods in your area. Such a calendar caterpillars eat plant leaves, some The cabbage white, pearl crescent, were the mourning cloak (Fig. 9), is also useful in predicting at what caterpillars will only eat the flowers and clouded sulphur illustrate this Milbert tortoiseshell (Fig. S), and stage a species overwinters. If worn and fruits of the plant, and the frequent life pattern. Compton tortoiseshell, followed by individuals of a butterfly appear in butterfly must therefore be in the the cabbage white in early to mid- April-May, but disappear between In a few cases, entirely different larval stage during bloom season of April, and the spring azure in late then and September-October, as is its host. This level of specialization host plants may be used by succeed- April and early May. As the season the case with the Compton tortoises- is less usual, but not unknown. ing generations of the same butter- progressed, the normal pageant of hell, the species is probably migra- fly. For example, spring azure blue butterfly species appeared on tory. Those butterflies that are depen- caterpillars feed on clustered flower schedule. The last butterflies of the Size variations of some butterflies dent on one food plant for larval buds, flowers, and developing fruits. season were the alfalfa, clouded can be seasonal. According to Opler development, or a certain food plant In early spring, females oviposit on sulphur, checkered white, and and Krizek (see References), condition, usually have only one flowering dogwood, wild cherry, and cabbage white, all present into northern multiple-brooded species generation per year. (These are early blooming viburnums. A bit November in some years. univoltine species.) The adult flight later, they lay eggs on sumac and (e.g., pearl crescent, tiger swal- season of such species spans three or later-blooming viburnums. At A butterfly calendar of this sort is very lowtail, alfalfa butterfly, eastern four weeks, after which the butterfly midsummer, New Jersey tea and valuable, especially if kept over tailed blue, and Horace's dusky will not be seen until the next year. meadowsweet serve as food plants. several seasons at the same place. It wing) usually have significantly The West Virginia white, great Females will oviposit only when a helps you and others interpret smaller spring- and fall-brood spangled fritillary, bog copper, plant is in the proper stage of voltinism, flight seasons, and migra- individuals. Early and late broods Baltimore, Harris' checkerspot, and growth, placing eggs between the tions of all local species. may be darker in color than mid- summer broods, perhaps to help both silvery blues (Fig. 13) are flower clusters. The spring azure Voltinism is the number of broods them absorb the sun's warmth. examples. complex may actually be between (complete passage through all four three and five very similar "sibling life stages) per year. As we have In most species, males emerge a few species" that remain poorly under- already hinted, highly specialized days earlier, and define their stood. Siblingspecies are so similar in butterflies tend to be univoltine territories before females emerge. appearance that they may have been (having one brood), whereas more interpreted as one species for many generalized feeders like the cabbage years, only recently being separated white are multivoltine or bivoltine. If based on studies of life history, ecology, and behavior. Basking Behavior Butterfly activity is directly influ- enced by temperature. Butter- The adult butterfly has certain flies are cold-blooded (poiRilo- biological functions to fulfill during thermic) animals, and cannot its lifespan. One of these is finding a regulate their own tempera- mate. Another is for the female to tures. In general, they cannot choose the proper plants on which to fly when air temperatures are deposit eggs. Some species need below 50"-60°F (10"-16°C) and nourishment to have the eggs above 100°F (38"C), especially in mature, survive adverse weather high humidity. Butterflies use wing periods, disperse, or to make the orientation (basking) to raise or lower long journey if they migrate. body temperature. To keep cool, butterflies orient themselves parallel Figure 12. Active Periods to the sun's rays, with the wings Perching. Male Adult butterflies are very sunlight- closed over the body to minimize questionmark responsive, and can be active their surface area. Towarm up, they perched on a hop throughout the daylight hours. Your employ lateral or dorsal basking. vine. [O 1991 by observations may reveal that certain Lateral basken (pierids, some Robert Dirig.] periods are favored for activity by satyrids, and lycaenids, especially Can you discover females at this certain butterflies. The pearly eye is hairstreaks) perch with wings closed activity? Mourning cloaks (Fig. 9) cwpuscu/ar (active in the early and one side of the body perpen- Appendix C), quite a number feed may actually drink water from evening until dusk), in contrast to dicular to the sun. Dorsalbasken at mammal dung, bird droppings, shallow streams in spring woodlands. the tiger swallowtail, which may be (nymphalids, swallowtails, most carrion, decaying fruit, or tree sap. satyrids, coppers, and metalmarks) visiting flowers before 8:00 A.M. in These foods contain sugars and Territoriality June. On very hot days, butterflies perch with wings widespread, proteins that the butterflies convert tend to be active early and late, but perpendicular to the sun (Fig. 9). for immediate use, or may store for Males of many species set up Basking warms the thorax, which later. Butterflies that feed on things territories which they actively rest quietly during the warmest part defend. Perched males (Fig. 12) dart houses the flight muscles. Many other than nectar are often forest of the day. Also, mating may occur at out to investigate any passing object specific times of day, often in the butterflies have dark or almost black dwellers, where flowers are less of approximately the correct size. If afternoon. bodies, and the wing bases near the abundant except in early spring body are often dark-colored, perhaps before the developing leaf canopy two males of the same kind encoun- Only rarely are butterflies active at to better absorb heat from sunlight. shades the forest floor. ter each other, they often engage in night, usually in response to artificial After warming, the butterfly wings long, spiral, aerial interactions, after lights. Silver-spotted skippers, red away to carry on its life processes. Puddling on damp soil is another which only one male will return to admirals, and Edward's hairstreaks type of butterfly feeding. Blues, the original perch. Patrolling males occasionally show up at an ultravio- pearl crescents, tiger swallowtails, also investigate intruders of the let light used to attract nocturnal Adult Feeding and pierids are familiar puddlers. correct size. Tiny butterflies like insects. Adult butterflies feed on various Salts and minerals may be obtained American coppers, pearl crescents, liquids or dissolved solids to satisfy by puddling, which involves imbib- and hairstreaks can be very aggres- energy needs. Although many feed ing liquids found in wet sand or sive, chasing and even bumping at flowers that supply nectar (see other soil. More often than not, butterflies as large as a monarch! puddling butterflies will be males. Figure 4. Butterfly Families. (All are to scale).

(a) HESPERIIDAE: male silver-spotted skipper (left), male hobomok skipper (top right), female Jwenal's dusky wing (bottom right).

(c) PIERIDAE: male alfalfa butterfly (top left), white female form clouded sulphur (bottom left), male falcate orange tip (top right] female cabbage white (bottom right).

(b) PAPILIONIDAE: female tiger swallowtail.

I (d) LYCAENIDAE: female harvester (top left), male - American copper (bottom left), underside of male (f) LIBYTHEIDAE: male snout butterfly. ( " 4 Acadian hairstreak (top right), male spring azure blue Note enlarged palpi forming the (g) HELICONIIDAE: male Gulf fritillary. This species occurs in the (bottom right). "snout" between the antennae. Northeast only as a rare stray.

(e) RIODINIDAE: northern metalmark, male (top) and underside of female (bottom). (h) NYMPHALIDAE: female great spangled fritillary (top left), male mourning cloak (bottom left), male silver-bordered fritillary (top center), male Baltimore checkerspot (middle center), male cosmopolitan painted lady (bottom center), male viceroy (top right), female questionmark (bottom right).

@ APATURIDAE: female heckbcrry butterfly.

(j)SATYRlDAE: underside of common wood nymph (top I&), female eyed bnmn (battom left), male inornate ringlet (top right), undersfde of male little wood satyr (lower right). Note conspicuous eye-like wing markings, chamcteristk of this family. Courtship, Mating, and Oviposition Have you ever flushed a butterfly eggs--600 in red admirals, twice as from rest and then noticed that it Alternately, males may perch on an many in buckeyes! Oviposition may was not one butterfly, but two, with elevated object (Fig. 12), and fanning and quivering and antenna1 be limited by the time of day, their abdomens attached? They investigate any butterflies that and abdominal movements are often depending on the species, and were a mated pair (Fig. 13), which approach. We have already de- involved. The androconia (Fig. 3) usually occurs in bright sunlight. otherwise would not have flown scribed what happens if it is another release pheromones that are part of Each egg is fertilized as it is laid, until they separated. Usually the male. If it is a female, mating may courtship rituals. If the female is receiving a sperm through the female flies with the male dangling, occur. Or, individuals of both sexes receptive, the male attaches his micropyle from the sperm storage but in some species the male flies may congregate in open areas of abdomen to hers and transfers a organ of the mated female. when a pair is disturbed. Observa- high elevation-a mate-seeking spematophore (sperm sack) to a tions of which partner flies should behavior known as hil/topping. pouch inside her abdomen (Fig. 13). Dispersal and Migration , be recorded, as well as any other Skippers, swallowtails, and purples Mating may last from 20 minutes to behaviors of mated butterflies. behave this way. all night, depending on the species. Frayed and faded female butterflies In some species, females mate only are sometimes caught far away from How do butterflies find a mate? You Butterfly courtships may last from once, whereas in others there may their proper habitat. Examples are a may have noticed male swallowtails one to several hours, involving pre- be multiple matings. Most males are female Baltimore checkerspot flying actively flying back and forth in programmed, stylized behaviors that capable of mating several times. in a parking lot in Ithaca, New York; habitats where females are likely to allow individuals of the same species and a female West Virginia white emerge, a behavior called patrol/ing. to recognize each other and the After separating and a period of rest, nectaring in a Catskill garden, far If an unmated female is located, a receptivity of the female. Wing the female must locate the proper from its forest birthplace. Such courtship routine may ensue. host plant on which to deposit her females are probably dispersing- eggs. She may use visual cues to seeking new habitats to colonize. select the appropriate habitat, then Fertile females may also be carried fly slowly about, touching the plants by winds or human means to new periodically. Her front legs are used places. Species may also constantly to "taste" the plant. Certain chemi- test the limits of their range by cal compounds the plant produces wandering outside present areas of may aid host plant recognition. occupation, but be held back by When the proper plant is located, food plant distribution, severe she arches her abdomen and slowly climatic differences, or natural deposits an egg on it (or very close barriers like high mountain ranges. to it in the large fritillaries). A few species deposit their eggs in masses, The northern silvery blue (Fig. 13), for example checkerspots and inornate ringlet, Delaware skipper, crescents, the mourning cloak, and European skipper have made '/ questionmarks and commas, and dramatic movements in the North- Figure 13. Mating butterflies. Mating pair of northern silvery blues, tortoiseshells (in these cases the fresh female at left, slightly worn male at right During mating, caterpillars feed gregariously in the which lasts about 45 minutes in this butterfly, the male transfers a early instars; ~i~.5). ~~~~l~ spermatophore (sack containing sperm) to the female. Each egg is butterflies can lay hundreds of then fertilized as it is laid. This butterfly is spreading south along major highways in the Northeast, its larvae feeding on tufted vetch (Vicia cmcca). Sheltering and Roosting by their pale grey wing undersides, Where Does the Butte& Go When It resting on the lupine plants. Karner east during the past 20 years. Such Rains is the intriguing title of a blues can also easily be seen settling natural range expansions (in the first children's book. Butterflies that fill a at dusk. European skippers and three) are of great interest, if sunny flowered meadow disappear cabbage whites may also roost in difficult to explain. The European in a twinkling if the sky clouds over, small groups in their habitats. Bog skipper, as its name implies, is seeking shelter under twigs, large coppers rest on bog shrubs at night, introduced. Its spread in North leaves, and in other protected nooks. and can easily be found with a light. America bears watching. Records of If you have the opportunity to But where do tiger swallowtails, these or any other butterflies, as observe sheltering behavior during great spangled fritillaries, and they continue or begin to expand inclement weather, be sure to keep banded purples sleep? Maybe you their ranges, are very valuable. notes. You might even seek butter- can find out.. flies during rainstorms in areas Long-distance movements of Monarchs form massive aggregations where they recently have been butterflies are also fascinating. In at overwintering sites, where their abundant. Any observations and some seasons, flocks of subtropical tightly packed bodies may insulate especially photographs of this and Gulf Coast pierids like cloudless against extreme winter tempera- behavior would be valuable. sulphurs may reach New York and tures. This lovely butterfly may New England. The famous monarch However, the number of butterflies roost communally on trees in late migrations to and from Mexico are that can be encountered on a cloudy summer in the Northeast as well, , well known, but few people realize day is surprising. They are easily before the autumn migration. that mourning cloaks sometimes flushed from rest, and are perhaps migrate south with them in great more readily noticed than on bright numbers along the east shore of days, when they would fly away. Lake Ontario, at least. Compton Some feeding occurs in cloudy tortoiseshells, red admirals, both weather, and eastern tailed blues painted ladies, and questionmarks have even been seen flying in light can be seen moving south on bright rain! September and October days, and Roosting at night and on very cool returning at lilac time the following days is interesting to see. All you May. Alfalfa butterflies and gray need is a flashlight to go exploring hairstreaks may also move north in for butterflies at night. Some spring. butterflies roost together in small groups. A new population of Karner blues (Fig. 14) was discovered after 10:OO P.M. by visiting a large. lupine patch with a flashlight and seeing dozens of butterflies, conspicuous has made a noticeable comeback in recent years, but remains vulnerable. A New Consciousness about Extremely local butterflies that Butterflies New Hampshire, New York, and occur only in a specific kind of Since its founding in 1971, the Ontario. Public and private conser- habitat, associated with a single food Xerces Society (named for the vation agencies cooperate in trying plant, can easily be extirpated extinct Xerces blue butterfly of to preserve this lovely small butter- (locally eliminated) if such areas are California) has spearheaded Lepi- fly, and land reserves of its habitat destroyed or altered by human doptera conservation efforts in have been established. In New activities. The bog copper, northern North America. Its approach has York, the Karner blue has been metalmark, hackberry butterfly, emphasized public education and classified an Endangered Species by tawny emperor, snout, giant swal- especially habitatpreservation. the state's Department of Environ- lowtail, zebra swallowtail, Olympian Butterflies cannot survive unless mental Conservation, a designation marble, southern silvery blue, their specific habitat needs are met. that prohibits its collection. frosted elfin, hoary elfin, bog elfin, cobweb skipper, and dusted skipper Thus, saving the habitat is the only way Another butterfly of concern is the are examples. to eflectively preserve a rare b.utte$y. A regal fritillary, a showy midwestern similar philosophy has been adopted prairie element in our fauna, which Some butterflies are mysterious, throughout the world for vertebrate has largely disappeared from the appearing always to be rare in the animals, plants, lichens, and marine Northeast during the past 30 years sense of being found singly at long organisms. for unexplained reasons. intervals of time and space. In New York, the early hairstreak, northern Figure 14. Kamer blue buttedies. Female In the Northeast, butterfly conserva- The West Virginia white bears hairstreak, and southern grizzled (top), male (center). and underside of male tion efforts have focused on the watching as well. Twenty-five years skipper belong in this category. Any (bottom). This small lycaenid is an Karner blue (Fig. 14) for almost 20 ago it seemed to be gone from a life history or behavioral details on endangered species in New York and years. Unfortunately, this very local number of former localities, perhaps and rare butterfly continues to in response to aerial pesticide butterflies like this are valuable. vulnerable throughout its range in the Northeast and upper Midwest disappear. It is now gone from spraying. Fortunately this elegant Although European settlement of Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and white butterfly of spring woodlands North America resulted in vast new Ohio, as well as some former sites in stretches of open space that sun- as much sun as possible throughout loving butterflies could colonize, the day; (2) shelter from wind, and background of the garden so they do human activities have also had very Lauderdale, Florida, and the "Day additional shelter from heavy rain or not block or shade shorter ones. Try negative impacts on butterfly Butterfly Center" at Callaway other adverse weather conditions; to choose plants that will provide a populations. Massive habitat Gardens in Atlanta, Georgia, are and (3) a source of water. sequence of bloom throughout the season. Mixing native and exotic destruction is the most obvious. One examples. Third, to have butterflies live in the of more subtle but daily occurrence plants can help extend bloom Fostering an awareness of and garden, you need both plants that is road-kills of these small animals periods. Simplicity is the key to an respect for butterflies and their provide nectar and those that serve through collisions with automobiles. effective and easily maintained needs is perhaps the most important as food for the caterpillars. The best At the Xerces Society's first annual butterfly garden. message of this publication. nectar flowers are fragrant and have meeting, Chris Adams spoke about a long bloom season. Clumped or The choice of plant materials his collection of New Jersey butter- massed plantings seem to work best. depends on you. Whether you have flies found along the shoulders of Gardening To Attract Blue and purple, yellow, white, a large or small garden, there are highways he had traversed by Butterflies orange, pink, and red flowers are some plants which can be used to bicycle. Chris had obtained good recommended by several authors as attract butterflies. If plants are A garden to attract butterflies may specimens of more than 100 kinds of attractive to butterflies (see Refer- grown from seed, you may want to actually help with conservation butterflies occurring in New Jersey ences and Appendix C). Flat-topped start them earlier indoors. efforts, and certainly can give much this way-eloquent proof of the inflorescences or clustered flowers pleasure when butterflies visit for a A wildflower meadow containing scope of their slaughter along roads. provide "landing platforms," drink of nectar. Even though many common milkweeds, goldenrods, Butterflies will continue to fly along allowing butterflies to feed easily. butterflies do not adapt well to black-eyed Susans, asters, and travelled highways, but a conscious- Flowers having the shortest nectar human environments, efforts to butterflyweed should attract a wide ness, at least, of butterfly road-kills tubes permit access to the widest provide nectar and food plant variety of butterflies. is important. range of butterflies (proboscis length sources within expanding urban varies from 318 to 15/16 inch [5-24 Commercial exhibits of living areas can encourage the ongoing butterflies have recently come into mm] in New York species). Some prosperity of any local species. being and are gaining popularity. garden seed and plant catalogs now They offer an opportunity to see When planning a butterfly garden, indicate plants that are particularly many species close-up (in enclosed you first might record which butter- attractive to butterflies. A number of habitats), and may help to preserve flies are active in your area, and books and articles provide details on diversity by propagating butterflies which flowers attract them. If larval requirements (see References). that are endangered in their native planted in your garden, these Appendix B (pages 34-35) lists larval habitat. "Butterfly World" near Ft. flowers may entice butterflies to food plants of common New York visit. butterflies, and Appendix C (page 36) recommends flowers attractive Second, you need to know if you to adult butterflies. have a garden site that would be suitable for butterflies. Basic Finally, design your garden on requirements include (1) full sun, or paper, using the information you have gathered on local butterflies, nectar sources, and larval food plants. Keep the taller plants in the Species Focus A number of voids remain in our knowledge of Throughout, we have encouraged an inquiring butterflies. The status codes in Appendix A approach to the study of butterfly structure, life (pages 30-34) will point to some of these for New tl.ifo/iata).Are they still there? Pipevine swal- history, ecology, and behavior. From time to time York State. Focusing on any one of the following lowtails occasionally stray north in summer, and we have mentioned interesting takeoffs, or species over a season or two very likely will reveal their larvae may turn up on Dutchman's pipe pointed to literature that will amplify what we new information about it. (Aristolochia macrophylla) vines on the porches of have written. In this part we pose additional old houses. (1) Skipper life histories: A third of our butterflies questions, projects, and activities. Although our examples concern New York, the region with are skippers. Their life histories may be poorly (3) Poorly known and immigrant pierids: Among which we are most familiar, many of the same documented. Many of these small brown butter- pierids, the Olympian marble, discovered in New questions and approaches are applicable through- flies occur in specific habitats and are quite York in 1986, needs further life history work. It out the Northeast. specialized. Although challenging, their study occurs on limestone bedrock in Jefferson County, offers rewards. The cobweb skipper, dusted associated with purple rock cress (Arabis skipper, mulberry wing, hoary edge, southern divaricarpa). Spider Barbour continues to docu- Regional Explorations grizzled skipper, Persius dusky wing, Arctic ment the falcate orange tip's distribution in the skipper, Leonard's skipper, Dion skipper, black Hudson River valley, and would welcome any What butterflies occur in your area? Have you dash, pepper-and-salt skipper, and species records. Its larvae also eat Arabis mustards. Is the found all of them? Keeping a list while exploring occurring only on the coastal plain are especially mustard white spreading near Syracuse, as Don available habitats throughout a season or two can interesting. Miller, a local lepidopterist, has suggested? be quite exciting. Records from any area are Observations of the nicippe sulphur, cloudless (2) Establishing residency: Do populations of the valuable. Regions of New York State that espe- sulphur, little sulphur, or other migratory pierids zebra swallowtail survive in New York or else- cially need to be explored for butterflies include are of interest. the Adirondacks and other northern parts of the where in the Northeast? This splendid butterfly state, the Tug Hill Plateau, the central Catskills, is associated with pawpaw (Asimina tdoba), its (4) Lycaenid habits and life histories: Several the Mohawk River corridor, and the western and only larval food plant, a large-leaved shrub that lycaenid problems remain unsolved. Which bogs southwestern counties. grows on limy soils in western New York and on do bog coppers inhabit (they are not present in all Staten Island. Giant swallowtails are at the of them)? Large, pristine bogs with black spruce northern limit of their range in the Northeast, but should be carefully searched for bog elfins in have recently reproduced in the New York City early to mid-May; this enigmatic butterfly was area. These large butterflies occur near prickly first discovered in New York by Don Miller in ash (Zanthoxylum americanum) and hop tree (Ptelea 1986. Any distributional and life history informa- Natural History and Behavioral Themes tion on the early hairstreak and northern hair- A number of projects of this type have already streak is especially needed. New localities for the been suggested: observations of adult feeding, Karner blue (Fig. 14), southern silvery blue, and River system. Where have the tawny crescent roosting (especially communal roosting at dusk), Hessel's hairstreak may still exist; if found, these (most recently reported from Syracuse) and the sheltering in windy and rainy weather, hiberna- butterflies should be reported to the New York Gorgone checkerspot (only known in New York tion sites, courtship and mating, and life histories. Natural Heritage Program, 700 Troy-Schenectady from Tug Hill) been seen recently? Is the The following might be other interesting pur- Road, Latham, NY 121 10. The continuing European small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae, Fig. suits: southward spread of the northern silvery blue 15, back cover) becoming established in North (1) Asher E. Treat's book Mites of Moths and (Fig. 13) in our northern counties needs to be America, as recent Albany and Long Island, New ButteIfIies lists mites collected from adult monitored (see "The Status of Silvery Blue York, records suggest? Caterpillars of this butter- papilionids, pierids, nymphalids, and satyrids. Subspecies in New York" in References). The fly might be found feeding on stinging nettle Few mites have been found on North American spring azure sibling complex could be carefully (Urtica dioica). butterflies. A thorough microscopic examination studied as to life history, voltinism, phenology, (8) Range expansion and expected species: The of butterflies may disclose mite species that are and food plants throughout the state. Where is inornate ringlet (Fig. 4j) started spreading from rare or new to science. the Appalachian blue distributed in the Hudson Canada into New York and New England in the Valley or elsewhere in New York? (2) Butterfly migration needs to be better docu- early 1970s. During the past twenty years it has mented. Migration routes for flying animals (5) Metalmark habitats: The northern metalmark reached Long Island and Otsego, Schoharie, and (insects, birds, bats) usually are major north-south (Fig. 4e) occurs only with its food plant, round- Ulster counties in eastern New York, and Erie, river corridors or shorelines of large water bodies. leaved ragwort (Senecio obovatus), on wooded Niagara, Genesee, and Orleans counties in In New York, these include the Hudson, Dela- limestone bluffs. Does it still live in Orange western New York, as well as Connecticut. This ware, and Susquehanna rivers, the Atlantic Coast, County, or elsewhere in New York? continuing southward exodus needs to be moni- and shores of the Great Lakes and Finger Lakes. tored. Does the chryxus Arctic (Oeneis chryxus) live (6) Hackberry feeders: Three butterflies feed on on mountain balds or on limestone bedrock Stationing yourself along one of these and hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) in New York-the recording migrant butterflies passing on bright outcrops in New York, as in adjacent Canada? Is snout, tawny emperor, and hackberry butterfly the jutta Arctic, recently discovered in New York, autumn days is instructive. Monarchs, mourning (Fig. 4i). Hackberry trees occur locally in limy widespread in Adirondack bogs? Does Macoun's cloaks, questionmarks, and vanessids wing by wetlands throughout the state. All three associ- Arctic (Oeneis macounii) occur in the jack pine steadily, headed south. Return migrations occur ated butterflies have been seen at Ithaca recently, in spring. Observations of butterfly movements (Pinus banksiana) barrens at Altona Flat Rock in although Shapiro recorded only the tawny over several seasons, or of species not known or Clinton County near Plattsburgh? emperor there before 1974. Are the other two suspected to migrate behaving this way, would be spreading? Where else do they live in New York? (9) Northern limits and southern strays: Long extremely interesting. Island and Staten Island harbor many butterflies (7) Recent extirpations and immigrations: Does (3) Mark-release-recapture techniques may be of southern affinity that barely reach the North- the regal fritillary survive anywhere in New York? used to study butterflies. Recognizable marks are east. A review of Appendix A and Shapiro's 1974 It should be sought on islands offshore from list will point to several coastal plain species that made on the wings of captured butterflies, which eastern Long Island, and in the Susquehanna are then released (Fig. 16). Records of recaptures are worthy of further study. This area should be over several days may be used to estimate watched for strays from the South that are population size using mathematical models. A reproducing there. "Global warming" may cause northward range extensions of many southern butterflies in the coming decades. technique similar to bird banding was developed (12) As you accrue information on butterflies, you for the monarch by Fred Urquhart, who studied (10) Larval food plants and adult nectar sources may wish to share this with other lepidopterists. its migration for decades based on recaptures. need to be documented. These plants may be Local societies and larger organizations often Scott's and Opler and Krizek's books can direct pressed and labelled for deposit in large herbaria have newsletters or journals, and well-prepared you to literature on these techniques which may (pressed plant collections). Ketchledge's booklet articles are welcomed by editors. TheJournal of be applied to many facets of butterfly study, (References) gives details. The Bailey Hortorium the Lepidopterists' Society is the largest North including courtship, migration, and range expan- Herbarium at Cornell University welcomes American periodical that deals specifically with sion. voucher specimens of this sort. butterflies. Joining the Lepidopterists' Society, Xerces Society, Young Entomologists' Society, (4) The Xerces Society annually sponsors a (1 1) Photography can be used to record many and other groups (see References) will provide "butterfly count" similar to Audubon bird counts. aspects of butterfly biology. Helpful books are contacts with other lepidopterists. Several of these are conducted in the Northeast. listed in References. Write to the society at 10 Southwest Ash Street, Portland, OR 97204 for directions, if this interests you. (5) Butterflies may be mated in captivity using a technique called "hand-pairing." A male and female are stunned or cooled to inactivity, then their abdomens are joined by hand; as they revive, fertilization may result. Some butterfly manuals give directions (see References). (6) How many eggs can a female butterfly lay? Feed her daily (Fig. 11) and keep records. Basic information like this is unknown for many species. (7) Hilltopping to find mates has been described above. What butterflies do you find concentrated on open hilltops? You may discover this behavior in species for which it was previously not known. Figure 16. Marking butterflies. An ingenious method to mark individual buttedies with a unique number pennits their release and subsequent recognition. This is done by making a combination of (8)Speyeria fritillary larvae are nocturnal (active at dots on the wing upper side using a waterproof marking pen. For example, the number 46 is night). Visiting large violet patches with a flash- represented by marking dots in the 40,2, and 4 positions; 88 is indicated by marking the 10.70. 1, light on June evenings may reveal the large black and 7 positions. Any number from 1 to 150 can be written using this system. Opler and Krizek and orange caterpillars. discus marking butterflies in detail (see References). This technique has many applications for (9) Any observations of ant attendance on butterfly study. lycaenid larvae are valuable. (See Scott's and Opler and Krizek's books.) How do ants interact with the caterpillars? Is more than one species of ant involved? Do you observe predators or parasitoids in ant-attended caterpillars? Analytical Life History Table The following table, adapted from one in Butte.flies of the Niagara Frontier by William Wild, summarizes what can be studied and recorded in a butterfly's life cycle.

Egg Caterpillar Chrysalis habits in flying date laid date hatched or found date formed basking behavior time of day laid food plant suspension attitude in repose plant or othe~su.face part of plant eaten size protection position on surface feeding habits shape concealment arrangement protection color and color changes mimicy number laid by one female concealment wrappings? habits ('playing dead'?) size mimicq duration territoriality shape tubercles parasitoids, predators, diseases courtship and mating color at different periods odor (osmeteria?) place and time of day duration rest pose or nest Adult oviposition time and mode of hatching excretion time and manner of emerging date and time of day parasitoids and predators habits date position on plant size wing expansion plant location behavior, etc. shape size sheltering and roosting color shape number and dates of broods number of molts and instars color abundance changes after molts sexual differences habitat duration between molts proportional number of each sex range pupation site selection active period during day enemies and predators predators, parasitoids, diseases feeding habits mites

You may be able to suggest additional points for observation and study. Learning about butterflies has its moments of magic-the mountain meadow filled with bursts of color among the grass, flower perfume mingling with the sweet smell of fresh air, the warm life-giving sunshine, and the presence of dazzling winged beings that flutter through all this beauty, lending their own special charm. Learning about anything that compels us is enjoyable, and projects of personal discovery are limited only by our imaginations. There will always be more questions to ask, and the quest for their answers is a large part of the richness of life. Miscellaneous References on Butterflies Where Does the Butterfly Go When It Rains. 196 1. May Garelick, with pictures by Leonard Weisgand. esou rces Addison-Wesley. Reading, Mass. 32 pp. Butterflies and Moths, A Companion to Your Field Guide. 1986. Jo Brewer and Dave Winter. Prentice Hall. New York. 194 pp. The Lives of Butterflies. 1986. Matthew M. Douglas. Butterfly Manuals Univ. of Mich. Press. Ann Arbor. 241 pp. Butterflies East of the Gnat Plains, An Illustrated The Natural History of Butterflies. 1986. John Natural History. Paul A. Opler and George 0. Feltwell. Facts on File. New York. 133 pp. Krizek. 1984. Johns Hopkins Univ. Press. 294 Butterfly Identification PP. A Cata/ogue/Checklist of the Butterflies of A merica Nod ofMexico. 1981. Lee D. Miller and F. Bufferflies andMoth5, A Guide to fheMore Gmmon Butterflies. 1927. Clarence M. Weed. Doubleday Martin Brown. The Lepidopterists' Society American Species. 1977. Robert T. Mitchell and page & co., carden city, N.Y. 286 pp. Herbert S. Zim. Golden Nature Guide. Golden Memior No. 2.280 pp. The Butterflies of North America, A Natural History Press, New York. 160 pp. Supplement to: A CataloguelChecklistof the Butterflies and Field Guide. 1986. James A.Scott. Stanford of America North of Mexico. 1989. Clifford D. A Field Guide to the Butterflies. 1951. A.B. Klots. Univ. Press. 583 pp. The Peterson Field Guide Series. Houghton Ferris, Ed. The Lepidopterists' Society Mifflin Co. Boston. 349 pp. (A revised version The Butted4 Book, Nmand ThoroUghb' Re~ised Memoir No. 3. 103 pp. W. J. 193l. Doubleday & by Paul Opler will be published in April 1992.) The Audubon SociezjJHandbook for Butterfly Watch- Co., Garden City, N.Y. 424 pp. +77 plates. The Audubon Sociezj~Field Guide to Nod American ers. 1984. Robert Michael Pyle. Charles Butterflies. 1981. Robert Michael Pyle. Alfred Lepidopfera of New York ~"dNeighboringSfafe5.Psi Scribner's Sons. New York. 274 pp. IV: Agaristidae through Nymphalidae, Including A. Knopf. New York. 916 pp. The Great Butterfly Hunt, the Mystery of heMigrating Butterflies. 1960. W.T.M. Forbes. Memoir 371. Monad. 1990. Ethan Herberman. Simon and Familiar Butterflies, Nod America. 1990. Richard Cornell Univ. Agr. Exp. Sta. Ithaca, N.Y. 188 Schuster, Inc. New York. 48 pp. K. Walton. The Audubon Society Pocket PP. Guides. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. New York. 191 How to raise butterflies andmoths. Colleen Seeley. ButteIflies of Allqany State Park. 1932. A.A. P P- N.Y.S. Consemationist. April-May 1963:48-49. Saunders. N.Y.S. Museum Handbook No. Some Butterflies andMoths. 1981. Carolyn Klass. 4- 13: 1-270. GrowingMoths. 1975. Robert Dirig. 4-H Members' H Members' Guide 139M-6-8. N.Y.S. Coll. of Guide 139M-6-6. N.Y.S. Coll. of Agr. and Life Agr. and Life Sciences, Cornell Univ. Ithaca, BufterfliesandSkipPers of Nm York Sfate. Arthur Sciences, Cornell Univ. Ithaca. 39 pp. N.Y. 16 pp. M. Shapiro. 1974. Search. Vol. 4, No. 3. Agr. Exp. Sta. Cornell Univ. Ithaca, N.Y. 60 pp. Labelling and Storing an Insect Collection. 1977. Robert Dirig. 4-H Members' Guide 139M-6-7. The Butterflies of the Eastern United States and N.Y.S. Coll. of Agr. and Life Sciences, Cornell Canada with Special Reference to NmEngland. Univ. Ithaca. 21 pp. 1889. Samuel Hubbard Scudder. Cambridge, Mass. Publ. by the author. 3 vols. 1,958 pp. Butterfly Gardening Create a Buttely Garden. 1967. L. Hugh Newman The butterflies of the Niagara Frontier region. 1939. and Moira Savonius. John Baker. London. 115 Ecological Communities of New York State. 1990. William Wild. Bull. of the Buffalo Soc. of Nat. PP. Carol Reschke. New York Natural Heritage Sci. XIX(1):l-55. Program, N.Y.S. Dept. of Env. Cons., 700 The Butterfly Gardener. M. Rothschild and C. Troy-Schenectady Rd., Latham, N.Y. 121 10- The status of silvery blue subspecies (Glaucops yche Farrell. 1983. Michael JosephIRainbird. 2400.96 pp. lygdamus lygdamus andG. 1. couperi: London. 128 pp. Lycaenidae) in Nm York. 1991. Robert Dirig The Dtwelopment of the Vegetation of New York State. The Butterfly Garden. 1985. Mathew Tekulsky. and John F. Cryan. J. of the Lepidopterists' SOC. 1915. William L. Bray. N.Y.S. Coll. of Forestry The Haward Common Press. Harvard and 45: [in press]. at Syracuse Univ. Tech. Publ. No. 3. 186 pp. Boston. 144 pp. Mites of Moth and Butterflies. 1975. Asher E. Treat. Know Your Trees. 1964. J.A. Cope and F.E. Winch. Butterfly Gardening, Creating Summer Magic in Your Comstock Publ. Assoc. Ithaca, N.Y. 362 pp. N.Y.S. Coll. of Agr., Cornell Univ. 4-H Club Garden. Xerces Soc. and Smithsonian Inst. Bull. J-85. 72 pp. Calendar of butteq5Iie.s for the year 1870. Entomologi- 1990. Sierra Club Books and Nat. Wildlife Fed. cal Contributions. 1872. J.A. Lintner. IN Ann. 192 pp. Nmcomb's Wildpower Guide. 1977. Lawrence Rep. of the N. Y.S. Museum 24: 157-1 67. Newcomb. Little, Brown & Co. Boston and ThNew Wildflowers and How To Grow Them. 1983. Toronto. 490 pp. Calendar of butterfliesfor the year 1869. Entomologi- Edwin F. Steffek. Timber Press, Portland, Or. cal Contributions. 1873. J.A. Lintner. IN Ann. 186 pp. F. Schuyler Mathews' Field Book of Americon Wild Rep. of the Regents of the Univ. of the State of New Flowers. 1955. Norman Taylor. G.P. Putnam's York 23:180-187. Sons. New York. 601 pp. Photography Hand-pairing of butterflies. 1956. C. Clarke and P. The Nature Photograpker's Complete Guide to A Field Guide to Wildflowers of Nortkeastern and Sheppard. bpidoptehsts' Nms 10:47-53. Professional Field Teckniques. 1984. John Shaw. North Central Nod America. 1968. Roger Tory Peterson and Margaret McKenny. Houghton The Butterfly Book, An Easy Guide to Butterfly Amphoto. New York. 144 pp. Mifflin Co. Boston. 420 pp. Gardening, Identification, and Behavior. 1991. John Shaw 's Closeups in Nature. 1987. John Shaw. Donald and Lillian Stokes and Ernest Wil- Amphoto. New York. 144 pp. Gray's Manual of Botany. Eighth (Centennial) liams. Little, Brown & Co. Boston. 96 pp. Edition-Illustrated. 1950. Merritt Lyndon Fernald. American Book Co. New York. 1,632 Wi/dlife in Today's Landscape. 1991. Marianne E. Plant Identification Sources PP. Krasny. Leader7s/Teacher's Guide 147L-5-20. The New Brirton and Brown Illustrated Flora of the N.Y.S. Coll. of Agr. and Life Sciences. Cornell Northeastern United States and Adiacent Canada. Hortlls Third, A Concise Dictionary of Plants Culti- Univ. Ithaca. 62 pp. + inserts. 1952. Henry A. Gleason. Published for the vated in the United States and Canada. 1976. Staff N.Y. Bot. Garden by Hafner Press div. of of the L.H. Bailey Hortorium, Cornell Univ. MacMillan Publ. Co., Inc. New York. 3 vols. MacMillan Publ. Co., Inc. New York. 1,290 pp. 482 + 655 + 596 pp. Knowing Your Trees. 1984. G.H. Collingwood and Hortus Source List. L.H. Bailey Hortorium, 462 Warren D. Brush, rev. and ed. by Devereux Mann Library, Cornell Univ. Ithaca, N.Y. Butcher. The American Forestry Assoc. 14853. Published annually in late winter. (188 Washington, D.C. 389 pp. pp. in 1991 ed.). Plant Collecting, A Guide to the Preparation of a Plant A Checklist of New York State Plants. 1986. Richard Collection. 1970. Edwin H. Ketchledge. State S. Mitchell. N.Y.S. Museum Bull. 458. 272 pp. Univ. Coll. of Forestry at Syracuse Univ. 21 pp. Appendices

Societies and Clubs Appendix A: Updated List of New York Xerces Society. Membership information: State Butterflies PR = permanent resident 10 Southwest Ash Street, Portland, OR 97204. Arthur M. Shapiro recorded 142 butterflies from M = migrant which may reproduce The Lepidopterists' Society. Membership New York in his 1974 publication Buttefllies and S = stray information c/o Fay H. Karpuleon, Treasurer. Skippers of Nm York State. Since then, additional 1521 Blanchard, Mishawaka, IN 46544. species have been discovered in the state. This FPR = former permanent resident list includes all butterflies and skippers that have Young Entomologist's Society (Y.E.S.). Interna- I = introduced from Europe been recorded at least once in New York through tional Headquarters. 1915 Peggy Place, 1991. Scientific names and sequence are from U = univoltine Lansing, MI 48910. Clifford D. Ferris' 1989 Supplement to: A Catalogue/ B = bivoltine Lepidoptera Research Foundation. Membership Checklist of the Butteglies of America North of Mexico information: 9620 Heather Road, Beverly Hills, except for numbers 66 and 134, which are MB = multiple-brooded (more than two broods CA 902 10. European, and numbers 104,121, and 148, which per year) follow Opler and Krizek's 1984 reference Butter- New York City Butterfly Club. c/o Guy Tudor, BU = broods unknown flies East of the Great Plains. Scientific names from President, 11 1-14 76th Ave., Apt. 10, Forest Shapiro's fauna are given in parentheses where NL = at Or near limit of range Hills, NY 11375. they differ, and we generally use the common RE = range expanding The Ohio Lepidopterists. 1241 Kildale Sq. N., names given in his book. Family and subfamily Columbus, OH 43229. names and sequence follow Lee D. Miller and F. LE largely extirpated Martin Brown's 1981 CataloguelChecklist of the Michigan Entomological Society. Exec. Sec'y., ES = endangered species Buttefllies of America North of Mexico. A brief Dept. of Entomology. Mich. State Univ., East indication of resident status, number of broods, PU = poorly understood Lansing, MI 48824-1 115. and distribution status in New York is given for = reported from New York since 1974 each butterfly, using the abbreviations explained . Collecting Equipment and Supplies at right. BioQuip Products. 17083 LaSalle Avenue, Many of the same butterflies occur throughout Gardena, CA 90248 the Northeast. New York is sited such that a American Biological Supply Co. (AMBI), 1330 blend of southern, northern and midwestern Dillon Heights Ave., Baltimore, MD 21228 species live here. States to the south will have a few more species of southern affinity, and states Carolina Biological Supply Co., Burlington, NC and provinces to the north and east will have 27215. more northern elements and probably fewer Wards Natural Science Establishment, P.O. Box species altogether. Range maps in Scott's and 9291 2, Rochester, NY 14692-901 2. Opler and Krizek's books (see References) put the New York butterflies within the context of their North American distributions. Family Hesperiidae 1. Silver-spotted Skipper, Epargyreus clam. PR, B 28. Peck's Skipper, Politespeckius. PR, MB 2. Long-tailed Skipper, Urbanusproteus. S 29. Tawny-edged Skipper, Polites t/remistocles. PR, B 3. Golden-banded Skipper, Autochton cellus. S 30. Cross-line Skipper, Polites origenes (P. manataaqua). PR, U or B 4. Hoary Edge, Achalancs /yciades. PR, U or ?B 31. Long Dash, Polites mystic. PR, U or B 5. Southern Cloudy Wing, Thorybes bathyllus. PR, U 32. Whirlabout, Polires vibex. M, NL 6. Northern Cloudy Wing, Thorybespylades. PR, U 33. Northern Broken Dash, Wallengrenia egemmet. PR, U 7. Dreamy Dusky Wing, Erynnis icelus. PR, U 34. Little Glassy Wing, Pompeius verna (genus Polites). PR, U 8. Sleepy Dusky Wing, Erynnis brizo. PR, U 35. Sachem, Atalopedes campestn's. S, NL 9. Juvenal's Dusky Wing, Erynnisjuvenalis. PR, U 36. Arogos Skipper, Atrytone amgos. PR, U, NL 10. Horace's Dusky Wing, Erynnis horatius. PR, MB 37. Delaware Skipper, Atlytone logan (A. delaware). PR, U,RE 11. Mottled Dusky Wing, Erynnis martialis. PR, U or B 38. Mulberry Wing, Poanes massasoit. PR, U 12. Columbine Dusky Wing, Erynnis lucilius. PR, MB 39. Hobomok Skipper, Poaneshobomok. PR, U 13. Wild Indigo Dusky Wing, Erynnis baptisiae. PR, B 40. Southern Golden Skipper, Poanes zabulon. PR, B 14. Persius Dusky Wing, Erynnispersius. PR, U, PU, ES? 41. Aaron's Skipper, Poanes aaroni. S, NL 15. Southern Grizzled Skipper, Pygus centaareae wyandot (P. wyandot). 42a. Broad-winged Skipper, Poanes viator viator. PR, U PR, U, PU 42b. Broad-winged Skipper, Poanes viatorxizaniae. PR, U 16. Checkered Skipper, Pyrgus communis. PR and M, MB 43. Dion Skipper, Euphyes dion. PR, U 17. Sooty Wing, Pholisora catullus. PR, B or MB 44. Black Dash, Euphyes conspicuus. PR, U 18. Arctic Skipper, Carterocephaluspalaemon mandan. (C. p. mesapano). 45. Two-spotted Skipper, Euphyes bimacula. PR, U PR, U 46. Dun Skipper, Euphyes vestn's metacomet. PR, U 19. Swarthy Skipper, Nastra lherminier. PR, B 47. Dusted Skipper, Atrytonopsis hianna. PR, U 20. Clouded Skipper, Lemma accius. M, NL 48. Pepper-and-Salt Skipper, Amblyscirtes hegon. PR, U 21. Least Skipper, Ancyloxypha numitor. PR, UB or MB 49. Roadside Skipper, Amb/yscirtes vialis. PR, U 22. European Skipper, Thymelicus lineola. I, PR, U, RE 50. Twin-spot Skipper, Oligoria maculafa. S 23. Fiery Skipper, Hylephilaphyleus. M, NL 51. Brazilian Skipper, Calpodesethlius.S or I 24. Leonard's Skipper, Hesperia leonardus. PR, U 52. Salt Marsh Skipper, Panoquinapanoquin. PR, B, NL 25. Cobweb Skipper, Hesperia metea. PR, U 53. Long-winged Skipper, Panoquina ocola. S 26. Dotted Skipper, Hesperia attalus. S, PU, NL 27. Indian Skipper, Hesperia sassacus. PR, U Family Papilionidae Family Lycaenidae 54. Pipevine Swallowtail, Battusphilenor. M, NL SUBFAMILYMILETINAE (~Gerydinae) 55. Zebra Swallowtail, Eurytides marrellus (genus Graphium). 77. Harvester, Feniseca tarquinius. PR, MB PR and S, B, PU, NL 56. Black Swallowtail, Papiliopolyscenes asterius. PR, B and MB SUBFAMILYLYCAENINAE 57. Giant Swallowtail, Heraclides cresphontes (genus Papilio). 78. American Copper, Lycaenaphlaeas americana. PR, MB, possibly I PR and S, B?, PU, NL 79. Bronze Copper, Hyllolycaena hyllus (Lycaena thoe). PR, B 58. Tiger Swallowtail, Ptmumsglaums (genus Papilio). PR; U, B or MB 80. Bog Copper, Epidemia epixanthe (genus Lycaena). PR, U 59. Spicebush Swallowtail, Pteroums troilus (genus Papilio). PR, B or MB 60. Palamedes Swallowtail, Ptmumspalamedes (genus Papilio). S SUBFAMILYTHECLINAE 81. Great Purple Hairstreak, Atlides habw. S Family Pieridae 82. Coral Hairstreak, Harkenclenus titus. PR, U 61. Florida White, Appias dmsilla. S 83. Acadian Hairstreak, Satyrium acadkm. PR, U 62. Checkered White, Pontiaprotodice (genus Pieris). PR and M, MB, NL 84. Edward's Hairstreak, Satyrium edwardsii. PR, U 63. Mustard White, Pieris napi oleracea. PR, B or MB, possible RE 85. Banded Hairstreak, Satyrium calanus falacer (S.falacer). PR, U 64. West Virginia White, Pieris virginiensis. P R, U 86. Hickory Hairstreak, Satyrium caryaevomm. PR, U 65. Cabbage White, Pieris rapae. I, PR, MB 87. Striped Hairstreak, Satyrium liparops. PR, U *66. European Large White, Pieris brassicae. I (in the 1850s, not now in N.A.) 88. Red-banded Hairstreak, Calycopis cecrops. PR, B, NL *67. Olympian Marble, Euchloe olympia. PR, U, NL, ES 89. Olive Hairstreak, Mitouragrynea. PR, B 68. Falcate Orange Tip, Paramidea midea (genus Anthocaris). P R, U, NL 90. Hessel's Hairstreak, Mitourahesseli. PR, B, ES 69. Clouded Sulphur, Coliasphilodice. PR, MB 91. Brown Elfin, Incisalia augustinus. PR, U 70. Alfalfa, Colias eurytheme. PR and M, MB 92. Hoary Elfin, Incisaliapolia. PR, U 71. Pink-edged Sulphur, Colias interior. PR, U 93. Frosted Elfin, Incisalia ims. PR, U 72. Southern Dog Face, Zeme cesonia (genus Colias). S 94. Henry's Elfin, Incisaliahrin'. PR, U 73. Cloudless Sulphur, Phoebis sennae eubule. M or S *95. Bog Elfin, Incisalia lanoraieensis. PR, U, PU 74.Orange-barred Sulphur, Phoebisphilea. S 96. Pine Elfin, Incisalia nip/lon. PR, U 75. Little Sulphur, Eurema Lisa. M, MB, NL 97. Northern Hairstreak, Fimenia ontario (genus Euristrymon). PR, U, PU 76. Sleepy Orange, Eurema nicippe. M, MB, NL 98. White-M Hairstreak, Pahasius m-album (genus Panthiades). S, NL 99. Gray Hairstreak, Strymon melinus. PR and M, MB 100. Columella Hairstreak, Stryrnotz co/urne//a.S * = reported from New York since 1974 101. Early Hairstreak, Erora laeta. PR, B, PU SUBFAMILYPOLYOMMATINAE (=Plebeiinae) 102. Eastern Tailed Blue, Evens comyntas. PR, MB 117. Gorgone Checkerspot, Charidryas golgone (genus Chlosyne). PR, U, PU, NL 103. Spring Azure, Celastrina algiolus ladon (Lycaenopsis algioks). PR, U, B or MB, a PU complex of 3-5 sibling species 118. Silvery Crescent, Charidryas nycteis (genus Chlosyne). PR, U or B *104. Appalachian Blue, Celastrina neglectamajor. PR, U, PU 119. Harris' Checkerspot, Chan'dryas hamisii (genus Chlosyne). PR, U *105a. Northern Silvery Blue, Glaucopsyche lygdamus couperi. PR, U, RE 120. Pearl Crescent, Phyciodes tharos. PR, MB 105b. Southern Silvery Blue, Glaucopsyche lygdamus lygdamus. *121. Northern Pearl Crescent, Phyciodespascoensis. PR, U, rarely B PR, U, LE, ES 122. Tawny Crescent, Phyciodes batesii. FPR, U,LE, ES 106. Karner Blue, Lycaeide~melissa samuelis. PR, B, LE, ES 123. Baltimore Checkerspot, Euphydryasphaeton. PR, U

Family Riodinidae SUBFAMILYNYMPHALINAE 107. Northern Metalmark, Calephelis borealis (genus Lephelisca). PR, U, PU, NL 124. Questionmark, Polygonia interrogationis. M, MB 125. Comma, Polygonia comma. PR and M, B Family Libytheidae 126. Satyr Anglewing, Polygonia satyms. S 108. Snout, Libytheana bachmanii. PR? and S, BU, NL, RE? 127. Green Comma, Polygonia faunw. PR, U 128. Hoary Comma, Polygoniagracilis. PR, U?, PU Family Heliconiidae 129. Gray Comma, Polygoniaprogne. PR, B 109. Gulf Fritillary, Agraulis vanillae. S 130. Compton Tortoiseshell, Nymphalis vaualbumj-album (N.j-album). M,U

Family Nyrnphalidae 131. California Tortoiseshell, Nymphalis californica. I, LE 132. Mourning Cloak, Nymphalis antiopa. PR and M, U or B SUBFAMILYARGYNNINAE 133. Milbert's Tortoiseshell, Aglais milberti (genus Nymphalis). PR, MB 110. Variegated Fritillary, Euptoieta claudia. S, NL *134. European Small Tortoiseshell, Aglais urticae. I, MB? 111. Great Spangled Fritillary, Spqeria qbele. PR, U 135. American Painted Lady, Vanessa ~i~niensis.M, B or MB 112. Aphrodite Fritillary, Spwaaphrodite. PR, U 136. Cosmopolitan Painted Lady, Vanessa cardui. M, B or MB 113. Regal Fritillary, Spqeria idalia. FPR, U, LE, ES 137. Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta mbria (V. atalanta). M, B 114. Mountain Silverspot, Spqeria atlantis. PR, U 138. Buckeye, Junonia coenia (genus Precis). M, MB, NL 115. Silver-bordered Fritillary, Clossiana selene myrina (genus Boloria). PR, MB 116. Meadow Fritillary, Clossiana bellona (Boloria toddi). PR, MB

* = reported from New York since 1974 SUBFAMILYLIMENITIDINAE Appendix B: 139a. Banded Purple, Basilarchia arthemis arthemis (genus Limenitis). Larval Food Plants of Some Common New York Butterflies PR, U or B These food plants are frequently used throughout the Northeast. 139b. Red-spotted Purple, Basilanhia arthemis astyanax (genus Limenitis). Common name Foodplants (Genus name given aept where PR, MB, NL speGifc plants are required) 140. Viceroy, Basilarchia adippus (genus Limenitis). PR, MB Hesperiidae: Skippers Family Apaturidae Silver-spotted Skipper Black locust (Robiniapseudoacacia)and other 141. Hackberry Butterfly, Astemcampa celtis. PR, U or B, RE? legumes (Wisteria, Desmodium) 142. Tawny Emperor, Astemcampa c/yton. PR, U European Skipper Ti moth y (Phleum pratense) Hobomok Skipper Grasses (Poaceae) Family Satyridae 143. Northern Pearly Eye, Enodia anthedon (genus Lethe). PR, U Papilionidae: Swallowtails Tiger Swallowtail Ash (Fraxinus), black cherry (Pnmus serotina), 144. Northern Eyed Brown, Satyrodes eurydice (genus Lethe). PR, U sweet bay (Magnolia vilginiana), tuliptree 145. Appalachian Eyed Brown, Satymdes appalachia (genus Lethe). PR, U (Liriodendmn tulipifra), lilac (Syringa vulgaris) 146. Carolina Satyr, Hemeuptychia hemes (genus Euptychia). S, NL Black Swallowtail Queen Anne's lace (Daunrs camta), dill (Anethumgrmeolens), carrots (Daucus carota var. 147. Little Wood Satyr, Megi'sto cymela (genus Euptychia). PR; a complex of saliva), parsley (Petroselinum horfense),celery two siblings, one U, one B (Apium grmeolens), other umbellifers 148. Inornate Ringlet, Coenonympha inornata (C. tullia). PR, B, RE Spicebush Swallowtail Spicebush (Lindera benzoin), sassafras (Sassa- 149a. Blue-eyed Grayling, Cenyonispegalapegala. PR, U fras albidum), sweet bay (Magnolia viqiniana), prickly ash (Zanthoxylum americanum), tuliptree 149b. Northern Grayling, Cerqonispegala nephele. PR, U (Liriodendron tulipifera) *150. Jutta Arctic, Oeneisjutta. PR, U, PU Pipevine Swallowtail Pipevine (Aristolochia)

Family Danaidae Pieridae: Whites and Sulphurs 151. Monarch, Danaus plexippus. M, MB West Virginia White Toothworts (Cardamine diphylla and C. concatenafa) Cabbage White, Imported Cabbage, collards, broccoli, wintercress, Cabbageworm mustards (Brassica),and other Brassicaceae Clouded Sulphur Red clover, white clover, trefoils and other clovers (Tn~olium) Alfalfa Pea family-alfalfa (Mediago satha), clovers (Tnyolium), many vetches (Vin'a) * = reported from New York since 1974 Common name Foodplants (Genus name @wen except where Common name Foodplants (Genus name given except where specific plants are reguired) specificplants are reguired)

Lycaenidae: Gossamer-winged Butterflies Milbert's Tortoiseshell Nettles (Umka) Eastern Tailed Blue Yellow sweet clover (Meliotus oficinalis), alfalfa American Painted Lady Everlastings (Anaphalis, Gnaphlium, (Medicago sativa), wild lupine (Lupinw A ntennaria) perennis) Cosmopolitan Painted Thistles (Cirsium vukare and C. amense), Karner Blue Wild lupine (Lupinusperennis) Lady hollyhock (Althaea),common mallow (Malva American Copper Sheep sorrel (Rumm acetosella), occasionally moschata) curled dock (Rumex crispus) Buckeye Plantain (Plantago),false foxglove (Aureolaria), Spring Azure (complex) Flowering dogwood (Cornusjlorido), wild snapdragon (Antidinurn) cherry (Pmnus serotina), New Jersey tea Banded Purple Birch (Betula), poplar (Populus),wild cherry (Ceanothus americanus), red osier dogwood (Pmnus serotina), willow (Salix) (Cornus sericea), viburnum (Viburnum sp.) staghorn sumac (mustyphina), meadowsweet Red-spotted Purple Wild cherry (Pmnus serotina), willow (Salix) (Spiraea latfolia), blue berry (Vaccinium) Viceroy Willow (Salix), poplar (Populus)

Family Nymphalidae: Brush-footed Butterflies Satyridae: Wood Nymphs Great Spangled Frittilary Round-leaved yellow violet (Viola rotundijblia), Northern Pearly Eye Grasses (Poaceae) common blue violet (Viola sororia), other Viola SPP- Little Wood Satyr Orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata) Aphrodite Fritillary Violets (as above) Danaidae: Milkweed Butterflies Pearl Crescent Asters (Asterpilosus,A. ericoides, A. lanceolatus, Monarch Milkweeds (Asclepias) and A. pmanthoides) Baltimore Turtlehead (Cheloneglabra),hairy beardtongue (Penstemon hirsutus);older larvae on other hosts including white ash (Fraxinus americana), arrowwood (Viburnum dentaturn), lousewort (Pedicularis),Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) Questionmark Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), nettle (Urfica), hops (Humulus), elm (Ulmus) Comma, Hop Merchant Nettle (Urlica), hops (Humulus),elm (Ulmus) Mourning Cloak Elm (Ulmus), willow (Salk), poplar (Populus), hackberry (Celtis occidentalis) Appendix C: Flowers Attractive to Butterflies The following native and exotic nectar-source plants are attractive to butterflies and can be grown in the Northeast. There are numerous cultivated varieties of some listed plants. Sources may be found in the Hortus Soune List, an annually updated directory of plant nurseries in New York and nearby (see References).

Aster, New England (Aster novae-angliae) Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum and other species) Asters (Aster spp.), many native species Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) Beauty bush (Kolhitzia amabilis) Lilac, Purple (Syringa vulgaris) Blackberry (Rubus allegheniensis) Marigolds (Tagetes spp.) Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) Marjoram or Oregano (Origanum vulgam) Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii) Mock Orange (Phi/ade/phus coronarius Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa) and other P. spp.) Clover, Red (Trifolium pratense) Mountain Bluet (Centauma maculosa) Coneflowers (Echinacea spp.) Phlox (Phlox spp.) Coreopsis (Coreopsis spp.) Pincushion Flower (Scabiosa spp.) Cosmos (Cosmos spp.) Sedum or Liveforever (Sedum telephium, Daisies (Chrysanthemum spp.) S. spectabile 'Autumn Joy,' 'Meteor,' and other large summer-flowering types) Daisy, Oxeye (Leucanthemumvu/gare) Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus) Dame's Rocket (Hesperir matronalis) Thistles (Cinium spp., Echinops Dandelions (Taraxacum spp.) sphaerocephalus) Forget-me-not (Myosotis scorpioides) Thyme (Thymus spp.) Goldenrods (Solidago spp.) Yarrow (Achilles spp., A.fi/ipendulina) Honeysuckles (Lonicera heckronii, L. Zinnias (Zinnia spp.) japonica 'Halliana') Hyssop (Hyssopus of/icalis)