Watching Western Colorado

Dr. Warren H. “Herb” Wagner Why?

• Enhance the outdoor experience • Intro to conservation • Fun Three Steps to Conservation Xerxes Society for Invertebrate Conservation 1) Identify the resources The butterflies Their larval host plants The adult food sources floral & other 2) Protect the resources The landscape & nectar, host plants 3) Enhance the resources Larval & adult host plants Gardens What are the threats? Invasive weeds Knapweeds, bindweed, cheatgrasses, spurges, … Large scale hot-burning fire More frequent, smaller fires not a threat People Serious collecting benefits long term conservation efforts A few rare species are threatened by over-collecting Habitat destruction is a real and serious threat to many butterfly populations

Collecting Butterflies

With proper labeling & care

COLO Mesa Co • Indisputable historical records Black Ridge Rd • Essential for proper ID 6 Apr 1996 • Genetic records JA & RW Hammon • Fun! • Pretty

Paonia Colo 7/23/1932 If you are going to use a field guide, this is the one

Colorado Butterflies 289 Species West slope - > 200 species Gunnison County 159 species Mesa County 155 species

• Skippers 36 species • Skippers 36 species • Swallowtails 6 species • Swallowtails 7 species • Lycaenids 40 species • Lycaenids 39 species • Pierids 20 species • Pierids 16 species • Metalmarks 1 species • Metalmarks 1 species • Nymphalids 56 species • Nymphalids 56 species Metamorphosis

naturallycuriouswithmaryholland = Scale wing The proboscis, clubbed antenna

Thread or featherlike antennae Wings held tentlike Nocturnal Not as colorful One-eyed sphinx Smerinthus cerisyi vermiculata, Police Car Hemaris thetis, Clear-winged Sphinx Columbia silkmoth columbia Photographing Butterflies

• The camera in hand when a butterfly lands is the best one you have

• If you are serious about photography, get a SLR with 100 mm macro

• Patience, calmly move slowly quickly, more patience

• Learn the best flowers

• Revisit sites The Swallowtails Papilionidae Tiger Swallowtails

Larvae feed on cottonwood, aspen and many other trees & shrubs Two-tailed Swallowtail

Larvae love green ash, chokecherry & other common urban trees The Pale (Pallid) Swallowtail

Larvae feed on many plants in and buckthorn families Anise Swallowtail Larval hosts – Carrot family (Apiaceae) Anise Swallowtail yellow form Papilio zelicaon Rocky Mountain Parnassian Parnassius smintheus

Host plant is Sedum, aka stonecrop Checkered White: protodice : Whites & Sulfurs Becker's White: Pontia beckerii; Larval hosts are crucifers Spring White, Margined White marginalis Cabbage White: Pieris rapae Large Marble Euchloe ausonides Southwestern Orangetip: Anthocharis thoosa Sulfurs : Colias

Colias eriphyle, western clouded Sulphur Host plant legumes, especially alfalfa Mead's Sulphur: Colias meadii

Mead’s Sulfur: Colias meadii : Gossamer Winged Butterflies Lustrous Copper aka Snow’s Copper: cupreus Alpine sorrel: Rumex sp. Ruddy Copper , Lycaenea rubidus Blue copper Lycaena heteronea Host plants – family (Polyganaceae) Tailed copper, Lycaena arota on AYC Colorado Hairstreak: Hypaurotis crysalus Host plant: Gambel’s oak Sheridan's Green Hairstreak:

Callophrys sheridanii

On

Spring Beauty Claytonia sp.

Larvae feed on , often sulfur flower Juniper Hairstreak: gryneus (= C. siva) Thicket Hairstreak: Callophrys spinetorum On: Fendlers , Ceanothus fendleri (left) Willow, Salix sp (below) Larvae feed on mistletoes parasitic on conifers Striped Hairstreak Satyrium liparops

Gray Hairstreak: Strymon melinus

Edwards Hairstreak Satyrium edwardsii

Coral Hairstreak Satyrium titus Greenish Blue, Plebejus saepiolus Western Pygmy-Blue exilis Boisduval's Blue: Plebejus icarioides

Arctic Blue, Plebejus rustica

Alpine Bistort, Bistorta vivipara Eastern Tailed-Blue: Cupido comyntas Northern Azure, Celastrina lucia Greenish blue, Plebejus saepiolus Marine Blue, Leptotes marina Melissa Blue :Plebejus melissa

Spalding’s Dotted Blue: Euphilotes spalding[ Host plant: ovalifolium Hoary Elfin, Callophyrys polio Mormon Metalmark: Apodemia mormo

Host plant : buckwheats

Photos: Melissa Franklin

Nymphalidae: Brush Footed Butterflies Silverspot Fritillaries: Speyeria

Speyeria callipe Speyeria mormona eurynome Speyeria cybele charlottei

Speyeria sp. on thistles

Speyeria callipe Cerro Summit, July 7 2018 Silver spot frittilaries on showy milkweed Speyeria cybele charlottei The Lesser Fritillaries – Boloria sp Variegated Fritillary: Euptoieta claudia Anicia Checkerspot: Euphydryas anicia , Euphydryas anicia Rockslide aka Damoetas Checkerspot: whitneyi Sagebrush Checkerspot: Chlosyne acastus

Easter Daisy Townsendia annua : tharos Bates’ Crescent: field crescent Phyciodes pulchella : Anglewings

Comma: Polygonia comma Satyr Comma: Hoary Comma: Polygonia gracicis zephyrus NymphalidaeMonarch:: Danainae Danaus plexippusMonarch: Danaus plexxipusDanaidaeHost plant = :Danainae MIlkweeds Queen: Danaus gilippus

Weidemeyer's Admiral: weidemeyerii Admirals: Limenitis AKA Basilarchia

Viceroy: Limenitis archippus White Admiral / Red Spotted Purple

White Admiral:

Red-spotted Purple: Limenitis arthemis Hackberry butterfly: Asterocampa celtis Mourning Cloak: Nymphalis antiopa

Larval host: Wilows & various trees Milbert's Tortoiseshell: Aglais (Nymphalis) milberti

The first butterfly of spring, overwinters as adult, larvae feed on stinging nettle

Avid hill topper, at top of every hill and mountain Stinging nettles Red Admiral: Vanessa atalanta Painted Lady: Vanessa cardui Painted Ladies

Larval hosts: Composites

West Coast Lady: Vanessa annabella Gray Buckeye: Junonia grisea

Larval hosts are various scrophs & buckwheats Satyrs, Alpines, Arctics & Wood Nymphs Ringlets: Coenonympha tullia Nymphalidae:

Larval hosts are “grasses”

Wyoming Satyr: Neominois ridingsii

Canyonland Satyr: pertepida Little wood nymph, sthenele: Great Basin Wood-Nymph ?????

small wood-nymph Cercyonis oetus

Erigeron sp. Ringlets: Coenonympha tullia Common Ringlet Magdalena Alpine: magdalena Colorado Alpine Erebia callias Common Alpine aka Butlers Alpine Erebia epipsodea Arctics: White-veined Arctic: Oeneis bore

Polixenes Arctic: ? Hesperia juba: Juba Skipper Checkered Skipper: Burnsius communis Juba skipper: Hesperia juba Thank You for joining us

Questions?

Email me: [email protected]