Ontario Lepidoptera 2009
Edited and Compiled by
Ross A. Layberry and Colin D. Jones
Toronto Entomologists’ Association Occasional Publication #40-2010
ISBN: 0-921631-36-1
Ontario Lepidoptera 2009
Edited and Compiled by Ross A. Layberry and Colin D. Jones
September 2010
Published by the Toronto Entomologists’ Association Toronto, Ontario
Production by Colin D. Jones TORONTO ENTOMOLOGISTS’ ASSOCIATION ONTARIO LEPIDOPTERA (TEA)
The TEA is a non-profit educational and scientific Published annually by the Toronto Entomologists’ organization formed to promote interest in insects, to Association. encourage co-operation among amateur and professional entomologists, to educate and inform non-entomologists Ontario Lepidoptera 2009 about insects, entomology and related fields, to aid in the Publication date: September 2010 preservation of insects and their habitats and to issue ISBN: 0-921631-36-1 publications in support of these objectives. Copyright © TEA for Authors All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be The TEA is a registered charity (#1069095-21); all reproduced or used without written permission. donations are tax creditable. Information on submitting records, notes and articles to Membership Information: Ontario Lepidoptera can be obtained by contacting an editor: Annual dues: Individual-$25 Colin D. Jones Student-free (Association finances permitting – Co-editor and co-compiler of Butterflies and Skippers beyond that, a charge of $15 will apply) Box 182 Family-$30 Lakefield, Ontario, Canada K0L 2H0 All membership queries and payment of dues can be Home Tel: (705) 652-5004 directed to Chris Rickard, Treasurer, T.E.A., 28 Seventh Work Tel: (705) 755-2166 St. Toronto, Ontario, Canada M8V 3B2. Email: [email protected]
Publications received as part of a TEA membership Ross A. Layberry include: Co-editor and co-compiler of Butterflies and Skippers • 3 issues per year of our newsjournal 6124 Carp Road Ontario Insects Kinburn, Ontario, Canada • annual Ontario Lepidoptera summary K0A 2H0 • discounts on sales of other publications including Tel: (613) 832-4467 Ontario Odonata Email: [email protected]
The TEA Board Currently Vacant Editor and compiler of Moths The TEA is run by a volunteer board. The executive officers are elected every two years. COVER PHOTOGRAPHS Executive Officers: President: Glenn Richardson Front: Silvery Blues at the Little Cataraqui C.A., Vice-President: Alan Macnaughton Frontenac on June 3, 2009 (photo: Max Larrivée) Treasurer: Chris Rickard Secretary: (vacant) Back: Pepper and Salt Skipper near Lavant Station, Lanark on June 4, 2009 (photo: Christine Hanrahan) Board of Directors: Chris Darling: R.O.M. Representative Nancy van der Poorten: Past President Carolyn King: O.N. Representative Carolyn King: Publicity Co-ordinator Carol Sellers: Programs Co-ordinator Steve LaForest: Field Trips Co-ordinator
CONTENTS
General Introduction ...... 1
The Power of Databasing Our Records and How You Can Help...... 2
Acknowledgements...... 3
List of Contributors...... 3
Counties, Districts and Regional Municipalities of Ontario...... 5
Corrections to Previous Summaries...... 7
The Enigmatic Grey Hairstrek (Strymon melinus) in the Toronto Region – by Barry Harrison...... 8
Possible Subspecies of the Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) – by Ross Layberry...... 9
The Canadian Global Change Transect: Evaluate and Predict the Impacts of Global Changes on the Distribution of Canadian Butterfly Species – by Maxime Larrivée...... 11
A Note about Speyeria Fritillary Identification – by Ross Layberry...... 13
A Summary of Ontario Butterfly Counts in 2009 – compiled by James Kamstra...... 15
Summary of Ontario Butterflies and Skippers in 2008 – compiled by Ross A. Layberry and Colin D. Jones ...... 21 Hesperiidae...... 23 Papilionidae...... 30 Pieridae...... 32 Lycaenidae ...... 37 Nymphalidae ...... 44
Checklist of Ontario Butterflies and Skippers – by Colin D. Jones...... 59
Publications Available from the TEA...... 65
Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
This issue of Ontario Lepidoptera includes notes, photos and records from the 2009 seasons as well as a number of valuable and interesting notes and articles on Lepidoptera in the province.
Barry Harrison has written a short article on the status of Grey Hairstreak in the Toronto Region. Ross Layberry reports on possible subspecies of the Mourning Cloak, complete with photos, and how a project team of five well-known lepidopterists, Norbert Kondla, Joseph Belicek, Crispin Guppy, Otakar Kudrna and Harry Pavulaan are presently reviewing the biology and taxonomy of this species and are seeking specimens from Ontario to assist with this study. Maxim Larrivée of the Canadian Facility for Ecoinformatics Research, Biology Department, University of Ottawa announces the Canada Global Change Transect (CGCT) and calls upon on all Canadian entomologists interested in butterflies to share with the CGCT their butterfly observations or specimen captures. Ross Layberry has provided a very useful illustrated article on some lesser known but reliable ways to identify the Speyeria fritillaries. James Kamstra presents a summary of the 2009 Ontario butterfly counts and, of course, the articles and notes are followed by the written summary of the 2009 Ontario butterfly records that have been submitted by our many contributors.
Data for all records of all species received for 2009 (much more data than can be included in the printed summary!) are included in a table available to TEA members as PDF files from Colin Jones (see contact information below). For any members without a computer, simply contact Colin, he will be more than happy to send you a printed copy of the tables.
The contents of this publication have been checked for errors and accuracy as much as possible. Please notify us of any corrections of errors or omissions, and these will be included in future issues of Ontario Lepidoptera and incorporated into the database.
Work on the compilation and production of Ontario Lepidoptera 2010 has already begun but we will be accepting additional records, notes and photographs from the 2010 season until January 31, 2011. Please send any contributions to:
Colin Jones Ross Layberry Box 182, Lakefield, ON 6124 Carp Rd., Kinburn, ON K0L 2H0 OR K0A 2H0 Tel: 705-652-5004 Tel: 613-832-4467 email: [email protected] email: [email protected]
Information on how to submit records can be obtained from the compilers.
1 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
THE POWER OF DATABASING OUR RECORDS AND HOW YOU CAN HELP
Most people these days have a personal computer at home and use it for record keeping. In order to greatly speed up the process of databasing records submitted for Ontario Lepidoptera we ask that contributors submit records in electronic form, preferably in a spreadsheet (e.g. Microsoft Excel) or database (e.g. Microsoft Access) format.
There is also a technological advance that has become much more accessible in recent years that has given us the ability to easily assign geographic data to observations (allowing us to easily map them for projects such as The Ontario Butterfly Atlas, for example). This is the advent of the hand-held GPS (Global Positioning System). A growing number of field biologists and amateur naturalists and entomologists have GPS units and are finding them an extremely useful and handy tool. For those of you who own or have access to a GPS unit (or to topographic maps of your area) we are also asking that you supply geographic coordinates (UTM grid reference or Latitude/Longitude) with your records. Although these coordinates can be read from a topographic map, with the advent of the handheld GPS unit (available for $200 or less from most camping and outdoors stores, including Canadian Tire) such coordinates can be obtained much more quickly, easily and accurately than they can from a map.
For those contributors who cannot or wish not to supply records in a database format, records submitted in another electronic format (word-processing application such as Microsoft Word) or even in handwritten format are better than nothing at all. In addition, if you are unable to assign a geographic reference to your records, the raw records are fine. The compilers will enter the records into the database and attempt to geo- reference them ourselves. Obviously, the more you can do as contributors, the easier our job as compilers becomes.
There are several reasons for using such a format for data submission. Increasingly, data on invertebrates (especially butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies) is being used to aid in conservation land-use planning. Most of this readership would probably agree that this is a very positive movement. The TEA and the contributors to Ontario Lepidoptera have an opportunity, by databasing their records and attaching precise geographic coordinates to the records, to add greatly to the conservation of butterflies and moths. The power of a fully databased set of records is incredible. The records can easily be sorted or manipulated in any number of ways in order to: i) produce a county list; ii) map all of the records for a particular species; iii) compare records from one time frame to another (e.g. 1800-1950 with 1951-present). In these ways, once fully databased, the application of the database becomes much more useful than just the production of the annual summary.
More detailed information on how to submit records (including how to supply geographic coordinates), and a sample of the database structure can be obtained by contacting the compilers (see contact information on page 1).
2 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Ontario Lepidoptera would not be possible without the considerable effort of the contributors who take the time to submit their records each year. In particular, we would like to acknowledge the following individuals for their efforts as they took the time to submit records, in some instances not only of their own but also on behalf of others: the Algonquin P.P. Naturalist Staff, Alfred Adamo, Blake Mann, Bob Bracken, Bruce Ripley, Barry Harrison, Bob Yukich, Brenda Van Ryswyk, the Charleston Lake P.P. Naturalist Staff, Christina Lewis, Christine Hanrahan, Chris Robinson, Colin Jones, David, Allison, David Bree, Diane Lepage, Ed Poropat, Gillian Mastromatteo, James Kamstra, Jerry Ball, John Carley, Justin Peter, Ken Allison, Linda Jeays, Mary and Tony Rapati, Maxime Larrivee, Nick Escott, Peter Hall, Ross Layberry, Sue Bryan, Christine Hanrahan and Xi Wang.
We would also like to thank those who submitted photographs from 2009 including: Alfred Adamo, Bob Yukich, Brenda Van Ryswyk, Colin Jones, Christine Hanrahan, David Bree, Diane Lepage, Maxime Larrivee, Simon Rainville and Tony Bigg.
LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS AND OBSERVERS
Ontario Lepidoptera 2009 summarizes data and observations of butterflies and skippers for the 2009 season in the province of Ontario, Canada, received from the contributors and observers listed below: AA Alfred Adamo Toronto DA David Allison Ottawa ABe Alex Benvenuti New Liskard DAd Diana Adamo Toronto ABR Anne & Barry Robertson Kingston DAS Don A. Sutherland Peterborough AdBe Adrianna Benvenuti New Liskard DBa Dennis Barry Oshawa ADW Amy Whitehorne Charleston Lake P.P. DBr David Bree Bloomfield AG Ann Gray Toronto DCT Doug C. Tozer Dwight AHR Alfred H. Rider Forest DD Don Davis Toronto APP Algonquin P.P. Naturalist Staff Algonquin P.P. DFi Don Finnegan Peterborough BAM Blake A. Mann Wallaceburg DLe Diane Lepage Ottawa BBr Bob Bracken Ottawa DLG David LeGros Algonquin P.P. BCa B. Campbell Sandbanks P.P. DMc Darryl McLeod Fort Frances BER Bruce E. Ripley Kingston DTy Don Tyerman Presqu'ile P.P. BG B. Gilmour Sandbanks P.P. EA Ethan Andermann Killaloe BH Barry Harrison Scarborough EH Ethan Huner Algonquin P.P. BHo Brandon Holden Algonquin P.P. EP Ed Poropat Haliburton BK Brenda Kostiuk Ottawa EPB Erica Barkley Charleston Lake P.P. BS Betsy Smith Oshawa FB Frank Butson Scarborough BVR Brenda Van Ryswyk Hamilton FH Fiona Hessen CBe Catherine Benvenuti New Liskard GC Geoff Carpentier Ajax CCl Chris Cloutier Algonquin P.P. GM Gillian Mastromatteo Ottawa CDJ Colin D. Jones Lakefield GR Glenn Richardon Listowal CE Chris Evans Midhurst HHe Heather Heron Bloomfield CEa Chris Earley Rockwood HTO Henrietta T. O'Neill Leamington CH Christine Hanrahan Ottawa IS Ian Shanahan Brighton ChR Chloe Rainville Ottawa JB Jerry Ball Peterborough CL Christina Lewis Ottawa JBox Jon Boxall Peterborough CLat Chalres Latremouille Timmins JBre Jean Brereton Golden Lake CPR Chris P. Robinson Glenburnie JCa John Carley Scarborough CM Chris Michener Golden Lake JCh Jen Chikoski Thunder Bay CRig Christa Rigney Toronto JD Joanne Dewey Picton CS Chris Schmidt Ottawa JF Jim Fairchild Scarborough
3 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
JFe Janet Fenton Charleston Lake P.P. PH Peter Hall Ottawa JHa Judy Hall Ottawa PM Paul Mackenzie Kingston JHo Jim Hopkins Haliburton PMC Paul M. Catling Ottawa JK James Kamstra Port Perry PMi Peter Mills Barrie JoC John Chen Toronto PPP Presqu'ile P.P. staff Presqui’ile P.P. JP Justin Peter Algonquin P.P. PSB Peter S. Burke London JPo John Poland Kingston RA Ruth Allison Ottawa JSk Jeff Skevington Ottawa RaD Rachel Derbyshire Algonquin P.P. JTF John Fowler Almonte RAL Ross A. Layberry Kinburn JVB John Vanden Broeck Fort Frances RAll R. Allensen Ottawa KA Ken Allison Ottawa RB Ryan Burke Ottawa KAn K. Anderson Presqu’ile P.P. RCL Ruth C. Layberry Kinburn KBa Kate Ballantyne Peterborough RDS Dan Strickland Oxtongue Lake KBo K. Boothby Ottawa RGT Ron G. Tozer Dwight KC Kevin Clute Dwight RJP Rod and Joan Parrott Port Hope KeM Ken Morrison Ottawa RJY Robert J. Yukich Toronto KFN Kingston Field Naturalists Kingston RMac Rory MacKay Gananoque KHo Kyle Holloway Algonquin P.P. RP Rayfield Pye Oshawa KRY Karen R. Yukich Toronto SB Sue Bryan Thunder Bay KVS Kris VanDe Sompel Dundas SMa Sophie Mazowita Algonquin P.P. LF Lev Frid Algonquin P.P. SMR Suzanne M. Robinson Barrie LiH Linda Harrison Scarborough SoB Sonje Bols Algonquin P.P. LJ Linda Jeays Ottawa SRB Sam R.Brinker Peterborough LLa L. Lamb Ottawa TAG Tyler Goff Charleston Lake P.P. LMcC Larry McCurdy Kingston TB Tony Bigg Lakefield LN Larry Neilly Ottawa TCa Travis Cameron Lakefield LS Leon Schlichter Toronto TLa Thom Lambert Haliburton LT Laura Tozer Huntsville TLe Tim Leah Ottawa LuF Lucas Foerster London TRa Tony Rapati Port Elgin MC Margaret Carney Oshawa TRS T. Rick Stronks Dwight MCo Mark Conboy Kingston TS Tim Sneider Algonquin P.P. MCS M. & C. Seymour Kingston VCa Victoria Carley Scarborough MLa Maxim Larrivee Ottawa WF Walter Fisher Scarborough MLH Matt Holder Pefferlaw WFP Wildlife Festival participants Prairie Smoke Nature Reserve MMcM Mike McMurtry Peterborough XW Xi Wang Hamilton MOl Michael Olson Ottawa YB Yvette Bree Bloomfield MRa Mary Rapati Port Elgin ZF Z. Flavelle Sandbanks PP MSa Mark Saunders Sharbot Lake MTa Mike Tate Ottawa MVB Mike Burrell Heidelberg MWPR Michael Runtz Cranberry Lake NGE Nick G. Escott Thunder Bay NWr N. Wright Presqu'ile P.P. ______C.A. = Conservation Area PCa Peter Carson Walsingham m.obs. = multiple observers PCl Peter Clute Ajax N.P. = National Park PECFN Prince Edward County Field Naturalists P.P. = Provincial Park PGL P. Gordon Lewer Hamilton
4 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
COUNTIES, DISTRICTS AND REGIONAL MUNICIPALITIES OF ONTARIO
Counties, Districts and Regional Muncipalities of southern Ontario. The dotted line indicates the approximate southern and eastern limits of the Canadian Shield in Ontario. The 4-letter codes listed below are used in the table of all butterfly records submitted from the 2009 season.
1 ESSE Essex County 23 PRIN Prince Edward County 2 KENT Municipality of Chatham-Kent 24 HAST Hastings County 3 ELGI Elgin County 25 LENN Lennox and Addington County 4 NORF Norfolk County 26 FRON Frontenac County 5 HALD Haldimand County 27 LEED United Counties of Leeds and Grenville 6 NIAG Regional Municipality of Niagara 29 STOR United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry 7 LAMB Lambton County 32 BRUC Bruce County 8 MIDD Middlesex County 33 GREY Grey County 9 OXFO Oxford County 34 DUFF Dufferin County 10 BRAN Brant County 35 SIMC Simcoe County 11 HAMI Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth 36 VICT City of Kawartha Lakes 13 HURO Huron County 37 PETE Peterborough County 14 PERT Perth County 38 MUSK District Municipality of Muskoka 15 WATE Regional Municipality of Waterloo 39 HALI Haliburton County 16 WELL Wellington County 40 RENF Renfrew County 17 HALT Regional Municipality of Halton 41 LANA Lanark County 18 PEEL Regional Municipality of Peel 42 OTTA Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton 19 YORK Regional Municipality of York 43 PRES United Counties of Prescott and Russell 20 METR Metropolitan Toronto 45 MANI Manitoulin District 21 DURH Regional Municipality of Durham 46 PARR Parry Sound District 22 NORT Northumberland County 47 NIPI Nipissing District
5 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
Map of Ontario indicating the districts of northern Ontario. The line A-B represents the approximate northern limit of the Carolinian Zone (see Soper 1954, 1962). Line C-D approximates the 40 degree F mean daily temperature for the year isotherm, and has been adopted here as the northern limit of southern Ontario. The 4-letter codes listed below are used in the table of all butterfly records submitted from the 2009 season.
48 ALGO Algoma District 52 THUN Thunder Bay District 49 SUDB Sudbury District (including City of Sudbury) 53 COCH Cochrane District 50 TIMI Timiskaming District 54 KENO Kenora District 51 RAIN Rainy River District
6 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
CORRECTIONS TO PREVIOUS SUMMARIES
Butterflies of Ontario & Summaries of Lepidoptera Encountered in Ontario in 2000
Page 43, under Macoun’s Arctic, the June 7 and 9 records from Algonquin P.P. were from the traditional location at Lake Travers not the East Gate as stated.
Ontario Lepidoptera 2008 page 24, under Silver-spotted Skipper, bottom line, should be 24, not 28 individuals on Sept. 20. page 26, under Wild Indigo Duskywing, line 2, the June 27 record was of a very worn individual which was the last of the first brood; the 2nd brood in Toronto usually starts around mid-July; the 2nd brood in 2008 started with a very fresh individual that Bob Yukich saw at Eglinton Flats on July 12 during the Toronto Centre butterfly count, a record which was not submitted to the 2008 summary. page 43, under White M Hairstreak, first line, should be 6 not 8 records as two of the records submitted were duplicates sent in by separate contributors; line 3 and 4 – Bob Yukich’s records “N of Fish Point” and “West Shore Rd.” refer to the same record the correct location being “West Shore Rd.” Line 5, Bob Yukich only saw a single individual at one location, not two at different spots along Garno Rd. on Aug. 3. page 44, under Marine Blue (from previous page), line 1, should be SE, not NE corner of Grenadier Pond. page 45, under Summer Azure – Bob Yukich has supplied the following comments about Summer Azure records in both Metro Toronto and at Point Pelee, Essex:
line 2 - in the west end of Toronto I occasionally get early June records of Summer Azure, especially in hot years; these are not Cherry Gall Azures, although I wish they were; Toronto has a warm micro climate and we often get very early or late records for many butterflies that emerge later further north or even just outside the city; I never see cherry trees with lots of leaf galls here in the west end Toronto even though I look for them; the Azures I see are always on or around dogwoods, mainly Red Osier and Gray Dogwood; they are all chalky white underneath when perched and look like typical Summer Azures;
For 2008 I reported a Summer Azure in High Park on June 6, my earliest date ever for this species in Toronto; checking my records I just realized the location was wrong – it should have been my front yard at 39 Lincoln Ave., Toronto where Summer Azure is the only azure I ever see; that day the temperature reached 33 C. which could have triggered an early emergence; there are no cherries with Cherry Galls on our street, but there are lots of dogwoods and other hosts for Summer Azure on our property;
Regarding my Point Pelee Summer Azure sightings (line 4 – “perhaps also Cherry Gall Azure”), Cherry Gall Azure has never been recorded at Point Pelee (pers. com. Alan Wormington – he says the azure broods at Pelee are pretty clear-cut and he doesn’t suspect anything other than Spring and Summer Azures). According to “The Butterflies of Point Pelee National Park, A Seasonal Guide and
7 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
Checklist, Alan Wormington 1998”, Summer Azure begins flying there around the first week in June, and there is even a May 30 record for this species; their main host plant there, Gray Dogwood, is abundant; page 39, top of page “Little Sulphur” should be Little Yellow to conform to common name used in checklist on page 63; this discrepancy occurs in previous issues of the summary as well;
THE ENIGMATIC GREY HAIRSTREAK (STRYMON MELINUS) IN THE TORONTO REGION
by Barry Harrison
In eastern Canada the Grey Hairstreak (Strymon melinus) tends to occur locally in mostly sandy areas where Sweetfern (Comptonia peregrina), its primary host plant in such habitats, can be found (Layberry et al. 1998). In southern Ontario, the situation is quite different in that it is known as a northerly migrant up to approximately the Toronto region.
It was first recorded in the Toronto region on September 10, 1955 by the late (and observant) W.M.M. Edmonds in High Park, Toronto. Mostly there have been only a few other records here since.
In 1999, however, this area witnessed a minor invasion, from early July to mid-October. It is certainly possible that breeding occurred in that time frame. It was evident that the favoured nectar source then was White Sweet Clover (Melilotas alba), which is also one of its host plants (Scott 1992). Also evident was that the population was heavily concentrated near the waterfront. At present (the invasion excepted) this species has to be considered as somewhat of a rarity in the Toronto region.
References cited
Layberry, R. A., P.W. Hall, and J.D. Lafontaine. 1998. The Butterflies of Canada. NRC Research Press, Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information, in association with University of Toronto Press, Toronto, 280 pp.
Scott. J. A. 1992. The Butterflies of North America: A Natural History and Field Guide. Stanford University Press.
8 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
POSSIBLE SUBSPECIES OF THE MOURNING CLOAK (NYMPHALIS ANTIOPA)
by Ross Layberry
In The Butterflies of Canada (Layberry et al. 1998) we stated confidently that the Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) had no subspecies. We mentioned one old name, hyperborea (Seitz, 1913) referring to specimens from northern Canada and Alaska. We had compared far northern specimens with southern Canadian ones, and found no reliable differences in size or colour, so we did not recognize hyperborea as a valid subspecies. But we didn’t compare either with European specimens. If we had done so, we would have seen what Seitz saw almost a century ago, that the colours are very different. Seitz described the colour of the upper surface of antiopa, meaning European antiopa, as blackish brown, and that of hyperborea as a very bright red-brown, which is not a bad description of the colour of the Mourning Cloak that we all know.
Reared July, 1976 Reared July, 1973 Ottawa, Ontario Pribram, Czechoslovakia
This all came to my attention in correspondence with Norbert Kondla, who is a co-author of Alberta Butterflies (Bird et al. 1995) and An Annotated List of the Lepidoptera of Alberta, Canada (Pohl et al.
9 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
2010) and a well-known researcher of western Butterflies. He sent me photos showing differences betwen Canadian, European and Asian specimens, and I checked them out myself. I had in my collection unmounted Mourning Cloaks from Czechoslovakia, so I mounted some, and photographed them along with two caught at Ottawa (see photos on page 9). The difference is unmistakeable – I would describe the colour of my European ones as the colour of a very dark chocolate, quite unlike our Mourning Cloaks. The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN 2000) defines subspecies simply as geographical entities that differ in some way from each other, and by that definition there can be no doubt that most, if not all Canadian Mourning Cloaks should be referred to as Nymphalis antiopa hyperborea.
I say “most” because there is one other complication, in the form of another old name, lintnerii (Fitch, 1857), described from New York, probably Schoharie County in Central New York State, at about 42°40´ north. Some of Norbert’s pictures (see photos above) clearly show that specimens from the eastern US are a lot darker than ours, almost as dark as European antiopa, which would make lintnerii also a valid subspecies, distinct from our hyperborea. The most interesting question is, how far north does the darker lintnerii fly? Norbert has specimens reared from wild-caught larvae at Miner’s Bay, Simcoe Co., Ontario, some of which appear to be normal bright hyperborea and others are dark like lintnerii. But does lintnerii fly together with the bright hyperborea or does it replace it somewhere in southern Ontario? Norbert asked me “When was the last time you looked closely at a Mourning Cloak?”, and I had to admit that I probably
10 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______have not caught one in at least thirty years. And I imagine that with most people it is the same; Mourning Cloaks are so distinctive that it is never necessary to catch one for identification purposes. There really might be two different forms out there that are not being noticed; is that not a very interesting thought?
A project team of five well-known lepidopterists, Norbert Kondla, Joseph Belicek, Crispin Guppy, Otakar Kudrna and Harry Pavulaan is presently reviewing the biology and taxonomy of the nominal species Nymphalis antiopa. They unfortunately do not have the resources or the time to personally conduct field research in southern Ontario, so would welcome the assistance of anyone in Ontario who might be willing to help unravel ”The Mysteries of the Mourning Cloak”. They would especially welcome contact with anyone who is willing to collect study specimens or to rear the butterflies. Many of you photograph butterflies; I am sure a series of clear upperside shots of Mourning Cloaks, with full date and locality data, would be very helpful as well. Please feel welcome to contact Norbert at 403-248-2511, or by email at [email protected].
References cited Bird, C.D., G.J. Hilchie, N.G. Kondla, E.M. Pike and F.A. Sperling. 1995. Alberta Butterflies. Provincial Museum of Alberta. 349 pp. International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN). 1999. International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (4th edition). International Trust for Zoological Nomenclature. The Natural History Museum, London. 306 p. Layberry, R. A., P.W. Hall, and J.D. Lafontaine. 1998. The Butterflies of Canada. NRC Research Press, Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information, in association with University of Toronto Press, Toronto, 280 pp. Pohl G.R., Anweiler G.G., Schmidt B.C., Kondla N.G. 2010. An annotated list of the Lepidoptera of Alberta, Canada. ZooKeys 38: 1–549. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.38.383
THE CANADIAN GLOBAL CHANGE TRANSECT: EVALUATE AND PREDICT THE IMPACTS OF GLOBAL CHANGES ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF CANADIAN BUTTERFLY SPECIES
by Maxim Larrivée, Canadian Facility for Ecoinformatics Research, Biology Department, University of Ottawa, [email protected]
Global changes, particularly climate change and land use conversion, threaten Canada’s biodiversity. The latest research indicates that climate and land use changes have caused widespread and ongoing shifts in the distribution of Canadian butterflies. Accurate predictions of global change impacts are critical to successful future species and habitat conservation.
The Canada Global Change Transect (CGCT) will help test if species distributions of a large number of Canadian butterflies are responding to changing land uses and climatic conditions. It will also test and calibrate broad-scale models of butterfly species’ ranges to allow predictions of future impacts of climate and land use change. To do so, the CGCT has undertaken to survey extensively the butterflies within 13 regional transects across Canada (Fig. 1, next page). The regional transects average 200 km in length (generally on a north-south axis), and they represent regions of Canada where butterfly richness increased or diminished the most over the 20th century, and/or where land use changes are most intense. Transect
11 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______selection is based on previous research on Canadian butterfly diversity patterns and the recommendations of regional experts when initially surveyed by the author. We are planning to survey butterflies in all 13 transects by the end of the summer of 2011.
Due to the magnitude of the task required to monitor butterfly distributions across the country, we are calling on all Canadian entomologists interested in butterflies. We are currently building a nationwide network of entomologists interested in participating, on a volunteer basis, to our inventories or interested in sharing with the CGCT their butterfly observations or specimen captures. Also, we are seeking any butterfly record (must have as minimum information the locality - with georeference is best), date, and observer/collector) that Canadian entomologists are willing to share with us. For example, over the last year, we received more than 30 000 records from the last 40 years to add to our current database from individuals and institutions across Canada. Each additional record increases the precision of our regional and national scale species distribution models that model the past, and predict current and future distribution of butterfly species. At this time, some of our efforts are concentrated in building a relational database following the Darwin Core international standards. This database will be available through the web and participants will be able to access the project data. Our ambition is for the CGCT to become a long-term monitoring project of Canadian butterflies.
We are conscious that our objectives are ambitious, but they must be scaled to the same measure as the magnitude of the potential impacts of global change on the environment. Therefore, anyone who wishes to contribute to the CGCT by sharing their past and/or future butterfly records with us can contact the author to obtain more information or visit, starting in May 2010, www.macroecology.ca/butterfliesCGCT.
Fig. 1: Location of the regional transects preliminary survey dates. Transect location from East to West: 1. Interior mixed forest (New Brunswick) 2. Lower Saint Lawrence– Gaspé Peninsula (Québec) 3. Saint Lawrence floodplains (Québec) 4. Mixed deciduous forest – Black spruce forest ecotone, Abitibi - Baie-James (Québec) 5. Rideau River Watershed (Ontario) 6. Carolinian habitat (Ontario) 7. Boreal forest - Tundra ecotone (Manitoba) 8. Tall Grass prairies (Manitoba; location to be decided) 9. Grassland Prairies (Saskatchewan) 10. Parkland habitat (Alberta) 11. Foothills of Southern Alberta (Alberta) 12. Okanagan Sage-brush grassland ecosystem (British Colombia) 13. Boreal forest - Tundra ecotone (Yukon). Red rectangles indicate regional transects where butterfly rich survey sites have already been georeferenced. Yellow rectangles indicate regional transects that have yet to be visited and surveyed. 12 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
A NOTE ABOUT SPEYERIA FRITILLARY IDENTIFICATION
by Ross Layberry
When I was working on the spreadsheet of this year’s data, I noted with interest the large difference between the number of reports of Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) and Aphrodite Fritillary (Speyeria aphrodite): 233 of Great Spangled and only 43 of Aphrodite, a ratio of more than 5 to 1. Certainly Great Spangled is the more common of the two, but I find it hard to believe that the difference is that great. I also noted that only two observers reported “Speyeria sp.”, admitting that they could not identify some of the fritillaries that they saw; all others were apparently confident that they positively identified every single one, even those which just flew by, 100 feet away. I can’t help wondering if there is a connection between these two observations. Is it possible that many people have a default setting of Great Spangled, by which I mean: if you don’t see it clearly then it must be Great Spangled? Or are they really that hard to distinguish?
Fritillaries have never been easy to identify, especially from a distance, though in Ontario it is child’s play compared to the situation in the Prairies, where potentially eight species can be seen in a day. The differences between our three species are not as clearly definable as we would like: in Great Spangled, the pale underside sub-marginal band is wider than in the other two species, and in Atlantis Fritillary (Speyeria atlantis) the underside ground colour is a darker, more purplish brown than in the other two. Also, in Atlantis, the upperside margin is outlined in black, but occasionally this occurs in Aphrodite as well. None of these give a simple yes/no answer. They work very well if you have one specimen of each in hand to compare. But if you have a sighting, or even a photo of just one, and especially if it is not perfectly fresh, or at the ideal angle, it is easy to get it wrong. This happens most often when looking at the width of the sub- marginal band in a single specimen: how wide is too wide for Aphrodite?
There is one other characteristic which westerners use to distinguish Aphrodite from similar species: the form of the lowest dark sub-marginal spot, the one opposite the second-lowest silver triangle, see photos on the next page. In Great Spangled, this spot is only lightly pigmented, and sometimes is almost non-existent. In Atlantis, it is large and a very dark purple-grey, often even darker than the dark ground colour. But in Aphrodite, the spot is always clearly pigmented in the same reddish-brown as the ground colour, and always appears to have a halo around it; the centre dark spot is surrounded by a lighter ring, and often at least a partial outer pigmented ring as well. In some specimens the spot is better described as a bulls-eye or a donut, rather than a spot with a halo. I have used this feature to identify Aphrodite in specimens from Nova Scotia to British Columbia, and I have never seen any exceptions to it.
One other thing: there is nothing to be ashamed of in reporting “Speyeria sp.”. My own records are full of statements such as “Many Speyeria, 2 cybele, 1 aphrodite”, meaning that I saw a lot of fritillaries, took the time to be sure that both species were present, and was not interested in counting each one. This statement is absolutely supportable, whereas a statement that “they were probably nearly all cybele” is nothing more than conjecture. I prefer the former.
13 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
14 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
A SUMMARY OF ONTARIO BUTTERFLY COUNTS IN 2009
Compiled by James Kamstra
The following report summarizes 23 butterfly counts that were conducted in Ontario In 2009 of which 20 were submitted and published in the 2009 Report by the North American Butterfly Association (NABA) (Wander 2010). Table 1 lists the names of each count featured in this summary, along with the code used on Table 2, the dates of each count and the names of the compilers. Table 2 lists the total numbers of all species recorded on each count as well as the total number of each species on all counts combined and the number of counts each species was recorded on.
Table 1 – Ontario Butterfly Counts Conducted in 2009 Count Name Code Date Compiler Algonquin East AlgE 30 May Colin Jones Algonquin Park Alg 8 July Colin Jones Cambridge (Rare Reserve) Camb 19 July Jessica Grealey Clear Creek Clear 11 July Heather Prangley Haliburton Highlands Hali 4 July Ed Poropat Hog Island Hog 19 July Chris Michener Killarney Provincial Park Kill 12 July Bridget Antze Lake Dore LkDor 5 July Chris Michener Long Point LoPt 4 July Douglas Timpf MacGregor Point PP MacP 4 July Sarah Martin Manion Corners ManC 5 July Jeff Skevington Manitoulin Island ManIs 23 June Nancy Ironside Oshawa Osh 28 June James Kamstra Petroglyphs Petr 18 July Jerry Ball Pinery Provincial Park Pine 12 July Brenda Kulon Point Pelee PtPe 9 August Sarah Rupert Presquile Provincial Park Pres 8 July David Bree Rondeau Provincial Park Rond 12 July Sarah Hodgkiss Skunk’s Misery Skunk 5 July Ann White Sunderland Sund 12 July James Kamstra Toronto Centre TorC 15 July John Carley Toronto East (TEA) TorE 1 July Tom Mason Windsor Wind 4 July Paul Pratt
The butterfly season of 2009 was relatively cool and wet with many species appearing slightly later than average and a number of counts reporting lower than average numbers. At least 5 counts (Algonquin, Cambridge, Oshawa, Point Pelee, and Presquile) reported low numbers because of rainy, cool or overcast conditions on the day of the counts.
A total of 100 species were recorded on all counts. Skunk’s Misery recorded the greatest number of species (53) followed closely by Sunderland (52), while both Clear Creek and Long Point found 50 species. Haliburton Highands recorded the greatest number of individuals, dominated by 13,438 European Skippers. Overall European Skippers accounted for about 65% of all butterflies on all Ontario counts.
15 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
Seventeen of the butterfly species were recorded on only one count. Butterflies which are infrequently recorded on Ontario counts included: Olympia Marble at Algonquin East, Bog Fritillary at Algonquin Park, Jutta Arctic at Manitoulin Island, Satyr Anglewing at Manion Corners, Dusted Skipper and Mottled Duskywing at Pinery Provincial Park, and perhaps most noteworthy of all, Southern Hairstreak at Windsor. Ontario counts recorded North American high counts for 15 species in 2009, with four at Algonquin East and three at Sunderland (numbers in bold and underlined in Table 2). The migrant Red Admirals and ladies were in very low numbers this year.
References
Wander, Sharon. 2010. 2009 Report NAB A Butterfly Counts. North American Butterfly Association Inc. New Jersey
Arctic Skipper during the Algonquin East Butterfly Count, Nipissing on May 30, 2009 (photo: Colin D. Jones)
16 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
Table 2. Butterfly and Skipper totals for each count conducted in Ontario in 2009.
SPECIES AlgE Alg Camb Clear Hali Hog Kill LkDor LoPt MacP ManC ManIs Osh Date of Count 30-May 08-Jul 19-Jul 11-Jul 04-Jul 19-Jul 12-Jul 05-Jul 04-Jul 04-Jul 05-Jul 23-Jun 28-Jun Silver-spotted Skipper 175 1 50 Southern Cloudywing 3 6 Northern Cloudywing 2 5 1 1 13 15 Dreamy Duskywing 5 1 1 1 1 Juvenal's Duskywing 38 1 1 Mottled Duskywing Columbine Duskywing 1 2 Wild Indigo Duskywing Common Sootywing 7 Arctic Skipper 17 7 2 2 Least Skipper 7 1 1 18 20 23 15 3 European Skipper 369 62 628 13,438 28 693 1611 790 5601 2236 2714 Common Branded Skipper 1 Indian Skipper 4 5 32 Peck's Skipper 3 1 5 35 1 3 1 11 4 Tawny-edged Skipper 6 2 5 52 5 4 1 68 36 30 14 Crossline Skipper 22 2 2 9 1 Long Dash 43 1 206 4 7 2 21 95 1 11 Northern Broken-dash 22 2 1 1 7 1 Little Glassywing 6 3 Delaware Skipper 6 36 1 1 Mulberry Wing 2 8 Hobomok Skipper 1 21 3 51 1 2 7 69 14 16 7 Broad-winged Skipper 1 3 1 11 Dion Skipper Duke's Skipper Black Dash 1 Two-spotted Skipper 5 2 1 Dun Skipper 1 12 8 3 7 6 2 1 9 Dusted Skipper Common Roadside-skipper 23 17 1 Skipper species 1 Black Swallowtail 1 2 2 2 Giant Swallowtail Eastern Tiger Swallowtail 1 54 78 Canadian Tiger Swallowtail 55 4 19 1 1 30 5 44 Spicebush Swallowtail 2 17 Mustard White 1 2 26 1 Cabbage White 1 3 151 359 5 10 20 2 245 142 172 5 Pieris species 25 Olympia Marble 2 Clouded Sulphur 12 25 63 1 66 3 3 40 2 35 Orange Sulphur 3 57 1 4 1 1 Pink-edged Sulphur 11 6 Colias species 6 Little Yellow 1 Harvester American Copper 2 6 1 4 3 1 4 Bronze Copper 6 3 1 2 30 Bog Copper 118 2 3 Acadian Hairstreak 1 1 Coral Hairstreak 1 7 2 7 1 Edwards' Hairstreak 6 Banded Hairstreak 8 10 1 Hickory Hairstreak 1 1 Striped Hairstreak 1 Southern Hairstreak Satyrium species 1 Brown Elfin 2 Hoary Elfin 1
17 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
SPECIES Petr Pine PtPe Presq Rond Skunk Sund TorC TorE Wind Total # Cts Date of Count 18-Jul 27-Jun 09-Aug 08-Jul 12-Jul 05-Jul 12-Jul 15-Jul 01-Jul 04-Jul 23 Silver-spotted Skipper 3 6 264 42 121 3 8 19 32 724 12 Southern Cloudywing 4 13 3 Northern Cloudywing 14 69 49 8 177 10 Dreamy Duskywing 1 2 12 7 Juvenal's Duskywing 6 1 47 5 Mottled Duskywing 2 2 1 Columbine Duskywing 12 1 16 4 Wild Indigo Duskywing 2 2 1 Common Sootywing 2 9 2 Arctic Skipper 28 4 Least Skipper 36 25 8 15 8 62 3 9 12 266 17 European Skipper 1888 412 1 769 284 2042 6610 2106 3474 161 45917 21 Common Branded Skipper 1 1 Indian Skipper 41 3 Peck's Skipper 15 2 1 9 46 4 4 145 16 Tawny-edged Skipper 4 6 6 98 12 90 10 449 18 Crossline Skipper 4 4 12 15 8 2 7 88 12 Long Dash 11 3 1 154 39 599 15 Northern Broken-dash 8 21 30 25 61 11 87 277 13 Little Glassywing 1 11 6 10 11 38 86 8 Delaware Skipper 14 2 24 35 27 16 4 15 181 12 Mulberry Wing 20 8 1 2 41 6 Hobomok Skipper 2 39 1 2 3 8 4 81 20 352 20 Broad-winged Skipper 78 2 4 100 7 Dion Skipper 1 3 2 6 3 Duke's Skipper 2 2 1 Black Dash 1 2 2 Two-spotted Skipper 8 3 Dun Skipper 216 2 3 10 134 128 14 1 557 17 Dusted Skipper 4 4 1 Common Roadside-skipper 6 47 4 Skipper species 1 2 2 4 10 Black Swallowtail 5 3 3 5 1 24 9 Giant Swallowtail 7 6 4 17 3 Eastern Tiger Swallowtail 1 101 9 14 48 16 3 4 329 11 Canadian Tiger Swallowtail 2 5 36 14 216 12 Spicebush Swallowtail 1 8 1 3 32 6 Mustard White 8 1 25 64 7 Cabbage White 22 123 1768 25 238 289 620 881 119 46 5246 22 Pieris species 25 Olympia Marble 2 1 Clouded Sulphur 31 1 21 5 28 34 310 75 13 22 790 20 Orange Sulphur 2 160 60 27 5 15 1 22 359 14 Pink-edged Sulphur 7 24 3 Colias species 6 Little Yellow 1 2 2 Harvester 1 1 1 American Copper 1 22 8 Bronze Copper 2 1 1 10 56 9 Bog Copper 28 151 4 Acadian Hairstreak 7 10 2 15 1 37 7 Coral Hairstreak 18 80 1 13 5 8 143 11 Edwards' Hairstreak 19 25 2 Banded Hairstreak 2 1 38 3 1 14 78 9 Hickory Hairstreak 1 1 141 145 5 Striped Hairstreak 1 1 4 3 15 25 6 Southern Hairstreak 1 1 1 Satyrium species 5 1 7 3 Brown Elfin 2 1 Hoary Elfin 1 1
18 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
SPECIES AlgE Alg Camb Clear Hali Hog Kill LkDor LoPt MacP ManC ManIs Osh Date of Count 30-May 08-Jul 19-Jul 11-Jul 04-Jul 19-Jul 12-Jul 05-Jul 04-Jul 04-Jul 05-Jul 23-Jun 28-Jun Eastern Pine Elfin 4 Callophrys species 1 Gray Hairstreak 3 Eastern Tailed-blue 9 1 Spring Azure 23 1 Summer Azure 110 1 5 3 103 4 29 2 Silvery Blue 78 1 1 15 5 Blue species 18 3 American Snout Great Sprangled Fritillary 1 4 91 3 2 2 2 75 10 81 17 Aphrodite Fritillary 1 2 2 8 1 Atlantis Fritillary 3 1 4 1 Speyeria species 29 Bog Fritillary 1 Silver-bordered Fritillary 2 1 16 6 2 Meadow Fritillary 1 1 3 25 Boloria species 2 Silvery Checkerspot 1 6 8 1 14 3 2 Harris' Checkerspot 3 1 15 Pearl Crescent 12 5 6 1 13 19 11 Northern Crescent 2 90 74 1 7 23 259 105 214 50 75 Tawny Crescent 7 1 1 Crescent species 89 Baltimore Checkerspot 166 24 2 64 Question Mark 2 1 4 Eastern Comma 3 21 1 9 42 2 15 Satyr Comma 2 Green Comma 3 1 Gray Comma 1 1 9 Polygonia species 5 1 Compton Tortoiseshell 1 1 Mourning Cloak 2 17 3 4 5 19 5 18 1 Milbert's Tortoiseshell 1 1 1 1 22 4 American Lady 1 1 7 1 2 Painted Lady 2 Red Admiral 1 10 4 5 1 Common Buckeye Red-spotted Purple 1 3 30 7 White Admiral 23 34 2 11 26 37 4 Viceroy 1 39 11 9 19 9 Hackberry Emperor Tawny Emperor 2 2 1 Northern Pearly-eye 5 20 14 5 3 2 8 4 1 53 8 Eyed Brown 25 24 31 1 17 29 8 12 168 7 Appalachian Brown 11 21 5 5 21 18 Little Wood-satyr 15 20 142 13 5 2 109 118 30 54 39 Common Ringlet 1 35 1 20 77 22 64 Common Wood-nymph 75 177 2 29 9 5 Jutta Arctic 2 Monarch 12 11 73 58 2 40 6 34 50 10 27 5
Total Species 19 29 29 50 44 17 28 27 50 34 47 22 27 Total Invididuals 303 692 463 2326 14,353 135 837 1752 2074 6430 3788 326 3020 North Am. High Counts 4 1 2 1 Observers 10 19 16 20 10 4 25 5 18 19 29 2 8 Partiies 4 8 5 3 4 1 4 2 7 6 11 1 6 Hours 20 58 24 21 34 7 24 10 44.5 30 51 5 24.5
19 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
SPECIES Petr Pine PtPe Presq Rond Skunk Sund TorC TorE Wind Total # Cts Date of Count 18-Jul 27-Jun 09-Aug 08-Jul 12-Jul 05-Jul 12-Jul 15-Jul 01-Jul 04-Jul 23 Eastern Pine Elfin 4 1 Callophrys species 1 Gray Hairstreak 3 1 Eastern Tailed-blue 1 9 12 2 36 30 100 8 Spring Azure 24 2 Summer Azure 12 34 327 23 45 15 37 3 6 759 17 Silvery Blue 1 10 111 7 Blue species 2 23 American Snout 1 1 1 Great Sprangled Fritillary 32 40 12 16 167 58 1 29 24 667 20 Aphrodite Fritillary 10 24 6 Atlantis Fritillary 7 16 5 Speyeria species 29 Bog Fritillary 1 1 Silver-bordered Fritillary 8 35 6 Meadow Fritillary 3 465 498 6 Boloria species 2 Silvery Checkerspot 25 6 32 98 10 Harris' Checkerspot 19 3 Pearl Crescent 5 16 8 7 13 1 13 8 138 15 Northern Crescent 145 11 48 6 24 192 10 185 5 1526 20 Tawny Crescent 9 3 Crescent species 137 3 1 230 Baltimore Checkerspot 33 96 8 17 410 8 Question Mark 9 4 1 1 11 3 6 5 2 49 12 Eastern Comma 5 17 2 8 112 12 10 6 5 270 16 Satyr Comma 2 1 Green Comma 1 5 3 Gray Comma 4 9 27 13 1 65 8 Polygonia species 5 11 Compton Tortoiseshell 1 62 65 4 Mourning Cloak 3 25 1 1 5 20 13 8 10 9 169 19 Milbert's Tortoiseshell 7 3 2 42 9 American Lady 13 7 1 2 1 1 37 11 Painted Lady 2 2 1 7 4 Red Admiral 1 9 6 9 2 1 49 11 Common Buckeye 1 1 1 Red-spotted Purple 94 8 2 6 1 152 9 White Admiral 15 1 4 29 4 13 203 13 Viceroy 1 8 11 4 23 14 8 14 14 185 15 Hackberry Emperor 2 1 1 4 3 Tawny Emperor 4 181 190 5 Northern Pearly-eye 43 1 16 7 5 46 39 19 299 19 Eyed Brown 105 1 19 3 17 267 1 1 736 18 Appalachian Brown 5 3 36 14 1 6 146 12 Little Wood-satyr 1 39 3 113 561 16 110 251 193 1834 20 Common Ringlet 19 1 3 30 50 323 12 Common Wood-nymph 5 4 3 18 38 166 112 97 45 87 872 16 Jutta Arctic 2 1 Monarch 29 49 227 41 139 62 54 75 71 6 1081 22
Total Species 49 39 29 19 38 53 52 34 43 47 100 Total Invididuals 2891 1136 2924 1074 1169 4423 9696 3862 4741 1154 69569 North Am. High Counts 2 1 3 1 15 Observers 11 36 16 14 37 14 27 17 14 Partiies 6 6 3 4 8 14 9 10 4 3 Hours 37 45.5 20 10 28 46 78 48 75 13.5
20 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
SUMMARY OF ONTARIO BUTTERFLIES AND SKIPPERS IN 2009
Compiled by Ross A. Layberry and Colin D. Jones
Introduction
The following is a summary of the butterflies and skippers reported in Ontario in 2009. For each species, the total number of records submitted is indicated, followed by at least the earliest and latest records (that were submitted), as well as other noteworthy records to include: a) new information on range and new occurrence localities; b) data, when submitted, on flight periods, broods and population monitoring; c) life history data that is not well known or seldom reported including foodplants, nectar sources, larval description and habits, ovipositing data and behaviour, pupal description and siting, adult habits, predation, etc.; and, d) records of rare or seldom reported species.
Only those species for which there were reports from 2009 are listed. The full list of Ontario’s butterflies and skippers, along with superfamilies, subfamilies and genera, as well as taxon authors can be found in the Checklist of the Butterflies of Ontario (see page 59). Counties, Districts and Regional Municipalities (as listed on pages 5 and 6) in the text are truncated and printed in italics (e.g. Regional Municipality of Waterloo appears as Waterloo).
The full sets of over 8,600 records (comprising 119 species) submitted from 2009 are available to TEA members as a PDF file – contact Colin Jones at [email protected] to receive a copy. Records within these tables are sorted taxonomically by species, then by county (alphabetically), and then by date. The PDF file (Portable Document Format) can be opened using Adobe Acrobat Reader, which comes pre- installed on most computers, and is also available as a free download at www.adobe.com/support/downloads/. The table can be searched in a limited way using the Find function in Acrobat Reader. An additional PDF file including the key to observer’s initials will also be included. For TEA members without access to a computer or printer, a print-out of the butterfly and skipper tables can be requested from Colin Jones (Editor, Ontario Lepidoptera), see contact information on the inside front cover.
Each record within the tables includes county, locality, date, observers, numbers seen, and any special notes. Other valuable data that could not be included in the tables due to space limitations, such as georeferencing (UTM and Lat/Long), is retained in the TEA’s Ontario Butterfly Atlas Database, which is housed at and maintained by the Natural Heritage Information Centre, Ministry of Natural Resources, Peterborough. Further inquiries or requests for information can be directed to the compiler.
Both the species accounts and the butterfly checklist are organized in accordance with Pelham (2008). The common names follow Layberry et al. (1998).
Data has been carefully checked by the compilers and every effort has been made to verify records for provincially rare and unusual species, as well as species in some particularly difficult groups. However, the majority of records are unverified reports and occasional identification errors may remain. Any corrections brought to the compiler’s attention will be published in future issues of Ontario Lepidoptera.
21 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
The 2009 Season
The winter of 2008/2009 was slightly cooler than average across Ontario and reasonably “wet” (tenth wettest on record) in S Ontario whereas it was drier than average in the north. Probably as a result of the cooler winter, there were no February records of overwintering species (e.g. Mourning Cloak, Compton Tortoiseshell) as there are in some years. The first record of an overwintering species was a March 13 record of Mourning Cloak from the Peterborough area followed by a very early Milbert’s Tortoiseshell record on March 28 also in the Peterborough area and an equally early Grey Comma record – April 2 from the Queen’s University Biological Station in Frontenac County.
Spring was slightly warmer than average in southern Ontario but was quite wet (the 12th wettest on record). The warmer temperatures resulted in some early emergence times. Juvenal’s Duskywings were flying by April 24 and 25 in eastern Ontario and Black Swallowtails were recorded in Prince Edward County by April 26. The warm weather also resulted in an early Common Checkered Skipper immigrant at Point Pelee on April 27 – the only record of this species all year. Also early was a May 14 record of Bronze Copper from the Ottawa area. Unlike the south, in the north the spring was slightly cooler than average in the with about average precipitation.
Summer was warmer than normal but in southern Ontario it was also very wet (the 6th wettest summer on record). Probably due to the wetness of the year, overall 2009 was a very poor year for butterflies. For most species, the number of reports and the number of individuals involved in each report were quite low. One unfortunate exception is one of our non-native species – European Skipper – it seemed to fair quite well. Also seemingly unaffected by the wet weather were Northern Pearly-Eye and Eyed Brown.
It was also a very poor year for migrants/immigrants. There were, for example, only 46 records for American Lady, 59 records of Red Admiral and only 6 of Common Buckeye. Southern strays were almost non-existent in 2009. One exception was a Variegated Fritillary that was photographed in Peterborough County – a new county record!
The colony of Southern Hairstreaks discovered in 2008 at Reid C.A. in Lambton County (Canada’s first known breeding colony of this species) was still present in 2009.
As a result of some field surveys associated with Ontario’s Far North Planning Initiative, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources staff recorded some seldom reported species such as “Boreal” Persius Duskywing, and Old World Swallowtail in the southern James Bay region, as well as species seldom recorded from the Hudson Bay Lowland including Hobomok Skipper and Painted Lady.
Autumn was warm and very dry – warmer than normal and the fifth driest on record in southern Ontario and the second warmest and second driest on record in the north. The warm and dry weather was responsible for some fairly late dates including November 8 records of both Mourning Cloak (Webbwood, Sudbury District) and Compton Tortoiseshell (Algonquin P.P.), a November 14 record of Eastern Comma from Blenheim, Kent County and November 22 records of both Clouded Sulphur and Red Admiral from Toronto.
22 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
Family: HESPERIIDAE
Epargyreus clarus SILVER-SPOTTED SKIPPER
In 2009 - 66 records. There were two early reports: three seen on May 19 at West Beach, Point Pelee N.P., Essex (PH) and one on May 22 on the railtrail between the Blezard and Cameron Lines, NE of Villiers, Peterborough (JB). No more were reported until June 8, when one was photographed at the Land Conservancy site near Verona, Frontenac (BER) and another was seen at the pine plantation in Sandbanks P.P., Prince Edward (JD). Records continued all summer without a break, with a high count of 23 on July 8 at the Back Pit Panne, Sandbanks P.P., Prince Edward (JD). On July 25 one was observed caught by a crab spider, at Dunes Beach back pit, Sandbanks P.P., Prince Edward (DBr).The latest specimens (fresh!) were singles reported on September 1 and 3 at High Park, Metro Toronto (RJY), and one on September 15 nectaring on Alfalfa at Bellamy Ravine, Scarborough, Metro Toronto (BH).
Thorybes bathyllus SOUTHERN CLOUDYWING
In 2009 – No records were submitted to the summary directly, but this species was recorded on three butterfly counts: Long Point, Windsor and Clear Creek (see the summary of butterfly counts on page 15).
Thorybes pylades NORTHERN CLOUDYWING
In 2009 - 90 records. The earliest date was May 26, when one was seen on the Murphy Side Rd. extension, N of Carp, Ottawa (CH) and one was caught and released in Fork Meadow, Charleston Lake P.P., Leeds- Grenville (MVB). RJY, reporting from High Park, Metro Toronto, counted 52 on June 21 and 101 on July 6, his highest count ever for the species. There was one report from the north, one seen on June 14 near Gull Bay on Lake Nipigon, Thunder Bay (NGE). The latest two reports were on July 20, one seen on the railtrail between the Blezard and Cameron Lines, NE of Villiers, Peterborough (JB) and on July 25, one seen at Hazeldean Woods, Kanata, Ottawa (KA, RA).
Erynnis icelus DREAMY DUSKYWING
In 2009 - 61 records. The earliest report was of 10 seen on May 9 at the Burnt Lands Alvar, NE of Almonte, Ottawa (DA), followed by two males seen on May 18 on the railtrail S of Dutch Line, Haliburton (EP). In the south the highest count was 15 seen, of which two were caught and released, on May 23 near Wylie & Alvar Rds., Carden Plain, Kawartha Lakes (JBox, EP), and in the north ten seen by NGE on June 23, behind the transformer station at Marathon, Thunder Bay. The latest record in the north was six seen on July 4 at Eastside Lake Rd, 80 km E of Longlac, Thunder Bay (NGE) and in the south one seen on July 8 during the Hwy 60 Butterfly Count, Algonquin P.P., Nipissing (LF, PGL).
Erynnis brizo SLEEPY DUSKYWING
In 2009 - 2 records. On May 23 RJY photographed two fairly fresh specimens at a large clearing on Con. 6, at St Williams Forestry Station, and a worn one at the Wilson Tract, 3 km SW of Spring Arbor, Norfolk.
23 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
Erynnis juvenalis JUVENAL’S DUSKYWING
In 2009 - 117 records. There were two unusually early reports, one seen on April 24 on Opinicon Rd. at Indian Lake Rd., Leeds-Grenville (PH) and another seen the next day at the Queens University Biological Station on Lake Opinicon, Frontenac (MCo). On May 18, 30+ were counted at a clearing off Bishop Davis Dr. at Constance Bay, Ottawa (CH), and 40 were seen at a Sugar Maple bush on Bolton Rd., 3.7 km S Burritts Rapids, Leeds-Grenville (MLa). There was one northern report, of a single on June 11 at Webbwood, Sudbury (ABe, CBe). The latest record was of one seen on July 8 during the Hwy 60 Butterfly Count, Algonquin P.P., Nipissing (TS, SoB, PMi).
Erynnis martialis MOTTLED DUSKYWING
In 2009 – Two records. A pale, not fresh individual was observed and photographed on May 30 at the Alderville First Nations Reserve, Northumberland (RJY, AA). Last year we received second-hand a report of a specimen seen on August 8 at this location. We tried, but were unable to confirm this, so because it was a sight record at a new locality, and the first-ever Ontario record of a second-generation specimen, we omitted it. The only other record was of two during the Pinery Butterfly count on June 27 (see the summary of butterfly counts on page 15.
Erynnis lucilius COLUMBINE DUSKYWING
In 2009 - 58 records. The earliest report was of four photographed on May 3 on Coltsfoot, at Depot Lake C.A., Lennox & Addington, (BER). The first generation flew until June 6, when two were seen at the Prairie Smoke Nature Reserve, E of Dalrymple, Kawartha Lakes (PH, WFP), and on the same day, KA and DA counted 10 on the Burnt Lands Alvar, off Golden Line Rd., Ottawa. The second generation seems to have started on July 11, one photographed by BVR at Echo Lake, Frontenac, although one seen on June 24 on the Rogers Pond Trail in the Marlborough Forest, Ottawa by PH muddies the waters somewhat. The highest count was in the second generation, at least 100 counted on July 24 on Alvar Rd., on the N side of the Carden alvar, Kawartha Lakes (JK). Records continued throughout July and into August, finishing with a surprising find of 28 on August 16 at Misery Bay P.P., Manitoulin (RJY), and one seen on August 19 at the Burnt Lands Alvar, N of Hwy 44, Ottawa (RAL).
Erynnis baptisiae WILD INDIGO DUSKYWING
In 2009 - 24 records. The first generation was recorded only in Metro Toronto by BH, on May 4 and 29 at Bellamy Ravine, Scarborough, and by RJY: fresh specimens on May 6 and 13 at Eglinton Flats and on May 21 at High Park, and worn specimens on June 16 and 27 at Eglinton Flats. The second generation was first reported on July 18, one photographed on Crown Vetch on the McGeachy Pond Dyke, Erieau, Kent, the first record for the area (BAM). On August 1, BVR photographed a probable specimen of this species, in a clearing with vetch beside the Eramosa River at Stone Rd., Guelph, Wellington, the first record for the county. Records were continuous from then until August 21, one photographed at Hilton Falls C.A., NE of Campbellville, Halton (BVR). There were four later records, presumably a third generation. They were present on September 17 at Bellamy Ravine and at Sylvan Park, Scarborough, Metro Toronto (BH), one was seen on September 18 at Hilton Falls C.A., Halton (BVR) and one was photographed on September 24 in the flowerbeds at High Park, Metro Toronto (RJY).
24 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
Erynnis persius borealis “BOREAL” PERSIUS DUSKYWING
In 2009 - One record, several individuals were seen and one specimen was taken on July 9 on the Partridge River, 54 km SSE of Moosonee, Cochrane (CDJ, DAS).
Pyrgus communis COMMON CHECKERED SKIPPER
In 2009 - One record, a very fresh male, an immigrant coming ashore with others, on April 27 at the W side of the Tip, Point Pelee N.P., Essex (BHo).
Pholisora catullus COMMON SOOTYWING
In 2009 – Four records. Reported during two butterfly counts as follows: two on the Pinery count on June 27 and seven on the Clear Creek count on July 11 (see the summary of butterfly counts on page 15). The only other reports were both on August 13: two seen at Hawk Cliff, E of Port Stanley, Elgin (MLa, RB) and 12 counted at Monarque’s Landing, 1.6 km E of Port Burwell, Norfolk (MLa, RB, KBo, RAll).
Carterocephalus palaemon ARCTIC SKIPPER
In 2009 - 77 records. The flight season started on May 23 with two seen at Valens C.A., Hamilton- Wentworth (BVR) – see photo on page 35. It continued throughout June, with the highest count of 19 seen on June 6 at Nortel Woods, Kanata, Ottawa (KA, DA). Mating pairs of this species are rarely reported, but a pair was observed on June 6 on the Lakota Trail at Bark Lake, near Irondale, Haliburton (EP), and another was photographed on June 11 at Webbwood, Sudbury (ABe, CBe). On June 17 one was seen at the Lady Rapids on the Namakan River, Rainy River (CDJ, JVB, DMc, JCh) and on June 21 NGE saw a female lay an egg on a tall grass, at Bowker, 4 km SW of Ouimet, Thunder Bay. The latest reports were on July 3: one seen on Tates Rd., W of Rockcroft, Peterborough (JB, TB) and another on the gas pipeline 11 km W of Geraldton, Thunder Bay (NGE); and July 4 when a total of seven were tallied during the Haliburton butterfly count (see the summary of butterfly counts on page 15).
Ancyloxypha numitor LEAST SKIPPER
In 2009 - 109 records. The flight season began right on schedule on June 4 at Rouge Park, Scarborough, Metro Toronto (BH) and on June 5, one seen at Eglinton Flats, Metro Toronto (RJY). Records were continuous from then until mid-September, with almost certainly three generations. There was just one report from the north, two seen on July 26 in the Kabitotikwia River marshes near Gull Bay on Lake Nipigon, Thunder Bay (NGE). Numbers peaked in late August: on August 22 LJ caught and released at least 21 at Richmond Rd. and Steeple Hill Cr., S of Bells Corners, Ottawa, and the next day CL and GM saw many very fresh specimens, too many to count, at the St. Albert Sewage Lagoon and the Embrun Sewage Lagoon, Prescott-Russell. The latest reports were on September 14, one seen on the railtrail between the Blezard and Cameron Lines, NE of Villiers, Peterborough (JB) and three observed on September 15 at Bellamy Ravine, Scarborough, Metro Toronto (BH).
25 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
Thymelicus lineola EUROPEAN SKIPPER
In 2009 - 297 records. The first reports were on June 8, on the Pioneer Trail, Presqu’ile P.P., Northumberland (KAn) and on Opinicon Road, SW of Chaffeys Locks, Frontenac (BER). This was one of the few species present in near-normal numbers; there were many estimates of multi-thousands, one of 50,000 on June 26 on Coon Lake Rd., Peterborough (JB) and one of 100,000 on July 9 at the Queens University. Biol Station on Lake Opinicon, Frontenac (MLa, RB). The last reports were on August 30: seven counted on Sandy Lake Rd., Twin Lakes, Peterborough (JB) and one seen at 650 Alice Ave., Thunder Bay, Thunder Bay (NGE).
Hesperia comma laurentina COMMON BRANDED SKIPPER
In 2009 - Five records. The first records were from the north: one seen on August 5 on Alice Ave., Thunder Bay, Thunder Bay (NGE) and 25 fresh individuals counted on August 15 on Goose Cap Cr., Barrie Island, Manitoulin (RJY) – see photo on page 35. BAM reported it three times from Algonquin P.P.: on August 16 and 17 at the Old Airfield, Nipissing, and on August 18 at the old millsite near Rock Lake, Haliburton.
Hesperia leonardus LEONARD’S SKIPPER
In 2009 - 30 records. The first reports were of one seen on August 7 at the Visitor Centre in Algonquin P.P., Nipissing (TS, KHo), and a female observed on August 10 at the end of Ridge Rd., Ottawa (PH). On August 15 RJY counted 12 at Goose Cap Cr., Barrie Island, Manitoulin, the highest count. Nectaring was reported on Rough Blazing Star on August 23 at the Karner Blue Sanctuary at Port Franks, Lambton (BAM) and on Marjoram on August 24 at an alvar at Stony Swamp, S of Bells Corners, Ottawa (LJ).The last reports were on September 8, one seen at an alvar at Stony Swamp, S of Bells Corners, Ottawa (LJ) and September 11, two on Jack Lake Rd. and one on Sandy Lake Rd. near Twin Lakes, Peterborough (JB).
Hesperia sassacus INDIAN SKIPPER
In 2009 - 44 records. The first reports were of one seen on June 4 on the Jackpine Trail, S of Bells Corners, Ottawa (MLa), followed on June 5 by two seen on Fire Rd. 84 and two more on Sandy Lake Rd., near Twin Lakes, Peterborough (JB). The highest count was 26, on June 12 on Charlie Allen Rd. W of Rockcroft, Peterborough (JB, TB). The only northern record was one photographed on July 5 in a flowery field near Webbwood, Sudbury (MRa). In the south the latest dates were July 4, when three were binoculared on Milburn Rd., 4 km W of Irondale, Haliburton (EP, DFi, TLa, CEa) and July 9, when one was caught and released on the Old Almonte Rd. extension, 5 km E of Almonte, Ottawa (RAL).
Polites peckius PECK’S SKIPPER
In 2009 - 59 records. The earliest report was of one observed on May 30 on Callaghan Rd., 3 km NW of Marysville, Hastings (PH, JSk), and the next four seen on June 5 in flower beds at James Gardens, Metro Toronto (RJY). The latest reports were all specimens observed in the same flower beds at James Gardens: 23 on August 19, 24 on September 2 and two on September 20 (RJY). LJ caught and released a very worn male on July 8 on Moodie Dr., 5 km S of Bells Corners, Ottawa and RJY reported one fresh specimen on July 25 at Sandy Lake Rd., Twin Lakes, Peterborough, the only mentions of the condition of any specimen. If these are typical then there must have been at least two generations, though there are no obvious gaps in the dates.
26 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
Polites themistocles TAWNY-EDGED SKIPPER
In 2009 - 121 records. The flight season began with one photographed on May 23 at the Wilson Tract, 3 km SW of Spring Arbor, Norfolk (RJY), and two seen on May 30 on Callaghan Rd., NW of Marysville, Hastings (PH, JSk). On June 22 RJY counted about 75 on Wylie and Alvar Rds., on Carden Plain, Kawartha Lakes and on July 3 NGE estimated at least 100 on the gas pipeline, 11 km W of Geraldton, Thunder Bay. There were reports almost every day until July 18 when four were seen on the Petroglyphs P.P. Butterfly Count, Peterborough (JB et al). Reports began again after a two-week gap, on August 1 on the railtrail between the Blezard and Cameron Lines, NE of Villiers, Peterborough (JB) and on August 2 and 3 at Murphy’s Point P.P., Lanark (MLa, RB), clearly the start of the second generation. There were 14 other August reports, the most ever, and a last one on September 10, a slightly worn male nectaring on New England Aster on the N side of Hwy 417, 3.4 km SE of Antrim, Ottawa (RAL).
Polites origenes CROSSLINE SKIPPER
In 2009 - 33 records, starting with one seen on June 16 on Sandy Lake Rd., Twin Lake, Peterborough (JB) and another on June 24 at the Howie Rd. extension, 2.3 km E Manion Corners, Ottawa (PH). On June 29 two were reported at High Park, Metro Toronto (RJY) and two at Nortel Woods, Ottawa (KA, DA). The season finished with three reports from Frontenac on August 5 (MLa, RB): five on Ritchie Rd., 1 km NW of Wilmer; seven, the highest count, at Queens University Biological Station, on Lake Opinicon; and three at the Little Cataraqui CA, N of Kingston.
Polites mystic LONG DASH SKIPPER
In 2009 - 103 records. The first reports were of one caught and released on June 1 on an alvar at Stony Swamp, S of Bells Corners, Ottawa (LJ), and one seen on June 6 at the Prairie Smoke Nature Reserve, Kawartha Lakes (PH, WFP). The highest count was about 20, seen on June 22 by RJY on Wylie and Alvar Rds., on Carden Plain, Kawartha Lakes. In the north the season ran from at least June 23, one seen behind the transformer station at Marathon, Thunder Bay (NGE) to July 11, one caught and released at the Farabout Peninsula, Eagle Lake, 25 km W of Dryden, Kenora (SB). In the south, records continued without a break until July 31, one seen in open fields at Sandbanks P.P., Prince Edward (JD). On August 14, RJY observed a fresh female at Dorcas Bay, Bruce, obviously a rare second-generation specimen.
Wallengrenia egeremet NORTHERN BROKEN-DASH
In 2009 - 57 records. The earliest reports were on July 1, when four were seen at Twyn Rivers Dr., Rouge Valley, Metro Toronto (RJY) and on July 5, when one was seen on Hubble Rd., 12 km N of Havelock, Peterborough (JB, TB). The highest daily count was 23, on July 11 at Lambton Prairie, Metro Toronto (RJY). Records were continuous until mid-August. On August 12 one was seen in the SW corner of Oakland Swamp, Brant (MLa, RB), and two worn males were seen at Algonquin Island, Metro Toronto (RJY). The last report was on August 15, eight observed at Toronto Islands, Metro Toronto (AA).
Pompeius verna LITTLE GLASSYWING
In 2009 - 19 records. The season started with two observed on July 1 at Twyn Rivers Dr., Rouge Valley, Metro Toronto (RJY), and another two on July 5 at Valens C.A., Hamilton-Wentworth (BVR). On August 2, MLa observed 10-20 individuals at Murphy’s Point P.P., Lanark, by far the highest count – see photos
27 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______on page 35. The final reports were on August 5, four at the Queens University Biological Station on Lake Opinicon, Frontenac and one at Ritchie Rd., 1 km NE Wilmer, Frontenac (MLa, RB).
Anatrytone logan DELAWARE SKIPPER
In 2009 - 71 records. The earliest reports were of two seen on June 22 on Timm Dr., W of Bells Corners, Ottawa (KA, DA) and four seen on July 1 near Pearse House, Rouge Valley, Metro Toronto (RJY). Highest counts were 15 on July 10 at High Park, Metro Toronto (see photo on page 35) and about 20 on July 25 on Sandy Lake Rd., Twin Lakes, Peterborough (RJY). On August 1 JB reported that individuals seen NE of Villiers, on the railtrail between the Blezard and Cameron Lines, and between Cameron and Hwy 38, Peterborough, were all worn and tattered. The latest records were on August 12, when two were seen on Sandy Lake Rd., near Twin Lakes, and singles on Hwy 46, both N and S of Twin Lakes, Peterborough (JB).
Poanes massassoit MULBERRY WING
In 2009 - 23 records. The first two reports were from Haliburton: two caught and released on July 3 at a roadside bog on Iron Mine Rd., 2 km NE of Davis Lake (EP) and four seen on July 4 in a sedge marsh beside the railtrail, 2.5 km S of Dutch Line (JK). On July 20 EP counted at least 10 at a wetland near the E end of Iron Mine Rd., 2.5 km NE of Davis Lake, Haliburton, the highest count. There were two new county records, two seen on July 12 in a meadow marsh beside the CPR railway, 3 km E of Brown Hill, Durham (DBa), and three fresh ones photographed on July 24 at Crieff Bog, Wellington (RJY). On July 31 one was reported on Con. 10 in the Larose Forest, Prescott-Russell (PH), and JB and TB reported one on Sandy Lake Rd., Twin Lakes and two on Co. Rd. 46, S of Twin Lakes, Peterborough. The latest record was one seen on August 3 at the Spring Garden ANSI, Windsor, Essex (RJY).
Poanes hobomok HOBOMOK SKIPPER
In 2009 - 198 records. The flight season began right on schedule, with two seen on May 23 at a large clearing on Con. 6, at St Williams Forestry Station, Norfolk (RJY), one photographed on May 24 in a wooded area at Parrott’s Bay, Lennox & Addington (JPo), and four seen on May 25 at High Park, Metro Toronto (RJY). The highest daily count was 53 on June 10 at High Park, Metro Toronto (RJY). He also counted 32 still flying at High Park on June 21 and commented that they were all worn, but despite this the flight season continued for another month and included the second highest daily total, of 40 counted on June 26 on Cameron Lake Rd., Algonquin P.P., Nipissing (TD, KHo). On July 8 one was collected at North Bluff Point, 25 km NE of Moosonee, Cochrane, the first report from the James Bay coast (CDJ, DAS). The last reports were on July 22 on the railtrail between the Blezard and Villiers Lines, NE of Villiers, Peterborough (JB) and at an alvar at Misery Bay, Manitoulin (CDJ) and on July 24 in the barrens on the W side of Koshlong Lake, Haliburton (EP).
Poanes viator BROAD-WINGED SKIPPER
In 2009 - 43 records. The first four reports are from butterfly counts as follows: three on the Haliburton count on July 4; one on the Long Point count on July 4; 11 on the Manion Corners count on July 5; and, two on the Skunk’s Misery count on July 5 (see the summary of butterfly counts on page 15). The next report was during an Ottawa Field-Naturalists trip on July 9 at Con. 10 in the Larose Forest, Prescott- Russell (PH, CH). On August 1 one was photographed in a grassy area beside the Eramosa River in York
28 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
Road Park, Guelph, Wellington (BVR). Records were continuous until mid-August but populations were much lower than usual everywhere except in Peterborough, where they were consistently high: on July 17, 29 were seen on Sandy Lake Rd., near Twin Lakes (JB), on July 31 when a total of 173 were counted at four locations in the Twin Lakes area and on August 12, the latest date, when 32 were counted at just two of those locations (JB, TB).
Euphyes dion DION SKIPPER
In 2009 - 20 records. The first record was a male seen on July 10 at Reid C.A., 8 km N Wallaceburg, Lambton (BAM), followed by three singles on July 12: at the Gibson Hill Wetland, 4 km NE Wilfrid, Durham (JK), at Nortel Woods, Ottawa (CH) and at Echo Lake, Frontenac (BVR). Numbers were low all year; the highest count was seven, seen on July 25 on Sandy Lake Rd., near Twin Lakes, Peterborough (RJY). The last reports were on August 12, three on Sandy Lake Rd. and three on Co. Rd. 6, N of Twin Lakes, Peterborough (JB, TB).
Euphyes dukesii DUKE’S SKIPPER
In 2009 - Two records. Two were seen on August 3 at the Spring Garden ANSI, Windsor, Essex (RJY). Another two were reported during the Point Pelee butterfly count on August 9 (see the summary of butterfly counts on page 15).
Euphyes conspicua BLACK DASH
In 2009 - Three records. One was reported during the Windsor butterfly count on July 4 and another during the Cambridge butterfly count on July 19 (see the summary of butterfly counts on page 15). Seven fairly fresh specimens were also seen on July 24 at Crieff Bog, Wellington (RJY).
Euphyes bimacula TWO-SPOTTED SKIPPER
In 2009 - Eight records, of which six were from JB in Peterborough, including the earliest, a single seen on the Galway-Cavendish Forest Access Rd. on June 22 and the latest, two on Sandy Lake Rd. near Twin Lakes on July 17. On July 4 one was seen in a sedge marsh beside the railtrail, 0.5 km S of Dutch Line, Haliburton (JK). The highest count was five, recorded on July 8 during the Hwy 60 Butterfly Count in Algonquin P.P., Nipissing (JSk).
Euphyes vestris DUN SKIPPER
In 2009 - 231 records. The earliest dates were June 21, when one was observed at the Jake Lake tower, Algonquin P.P., Nipissing (RGT) and June 22, when 15 were counted on Timm Drive, W of Bells Corners, Ottawa (KA, DA). On July 4 in a sandy pine forest at Espanola, Sudbury, six were seen, including two photographed in copula (MRa, CBe). There were three reports from Manitoulin: on July 21 at Michael’s Bay and at Blue Jay Creek, and on July 22 at Misery Bay (CDJ, SRB). Good numbers were seen regularly until mid-August, peaking in late July. At Bishop Davis Dr., Constance Bay, Ottawa, PH saw 126 on July 25, and on Sandy Lake Rd., Twin Lakes, Peterborough, 136 were observed on June 25 (RJY) and 533 on July 31 (JB, TB). On August 14 RAL observed for about 20 minutes a worn male feeding on a white bird dropping on the leaf of a small Bur Oak at Carp Rd., 5 km SE Fitzroy Harbour, Ottawa. Reports continued without a break until mid-September, though there must have been at least two generations involved; on
29 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
August 16 RJY reported six, including one fresh male, at Misery Bay P.P., Manitoulin and on August 25 RAL caught and released a fresh male on Sacred Heart Rd., 1 km SE of Wolfe, Renfrew. The last report was of two seen on September 13 Holbrook Rd., 4 km N Nolans Corners, Lanark (CH).
Atrytonopsis hianna DUSTED SKIPPER
In 2009 – One record. A total of four were seen during the Pinery butterfly count on June 27 (see the summary of butterfly counts on page 15).
Amblyscirtes hegon PEPPER AND SALT SKIPPER
In 2009 - Five records. One was photographed (see page 35) on June 4 on the K & P Trail, 1 km S of Lavant Station, Lanark (CH, DLe) and a fresh one was caught and released on Pine Springs Rd., 2 km W of Kushog Lake, Haliburton (EP). The other records were from Peterborough: one on June 12 on Charlie Allen Rd., W of Rockcroft, four on June 15 on a Forest Access Rd. off Jack Lake Rd. and one on June 19 at Petroglyphs P.P. (JB).
Amblyscirtes vialis COMMON ROADSIDE SKIPPER
In 2009 - 43 records. First reported on May 11, two on Opinicon Rd., Frontenac and two on the Cataraqui Trail at MacGillivray Rd., Frontenac (BER). In the north the earliest was one seen on June 14 at Gull Bay, Lake Nipigon, Thunder Bay (NGE). On May 23 DA watched three nectaring on Wild Strawberry at the Burnt Lands off Golden Line Rd., 3 km NE of Almonte, Ottawa, and on June 11 EP saw three, including a mating pair in the barrens near the dam on the W side of Koshlong Lake, Haliburton. The highest count in the north was eight, seen on June 23 behind the transformer station at Marathon, Thunder Bay (NGE), and in the south 20 reported on Cameron Lake Rd., Algonquin P.P., Nipissing (TS, KHo). The latest reports were on July 4, one seen on the railtrail at Howland, Haliburton (JK) and three on Eastside Lake Rd., 80 km E of Longlac, Thunder Bay (NGE), and on July 8, one seen during the Hwy 60 Butterfly Count in Algonquin Park, Nipissing (TRS, KBa).
Family: PAPILIONIDAE
Papilio polyxenes BLACK SWALLOWTAIL
In 2009 - 83 records. There were two very early reports of singles from JD in Prince Edward: on April 26 at North Port and on April 29 at Picton. The first report from Metro Toronto was a male seen at High Park on May 7 (RJY) and from Ottawa one seen on the Jack Pine Trail, S of Bells Corners on May 13 (MLa, RB). The first generation ended in mid-July, with one seen on July 8 in woodlands at Sandbanks P.P., Prince Edward (JD) and another on July 12 at High Park, Metro Toronto (AA). The second generation made its appearance on July 25 with one seen at Bishop Davis Dr. at Constance Bay, Ottawa (PH), and six other reports later that week mentioned that the specimens were fresh. On July 28 LJ saw one ovipositing low down on Queen Anne’s Lace on Twin Elm Rd., E of Richmond, Ottawa. Numbers were way down everywhere; the highest count was six, of which three were males in a tremendous, long-lasting territorial battle, on August 19 at the Burnt Lands alvar N of Co. Rd. 44, Ottawa (RAL). The last two reports were on September 4 at Twin Elm Rd., E of Richmond, Ottawa (LJ) and on the railtrail between the Blezard and Villiers Lines, NE of Villiers, Peterborough (JB), single specimens each time.
30 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
Papilio machaon OLD WORLD SWALLOWTAIL
In 2009 - 10 records of this rarely seen species. Four were from NGE in Thunder Bay: on June 21, two seen at Bowker, 4 km SW of Ouimet; on July 3, one seen on the gas pipeline cut, 11 km W of Geraldton; on July 4, 30 seen on Eastside Lake Rd., 80 km E of Longlac, the most ever reported in Ontario; and finally on August 9 five seen at 650 Alice Avenue, Thunder Bay. The others were all from CDJ and DAS in Cochrane: one was collected and several others were seen, including females ovipositing on Scotch Lovage (Ligusticum scoticum) – see photo on page 36 – on July 5 at Gull Point, 75 km ENE of Moosonee, one was photographed on July 6 at Longridge Point, 58 km N of Moosonee and a total of at least six were seen at four different locations at North Bluff Point, 25 km NE of Moosonee; of these, some were right at the edge of the vegetation at the beginning of the mudflats and three were in a large patch of Scotch Lovage, which happens to be the preferred foodplant of the Short-tailed Swallowtail, Papilio brevicauda.
Papilio cresphontes GIANT SWALLOWTAIL
In 2009 - 64 records. The first reports were of singles seen on May 21 and 24 on Elmbrook Rd., 2.8 km NE of Elmbrook, Prince Edward (JD). Also on May 24, one was seen on Fish Lake Rd., 1 km W of Bethesda, Prince Edward (YB). The first generation seemed to finish in very early July, with singles on July 4 at 488 Main St., Bloomfield, Prince Edward (HHe) and on July 7 at the Visitor Centre, Sandbanks P.P., Prince Edward (JD), followed by a three week gap with no reports. The second generation was first seen on July 25, one individual at Bloomfield (HHe), followed on July 2 by another from Elmbrook Rd. (JD) and 11 seen on Pelee Island, Essex (RJY). The last reported adults were three seen on September 14 at Prince Edward Point, Prince Edward (BER) and singles on September 17 and 20 at 488 Main St., Bloomfield, Prince Edward (HHe). Immatures were reported from Rock Chapel Sanctuary, Hamilton-Wentworth by XW: on August 26, three larvae, one parasitized; on September 4, one larva and one ovum; on September 20, 2 larvae; and on September 23, two larvae. And on September 20 LMcC reported one larva on Gasplant in the City of Kingston, Frontenac.
Papilio glaucus EASTERN TIGER SWALLOWTAIL
In 2009 - 174 records. The first report was on May 8 at Bellamy Ravine, Scarborough, Metro Toronto, no numbers mentioned (BH) followed by one on May 19, three seen at West Beach, Point Pelee N.P., Essex (PH). Next were three reports of singles by BVR near Campbellville, Halton: on May 20 at the Calcium Pits, 5 km S of town, and on May 21 and 22 at the Hilton Falls complex, 2.5 km NE of town. None of the reports indicated large numbers, although RJY counted 14 on June 13 at High Park, Metro Toronto and KAn reported “lots” on feces on July 10 at Presqu’ile P.P., Northumberland. On July 18 DBr counted ten at Point Petre, Prince Edward, including seven mudpuddling together at one puddle. At places like Presqu’ile P.P. and Sandbanks P.P., and further north as the range of July sightings seems to be expanding, the many July sightings are likely glaucus, but also may well be an intermediate form, something between glaucus and canadensis; only collection of significant numbers of specimens will settle that question. Records were continuous without any gap to show the start of the second generation, but RAL reported one large, very fresh individual on July 9 on Miller Rd., 3.6 km NW of Quinn Settlement, Lanark, and GM reported one fresh on July 25 on the Beaver Trail S of Bells Corners, Ottawa; these must have been of the second generation. The final records were singles on August 31 at Richardson’s, Sandbanks P.P., Prince Edward (JD) and on September 7 at Bayview Bog, N of Amherstview, Lennox & Addington (BER).
31 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
Papilio canadensis CANADIAN TIGER SWALLOWTAIL
In 2009 - 224 records. The first sightings were on May 11 on Opinicon Road, Frontenac (BER) and on May 14 at the end of Ridge Rd., Ottawa (PH), and in the north on May 22 at Webbwood, Sudbury (MRa, CBe). The highest count was 28, on June 28 in the Pikes Lake area, Bruce, on a narrow gravel road in mixed woods (TRa, MRa). In the south the flight season ran until the end of June or early July, but July reports from Haliburton, Bruce, Prescott-Russell, Peterborough and Ottawa (EP, TRa, JB, MRa, PH, CH) are more likely to be glaucus; any canadensis still flying by that time would be sufficiently worn that the condition would likely have been noted. In the north, July dates are absolutely believable: July 3, four on the gas pipeline cut, 11 km W of Geraldton, Thunder Bay (NGE); July 4, three at Webbwood, Sudbury (MRa), one at Espanola, Sudbury (MRa, CBe) and four on Eastside Lake Rd., 80 km E of Longlac, Thunder Bay (NGE); July 5 to 10 at various locations around Moosonee, Cochrane (CDJ, DAS); and the latest of all, July 26, one at the Kabitotikwia River marshes at Gull Bay, Lake Nipigon, Thunder Bay (NGE).
Papilio troilus SPICEBUSH SWALLOWTAIL
In 2009 - 18 records. Four were seen on May 23 at the Wilson Tract, 3 km SW of Spring Arbor, Norfolk (RJY), the first record of the year. All of the June and July records were during butterfly counts - see the summary of butterfly counts on page 15. The second generation was first reported on August 9 when a total of eight were tallied during the Point Pelee butterfly count. On August 11, two were seen at the Spring Garden ANSI, Windsor, Essex (RJY). On August 12 one was seen in the SW corner of Oakland Swamp, Brant, the first record for Brant County (MLa, RB). The latest adult report was of one seen on August 26 nectaring on Buddleia at High Park, Metro Toronto (RJY). A third instar larva was found on September 22 at Churchill Park, Hamilton, Hamilton-Wentworth; it was still present and in the third instar on September 27 and October 11. A parasitised pupa was found at the same place, beneath a Sassafras leaf, on September 27 (XW).
Family: PIERIDAE
Pontia occidentalis WESTERN WHITE
In 2009 - One record, six males caught and released on May 30 on the north hill at the TBFN Pine Bay Nature Reserve, Thunder Bay (SB). They were all hilltopping on an open rocky hilltop, among Saskatoon shrubs, grasses and open rocky patches.
Pieris oleracea MUSTARD WHITE
In 2009 - 144 records. The first reports were on April 27, singles seen at Clyde Woods, Ottawa (KA) and on Old Perth Rd., 4.2 km SSW Almonte, Lanark (JTF). There were no gaps in the dates up to the last records in late September, but there must have been three generations. The highest daily counts were in the first generation; at least 30, including a mating pair were counted on May 18 on the railtrail S of Dutch Line, near Gelert, Haliburton (EP), and there were two other counts of 10, on May 13 at the Jack Pine Trail, S of Bells Corners, Ottawa (MLa, RB) and on May 23 on Wylie and Alvar Rds., Carden Plains, Kawartha Lakes (PH, JBox, EP). The numbers of the summer generation, usually higher, were down this year, with just one count of 10, on August 3 on the railtrail between the Blezard and Villiers Lines, NE of
32 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
Villiers, Peterborough (JB, TB). The first northern report was of one caught and released on May 29 at the Pine River estuary, in Crooks Twp., Thunder Bay (SB), and the last was on August 30, two seen at 650 Alice Ave, Thunder Bay (NGE). The latest records were two caught and released on September 3 on the Old Almonte Rd. extension, Ottawa (RAL) and very low numbers seen on seven dates between September 6 and 25 on the railtrail between the Blezard and Cameron Lines, NE of Villiers, Peterborough (JB).
Pieris virginiensis WEST VIRGINIA WHITE
In 2009 - 44 records, all but five from BVR, at various sites near Cambellville, Halton: the Hilton Falls C.A., the Curry Tract, and the Crawford Lake Tract 2, rangeing in date from May 3 to May 22. Almost all of these were photographed, and the identifications were verified by Bill Lamond. There were two other reports on May 3, three seen at the Turner Tract, Halton Regional Forest, Halton (AA), and three photographed on Coltsfoot at James Wilson Rd, near Canoe Lake, Frontenac, (BER). On May 4, seven were photographed (see page 36) at the Turner Tract (RJY) and two more were seen at James Wilson Rd. (MCS, JPo). On May 19 JB and TB reported two at Charlie Allen Rd., W of Rockcliffe, Peterborough and another two on Tie’s Mountain Rd., NE of Nogies Creek, Peterborough. The latest report was of one seen at the K & V property on Kingsford Lake, Frontenac (DBr). On May 12 and 21 RAL visited a site near Bobs Lake village, Frontenac, where he had found the species in 1983 and 1984, but they were nowhere to be seen, though the site appears unchanged.
Pieris rapae CABBAGE WHITE
In 2009 - 453 records. First reported on April 16 from three locations: Bellamy Ravine, Scarborough, Metro Toronto (BH); Port Hope, Northumberland (RJP) and at Preston St. & Carling Ave., Ottawa (CL, BBr). Records were continuous right up to the very last one, a worn female seen on October 22 in High Park, Metro Toronto (RJY). LJ in Ottawa reported nectaring on 11 species of flowers: Cow Vetch, Purple Loosestrife, Canada Thistle, Mother-of-Thyme, mustard sp., knapweed sp., Sedum, dandelion sp., Birdsfoot Trefoil, Red Clover and New England Aster. On September 4, at Carp Rd., 5 km SE of Fitzroy Harbour, Ottawa, RAL observed two males and a female in a protracted three-way courtship battle, which continued for about five minutes even after two had mated; the happy couple was able to escape this unwanted attention only by climbing down into a very dense thicket of grass. There were three or possibly four generations; comments of “many” and high counts were clustered in mid-July and late August-early September; the highest counts were 102 on July 12 in High Park, Metro Toronto (AA) and 100+ on August 22 at Richmond Rd., 5 km S of Bells Corners, Ottawa; hay was being harvested there at the time and two days later there were very few butterflies at all to be seen (LJ).
Euchloe ausonides LARGE MARBLE
In 2009 - Five records, all from Thunder Bay. SB caught and released one on June 6 and another on June 16 at the TBFN Pine Bay Nature Reserve, and one more on June 14 on Sturgeon Bay Rd., S of the City of Thunder Bay. The habitats were varied: a rocky hilltop, the floodplain of a slow-moving river and a logging road near a beaver dam. On June 21 NGE saw at least 10 at Bowker, 4 km SW of Ouimet, and on June 23 two more behind the transformer station at Marathon.
33 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
Euchloe olympia OLYMPIA MARBLE
In 2009 - 29 records. On May 3 a total of 11 were counted on the ground at Depot Lakes C.A., Frontenac (BER), and at Constance Bay, Ottawa two were seen at Whistler & Ritchie Rds. (PH) and one on Bishop Davis Dr. (DLe). On May 6 two were seen at a new location, the dam at Mosque Lake, Frontenac (CH), and on May 11 BER counted 75 on the Cataraqui Trail at MacGillivray Rd., Frontenac, a very high number for this species. On May 20 JB and TB reported it from five locations in Peterborough, including a count of 25 on Sandy Lake Rd., near Twin Lakes. On May 26, at Webbwood, Sudbury, MRa and CBe photographed an adult and three eggs, and on May 29, together with TRa, another adult. The latest date was May 30, when two were seen on the East Side Butterfly Count in Algonquin Park, Nipissing.
Colias philodice CLOUDED SULPHUR
In 2009 - 512 records. First reported on May 3 at Eastpoint Park, Scarborough, Metro Toronto, no numbers given (BH). This was followed on May 5 by a single seen at the Burnt Lands alvar, NE of Almonte, Ottawa (LJ), and on May 6 by one seen at Sandbanks P.P., Prince Edward (YB), three at Lambton Prairie and four, including a white female, at Eglinton Flats, Metro Toronto (RJY); white females are not usually seen until much later in the season. In the north dates ranged from May 29 at Webbwood, Sudbury (TRa, MRa, CBe) to August 30, at 650 Alice Ave., Thunder Bay (NGE). On August 25 three were seen at the summit of Ryan’s Mountain at Foymount, Renfrew, at 1713 feet altitude, certainly the highest record for Ontario (RAL). Numbers were good in the second half of the season, although BH reported that they were way down at Scarborough; there were many high counts and lots of comments of “many” from late July to late September; the highest actual count was 850, on September 4 at Scriven Rd., South Monaghan, Peterborough (JB). There were eight November records, finishing with two on November 16, at Baseline & Merivale Ave., Ottawa (KA) and two more at the Rosetta McClain Gardens, Scarborough, Metro Toronto (BH), and one “not worn” individual photographed on November 22 on Queensway at the Humber River, Metro Toronto (RJY), equalling the latest date of any species.
Colias eurytheme ORANGE SULPHUR
In 2009 - 43 records. The numbers of this species, like other migrants, were way down in 2009, though the first record, on May 6 at Lambton Prairie, Metro Toronto consisted of one orange specimen and one pale one, “typical of the first immigrants of the year” (RJY), and the second report was on the beach at West Beach, Point Pelee, Essex on May 19 (PH). There were, however, no other reports from Point Pelee all year. There were just two northern records, one seen on July 3 on the gas pipeline cut, 11 km W of Geraldton, and a white female seen at 650 Alice Ave., Thunder Bay (NGE). In August 31, on a hydro easement at Moodie Dr., 5 km S of Bells Corners, Ottawa, LJ observed courtship behaviour from a male Clouded Sulphur; the female Orange Sulphur was unresponsive. The highest count was 35 on September 6 at the Leslie St. Spit, Metro Toronto; “counts at this location at this time of year are typically ten times this number” (RJY). Regular records ended in mid-September, but there were three very late ones; two seen on October 5 in High Park, Metro Toronto (RJY), two on October 8 at Odenback, Algonquin P.P., Nipissing (TRS, JP, RGT, AH), and one on November 14 at the Blenheim Sewage Lagoons, Kent (BAM).
34 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
Arctic Skipper at Valens C.A., Hamilton-Wentworth Common Branded Skipper at Barrie Island, Manitoulin on May 23, 2009 (photo: Brenda Van Ryswyk) on August 15, 2009 (photo: Bob Yukich)
Little Glassywing at Murphy’s Point P.P., Lanark Little Glassywing at Murphy’s Point P.P., Lanark on July 13, 2009 (photo: Max Larrivée) on July 13, 2009 (photo: Max Larrivée)
Delaware Skipper at High Park, Metro Pepper and Salt Skipper near Lavant Station, Lanark on July 10, 2009 (photo: Bob Yukich) on June 4, 2009 (photo: Christine Hanrahan) 35 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
Black Swallowtail at the Calcium Pits, Halton Old World Swallowtail ovipositing on Scotch Lovage, on May 15, 2009 (photo: Brenda Van Ryswyk) N. Bluff Point, Cochrane, July 8, 2009 (photo: Colin Jones)
West Virgian White at Halton Regional Forest, Halton Olympia Marbles mating at Carden, City of Kawartha on May 4, 2009 (photo: Bob Yukich) Lakes on May 20, 2009 (photo: Diane LePage)
Pink-edged Sulphur at Sandy Lake Road, Peterborough Harvester at Leslie Street Spit, Metro Toronto on July 25, 2009 (photo: Bob Yukich) on August 7, 2009 (photo: Ann Gray) 36 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
Colias interior PINK-EDGED SULPHUR
In 2009 - 19 records, the first a single seen on June 22 on Pencil Lake Rd., Peterborough (JB), followed on June 23 by seven seen on Sandy Lake Rd. and one on Tangamong Rd., Peterborough (JB, TB). In the north the first reports were on July 4, one seen at Webbwood, Sudbury (MRa) and five, including a mating pair, photographed at Espanola, Sudbury, (MRa, CBe). They were seen again at Webbwood on July 5 and at Espanola on July 18 (TRa, MRa), and on July 21 at Michael’s Bay, Manitoulin Island, Manitoulin (CDJ, SRB). The latest reports were from Sandy Lake Rd., Twin Lakes, Peterborough on July 24 (JCa), July 25 (RJY – see photo on page 36) and July 31 (JB, TB), and the very latest was one seen on August 2 at the Old Airfield, Algonquin P.P., Nipissing (TS), one of only five Algonquin records.
Pyrisitia lisa LITTLE YELLOW
In 2009 – Two records, both during butterfly counts. Singles were reported from both the Pinery count on June 27 and the Clear Creek count on July 11 (see the summary of butterfly counts on page 15).
Family: LYCAENIDAE
Feniseca tarquinius HARVESTER
In 2009 - 14 records. The first generation was reported three times, singles on May 22 on a farm lane at 488 Main St., Bloomfield, Prince Edward (HHe) and on May 26 on the Murphy Side Rd. extension, 3 km N of Carp, Ottawa (CH), and one photographed on June 19 at Odenback, Algonquin P.P., Nipissing (JP). The second generation was reported three times from Con. 10, Larose Forest, Prescott-Russell: 14 seen and some photographed on an OFNC outing on July 9 (CH, PH), the only decent count, and singles seen on July 16 and 31 (PH). One was photographed (see page 36) at the Leslie Street Spit, Metro Toronto on August 7 (The latest reports were on August 14: singles at MacKay Creek at Hwy 3, 2.8 km NE of Eagle, Elgin (MLa, RB) and on the Quiddity Trail at Charleston Lake P.P., Leeds-Grenville (TAG).
Lycaena phlaeas AMERICAN COPPER
In 2009 - 56 records. EP caught and released one on May 22 in the barrens near the dam on the W side of Koshlong Lake, Haliburton, and RJY reported two on May 23 in a large clearing on Con. 6, St. Williams Forest Station, Norfolk, the earliest reports. On June 6 one was seen at the Algonquin Visitor Centre, Algonquin P.P., Nipissing (TRS), the first of 14 dates on which it was reported there, usually at the Visitor Centre tilebed; on June 16 TRS counted at least 20 there, the highest daily total. On July 4 one was sighted at Webbwood, Sudbury, (MRa) our only northern record. On August 18, five fresh individuals were seen that had definitely not been present the previous day, at the Old Airfield, Algonquin P.P., Nipissing (BAM), and there were other reports of fresh specimens as late as September 11, when five fresh individuals were seen on Jack Lake Rd., Peterborough (JB, TB). There must have been at least three generations involved. The last report from the Algonquin Visitor Centre was of one seen on September 3 (LF, KHo, JP) and the latest of all was two specimens seen at Bruce Pit, Bells Corners, Ottawa on September 20 (GM).
37 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
Lycaena hyllus BRONZE COPPER
In 2009 - 46 records. The first report was very early, one seen on May 14 at the end of Ridge Rd., Ottawa (PH). The next reports were on more normal dates, June 22 at Wylie Rd. on the Carden Plain, Kawartha Lakes (RJY) and June 26 on the Millenium Trail, E of Wesley Acres Rd. near Bloomfield, Prince Edward (HHe). NGE reported at least seven larvae on dock (Rumex spp.) on June 20, and adults on August 8, 9 and 10, all at 650 Alice Ave., Thunder Bay, the only northern reports. In the south, the gap between generations ran from July 20 to August 16, when GM saw one at Mud Lake, in the Britannia C.A., Ottawa. On August 22 LJ reported seven, including a mating pair and one nectaring on Alfalfa, in farm fields at Richmond Rd. and Steeple Hill Ct., S of Bells Corners, Ottawa, and on August 23 CL and GM saw many fresh specimens at Embrun Sewage Lagoon, Prescott-Russell. On September 5 DLe reported singles on Munro Rd., 5 km NE of Maxville, and on Con. 4, 5 km W of Alexandria, Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry, an area very rarely visited. The last reports were on September 6, singles seen N of Rd. 25 in Larose Forest, Prescott-Russell (CH) and on the Carp Ridge hydroline cut, 4.2 km SW of Woodlawn, Ottawa (RAL).
Lycaena epixanthe BOG COPPER
In 2009 - 11 records. The earliest reports were of six seen and one photographed on June 27 at Sifton Bog, London, Middlesex (AA) and two binoculared on July 4 at Lochlin Bog, Haliburton (EP, DFi, TLa, CEa). In Algonquin P.P., Nipissing, there were two counts of at least 20, at the bog W of Kearney Lake on July 10 (TRS) and on the Spruce Bog Boardwalk on July 28 (LF), and four were counted at Bat Lake Bog on July 14 (RaD, LF, EH). On Sandy Lake Rd., Twin Lakes, Peterborough Bog Coppers were reported on July 17 (JB), 25 (RJY) and 31 (JB, TB). The latest record was one seen on August 6 at a bog NW of the dump at Haliburton, Haliburton (EP).
Lycaena dorcas DORCAS COPPER
In 2009 - 10 records. The earliest reports were on July 22, when CDJ photographed them (see photo on page 45) at an alvar and in an open rich fen at Misery Bay, Manitoulin Island, Manitoulin. At a rocky cedar woods near Lake Huron at Bruce Power, near Tiverton, Bruce, TRa saw one on August 5 and two on August 19, the latest record. On August 9 ten were counted at Petrel Point and 300 estimated at Oliphant Fen, Bruce (TRa, MRa, GR), and on August 14 RJY visited the same two places and saw and photographed more good numbers. On August 15, RJY counted 65 on Goose Cap Cr., Barrie Island, Manitoulin, and on August 16 saw 52 still flying at Misery Bay P.P., Manitoulin. All of RJY’s sightings were a mixture of both fresh and worn specimens.
Lycaena helloides PURPLISH COPPER
In 2009 - One record, a worn female observed on August 15 on Goose Cap Cr., Barrie Island, Manitoulin (RJY).
Satyrium acadica ACADIAN HAIRSTREAK
In 2009 - 28 records, of which twenty were from JB in Peterborough: elsewhere the species was almost non-existent. The earliest dates were singles on July 4 during both the Long Point and Windsort butterfly counts and a total of 10 during the Skunk’s Misery count on July 5 (see the summary of butterfly counts on page 15). On July 9, JB saw one at Co. Rd. 6 and Northey’s Bay Rd., Peterborough and another was seen
38 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______on an OFNC trip on Con. 10 in the Larose Forest, Prescott-Russell (PH, CH). Apart from the Skunk’s Misery count, the highest counts were in Peterborough: eight on July 25 on Co. Rd. 46, N of Twin Lakes (JB) and 20 on July 20 on the railtrail between the Cameron Line and Hwy 38, WSW of Westwood (JB). Elsewhere the highest numbers were five seen on July 11 at Eglinton Flats, Metro Toronto (RJY) and six fairly fresh specimens on August 15, the latest date, on Goose Cap Cr., Barrie Island, Manitoulin (RJY).
Satyrium titus CORAL HAIRSTREAK
In 2009 - 38 records. Oddly, the earliest record was from the north, one seen on June 11 in mixed woodland near Webbwood, Sudbury (TRa, MRa). The next reports were of one seen on June 26 at Reid C.A., 8 km N Wallaceburg, Lambton (BAM) and two photographed on June 27 at Eglinton Flats, Metro Toronto (RJY). On July 4 BAM was again at Reid C.A. and counted about 30, and a month later on July 31 JB and TB counted 37 on Sandy Lake Rd., Twin Lakes, Peterborough; these are very high counts for this species. On July 14 one was seen at Basin Lake Depot, Algonquin P.P., Nipissing (MWPR, RM). It was reported regularly through July, finishing with a report of a group of 11, some worn and some not, seen and photographed on August 16 at Misery Bay P.P., Manitoulin (RJY).
Satyrium edwardsii EDWARDS’ HAIRSTREAK
In 2009 - Seven records. Reid C.A., Lambton, produced the earliest record, a single on July 1 and by far the highest count, of about 50 on July 4 (BAM). On July 10, at least six were seen on the Kaladar Jack Pine Barrens, Lennox & Addington (DBr) and one was spotted on Sandy Lake Rd., Twin Lakes, Peterborough (JB, RB). On July 17 JB reported one on Fire Rd. 68 near Twin Lakes, Peterborough and on July 25 RJY saw two worn specimens in the same place. The final report was of a single specimen seen on August 11 at the Stead property, 2 km NW of Rowan Mills C.A., Norfolk (MLa, RB, PCa).
Satyrium calanus BANDED HAIRSTREAK
In 2009 - 19 records. First noted on June 13, a single seen at Camden East, Lennox & Addington, by a group from the Kingston Field Naturalists. On June 26 BAM saw one at Reid C.A., 8 km N of Wallaceburg, Lambton, and on June 27 RJY photographed one at Lambton Prairie, Metro Toronto. There were records of very small numbers throughout July, including two on July 31, at Reid C.A. (BAM) and at Dunes Beach, Sandbanks P.P., Prince Edward (JD). The last report was of a worn specimen seen at High Park, Metro Toronto on August 6 (RJY). Numbers of this usually common species were very low everywhere; the highest daily count anywhere was three!
Satyrium caryaevorus HICKORY HAIRSTREAK
In 2009 - 13 records. The earliest reports were also the highest daily counts, about eight were seen at Reid C.A., 8 km N of Wallaceburg, Lambton on July 4 (BAM) and a total of 141 were tallied during the Windsor butterfly count on the same date (see the summary of butterfly counts on page 15). BVR photographed the species four times: one on July 26 at 751 Middletown Rd., 3.8 km SW of Westover, Hamilton-Wentworth (see photo on page 45); four on August 6 and one on August 20 in a field below hydro lines at Hilton Falls C.A., Halton; and the latest record on September 5, another one at 751 Middletown Rd.
39 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
Satyrium liparops STRIPED HAIRSTREAK
In 2009 - 17 records. The first record was on June 28, atop Blue Mountain in Charleston Lake P.P., Leeds- Grenville (CPR), and the second was on June 29 at Nortel Woods, Ottawa (KA, DA) each time just one individual seen. SB caught and released one found in an urban garden at Common Milkweed, in the City of Thunder Bay, Thunder Bay on July 31. The highest count was four, seen on July 25 on Sandy Lake Rd., Twin Lakes, Peterborough (JB), and the latest report was of a fresh specimen (see photo on page 45) seen on August 12 at Hanlans’s Point, Metro Toronto (RJY); this could not have been a second generation individual, but instead the result of a much-delayed emergence.
Fixsenia favonius ontario SOUTHERN HAIRSTREAK
In 2009 - Three records. One was recorded during the Windsort butterfly count on July 4 (see the summary of butterfly counts on page 15). The other two records were both at Reid C.A., 8 km N of Wallaceburg, Lambton, one photographed on June 26 and two on July 4 (BAM).
Callophrys gryneus JUNIPER HAIRSTREAK
In 2009 - Seven records. The first reports were of two seen on May 31, on Callaghan Rd., between Wyman & Plumb Rds., 3 km NW Marysville, Hastings (PH, JSk) and one photographed (see photo on page 45) on June 3 at the Little Cataraqui C.A., 5 km N of Kingston, Frontenac (MLa). On June 8 JPo equalled the highest count with two seen at an alvar at Odessa, Lennox & Addington, and BER saw one on an alvar on the Rideau Trail at Elginburg, Frontenac. On June 23 DBr caught a glimpse of one on the S side of Demorestville CA, Prince Edward. The last two reports were from West Beach, S of the Visitor Centre at Point Pelee N.P., Essex: a fresh second-generation specimen photographed on July 31, and another seen on August 4 (RJY).
Callophrys augustinus BROWN ELFIN
In 2009 - 14 records. In the south the first reports were on April 24, two seen on Sandy Lake Rd., Twin Lakes, Peterborough (JB, TB) and on April 27, three seen on the Milburn Rd, 4 km W of Irondale, Haliburton (EP) and the last were on May 25 when JB reported one last worn specimen on Sandy Lake Rd. There were five reports from Algonquin P.P., including three from the Old Airfield, Nipissing: at least six seen on May 6 (DLG), 17 on May 17 (BER), the highest count, and six on May 22 (CDJ, PB, LuF). In the north the earliest report was on April 29 when a few were seen and photographed at Misery Bay, Manitoulin Island, Manitoulin (CDJ, DAS, PSB). On June 2 one was caught and released in a bog on the Farrabout Peninsula, Eagle Lake, 25 km W of Dryden, Kenora (SB) and on June 23 NGE saw three behind the transformer station at Marathon, Thunder Bay.
Callophrys polios HOARY ELFIN
In 2009 - 21 records. Two seen on April 17 at the Queens University Biol. Station at Lake Opinicon, Frontenac (MCo) were the first, and five observed on April 24 on Sandy Lake Rd., Twin Lakes, Peterborough (JB, TB) the second records. This was followed by the only northern report on April 29, when a few were seen and photographed at Misery Bay, Manitoulin Island, Manitoulin (CDJ, DAS, PSB). In Ottawa, the season got under way a bit later, with 11 seen on May 2 on the Burnt Land alvar, 4 km NE of Almonte (DA), and five seen on May 3 in a clearing off Bishop Davis Dr., Constance Bay (JSk). The Burnt
40 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
Lands, Ottawa also provided the highest counts, at least 25 seen on May 9 (DA) and another 25 on May 23, on Con. 12 on the Lanark side of the Burnt Lands (KA, DA). There were two reports from the Old Airfield, Algonquin P.P., Nipissing, on May 18 (BER) and on May 22 (CDJ, PB, LuF), and two from Sandy Lake Rd., Twin Lakes, Peterborough, on May 20 and 25 (JB, TB). The latest record was of a single individual seen during the Manitoulin Island butterfly count on June 23 (see the summary of butterfly counts on page 15).
Callophrys henrici HENRY’S ELFIN
In 2009 - 26 records. Our first record was from Sandy Lake Rd., Twin Lakes, Peterborough, four seen on April 24 (JB, TB) followed by two from Ottawa, one seen on May 1 at Nortel Woods (CH) and another on May 2 in Davidson Woods, S of the parking lot (PH). The highest count was also from Ottawa: on May 18, seven were caught and released at Stony Swamp, 1.4 km S of Bells Corners, all nectaring on Field Pussy- toes (Antennaria neglecta) (LJ). On May 24 one was caught and released in the barrens near the dam on the W side of Lake Koshlong, Haliburton (TLa, EP) and five worn specimens were counted on Sandy Lake Rd., Twin Lakes, Peterborough (RJY), and on May 30 a very worn specimen was photographed on the Alderville First Nations Reserve, Northumberland (RJY, AA). There were three reports of singles from the Old Airfield, Algonquin P.P., Nipissing: on May 18 (BER), on May 22 (CDJ, PB, LuF) and on June 3, the latest date (KeM).
Callophrys niphon EASTERN PINE ELFIN
In 2009 - 31 records. The first record of the season was a single specimen seen on April 17 on Sandy Lake Rd., Twin Lakes, Peterborough (JB, TB), followed on May 2 by a report of one seen perched on a Juniper at the Burnt Lands alvar, 4 km NE of Almonte, Ottawa (DA); it seems that all the elfins were ten days to two weeks later at Ottawa. On May 3 there were four reports: one seen at the Turner Tract, Halton Regional Forest, Halton (AA); eight at Depot Lakes C.A., Lennox & Addington (BER); three at Constance Bay, Ottawa (JSk); and two on the Tallow Rock Trail East at Charleston Lake P.P., Leeds-Grenville (CPR). There were several reports of decent numbers, including 18 counted on May 11 in wooded shield country at Charleston Lake, Leeds-Grenville (MCS, JPo) and 15 on May 18 at the Burnt Lands on Con 11B, Lanark (KA, DA). There were three reports of the elfins nectaring: on Field Pussy-toes at Stony Swamp, Ottawa on May 18 (LJ) and twice on Cypress Spurge (Euphorbia cyparissias), on Carp Rd., 5 km SE of Fitzroy Harbour, Ottawa, on May 15 and 20 (RAL). The latest two reports were the only ones from Algonquin P.P., Nipissing: four seen on the East Side Butterfly Count on May 30 (CM, JBre, EA, CDJ, KBa), and one at Achray on June 3, the very latest date (TCa).
Callophrys eryphon WESTERN PINE ELFIN
In 2009 - Three records. One was seen on May 18 at the Old Airfield, Algonquin P.P., Nipissing (BER) and several in the same place on June 3, the latest date (KeM). In the north, a single specimen was caught and released on June 2 among Eastern White Pines on an open rocky ridge on the Farrabout Peninsula at Eagle Lake, 25 km W of Dryden, Kenora (SB)
Strymon melinus GREY HAIRSTREAK
In 2009 - Five records, the first one a migrant seen on May 9 at the N end of Rondeau P.P., Kent (BAM), a little earlier than usual. The others were of the northen resident population: singles on Sandy Lake Rd.,
41 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
Twin Lakes, Peterborough on May 20 and July 31 (JB, TB), four on May 30 on the East Side Butterfly Count in Algonquin P.P., Nipissing (TCa, SMa) and one on July 25 on Fire Rd. 75, off Co. Rd. 46 near Kasshabog Lake, Peterborough (JB).
Cupido comyntas EASTERN TAILED BLUE
In 2009 - 75 records. The first three reports were from Metro Toronto on May 6: at Lambton Prairie and Eglinton Flats (RJY) and at Rouge Park, Scarborough (LS). Ottawa was just one week later, with records on May 13 (see photo on page 45) at two locations S of Bells Corners (LJ, MLa, RB). One was reported mud-puddling on June 2 at the Kanata Park & Ride, Ottawa (DA). The first generation closed with RJY’s observation of 15 on June 10 at High Park, Metro Toronto. The next report, four weeks later, was of one seen on July 7 in woodlands at Sandbanks P.P., Prince Edward (JD), and from that date on the reports were continuous until late September. There was some overlapping of generations; a worn female was seen on August 10 on Moodie Dr., Ottawa (LJ) and a fresh one on August 11on the Owen Point Trail, Presqu’ile P.P., Northumberland (DBr). On August 28 LJ counted 44 at the Moodie Dr. location, the highest daily count, and on September 3, two at Eagleson Rd. at Richmond Rd., Richmond, Ottawa, including a female nectaring on Alsike Clover (Trifolium hybridum), the probable favourite foodplant; this was the ninth consecutive year they have been recorded there. The last two records (fourth or fifth generation?) were on October 20, after four weeks with no reports: one seen on the Lake Ontario shoreline at Prince Edward Point, Prince Edward (BER) and a fairly fresh male at High Park, Metro Toronto (RJY).
Cupido amyntula WESTERN TAILED BLUE
In 2009 - Four records. NGE saw one on July 4 on Eastside Lake Rd., 80 km E of Longlac, Thunder Bay (NGE); CDJ and DAS saw several on July 5 at Gull Point, 75 km NE of Moosonee, one on July 6 at Longridge Point, 58 km N of Moosonee, and one at North Bluff Point, 25 km NE of Moosonee, Cochrane.
Celastrina lucia SPRING AZURE
In 2009 - 198 records. A specimen seen on April 12 at the Baselands of the Leslie St. Spit, Metro Toronto (AA) was the first of the year. It was followed on April 16 by one at Eastpoint Park, Scarborough, Metro Toronto (LS) and on April 18 by a marginata form seen on the DU Tower Trail at MacGregor Point P.P., Bruce (TRa, MRa). The season really got underway on April 24, with three more at Eastpoint Park (BH), and reports from Sandy Lake Rd., Twin Lakes Peterborough (JB, TB), Opinicon Lake Rd. at Indian Lake Rd., Leeds-Grenville (PH) and at four locations in Ottawa (DA, PH, LJ, RAL). At Rogers Pond in the Marlborough Forest, Ottawa on April 29 LJ saw five, including one repeatedly taking salts from a splash of white bird dropping. She also reported a male nectaring on a pale purple violet on Moodie Dr., 5 km S of Bells Corners, Ottawa on May 1 and another nectaring on Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) at the Burnt Lands, off Golden Line Rd., Ottawa on May 5. In the north the first record was one caught and released on May 6 on the Sideen Rd., beside the Whitefish River, in the TBFN Nature Reserve, Thunder Bay (SB). This was one species that occurred in normal or near-normal numbers. There were high counts of about 60 on May 4 at the Turner Tract, Halton Reg. Forest, Halton (RJY), 50 on May 15 on the Kerwin Rd. to Mud Lake trail, Harwood Plains, Ottawa (KA, DA) and 50+ on May 19 at West Beach, Point Pelee P.P., Essex (PH). The last reliable adult records were a very worn individual on June 8 at Parking Lot 6 on Richmond Rd., S of Bells Corners, Ottawa (LJ), and one near Gull Bay, Lake Nipigon, Thunder Bay on June 14 (NGE). Other reports of small numbers on June 14 at three locations in the New Park area of MacGregor P.P., Bruce (TRa, MRa), and in Algonquin P.P. on June 21, at Whitefish Lake, Haliburton and
42 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______at the Old Airfield, Nipissing (RGT), as well as the single individual recorded during the Lake Dore butterfly count on July 5 (see the summary of butterfly counts on page 15) are more likely Cherry Gall Azures; any Spring Azures at these dates would be likely be worn almost beyond recognition. Between May 26 and June 19 RAL collected 3 ova and 19 larvae, from several places in Ottawa and Renfrew. They were found mostly on Choke Cherry (Prunus virginiana) but also on Round-leaved Dogwood (Cornus rugosa) and Nannyberry (Viburnum lentago). Most survived to pupate, and are now overwintering. But one, collected on June 18 as a larva on Choke Cherry, pupated on June 24 and emerged on July 4 as a completely normal-looking Summer Azure!
Celastrina neglecta SUMMER AZURE
In 2009 - 145 records. First reported on June 23 and 27 during the Manitoulin Island and Pinery butterfly counts, respectively (see the summary of butterfly counts on page 15). The next records are from June 29 at Nortel Woods, Ottawa (CH, KA, DA) and on July 1 at Bellamy Ravine, Scarborough, Metro Toronto (BH) and at the mouth of Petticoat Creek, Durham (RJY). There were two reports from the Centennial Ridges Trail, Algonquin P.P., Nipissing, on July 19 and August 5 (TRS). Most records were of small numbers but RJY reported 99 at Point Pelee N.P., Essex, on July 31. On July 9 at Eglinton Flats, Metro Toronto RJY watched two females laying eggs on the flower heads of White Sweet Clover (Melilotus alba) surely an oviposition mistake. Records were continuous through July and August, but second generation specimens began to show up in late August: a fresh one feeding on entrails on August 21 on the Owen Point Trail, Presqu’ile P.P., Northumberland (DBr) and one “in good condition” on August 23 near Rte. 200, N of the village of Russell, Prescott-Russell (CL, GM). The last reports were from Metro Toronto: on September 14 at High Park (RJY) and on September 24 at Eastpoint Park, Scarborough (BH).
Celastrina serotina CHERRY GALL AZURE
In 2009 - 28 records. The earliest records were a very fresh individual seen on May 20 nectaring on Cypress Spurge at Carp Rd., 5 km SE of Fitzroy Harbour, Ottawa (RAL) and three seen on May 23 at the N end of Con. 12 on the Burnt Lands, 4 km N of Almonte, Lanark (DA). Also on May 23, RJY photographed an egg, and the female depositing it on a gall on a Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) sapling with abundant galls, at the Wilson Tract, 3 km NE of Spring Harbour, Norfolk. The next day he did exactly the same thing at Sandy Lake Rd., Twin Lakes, Peterborough, though this time the female was using a small Choke Cherry (Prunus virginiana). Also on May 24, GR and TRa saw about 20 at two locations in the New Park area of MacGregor Point P.P., Bruce. Several binoculared on June 5 on Margaret Lake Rd., 11 km S of Dorset, Muskoka and one caught and released on June 6 on the Lakota Trail at Bark Lake, near Irondale, Haliburton, were positively identified by their fresh condition (EP). On June 14, three adults and a larva were seen in the same area of MacGregor Point P.P. (TRa, MRa), and a slightly worn one was observed at the Bill Mason Outdoor Centre, Dunrobin, Ottawa (PH). The last reliable record was from Presqu’ile P.P., Northumberland on June 15 (KAn), still too early to have been a Summer Azure. A later report of one seen on June 25, on the railtrail between the David Fife and Settlers Lines, NE of Keene, Peterborough (JB) could have been this species but it would have been helpful to have known if the specimen was fresh or worn. If worn or very worn it was likely a Cherry Gall Azure; if fresh then it was more likely to have been an early Summer Azure.
43 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
Glaucopsyche lygdamus SILVERY BLUE
In 2009 - 190 records. The first reports were from Metro Toronto: a fresh male on May 6 at Eglinton Flats (RJY) and another on May 8 at Bellamy Ravine, Scarborough (BH). The next report was of 30 counted on May 11 in wooded shield country on Opinicon Rd., Frontenac (BER). In northern Ontario the earliest was one seen at Webbwood, Sudbury on May 20 (MRa, CBe). There were two reports of mating pairs, on May 18 on the railtrail 7 km W of Arnprior, Renfrew (RAL) and on May 25 at Fallowfield Rd. & Steeple Hill Ct., S of Bells Corners, Ottawa (LJ). On July 2 at High Park, Metro Toronto, RJY saw a very belated oviposition on Cow Vetch (Vicia cracca) and photographed an egg. Numbers everywhere were about normal, with the highest an estimate of at least 100 on June 13 at Scotsdale Farm, W of Silver Creek C.A., Halton (RJY). The latest report from Thunder Bay was on the gas pipeline cut, 11 km W of Geraldton on July 3 (NGE), though with a sighting of about 20 they were obviously flying quite a bit longer. In Cochrane, they were reported on July 5 at Gull Point, on July 6 at Longridge Point and on July 8 at the mouth of the Moose River, 17 km ENE of Moosonee (CDJ, DAS). In the south the latest reports were of one seen on July 8 at the Hwy 60 Butterfly Count in Algonquin P.P., Nipissing (EH, SMa) and a final one on July 13 at Co. Rd. 18, S of Oxford Mills, Leeds-Grenville (PH et al).
Plebejus saepiolus GREENISH BLUE
In 2009 - Four records, all from NGE in Thunder Bay: at least two seen on June 21 at Bowker, 4 km SW of Ouimet, two on June 23 near Marathon, two on July 3 on the gas pipeline cut, 11 km W of Geraldton and ten on July 4 on Eastside Lake Rd., 80 km E of Longlac.
Family: NYMPHALIDAE
Libytheana carinenta AMERICAN SNOUT
In 2009 - Three records. One was seen during the Rondeau butterfly count on July 12 (see the summary of butterfly counts on page 15). A fresh one was photographed on August 1 at Henderson & Parsons Rds., Pelee Island, Essex (RJY), and another was photographed at Rosetta McClain Park, Scarborough, Metro Toronto on September 3 (FB, WF).
Euptoieta claudia VARIEGATED FRITILLARY
In 2008 - One was seen at Bluffers Park, Scarborough, Metro Toronto on September 25 (WF).
In 2009 - One record, the first ever for Peterborough: on July 10 one was observed on Sandy Lake Rd., Twin Lakes (JB, TB) – see photo on page 46.
44 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
American Copper at Walker Woods, Durham Dorcas Copper at Misery Bay, Manitoulin on June 6, 2009 (photo: Bob Yukich) on July 22, 2009 (photo: Colin D. Jones)
Striped Hairstreak at Hanlan’s Point, Metro Toronto Hickory Hairstreak near Westover, Hamilton-Wentworth on August 12, 2009 (photo: Bob Yukich) on July 26, 2009 (photo: Brenda Van Ryswyk)
Juniper Hairstreak at Little Cataraqui C.A., Frontenac Eastern Tailed Blue near Bells Corners, Ottawa on June 3, 2009 (photo: Max Larrivée) on May 13, 2009 (photo: Max Larrivée) 45 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
Summer Azure captured by a robber fly on Pelee Island, Variegated Fritillary at Sandy Lake Road, Twin Lakes, Essex on August 1, 2009 (photo: Bob Yukich) Peterborough on July 10, 2009 (photo: Tony Bigg)
Pearl Crescent at Mill Point, Pelee Island, Essex Northern Crescent at Christie Lake C.A., Hamilton- on August 2, 2009 (photo: Bob Yukich) Wentworth on June 13, 2009 (photo: Brenda Van Ryswyk)
Eastern Comma near Westover, Hamilton-Wentworth Satyr Comma at Sandy Lake Road, Twin Lakes, on July 1, 2009 (photo: Brenda Van Ryswyk) Peterborough on July 10, 2009 (photo: Tony Bigg) 46 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
Speyeria cybele GREAT SPANGLED FRITILLARY
In 2009 - 233 records. The first reports were of singles seen on June 23 at the first Day Use Area at Presqu’ile P.P., Northumberland (IS, KAn) and on June 27 at Scout Valley C.A., SW of Orillia, Simcoe (PH). Numbers were down everywhere; the highest counts were 25+ on July 9 on an OFNC outing at Con. 10, Larose Forest, Prescott-Russell (PH, CH) and 29 on July 24 at Crieff Bog, Wellington (RJY). On July 19 a mating pair was observed in the Visitor Centre Meadow at Charleston Lake P.P., Leeds-Grenville (TAG). In Algonquin P.P., Nipissing, the earliest record was on July 8 on the Hwy 60 Butterfly Count (TRS, KBa) and the last was on August 29 at Basin Depot (EH). There were no reports from northern Ontario. In Ottawa LJ reported nectaring, on Common Milkweed on July 25, on Wild Marjoram (Origanum vulgare) on July 25, on Joe-Pye-Weed (Eupatorium maculatum) on August 6 and on Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) on August 14. On September 6, RAL saw three worn females, each clearly looking for oviposition sites, i.e. places where there had been violets the previous spring, by flying repeatedly into thick tangles of weeds and under the lowest branches of junipers on the Carp Ridge hydroline SW of Woodlawn, Ottawa. The last reports were of singles seen on September 14 on the railtrail between the Blezard and Cameron Lines, NE of Villiers, Peterborough (JB) and on September 16 at Point Petre, Prince Edward (DBr).
Speyeria aphrodite APHRODITE FRITILLARY
In 2009 - 43 records. The first record was a single seen on Con. 10 in the Larose Forest, Prescott-Russell on June 27 (DLe), a near-normal date. Not normal was the 12-day gap before the next records, one seen on July 9 on Jack Lake Rd., Peterborough (JB) and another on July 13 on Co. Rd. 18, S of Oxford Mills, Leeds-Grenville (PH). Numbers were low all year, with only two decent counts: 11 on July 31 on Sandy Lake Rd., Twin Lakes, Peterborough (JB) and 12 on August 15 at Goose Cap Cr., Barrie Island, Manitoulin (RJY), one of only two northern records. The last reports were of one, in good shape, caught and released on September 3 on the Burnt Lands, N of Hwy 44, Ottawa (RAL), and two observed on September 12 at Almonte, Lanark (KA, DA).
Speyeria atlantis ATLANTIS FRITILLARY
In 2009 - 25 records. First reported on June 23, a single during the Manitoulin Island butterfly count (see page 15) and June 24, one photographed on a small mammal carcass on the Howie Rd. extension, E of Manion Corners, Ottawa (PH), and in the north on June 26, one at Finmark, Thunder Bay, (NGE). The highest daily total was eight, seen on July 9 on a Forest Access Rd. off Jack Lake Rd., Peterborough (JB). There were four reports from Algonquin P.P., Nipissing, the latest a single seen on August 31 on the Algonquin Visitor Centre tilebed (CCl, KHo). In the north the latest date was August 30, one seen at 650 Alice Ave., Thunder Bay (NGE) and in the south September 12, one seen at Almonte, Lanark (KA, DA).
Boloria eunomia BOG FRITILLARY
In 2009 - Five records. Two were binoculared on June 6 on the Lakota Trail at Bark Lake, NE of Irondale, Haliburton (EP), and five were observed on June 12 on Beaver Lake Rd., E of Catchacoma, Peterborough (JB, TB). On July 2, on a granite outcrop surrounded by fen at Partridge River, 54 km SSE of Moosonee, Cochrane one specimen was collected (CDJ, DAS, SRB, CLat), and on July 5 another was caught at Gull Point, 75 km ENE of Moosonee, Cochrane (CDJ, DAS). Finally, in Algonquin P.P., Nipissing, the earliest one was seen on July 8 during the Hwy 60 Butterfly Count (JSk).
47 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
Boloria selene SILVER-BORDERED FRITILLARY
In 2009 - 45 records. The first reports were of two seen on May 30 on the East Side Butterfly Count in Algonquin P.P., Nipissing (CDJ, KBa, CM, JBre, EA), one specimen seen on June 2 on the N side of Percy Lake, Haliburton, just outside the SW tip of Algonquin P.P. (EP), and one on June 3 seen at Lake Travers, Algonquin P.P., Nipissing (TCa). Three were seen on June 23 near Marathon and two on July 3 on the gas pipeline cut, 11 km W of Geraldton, Thunder Bay (NGE), and one was caught and released on July 11 on the Farabout Peninsula, Eagle Lake, 25 km W of Dryden, Kenora (SB). There were only two good counts, 10 seen on June 25 on the South Hydrocut, Algonquin P.P., Haliburton (APP) and 18 fresh individuals seen on August 15 on Goose Cap Cr., Barrie Island, Manitoulin (RJY), obviously the second generation; this would have started much earlier in the south, though this is not clear from the data. The latest reports were on September 1, one seen at Found Lake, Algonquin P.P., Nipissing (LF) and others on Con. Rd. 7 at Fletcher Creek, at the Crieff Fen, Wellington (CDJ, CE, Kba), and on September 5, one seen on Con. 5, 1 km NE of Greenfield, Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry (DLe).
Boloria bellona MEADOW FRITILLARY
In 2009 - 38 records. The first record was unusually early, one photographed on May 4 at the Turner Tract, Halton Reg. Forest, Halton (RJY), the second, one seen on May 9 at the Burnt Lands alvar, NE of Almonte, Ottawa (DA). For this species we can clearly see two separate generations. There were no southern records between May 23, one captured and released on the Carden Alvar, Kawartha Lakes (JBox, EP) and June 23, one seen on 8th Line N, Dummer Twp., Peterborough (JB, TB) although the only northern record fell right in this gap, when NGE observed at least 10 on June 14 near Gull Bay on Lake Nipigon, Thunder Bay. The highest count was 30, on July 13 on Co. Rd. 18, S of Oxford Mills, Leeds-Grenville (PH). At the end of the season three were recorded on September 12 at Almonte, Lanark (KA, DA) and there was one more very late record (third generation?), one seen on October 8 at Presqu’ile P.P., Northumberland (KAn).
Boloria freija FREIJA FRITILLARY
In 2009 - One record, five worn specimens seen on June 23 along a hydro line near the transformer station at Marathon, Thunder Bay (NGE).
Chlosyne nycteis SILVERY CHECKERSPOT
In 2009 - 22 records. On June 6, one was seen at the Burnt Lands, off Golden Line Rd., Ottawa (KA, DA) and another on the Lakota Trail at Bark Lake, NE of Irondale, Haliburton (EP). Two were seen on June 21 at Bowker, 4 km SW of Ouimet, Thunder Bay (NGE), the only northern record. There were eight reports from Algonquin P.P., Nipissing, including the highest count, 10 seen on June 18 by TCa on the East Side hydrocut. The latest records were on July 11 and 12 during the Clear Creek and Killbear butterfly counts, respectively (see the summary of butterfly counts on page 15).
Chlosyne harrisii HARRIS’S CHECKERSPOT
In 2009 - 20 records. The first report was on June 15 from Jack Lake Rd., and a Forest Access Rd. off it, Peterborough (JB, TB), followed by three from the Larose Forest, Prescott-Russell: on June 16 three were seen on Rd. 25 between Con. 6 and Con. 9 (CH) and on June 17 PH saw six on Perron Rd. and two on Con. 10. Two were caught and released on June 19 on the old rail corridor N of Howland, and another on June
48 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
21 on Maple Hills Rd., 4 km SW of Haliburton, Haliburton (EP). Again low numbers everywhere, but on June 25 JPo saw and photographed eight in wooded shield country in Frontenac P.P., Frontenac, the best count. On July 5 one was seen on Sandy Lake Rd., Twin Lakes, Peterborough (JB, TB) and one was photographed in Menzal P.P., Lennox & Addington (DBr). The latest records were of one seen on July 6 on Cameron Lake Rd., Algonquin P.P., Nipissing (TS) and another seen during the Killbear butterfly count on July 12 (see the summary of butterfly counts on page 15).
Phyciodes tharos PEARL CRESCENT
In 2009 - 79 records. The season opened with sightings on May 11 and 12 at the Back Pit Panne, Sandbanks P.P., Prince Edward (JD), another on May 12 at Eastpoint Park, Scarborough, Metro Toronto (BH) and a fresh male photographed on May 13 at Lambton Woods, Metro Toronto (RJY). On June 18 one was seen at Achray, Algonquin P.P., Nipissing and collected to confirm the identification (TCa); this species is very rare in Algonquin. Dates were more or less continuous, but RAL reported a very fresh individual caught and released on July 15 at Berry’s Side Rd., 1 km NE of Constance Lake, Ottawa, and 12 fresh ones, the highest daily total, seen on July 27 on the Tay Marsh Trail, near Beveridges Upper Lock, Lanark; these would have been second generation. RJY photographed two fresh specimens on August 15 on Goose Cap Ct., Barrie Island, Manitoulin, and saw two more the next day at Misery Bay P.P., Manitoulin, and there were six other reports of fresh specimens in August and September; these must have been third generation individuals. The latest dates were September 19, one seen on the railtrail between the David Fife and Base Lines, NE of Keene, September 23, one seen on the railtrail between the Blezard and Cameron Lines, NE of Villiers, Peterborough (JB) and September 24, one final fresh specimen photographed by RJY at Hanlan’s Point, Metro Toronto.
Phyciodes cocyta NORTHERN CRESCENT
In 2009 - 290 records. The earliest records were singles seen on May 11 on Opinicon Rd., Frontenac (BER) and on May 15 on the N side of Constance Lake, Ottawa (KA, DA), and four photographed on May 19 at Murphy’s Point P.P., Lanark (MLa). The second generation started in mid- to late July, overlapping with the end of the first: RAL reported a fresh one on July 21, 3 km WNW of Ardoch, Frontenac and very worn ones on July 27 on Otter Lake Rd., 2.8 km NW of Scotch Point and on Lally Rd., near Murphy’s Point P.P., Lanark. Numbers were way down everywhere; only RJY’s estimate of about 125, on June 22 on Wylie and Alvar Rds., Carden Plain, Kawartha Lakes, and NGE’s count of 60 on July 3 on the gas pipeline W of Geraldton, Thunder Bay, come even close to normal numbers. By far the northernmost reports were from Gypsum Mountain, 70 km SW of Moosonee, Cochrane, one photographed on July 4, and from North Bluff Point, 25 km NE of Moosonee, Cochrane on July 8 (CDJ, DAS). The latest dates were September 7, one seen on the Howie Rd. extension, E of Manion Corners, Ottawa (CH) and two seen on Carp Rd., 5 km SE of Fitzroy Harbour, Ottawa (RAL), and October 20, two seen on the Lake Ontario shoreline at Prince Edward Point, Prince Edward (BER).
Phyciodes batesii TAWNY CRESCENT
In 2009 - 14 records. The earliest reports were of one seen on June 5 on Sandy Lake Rd., Peterborough (JB) and another binoculared on June 12 on Iron Mine Rd., 2 km NE of Davis Lake, Haliburton (EP, DBa, MC). In June 17 LJ caught and released two on the Rideau Trail at Kettles Rd,, E of Dwyer Hill, Ottawa and on June 22 EP caught and released one on Milburn Rd., 4 km W of Irondale, Haliburton. There were three reports from the Carp Ridge, Ottawa: sightings on June 14 and 16 on the Thomas Dolan Parkway
49 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
(PH, RAL) and on July 2 on the Murphy Side Rd. extension (KA, DA). They were still flying on Sandy Lake Rd. on June 6, June 23 (highest count, four!) and on July 5 (JB, TB). There were reports from three butterfly counts as follows: seven from Haliburton on July 4; one from Manion Corners on July 5; and one from Killbear on July 12 (see the summary of butterfly counts on page 15).
Euphydryas phaeton BALTIMORE CHECKERSPOT
In 2009 - 35 records. Unusually, the earliest and the latest reports were of larvae: two large ones on May 11 at the N end of Perron Rd., Larose Forest, Prescott-Russell (CH), and two larval colonies in pre-hibernation webs on August 31 on the Carp Ridge hydroline, 4.2 km SW of Woodlawn, Ottawa (RAL). The first record of adults was three on June 8 between Con. 8 and Con. 10 in Larose Forest, Prescott-Russell (CH), the next nine reports also from various sites in Larose Forest (CH, PH, CL, BBr, MTa), including the highest daily count of 47 on June 22 (CH). On July 15 LJ saw at least eight on Kettles Rd., 5.5 km ESE of Dwyer Hill, Ottawa, including a pair in courtship routine and one nectaring on Wild Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa). The latest reports were on July 29, from the S end of the Wye Marsh, Simcoe (CDJ, CE, SMR, FH) and on July 30, two on the railtrail between the David Fife and Base Lines, NE of Keene, Peterborough (JB).
Polygonia interrogationis QUESTION MARK
In 2009 - 30 records. The first record was unusually early, a dark-form specimen seen on May 8 in a garden at 61 Chestermere, Scarborough, Metro Toronto (BH). This was followed on a more normal date, June 12, by two fresh dark summer-form individuals at Richardson’s Campground at Sandbanks P.P., Prince Edward (DBr, JD), and another the next day at Good’s property, on Bethel Rd., 2 km NE of Camden East, Lennox & Addington (DBr). There was no break in the dates, although the numbers everywhere were very low. Only the count of 16 by RJY on August 12 at the Centre Island flowerbeds, Metro Toronto was more than two; these were a mixture of fresh and worn specimens. On September 24 there were still two at the flowerbeds, at least one of which was fresh (RJY), and on October 17 a very late fall-form individual was studied up close at the Lynde Creek Marsh at Whitby, Durham (AA). The last reports were on October 18 and 20 at the Rosetta McClain Gardens in Scarborough, Metro Toronto, two late-form individuals each time, nectaring on Buddleia (BH).
Polygonia comma EASTERN COMMA
In 2009 - 188 records. Overwintered individuals were first seen on March 18 at Bellamy Ravine, Scarborough, Metro Toronto (BH), and on March 27 at Lambton Prairie and James Gardens, Metro Toronto (RJY) and on the Shoreline Centennial Trail at Charleston Lake P.P., Leeds-Grenville (CPR). The highest daily total was at least eight, on September 25 at Presqu’ile P.P., Northumberland (KAn). There were no gaps in the dates, but enough comments on condition that the generations can be nicely distinguished. On June 28 CPR reported a very fresh summer-form individual at the Office in Charleston Lake P.P., Leeds-Grenville, and there were two other mentions of “fresh, summer form” in the next week. On July 30 TAG saw a very worn specimen at the Maintenance area in Charleston Lake P.P., Leeds- Grenville and there were three other mentions of “worn” in August; this would have been nearing the end of the summer generation. But there was a long overlap with early individuals of the overwintering generation: JB reported a fresh specimen on August 12 in Jack Lake Rd., and two worn ones still flying on September 19 on the railtrail between the David Fife and Base Lines, NE of Keene, Peterborough. (JB). The latest reports were of singles seen on November 13 at 488 Main St., Bloomfield, Prince Edward (HHe) and November 14 at Blenheim Sewage Lagoons, Kent (BAM).
50 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
Polygonia satyrus SATYR COMMA
In 2009 - Four records. Singles were seen on July 5 on a NABA count at the Howie Rd. extension, E of Manion Corners, Ottawa (PH, JHa, TLe); on July 9 on an OFNC outing on Con. 10 in the Larose Forest, Prescott-Russell (PH, CH); on July 10 on Sandy Lake Rd., Twin Lakes, the second record for Peterborough (JB, TB) – see photo on page 46; and on August 5 at Little Cataraqui C.A., 5 km N of Kingston, Frontenac (MLa, RB).
Polygonia faunus GREEN COMMA
In 2009 - 31 records. The earliest report was from Opeongo Rd., Algonquin P.P.., Nipissing, several photographed on April 24 (CDJ, KBa), followed by two from Haliburton: one binoculared on April 27 on Milburn Rd., 4.5 km W of Irondale (EP) and one caught and released on April 29 on Telephone Bay Rd., on the E side of Koshlong Lake (EP). In the north, SB caught and released one on May 23 at the Pump House Beach at Terrace and another on June 14 on Sturgeon Bay Rd., S of the City of Thunder Bay, Thunder Bay, and NGE reported the species three times: on June 21 at Bowker, 4 km SW of Ouimet; on July 3 on the gas pipeline cut 11 km W of Geraldton; and on July 4 on Eastside Lake Rd., 80 km E of Longlac, Thunder Bay. On July 9 one was photographed on an OFNC outing on Con. 10 in the Larose Forest, Prescott-Russell (PH, CH), and on August 16 two very fresh ones were photographed at Misery Bay P.P., Manitoulin (RJY). The highest number was ten, counted twice in Algonquin P.P., Nipissing: on August 2 on the Mizzy Lake Trail (TS) and on August 8 at Achray (TS, RaD). The latest records were singles seen on September 1 on the Howie Rd. extension, E of Manion Corners, Ottawa (PH) and on September 2 at Wolf Howl Pond, Algonquin P.P., Nipissing (LF, KHo).
Polygonia progne GREY COMMA
In 2009 - 85 records. One very early specimen was seen on April 2 at the Queens University Biological Station at Lake Opinicon, Frontenac (MCo); the next were on April 24 at Bolton Rd., 3 km NW of Bishops Mills, Leeds-Grenville (PH) and on April 27 at Carp Rd., 5 km SE of Fitzroy Harbour, Ottawa (RAL). The overwintered generation was still flying on June 22, when RJY noted a worn specimen on Wylie Rd., Carden Plain, Kawartha Lakes. On July 3 NGE watched one ovipositing on a Ribes plant on the gas pipeline cut 11 km W of Geraldton, Thunder Bay. In the south the next generation was flying by July 12, when RJY photographed two very fresh ones on the railtrail 1 km S of Blackwater, Durham, and DBr saw a summer form specimen, quite small, at Little Bluff C.A., Prince Edward. On September 1 RAL saw a fresh individual, probably of the overwintering generation, at Carp Rd., 5 km SE of Fitzroy Harbour, Ottawa, perched but not feeding on a dry cowpat, perhaps looking for warmth; when disturbed it flew to a second, and then a third cowpat. On September 19, on the railtrail between the David Fife and Settlers Lines, NE of Keene, Peterborough JB saw five, the highest daily count, and on September 26 another at the same place. The latest record was three seen on October 20 in a wooded area at Prince Edward Point, Prince Edward (BER).
Nymphalis l-album COMPTON TORTOISESHELL
In 2009 - 112 records. The first record was one found on March 16 in a garage at Port Elgin, Bruce (TRa, MRa); it had likely overwintered there. The next day one was seen in the clearing behind the Visitor Centre at Terra Cotta C.A., Halton (BVR), and another at Bellamy Ravine, Scarborough, Metro Toronto (BH). On March 18 one more just out of hibernation was found flying in a shed at Dewey’s, on Elmbrook Rd., 2.8
51 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______km E of Elmbrook, Prince Edward (JD). On April 6 eleven were seen, mostly sipping sap, at Bellamy Ravine (BH, LS, WF) the highest count of the year. An unusual sighting was two, along with four Mourning Cloaks, feeding on the sap of an Ironwood tree, on April 25 at Dewey’s (JD). There were also two very early reports from Thunder Bay, two seen flying around Sugar Maples on April 19, at 650 Alice Ave. (NGE), and one photographed on April 25 at the Pine River estuary in Crooks Twp. (SB). Overwintered specimens were reported until the end of May: on May 18 a very worn individual was seen on the railtrail 2 km S of Dutch Line, Haliburton (EP), and another on the Mizzy Lake Trail, Algonquin P.P., Nipissing (LF). Also in Algonquin P.P., Nipissing, a worn one was seen on the East Side Butterfly Count on May 30 (CM, JBre, EA) and another on the Old Airfield on June 3 (KeM). The first individuals of the next generation were reported on July 9, two photographed on Middletown Rd., 3.8 km SW of Westover, Hamilton-Wentworth (BVR) and one seen at Eglinton Flats, Metro Toronto (RJY). On July 10 one was observed taking salts from roadside gravel at Stony Swamp, 1.4 km S of Bells Corners, Ottawa (LJ). Unusually, most second-generation reports were of single specimens only; the only good count being ten seen at Achray, Algonquin P.P., Nipissing on August 8 (RS, RaD). It seemed that the latest report would be on August 17, one photographed at the Hilton Falls Complex, 2.5 km NE of Campbellville, Halton (BVR). But then came two very late ones, on November 8, both from Algonquin P.P., Nipissing: one at the Jake Lake tower (DCT, LT) and another at the Algonquin Visitor Centre tilebed (CDJ).
Nymphalis antiopa MOURNING CLOAK
In 2009 - 343 records. On March 13 the first butterfly of the year, a Mourning Cloak, was seen flying over the Crawley Line, Peterborough (JB). This was soon followed by two seen at Bellamy Ravine, Scarborough, Metro Toronto on March 15 (BH), one photographed at Lambton Prairie, Metro Toronto on March 17 (RJY) and one seen at Dewey’s, on Elmbrook Rd., 2.8 km E of Elmbrook, Prince Edward on March 18 (JD). In downtown Ottawa, at Kent St. and Laurier Ave. on April 14, MOl saw two fluttering around a north-facing 10th-floor office window, and on June 5 RAL saw four at Westmeath P.P., Renfrew, of which two were circling very high above the tops of large red pines. There were 32 reports from Algonquin P.P., Nipissing, rangeing in date from April 15, one seen at the Algonquin Visitor Centre (MMcM) to October 8, one seen at the Lake Travers marsh (JP, TRS). The overwintered generation had some good numbers reported: at least 15 on April 5 on the Lingham Lake Rd. at Black River, Hastings (EP) and at least 20 on April 16 at Nortel Woods, Ottawa (CH). It flew until at least mid-June, overlapping with the first of the summer generation: on June 10 RJY saw ten, mostly fresh at High Park, Metro Toronto, and on June 13 two were seen, one very worn, on Middletown Rd., 3.8 km SW of Westover, Hamilton-Wentworth (BVR) and a very fresh one was seen on the N end of Perron Rd., Larose Forest, Prescott-Russell (CL, BBr, MTa). The summer generation had very few good counts, the best being 20 seen on June 23 by the transformer station at Marathon, Thunder Bay (NGE) and 14 seen, mostly around puddles, on June 11 on Lighthall Rd., 5.3 km NE of Point Petre, Prince Edward (DBr). With no gap in the reports, and fresh specimens reported from June to October, it is impossible to say when the overwintering generation start to fly. But at High Park, Metro Toronto, a fresh one on October 10 and a “not fresh” one on October 27 were definitely a part of it, as was the latest record, a fresh specimen seen on November 8 at Hwy 17 and Agnew Lake Rd., near Webbwood, Sudbury (MRa, ABe, AdBe).
Aglais milberti MILBERT’S TORTOISESHELL
In 2009 - 85 records. The first report was very early, one seen on March 28, 1 km S of Millbrook, Peterborough (JSk), and the first northern report was equally early, one seen on April 19 at 650 Alice Ave., Thunder Bay (NGE). The last of the overwintered generation was reported on May 23, one seen at the
52 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
Whitefish Lake millsite in Algonquin P.P., Haliburton (TCa). There was almost a month with no records and then the summer generation started on June 17, one seen in a roadside ditch on Jock Trail Rd., 3 km E of Dwyer Hill, Ottawa (LJ) and another on the railtrail between the Blezard and Cameron Lines, NE of Villiers, Peterborough (JB). On August 1 JB saw six in the same place, the highest count of the year. There were no other periods without records, but fresh and worn individuals flying together in late July, August and September indicate at least three generations, and possibly four. The last two reports were of singles seen on October 10 at the Visitor Centre, Charleston Lake P.P., Leeds-Grenville (CPR) and on November 12 on a farm lane at 488 Main St, Bloomfield, Prince Edward (HHe). The highest daily count was three, on three different dates.
Vanessa virginiensis AMERICAN LADY
In 2009 - 46 records. Another very poor year for migrants, although they all started off very early. Single specimens of this species, migrants, were first seen on April 25 at the Toronto Islands, Metro Toronto (AA) and on April 29 at the Group Camp, Presqu’ile P.P., Northumberland (KAn), and at Eastpoint Park, Scarborough, Metro Toronto (BH). There were six June records from Peterborough (JB), but the first definite mention of non-immigrants was not until July 6, one fresh one seen at High Park, Metro Toronto (RJY). They were reported in only ones and twos until late September, when RJY twice reported seeing three, at High Park on September 14 and 23. The last report was of one seen on October 20 at Presqu’ile P.P., Northumberland (KAn).
Vanessa cardui PAINTED LADY
In 2009 - 26 records. One faded specimen seen late in the day, at 6.45 pm on April 24 at Port Elgin, Bruce (TRa, MRa) was the earliest record. On June 10 RJY photographed two specimens, one fresh and one tattered, at High Park, Metro Toronto, and BH saw another fresh one at Bellamy Ravine, Scarborough, Metro Toronto, showing the beginning of the next generation overlapping with the last of the migrants, and there were two other June records. But there were no records in the south between June 16 and July 30, when JB saw one on the railtrail between the Blezard and Cameron Lines, NE of Villiers, Peterborough; was the weather really that bad? The only record in that period was on July 6, one seen at Longridge Point on the coast of James Bay, 58 km N of Moosonee, Cochrane (CDJ), a remarkable record. Numbers everywhere were very low, and only ones and twos, often “fresh”, were seen until late October, when the population seems to have peaked: RJY counted four on October 19 and ten on October 22, at High Park.
Vanessa atalanta RED ADMIRAL
In 2009 - 59 records. Early reports were on April 15 in a wooded area on the Rideau Trail in the City of Kingston, Frontenac (MCS), April 29 at Rouge Park, Scarborough, Metro Toronto (LS) and May 3 at Presqu’ile P.P., Northumberland (IS, BG). There were records of singles from May to July, but no comments of “fresh” were made until July 30, a single specimen seen on the railtrail between the David Fife and Base Lines, NE of Keene, Peterborough (JB). The next fresh one, reported by DBr on September 16 at Point Petre, Prince Edward would have been of the third generation. The only counts higher than two were from RJY in Metro Toronto: 19 on August 12 at the Centre Island flowerbeds, 33 on September 24 at Toronto Islands with another 19 along the waterfront between there and High Park, and 26 on October 10 in High Park, at ornamentals, mostly Buddleia. The latest record was one photographed on November 22 at the Leslie St. Spit, Metro Toronto (BS), equalling the latest date for any species.
53 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
Junonia coenia COMMON BUCKEYE
In 2008 - On September 25, one was seen in Bluffers Park, Scarborough, Metro Toronto (WF).
In 2009 - Six records. Two worn specimens seen at the S end of the West Beach Trail at Point Pelee N.P., Essex on July 19 were the (very late) first records (BAM). The other reports were all singles: on August 2 at the McKellar Tract, 11 km E of Bickford, Lambton (BAM); on August 3 at the Baselands of the Leslie St. Spit, Metro Toronto (AA); on August 4 a tattered individual photographed on the West Beach S of the Visitor Centre, Point Pelee N.P., Essex (RJY); and the latest, on August 14, another worn one seen at the S end of the West Beach Trail at Point Pelee N.P., Essex (BAM).
Limenitis arthemis arthemis WHITE ADMIRAL
In 2009 - 230 records. The earliest record was one seen on June 13 at 220 McCurdy Dr., Kanata, Ottawa (KA). On June 16 a total of eight were counted at two localities in Larose Forest, Prescott-Russell (CH), and two were observed on Sandy Lake Rd., Twin Lakes, Peterborough (JB). Records were continuous until mid-August, but numbers were very low; only JB’s count of 17 on June 23 on Hubble Rd., 12 km N of Havelock, Peterborough and RJY’s count of 30 on June 22, on Wylie and Alvar Rds., Carden Plain, Kawartha Lakes reached anything like normal numbers. There were 22 reports from Algonquin P.P., Nipissing, ranging in date from June 19 at Odenback (APP) to August 16 on the East Side hydrocut (EH). In the north the dates ranged from June 26, two seen at Finmark, Thunder Bay to August 7, one seen at 650 Alice Ave., Thunder Bay (NGE). In the south the last records were all singles, seen on the railtrail between the David Fife and Settlers Lines, NE of Keene, Peterborough on August 27 and September 1 (JB) and in the Larose Forest, N of Rd. 25, Prescott-Russell on September 6 (CH).
Limenitis arthemis astyanax RED-SPOTTED PURPLE
In 2009 - 15 records. Our first records this year were on June 4 at Rouge Park, Scarborough, Metro Toronto (LS), and on June 9 at the Grand River at Hardy Rd., Brantford, Brant (CDJ). These were followed by two on June 13, singles observed at both the Reach Marsh on Con. 8 near Port Perry, Durham (AA) and on Middletown Rd., 3.8 km SW of Westover, Hamilton-Wentworth (BVR). The highest count was four, seen on July 5 at Valens C.A., Hamilton-Wentworth (BVR). There were three reports from Bruce, a little further north than usual, including the second latest, on August 24 in a backyard in Port Elgin (MRa), and RJY had one from even further north, a very large, worn individual seen on August 16 at Misery Bay P.P., Manitoulin. The last record was on August 27, one seen on Buddleia at Centre Island, Metro Toronto (BH).
Limenitis archippus VICEROY
In 2009 - 227 records. The earliest reports were of overwintered larvae, two on May 1 at Listowel, Perth and three on May 24 at the New Park area of MacGregor Point P.P., Bruce (GR, TRa, MRa). The first adults were singles seen on May 30 at the Lyndsey Trail clearing on Opinicon Rd. near Chaffeys Locks, Frontenac (PH, JSk), and at Rouge Park, Scarborough, Metro Toronto (BH). An unusual specimen was observed on July 8, on Moodie Dr., 5 km S of Bells Corners, Ottawa: it had faint, incomplete markings and a pale colour (LJ). There were only two northern records, one very fresh specimen seen on July 7 at the mouth of the Moose River, 17 km NE of Moosonee, Cochrane, and one seen on July 9 on the Partridge River, 54 km SSE of Moosonee, Cochrane (CDJ, DAS). There were no gaps in the records, but there were several reports of worn butterflies in the first week of July, and on July 11 JB saw two, one worn and one
54 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______fresh on the railtrail between the Blezard and Cameron Lines, NE of Villiers, Peterborough, showing the overlapping of the two generations. Very fresh specimens of the second generation were reported on July 26 at Nortel Woods, Ottawa (CH) and on August 3 at Stony Swamp, 1.4 km S of Bells Corners, Ottawa, nectaring on Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron strigosus) (LJ). Still in August, LJ also reported nectaring on Common Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) and on Joe-Pye-Weed (Eupatorium maculatum), and RAL reported one feeding on dog poop! The highest count was on September 8: RJY counted 27, both fresh and worn, on the Leslie St. Spit, Metro Toronto; the fresh ones must be a partial third generation. The latest records were two on September 29 on the Millenium Trail, W of Wesley Acres Rd., near Bloomfield, Prince Edward (HHe) and two on October 20 at Prince Edward Point, Prince Edward (BER).
Asterocampa celtis HACKBERRY EMPEROR
In 2009 - 8 records. Singles were recorded on both the Skunk’s Misery and Rondeau butterfly counts on July 5 and 12, respectively (see the summary of butterfly counts on page 15). The most unusual record was a specimen caught by hand by a seven-year-old girl, in the parking lot of a Real Canadian Superstore at 4270 Innes Rd., Orleans, Ottawa (ChR), in a very built-up area about 5 km S of Petrie Island, the only Ottawa location for the species. Fortunately her father recognised, mounted and photographed it. One was recorded on July 31 on Petrie Island, Ottawa, in the usual place on the Bill Holland Trail (PH) and on August 1 a worn, faded specimen was caught, photographed and released in the Petrie Island parking lot, about 1 km further east (CL, GM). At Point Pelee, Essex, three were seen on July 31(RJY) and a worn specimen was spotted on the West Beach Trail on August 3 (BAM). Finally, during the Point Pelee butterfly count on August 9 a total of two were tallied (see the summary of butterfly counts on page 15).
Asterocampa clyton TAWNY EMPEROR
In 2009 - 13 records. A single individual was reported during the Long Point butterfly count on July 4 and an amazing total of 181 were reported from the Skunk’s Misery count on July 5. The only other butterfly counts to report this species were the Clear Creek count (two) on July 11 and the Point Pelee count (four) on August 9 (see the summary of butterfly counts on page 15). On July 30 six were seen and photographed on the talus below the point at Rattlesnake Point C.A., Halton (BVR). Also at the same place, they were recorded on August 6 and 7, and one was taken for photography in a feeding trap for emperors on September 1, the latest report (BVR, KVS). On July 31 a very fresh specimen was seen at Point Pelee, Essex (RJY). On August 10, three were seen on Whistle Bare Rd., 2 km E of Galt, Waterloo and two on the railtrail 3.6 km W of Branchton, Waterloo (MLa, RB, LLa), and on August 14 one was observed at MacKay Creek & Hwy 3, NE of Eagle, Elgin (MLa, RB).
Lethe anthedon NORTHERN PEARLY-EYE
In 2009 - 192 records. The first reports were on June 22, when four were seen on Timm Dr., W of Bells Corners, Ottawa (KA, DA) and on June 27, when one was seen on Con. 8 in the Larose Forest, Prescott- Russell (DLe). There were three northern reports: one caught and released on July 11 in mixed forest on the Farrabout Peninsula, Eagle Lake, 25 km W of Dryden, Kenora (SB); four seen on July 18 in a sandy pine forest at Espanola, Sudbury (TRa, MRa); and one caught and released on July 28 on a old logging road in mixed forest on the Pine River floodplain, at the TBFN Pine Bay Nature Reserve, Thunder Bay (SB). There were many reports of good numbers, with the highest counts on July 5, when 35 were counted at Valens C.A., Hamilton-Wentworth (BVR) and on July 28, when 38 were seen at Otter Lake, Frontenac (BER, ABR). The latest records were singles seen on the Sarsaparilla Trail, S of Bells Corners, Ottawa on August
55 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
15 (GM), and on the railtrail between the Cameron Line and Hwy 38, WSW of Westwood, Peterborough, on August 22 and 25 (JB).
Lethe eurydice EYED BROWN
In 2009 - 128 records. The season started early, with three reports from BVR: on June 2, one seen at the Kelso/Glen Eden C.A., Halton; on June 12, four at Sixteen Mile Creek at Sideroad 2, Halton; and on June 13, 15 on Middletown Rd., 3.8 km SW of Westover, Hamilton-Wentworth. There were two reports from Algonquin P.P., Nipissing: on July 8 during the Hwy 60 Butterfly Count when a total of 25 were tallied (m.obs.), and on July 14 at the bog W of Kearney Lake (JP), and three from the north, on July 4 in a sandy pine forest at Espanola, Sudbury (MRa, CBe), on July 21 at Blue Jay Creek, Manitoulin Island and on July 22 at an alvar at Misery Bay, Manitoulin Island, Manitoulin (CDJ, SRB). Again, many reports of good numbers, with BVR’s count of 51, on July 5 at Valens C.A., Hamilton-Wentworth the highest; these last two species seem to have been unaffected by whatever malaise reduced the numbers of almost all other species. The latest reports were on August 11, one seen on the Big Island Causeway, Prince Edward (JD), on August 12, one on County Rd. 46 N of Twin Lakes, Peterborough (JB, TB) and one on August 14, one on the South Point Trail at Rondeau P.P., Kent (MLa, RB).
Lethe appalachia APPALACHIAN BROWN
In 2009 - 33 records. The earliest reports were of two on June 14 in woods near a stream in the New Park area of MacGregor Point P.P., Bruce (MRa) and one on June 28 on the Murphy Side Rd. extension N of Carp, Ottawa (CH). On July 9 five males were observed battling for possession of sunlit perches on a short length of very densely shaded cedar bush, in a swampy area on the Lowe Rd. extension, 5 km S of Manion Corners, Ottawa (RAL), and on July 24 JK saw five in a deciduous swamp on the S side of Tiny Marsh, Simcoe; these were the highest counts. There were three August reports: one seen on August 1 at the Perth Wildlife Reserve, Lanark (DLe), one on August 8 at Rouge Park, Scarborough, Metro Toronto (BH) and two on August 9 on a wet walking trail at Warden’s Woods, Sauble Beach, Bruce (TRa, MRa GR).
Megisto cymela LITTLE WOOD SATYR
In 2009 - 152 records. First reported on May 30: one on the railtrail bridge/trestle over the Drag River near Gelert, Haliburton (EP), another on the Alderville First Nations Reserve, Northumberland (RJY, AA), and five at Rouge Park, Scarborough, Metro Toronto (BH). There were eight reports from Algonquin P.P. and just four from the north: on July 4 four were seen at Webbwood and 20 at Espanola, Sudbury (MRa, CBe), on July 21 at Michael’s Bay, Manitoulin Island, and on July 22 at Misery Bay, Manitoulin Island, Manitoulin (CDJ, SRB). There were quite a few good counts, but RJY had by far the highest, estimated at about 500, on June 13 at Scotsdale Farm, W of Silver Creek CA, Halton. On August 3, at the Spring Garden ANSI at Windsor, Essex, RJY photographed one which was only slightly worn, surprising given the very late date. The latest reports were of five seen on August 5 on Ritchie Rd., 1 km NE of Wilmer, Frontenac (MLa, RB) and one on August 10 on Whistle Bare Rd., 2 km W of Galt, Waterloo (MLa, RB, LLa).
56 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
Coenonympha tullia COMMON RINGLET
In 2009 - 264 records. First seen on the Victoria Day weekend, a bit earlier than usual: on May 23 at St. Williams Forestry Station, Norfolk (RJY), on May 24 in the New Park area of MacGregor Point P.P., Bruce (TRa, GR) and on May 25 at Rouge Park, Scarborough, Metro Toronto (BH) and at Sandbanks P.P., Prince Edward (JD). In the north, eight were seen on July 3 at Jellicoe and one on July 4 at Klotz Lake, Thunder Bay (NGE), while at Webbwood, Sudbury, MRa saw one on July 4 and six on July 5. On July 6 one was reported at Longridge Point, 58 km NE of Moosonee, Cochrane, and on July 8 one at North Bluff Point, 25 km NE of Moosonee, Cochrane, and another in a Tamarack fen, two km inland from there (CDJ, DAS). The latest northern record was on July 22 at Misery Bay, Manitoulin Island, Manitoulin (CDJ). Reports were scarce from mid-July to mid-August; a worn specimen seen on July 15 by RAL at the Clay Bank Alvar, SW of Arnprior, Renfrew, must have been a late member of the first generation. Regular reports started again on August 11, with reports from two locations at St. Williams Forestry Station, Norfolk, seven specimens in all (MLa, EB, PCa), one seen on the railtrail between the Blezard and Cameron Lines, NE of Villiers, Peterborough (JB) and another on an alvar at Stony Swamp, S of Bells Corners, Ottawa (LJ); these must have been second generation. LJ, reporting again from S of Bells Corners, Ottawa, reported nectaring on a small-flowered pale purple aster on September 1 and on Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota) on September 4. Good numbers were reported for both generations; the highest number in a day was estimated at 75, on June 22 on Wylie and Alvar Rds., Carden Plain, Kawartha Lakes (RJY). The last reports were on September 21, singles on the railtrail between the Blezard and Villiers Lines, NE of Villiers, Peterborough (JB) and on Moodie Dr., 3 km S of Bells Corners (LJ).
Cercyonis pegala COMMON WOOD-NYMPH
In 2009 - 191 records. The first two reports were during butterfly counts when four were reported on the Pinery count on June 27 and five were reported on the Oshawa count on June 28 (see the summary of butterfly counts on page 15). There were three other reports on June 28; it must have been one of those rare sunny days! Singles were seen near Sauble Beach and in the Red Bay area, Bruce (TRa, MRa), and eight were counted on the Trans-Canada Trail at Bridlewood, Kanata, Ottawa (MOl). There was only one report from Algonquin P.P., Nipissing, one seen at Kearney Lake on July 25 (MLH), and two from the north: one seen on August 9 at 650 Alice Ave., Thunder Bay (NGE) and an estimate of 80 on August 15 at Goose Cap Cr., Barrie Island, Manitoulin (RJY), the highest daily count anywhere. At Stony Swamp, 1.4 km S of Bells Corners, Ottawa, LJ observed two nectaring on Wild Marjoram (Origanum vulgare) on July 28 and a mating pair, very close to the ground, on July 31. On August 25 RAL reported two worn females in an unusual patch of Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) which was still in bloom on this late date, on Co. Rd. 512 near Foymount, Renfrew, and on August 27 another in a wet meadow on Stonecrest Rd., 3.7 km W of Woodlawn, Ottawa. The last record was one seen on August 31, at a woodland edge at Prince Edward Point, Prince Edward (BER).
Oeneis chryxus CHRYXUS ARCTIC
In 2009 - 16 records. The earliest reports were on May 18: three seen near Webbwood, Sudbury (TRa, MRa) and two at the Old Airfield, Algonquin P.P., Nipissing (LF). On May 20 at Sandy Lake Rd., Twin Lakes, Peterborough 13 were counted (JB, TB) and on May 21 another was seen near Webbwood (TRa, MRa). At the Old Airfield, Algonquin P.P., Nipissing, on May 22 two parties reported a total of 12 specimens (CDJ, PSB, LuF, JP), and on June 3 KeM reported at least seven; this was the latest date in the south. On a bare granite barren on the Carp Ridge, 2.5 km N of Carp Rd., Ottawa, more than 15 were
57 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______counted on May 23 (RAL, CH), and singles were seen on May 24 (MLa) and May 26 (CH). On May 24 RJY counted 19 on Sandy Lake Rd., Twin Lakes, Peterborough, and on May 30 EP observed one by the railtrail bridge/trestle over the Drag River near Gelert, Haliburton. The latest date was also the highest number: at least 77 were counted on June 23 behind the transformer station at Marathon, Thunder Bay (NGE).
Oeneis jutta JUTTA ARCTIC
In 2009 – Only one record – two were recorded during the Manitoulin Island butterfly count on June 23 (see the summary of butterfly counts on page 15).
Danaus plexippus MONARCH
In 2009 - 371 records. The earliest reports were of singles seen off West Beach, Point Pelee N.P., Essex on April 26 (BHo) and April 27 (HTO). Then, after a three-week gap, came reports from Mersea Rd. 12, N of Point Pelee on May 17 (RJY) and West Beach on May 19 (PH). These were obviously the beginning of a large migration, which was tracked nicely as it progressed north and east: on May 21 at High Park, Metro Toronto (RJY) and Presqu’ile P.P., Northumberland (IS); on May 23 at the Carden Alvar, Kawartha Lakes (PH, JBox, EP); on May 24 in the New Park area of MacGregor Point P.P., Bruce (GR, TRa); and on May 25 on Fallowfield Rd., S of Bells Corners, Ottawa (LJ). On May 22 at Sylvan Park, Scarborough, Metro Toronto, BH saw a female attracted to Black Swallow-wort (Cynanchum louiseae); this is unfortunate because larvae do not survive on this plant. HHe commented that one seen near Bloomfield, Prince Edward, on June 4 was very worn, while another seen there on June 11 was fresh; the first could well have made the whole trip from Mexico, while the second probably originated in the central US. No adults were seen in the north until July 1 and 4 at Webbwood, Sudbury (TRa, MRa), but we know that they were there much earlier because NGE found four eggs on June 24, on milkweed at Kama Hill, E of Nipigon, Thunder Bay. On August 4 two were observed taking salts from sandy roadside gravel, on Steeple Hill Cr., 7 km S of Bells Corners, Ottawa (LJ), something rarely observed for this species. The earliest good count was on July 8, 41 counted at Presqu’ile P.P., Northumberland (PPP), but there were no other high counts until July 31, when 35 were observed flying north along West Beach, S of the Visitor Centre, Point Pelee N.P., Essex (RJY), likely new immigrants. The next day, he counted 133 in the SW sector of Pelee Island, Essex, and on August 25, 219 at Toronto Islands, Metro Toronto, the highest count of all. There were none of the usual reports of multi-thousands roosting or flying south in the fall. Instead, with the exception of about 50 seen on October 8 at the first Day Use area, Presqu’ile P.P., Northumberland (KAn), numbers gradually fell to ones and twos. The latest records were all beside Lake Ontario: one on October 25 on the beach at Prince Edward Point, Prince Edward (BER); two on October 27, one alive and one freshly dead, on the beach at Cobourg, Northumberland, (KA); and one on November 3 flying westward at Eastpoint Park, Scarborough, Metro Toronto (BH).
58 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
CHECKLIST OF ONTARIO BUTTERFLIES AND SKIPPERS
by Colin D. Jones
Superfamily: HESPERIOIDEA Latreille Family: HESPERIIDAE Latreille SKIPPERS Subfamily: Pyrginae Burmeister PYRGINE SKIPPERS
___ Epargyreus clarus (Cramer) SILVER-SPOTTED SKIPPER a) clarus ___ Urbanus proteus (Linnaeus) LONG-TAILED SKIPPER ___ Achalarus lyciades (Geyer) HOARY EDGE ___ Thorybes bathyllus (J.E. Smith) SOUTHERN CLOUDYWING ___ Thorybes pylades (Scudder) NORTHERN CLOUDYWING a) pylades ___ Staphylus hayhurstii (W.H. Edwards) HAYHURST'S SCALLOPWING ___ Erynnis icelus (Scudder & Burgess) DREAMY DUSKYWING ___ Erynnis brizo (Boisduval & Leconte) SLEEPY DUSKYWING a) brizo ___ Erynnis juvenalis (Fabricius) JUVENAL'S DUSKYWING a) juvenalis ___ Erynnis horatius (Scudder & Burgess) HORACE'S DUSKYWING ___ Erynnis martialis (Scudder) MOTTLED DUSKYWING ___ Erynnis zarucco (Lucas) ZARUCCO DUSKYWING ___ Erynnis funeralis (Scudder & Burgess) FUNEREAL DUSKYWING ___ Erynnis lucilius (Scudder & Burgess) COLUMBINE DUSKYWING ___ Erynnis baptisiae (Forbes) WILD INDIGO DUSKYWING ___ Erynnis persius (Scudder) PERSIUS DUSKYWING a) persius b) borealis (Cary) ___ Pyrgus centaureae (Rambur) GRIZZLED SKIPPER a) freija (Warren) ___ Pyrgus communis (Grote) COMMON CHECKERED SKIPPER ___ Pholisora catullus (Fabricius) COMMON SOOTYWING
Subfamily Heteropterinae Aurivillius INTERMEDIATE SKIPPERS
___ Carterocephalus palaemon (Pallas) ARCTIC SKIPPER a) mandan (W.H. Edwards)
Subfamily Hesperiinae Latreille BRANDED SKIPPERS
___ Lerema accius (J.E. Smith) CLOUDED SKIPPER ___ Ancyloxypha numitor (Fabricius) LEAST SKIPPER ___ Oarisma garita (Reakirt) GARITA SKIPPERLING ___ Thymelicus lineola (Ochsenheimer) EUROPEAN SKIPPER ___ Hylephila phyleus (Drury) FIERY SKIPPER a) phyleus ___ Hesperia comma (Linnaeus) COMMON BRANDED SKIPPER a) manitoba (Scudder) b) borealis Lindsey c) laurentina (Lyman) ___ Hesperia leonardus Harris LEONARD'S SKIPPER a) leonardus ___ Hesperia sassacus Harris INDIAN SKIPPER ___ Polites peckius (W. Kirby) PECK'S SKIPPER ___ Polites themistocles (Latreille) TAWNY-EDGED SKIPPER ___ Polites origenes (Fabricius) CROSSLINE SKIPPER a) origenes ___Polites mystic (W.H. Edwards) LONG DASH SKIPPER
59 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
___ Polites vibex (Geyer) WHIRLABOUT a) vibex ___ Wallengrenia egeremet (Scudder) NORTHERN BROKEN-DASH ___ Pompeius verna (W.H. Edwards) LITTLE GLASSYWING ___ Atalopedes campestris (Boisduval) SACHEM ___ Anatrytone logan (W.H. Edwards) DELAWARE SKIPPER a) logan ___ Poanes massasoit (Scudder) MULBERRY WING a) massasoit ___ Poanes hobomok (Harris) HOBOMOK SKIPPER = form “pocahontas” (Scudder) ___ Poanes zabulon (Boisduval and Leconte) ZABULON SKIPPER ___ Poanes viator (W.H. Edwards) BROAD-WINGED SKIPPER a) viator ___ Euphyes dion (W.H. Edwards) DION SKIPPER a) dion ___ Euphyes dukesi (Lindsey) DUKES' SKIPPER ___ Euphyes conspicua (W.H. Edwards) BLACK DASH a) conspicua ___ Euphyes bimacula (Grote & Robinson) TWO-SPOTTED SKIPPER a) bimacula ___ Euphyes vestris (Boisduval) DUN SKIPPER a) metacomet (Harris) ___ Atrytonopsis hianna (Scudder) DUSTED SKIPPER a) hianna ___ Amblyscirtes hegon (Scudder) PEPPER AND SALT SKIPPER ___ Amblyscirtes vialis (W.H. Edwards) COMMON ROADSIDE SKIPPER ___ Calpodes ethlius (Stoll) BRAZILIAN SKIPPER ___ Panoquina ocola (W.H. Edwards) OCOLA SKIPPER
Superfamily PAPILIONOIDEA Latreille Family PAPILIONIDAE Latreille Subfamily Papilioninae Latreille SWALLOWTAILS ___ Battus philenor (Linnaeus) PIPEVINE SWALLOWTAIL a) philenor ___ Eurytides marcellus (Cramer) ZEBRA SWALLOWTAIL ___ Papilio polyxenes Fabricius BLACK SWALLOWTAIL a) asterias Stoll ___ Papilio machaon Linnaeus OLD WORLD SWALLOWTAIL a) hudsonianus A.H. Clark ___ Papilio cresphontes Cramer GIANT SWALLOWTAIL ___ Papilio glaucus Linnaeus EASTERN TIGER SWALLOWTAIL a) glaucus ___ Papilio canadensis Rothschild & Jordan CANADIAN TIGER SWALLOWTAIL ___ Papilio troilus Linnaeus SPICEBUSH SWALLOWTAIL a) troilus
Family PIERIDAE Duponchel Subfamily Pierinae Duponchel WHITES AND MARBLES
___ Pontia protodice (Boisduval & Leconte) CHECKERED WHITE ___ Pontia occidentalis (Reakirt) WESTERN WHITE a) occidentalis ___ Pieris oleracea Harris MUSTARD WHITE a) oleracea ___ Pieris virginiensis W.H. Edwards WEST VIRGINIA WHITE ___ Pieris rapae (Linnaeus) CABBAGE WHITE ___ Ascia monuste (Linnaeus) GREAT SOUTHERN WHITE ___ Euchloe ausonides Lucas LARGE MARBLE a) ausonides ___ Euchloe olympia (W.H. Edwards) OLYMPIA MARBLE
60 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
Subfamily Coliadinae Swainson SULPHURS
___ Colias philodice Godart CLOUDED SULPHUR a) philodice ___ Colias eurytheme Boisduval ORANGE SULPHUR ___ Colias gigantea Strecker GIANT SULPHUR a) gigantea ___ Colias pelidne Boisduval & Leconte PELIDNE SULPHUR a) pelidne ___ Colias interior Scudder PINK-EDGED SULPHUR ___ Colias palaeno (Linnaeus) PALAENO SULPHUR a) chippewa (W.H. Edwards) ___ Zerene cesonia (Stoll) SOUTHERN DOGFACE ___ Phoebis sennae (Linnaeus) CLOUDLESS SULPHUR a) eubule (Linnaeus) ___ Phoebis philea (Linnaeus) ORANGE-BARRED SULPHUR ___ Eurema mexicanum (Boisduval) MEXICAN YELLOW ___ Pyrisitia lisa (Boisduval & Leconte) LITTLE YELLOW ___ Abaeis nicippe (Cramer) SLEEPY ORANGE ___ Nathalis iole (Boisduval) DAINTY SULPHUR
Family LYCAENIDAE Leach Subfamily Miletinae Corbet HARVESTERS
___ Feniseca tarquinius (Fabricius) THE HARVESTER
Subfamily Lycaeninae Leach COPPERS
___ Lycaena phlaeas (Linnaeus) AMERICAN COPPER a) americana Harris ___ Lycaena dione (Scudder) GREY COPPER ___ Lycaena hyllus (Cramer) BRONZE COPPER ___ Lycaena epixanthe (Boisduval & Leconte) BOG COPPER a) michiganensis Rawson ___ Lycaena dorcas W. Kirby DORCAS COPPER a) dorcas ___ Lycaena helloides (Boisduval) PURPLISH COPPER
Subfamily Theclinae Swainson HAIRSTREAKS
___ Satyrium acadica (W.H. Edwards) ACADIAN HAIRSTREAK a) acadica ___ Satyrium titus (Fabricius) CORAL HAIRSTREAK a) titus ___ Satyrium edwardsii (Grote & Robinson) EDWARDS’ HAIRSTREAK ___ Satyrium calanus (Hübner) BANDED HAIRSTREAK a) falacer (Godart) ___ Satyrium caryaevora (McDunnough) HICKORY HAIRSTREAK ___ Satyrium liparops (Leconte) STRIPED HAIRSTREAK a) strigosum (Harris) b) fletcheri (Michener & dos Passos) ___ Satyrium favonius (J.E. Smith) SOUTHERN HAIRSTREAK a) ontario (W.H. Edwards) ___ Callophrys gryneus (Hübner) JUNIPER HAIRSTREAK a) gryneus ___ Callophrys augustinus (Westwood) BROWN ELFIN a) augustinus ___ Callophrys polios (Cook & Watson) HOARY ELFIN a) polios ___ Callophrys irus (Godart) FROSTED ELFIN a) irus ___ Callophrys henrici (Grote & Robinson) HENRY’S ELFIN a) henrici
61 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
___ Callophrys lanoraieensis (Sheppard) BOG ELFIN ___ Callophrys niphon (Hübner) EASTERN PINE ELFIN a) clarki (T.N. Freeman) ___ Callophrys eryphon (Boisduval) WESTERN PINE ELFIN b) eryphon ___ Parrhasius m-album (Boisduval & Leconte) WHITE-M HAIRSTREAK ___ Strymon melinus Hübner GREY HAIRSTREAK a) melinus b) franki Field ___ Erora laeta (W.H. Edwards) EARLY HAIRSTREAK
Subfamily Polyommatinae Swainson BLUES
___ Leptotes marina (Reakirt) MARINE BLUE ___ Cupido comyntas (Godart) EASTERN TAILED BLUE a) comyntas ___ Cupido amyntula (Boisduval) WESTERN TAILED BLUE a) albrighti Clench ___ Celastrina lucia (W. Kirby) SPRING AZURE ___ Celastrina neglecta (W.H. Edwards) SUMMER AZURE a) neglecta ___ Celastrina serotina Pavulaan and Wright CHERRY GALL AZURE ___ Glaucopsyche lygdamus (Doubleday) SILVERY BLUE a) couperi Grote ___ Plebejus idas (Linnaeus) NORTHERN BLUE a) scudderi (W.H. Edwards) ___ Plebejus melissa (W.H. Edwards) MELISSA (KARNER) BLUE a) samuelis Nabokov ___ Plebejus saepiolus (Boisduval) GREENISH BLUE a) amica (W.H. Edwards) ___ Plebejus glandon (de Prunner) ARCTIC BLUE d) franklinii (Curtis)
Family NYMPHALIDAE Swainson Subfamily Libyteinae Boisduval SNOUTS
___ Libytheana carienta (Cramer) AMERICAN SNOUT a) bachmanii (Kirtland)
Subfamily Argynninae Blanchard FRITILLARIES
___ Euptoieta claudia (Cramer) VARIEGATED FRITILLARY ___ Speyeria cybele (Fabricius) GREAT SPANGLED FRITILLARY a) cybele b) krautwurmi (Holland) ___ Speyeria aphrodite (Fabricius) APHRODITE FRITILLARY a) aphrodite b) alcestis (W.H. Edwards) ___ Speyeria idalia (Drury) REGAL FRITILLARY ___ Speyeria atlantis (W.H. Edwards) ATLANTIS FRITILLARY a) atlantis (W.H. Edwards) b) canadensis (dos Passos) ___ Boloria eunomia (Esper) BOG FRITILLARY a) triclaris (Hübner) b) dawsoni (Barnes & McDunnough) ___ Boloria selene [Denis & Schiffermuller] SILVER-BORDERED FRITILLARY a) atrocostalis (Huard)
62 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
___ Boloria bellona (Fabricius) MEADOW FRITILLARY a) bellona b) toddi (Holland) ___ Boloria frigga (Thunberg) SAGA FRITILLARY a) saga (Staudinger) ___ Boloria freija (Thunberg) FREIJA FRITILLARY a) freija ___ Boloria chariclea (Schneider) ARCTIC FRITILLARY a) arctica (Zetterstedt) b) grandis (Barnes & McDunnough)
Subfamily Melitaeinae Grote CHECKERSPOTS AND CRESCENTS
___ Chlosyne gorgone (Hübner) GORGONE CHECKERSPOT a) carlota (Reakirt) ___ Chlosyne nycteis (Doubleday) SILVERY CHECKERSPOT a) nycteis ___ Chlosyne harrisii (Scudder) HARRIS’S CHECKERSPOT a) harrisii ___ Phyciodes tharos (Drury) PEARL CRESCENT a) tharos ___ Phyciodes cocyta (Cramer) NORTHERN CRESCENT ___ Phyciodes batesii (Reakirt) TAWNY CRESCENT a) batesii ___ Euphydryas phaeton (Drury) BALTIMORE CHECKERSPOT a) phaeton
Subfamily Nymphalinae Swainson ANGLEWINGS, TORTOISESHELLS, THISTLE BUTTERFLIES AND PEACOCKS
___ Polygonia interrogationis (Fabricius) QUESTION MARK = form “umbrosa” (Lintner) ___ Polygonia comma (Harris) EASTERN COMMA ___ Polygonia satyrus (W.H. Edwards) SATYR COMMA ___ Polygonia faunus (W.H. Edwards) GREEN COMMA a) faunus ___ Polygonia gracilis (Grote & Robinson) HOARY COMMA a) gracilis ___ Polygonia progne (Cramer) GREY COMMA ___ Nymphalis l-album (Esper) COMPTON TORTOISESHELL ___ Nymphalis antiopa (Linnaeus) MOURNING CLOAK ___ Aglais milberti (Godart) MILBERT’S TORTOISESHELL a) milberti ___ Vanessa virginiensis (Drury) AMERICAN LADY ___ Vanessa cardui (Linnaeus) PAINTED LADY ___ Vanessa atalanta (Linnaeus) RED ADMIRAL a) rubria (Fruhstorfer) ___ Junonia coenia (Hübner) COMMON BUCKEYE a) coenia
Subfamily Limenitidinae Behr ADMIRALS
___ Limenitis arthemis (Drury) a) arthemis (Drury) WHITE ADMIRAL b) astyanax (Fabricius) RED-SPOTTED PURPLE ___ Limenitis archippus (Cramer) VICEROY a) archippus
63 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
Subfamily Apaturinae Boisduval EMPERORS
___ Asterocampa celtis (Boisduval & Leconte) HACKBERRY EMPEROR a) celtis ___ Asterocampa clyton (Boisduval & Leconte) TAWNY EMPEROR a) clyton
Subfamily Satyrinae Boisduval SATYRS AND WOOD-NYMPHS
___ Lethe anthedon A. Clark NORTHERN PEARLY-EYE ___ Lethe eurydice (Linnaeus) EYED BROWN a) eurydice ___ Lethe appalachia (R.L. Chermock) APPALACHIAN BROWN a) leeuwi (Gatrelle & Arbogast) ___ Megisto cymela (Cramer) LITTLE WOOD-SATYR a) cymela ___ Coenonympha tullia (Müller) COMMON RINGLET a) inornata W.H. Edwards ___ Cercyonis pegala (Fabricius) COMMON WOOD-NYMPH a) nephele (W. Kirby) ___ Erebia mancinus Doubleday TAIGA ALPINE ___ Erebia discoidalis (W. Kirby) RED-DISKED ALPINE a) discoidalis ___ Oeneis macounii (W.H. Edwards) MACOUN’S ARCTIC ___ Oeneis chryxus (Doubleday & Hewitson) CHRYXUS ARCTIC a) strigulosa McDunnough b) calais (Scudder) ___ Oeneis jutta (Hübner) JUTTA ARCTIC b) ascerta Masters & Sorensen d) harperi F.H. Chermock ___ Oeneis melissa (Fabricius) MELISSA ARCTIC a) semplei Holland ___ Oeneis polixenes (Fabricius) POLIXENES ARCTIC a) beringianus Kurentzov
Subfamily Danainae Duponchel MILKWEED BUTTTERFLIES
___ Danaus plexippus (Linnaeus) MONARCH a) plexippus
64 Ontario Lepidoptera 2009______
PUBLICATIONS AVAILABLE FROM THE TEA
Books: reproductions of out-of-print books
The Odonata of Canada & Alaska (3 volumes) by E.M. Walker $185 Can ($170 for TEA members who pick it up); In USA: $160 US surface; $170 US airmail
The Cicindelidae of Canada (tiger beetles) by J.B. Wallis (1961) with colour plates $28 Can ($23 for TEA members who pick it up); In USA: $23 US surface: $26 US airmail
The North American Dragonflies of the Genus Aeshna by E.M. Walker (1921) with colour plates $115 Can ($105 for TEA members who pick it up); In USA: $100 US surface; $110 US airmail
The North American Dragonflies of the Genus Somatochlora by E.M.Walker (1925) $55 Can ($50 for TEA members who pick it up); In USA: $48 US surface: $52 US airmail
Books: T.E.A. publications
The Ontario Butterfly Atlas by A.M. Holmes, R.R. Tasker, Q.F.Hess, A.J.Hanks (1991) ISBN: 0921631111 $25 Can ($20 for TEA members who pick it up); In USA: $25 US
Ontario Insects – T.E.A. Newsjournal Back Issues: $5 Can each; In USA: $5 US; Subscription: $25 Can; In USA: $25 US
Annual Ontario Lepidoptera Summaries (1969-2007 are available as PDF downloads on the TEA website www.ontarioinsect.org). More recent issues are $15 Can each; In USA: $15 US surface; $20 US airmail (yearly issues free with T.E.A. membership)
Ontario Odonata (annual) This publication includes the year’s Odonata observations and several articles and notes on the Odonata of Ontario. Past issues have included articles on behaviour, distribution, regional checklists, conservation and illustrated keys. Volume 1 (1999) 16 articles plus summary. 153 pages. $25 Can; In USA/overseas: $25 US Volume 3 (2001) 18 articles plus summary. 208 pages. $25 Can; In USA/overseas: $25 US Volume 5 (2003) 6 articles plus summary. 145 pages. $20 Can; In USA/overseas: $25 US Volume 6 (2004) 6 articles plus summary. 202 pages. $25 Can; In USA/overseas: $25 US Volume 7 (2005) 6 articles plus summary. 226 pages. $25 Can; In USA/overseas: $25 US Volumes 2 and 4 are out-of-print but are available as PDF downloads on the TEA website (www.ontarioinsects.org)
Checklist of the Butterflies of the Toronto Region: 140 years of history (Third edition, 2007) Includes flight seasons. Compiled by Barry Harrison. $2.00 Can; In USA/overseas: $2.50 US
For complete details and to order contact: Chris Rickard, 28 Seventh St., Toronto, Ontario M8V 3B2; [email protected] Please make cheques or money orders payable to the Toronto Entomologists’ Association
65