The Daily Bucket is a place to catch your casual observations of the natural world and turn them into a valuable resource. Whether it's the first flowers of spring or that odd bug in your basement, don't be afraid to toss your thoughts into the bucket. Check here for a more complete description.
August 12-18,2012
Omaha, Nebraska
Backyard butterfly weekly list. Number indicates the number of days sighted. Names in bold represent new sightings for the year.
Butterflies:
Painted Lady(4)
Monarch(2)
Red Admiral(2)
Gray Hairstreak(1)
Black Swallowtail(1)
Skippers:
Sachem(4)
Fiery(3)
Tawny-edged(1)
Moths:
Snowberry Clearwing(1)
Last week promised to be a better week for observing butterflies, with cooler temperatures and a less busy schedule. The week was off to a promising start with five species of butterflies observed on Sunday. This includes a Black Swallowtail, which is the first I've seen in three weeks and only the sixth Swallowtail of any kind I've recorded all year. Saturday, however, was a disappointment, with clouds and sprinkles, and temperatures hovering in the mid sixties all day.
The new visitor in the yard last week was the Snowberry Clearwing(Hemaris diffinis, Above the fold and left), and it was good to see. Last year, by this time, I had already recorded seven Clearwing Sphinx Moths. This year, only two. Snowberry Clearwings can be distinguished from Hummingbird Clearwings(Hemaris thysbe) by their black legs and underside. Both are a challenge to photograph, as they seldom, if ever, stop moving.
Painted Lady(Vanessa cardui, below) was the most common butterfly of the week. One evening, there were at least three of them feeding at my Butterfly Bush. It was good to see them return, but I do miss my American Ladies.
Those are my butterfly observations for the past week. What are you seeing in your area?