Butterflies American
Photo Contest
NABA News and Notes
Free Trial Membership For Counters
NABA is offering free trial memberships to people who have not previously been NABA members, if they help NABA monitor butterflies by entering data into the Recent Sightings page and/or participate in the NABA Butterfly Count program. The free, trial membership includes access to digital versions of NABA publications as well as access to NABA-Chat and other NABA programs. So, invite your friends, family and neighbors to participate in Recent Sightings and/ or the Counts, helping to monitor and conserve butterflies throughout North America — they will be rewarded with a free, trial membership.
NABA’s Butterfly Gardening Guide
Butterfly Gardening: The North American Butterfly Association Guide, authored by Jane Hurwitz, editor of NABA’s Butterfly Gardener, has just been published by Princeton University Press.
New NABA Chapters
We are happy to report that there are now two new NABA chapters in Florida — NABA Tampa Bay —contact is Anita Camacho, anita@ ButterflyTampa.com; and NABA Emerald Coast— contact is Pam Murfey, ptmurfey@ aim.com.
Estate Planning
We’d like to ask those NABA members who have planned estates, to consider including NABA and the National Butterfly Center in their plans. This will allow you to continue to help butterflies and conservation.
Amazon Smile
Please smile if you use Amazon to purchase anything! If you do, Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price, at no cost to you, to NABA. Simply go to smile.amazon.com and follow instructions, choosing North American Butterfly Association as your charity.
NABA Art Contest
Artists interested in entering the 2019 NABA Art Contest should submit digital images of original two-dimensional color “paintings,” in any medium. The digital file name should include the artist’s name, should be from two to five MB, and should be sent to naba@naba.org. Higher resolution images will be requested if needed. If realistic, the painting should depict species found in Mexico, the United States or Canada. In your cover letter, please indicate the dimensions of the original work, give a description of the medium of the work, and provide a release granting to NABA the right to copy and publish the image. Please include a telephone number and email address where you can be reached. Submissions need to be received not later than June 1, 2019. Winning artist will receive a prize of $500, 2nd place winner will receive $125 and winners will have their works published in color in the Fall 2019 issue of American Butterflies. All decisions of the judges are final.
Social Media
You can now follow NABA activities on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest (and also by talking with actual people!).
Matching Donations
Those of you who generously contribute donations to NABA and work at a large corporation may be able to double your contribution. Many corporations have matching gift programs. Check with your human resource or public relations dept.
Front Cover: Photo of a Pale Swallowtail was taken on July 10, 2017 in Clipper Mills, Butte Co., CA by John Hendrickson using a Canon 1D, a Canon 180 mm macro lens, camera settings of f/8 and 1/200 sec, ISO 100 and fill flash. This photo is an honorable mention in the photo contest. See page 28.
The North American Butterfly Association, Inc. (NABA), a non-profit organization, was formed to promote public enjoyment and conservation of butterflies. Membership in NABA is open to all those who share our purpose.
President: Jeffrey Glassberg Vice-president: James Springer Secrty./Treasurer
Ann James Directors: Jeffrey Glassberg
Fred Heath
Yvonne Homeyer
Ann James
Dennis Olle
Robert Robbins
James Springer
Patricia Sutton Scientific Advisory Board
Nat Holland
Naomi Pierce
Robert Robbins
Ron Rutowski
John Shuey
Ernest Williams
American Butterflies
Volume 26: Number 3 Fall 2018
Inside Front Cover NABA News and Notes
2 To Build a Wall or Not to Build a Wall, That is the Question by Jeffrey Glassberg
4 A Frosted Elfin Survey in East Texas by Dean Jue
14 Definitive Destination: Priests Pass, Lewis and Clark and Powell Counties, MT by Curtis R. Serviss
22 You Are What You Eat 23 King’s Hairstreak on Common Sweetleaf in Florida by Mary Ann Friedman
28 Photographic Contest Winners
34 Taxonomists Just Wanna Have Fun: Bleeding Hearts by Harry Zirlin
40 Hot Seens by Mike Reese
48 Contributors
Inside Back Cover Readers Write
American Butterflies (ISSN 1087-450X) is published quarterly by the North American Butterfly Association, Inc. (NABA), 4 Delaware Rd., Morristown, NJ 07960; tel. 973285-0907; fax 973-285-0936; web site, www.naba.org. Copyright © 2018 by North American Butterfly Association, Inc. All rights reserved. The statements of contributors do not necessarily represent the views or beliefs of NABA and NABA does not warrant or endorse products or services of advertisers. Editor, Jeffrey Glassberg
Editorial Assistance, Matthew Scott and Sharon Wander Please send address changes (allow 6-8 weeks for correction) to: NABA, 4 Delaware Rd., Morristown, NJ 07960; or email to naba@naba.org
To Build a Wall, or Not to Build a Wall — That is the Question
There exist a variety of views concerning how the United States should regulate immigration. Some believe that a physical wall at the southern border is needed. I’d like to share some information and thoughts that I hope show you that, regardless of your view of immigrants or immigration, that building a physical wall at the border makes little sense.
Something that most people don’t know is that somewhere between two-thirds and threequarters of all people who have recently entered the United States and who are now here without proper papers, entered legally, using a valid visa and then overstayed their visa (http://jmhs. cmsny.org/index.php/jmhs/article/view/77). They entered the United States mainly on airplanes, legally. Building a physical wall on the U.S. border with Mexico — a wall that is estimated to cost somewhere between 22 and 70 billion dollars (that you and I, not Mexico, will pay for), that will destroy wildlife, communities and private property — thus will do nothing to stop the great majority of illegal immigration because, again, most illegal immigrants are not coming across the border with Mexico.
Although a physical wall probably would stop some of the one-quarter to one-third of remaining immigrants, most would find other ways to enter the U.S. You may remember that Cubans used boats to get to Florida and immigrants from northern Africa often arrive in Italy on boats. Desperate people find a way. There are ladders, tunnels, boats and airplanes.
Another fact that most people in the U.S. don’t seem to realize is that the proposed wall is not at the border, at least not in south Texas. There, the border is in the middle of the Rio Grande river. Obviously, one can’t build a wall there. North of the Rio Grande is a flood plain, and one can’t build a wall there either. So, the proposed wall will be placed 1/2 to 3 miles north of the actual border, ceding thousands of square miles of the United States back to Mexico, thus
making the U.S. smaller again!
Currently, the federal government is already illegally “taking” (using) NABA’s land without any compensation. If and when they take the land for a wall, they will pay NABA perhaps $10,000 after ten years of litigation. This for a project that we’ve put about 8 million dollars into. How would you react if the federal government decided that it needed to put a pipeline through the middle of your house and offered compensation based upon a low-ball assessment of the per-acre value of the ten-foot wide strip of land they had taken — never mind that your house was now unusable.
None of this makes much sense, especially because there are other, less expensive, less disruptive, more efficient, ways to stop illegal immigration. As I mentioned, in south Texas the border is a river. With modern technology, it would be relatively easy to “see” anyone attempting to cross the river and to stop them. A “virtual” wall does the job, without hurting the environment or the people of the Lower Rio Grande Valley. If you really believe that people from Mexico, or wherever, shouldn’t be working in the U.S. (but, be prepared to pay much more for food and many services), if employers who hired illegal immigrants were prosecuted and served jail time, jobs would quickly dry up and people wouldn’t come. So again, regardless of your view of immigrants, if you think about it rationally, rather than emotionally, a physical wall is a waste of your money, destroys critical habitat in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, and disrupts communities. Instead,consider supporting a virtual wall, a national ID card for all employees, and a system where employers, not employees, are imprisoned for hiring illegal immigrants.
The
For the Love of Butterflies
Please photocopy this membership application form and pass it along to friends and acquaintances who might be interested in NABA
Yes! I want to join NABA, the North American Butterfly Association, and receive American Butterflies and The Butterfly Gardener and/or contribute to building the premier butterfly garden in the world, the National Butterfly Center. The Center, located on approximately 100 acres of land fronting the Rio Grande River in Mission, Texas uses native trees, shrubs and wildflowers to create a spectacular natural butterfly garden that importantly benefits butterflies, an endangered ecosystem and the people of the Rio Grande Valley.
Name:
Address:
Email (only used for NABA business):______________________ Tel.:______________________ Special Interests (circle): Listing, Gardening, Observation, Photography, Conservation, Other
Tax-deductible dues enclosed (circle): Regular $35 ($70 outside U.S., Canada or Mexico), Family $45 ($90 outside North Am.). Special sponsorship levels: Copper $55; Skipper $100; Admiral $250; Monarch $1000. Institution/Library subscription to all annual publications $60 ($100 outside U.S., Canada or Mexico). Special tax-deductible contributions to NABA (please circle): $125, $200, $1000, $5000. Mail checks (in U.S. dollars) to: NABA, 4 Delaware Rd., Morristown, NJ 07960
ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS
American Butterflies welcomes the unsolicited submission of articles to: Editor, American Butterflies, NABA, 4 Delaware Rd., Morristown, NJ 07960. We will reply to your submission only if accepted and we will be unable to return any unsolicited articles, photographs, artwork, or other material, so please do not send materials that you would want returned. Articles may be submitted in any form, but those on disks in Microsoft word are preferred. For the type of articles, including length and style, that we publish, refer to issues of American Butterflies.
MEMBERSHIP SERVICES
If you have questions about missing magazines, membership expiration date, change of address, etc., please write to: NABA, 4 Delaware Rd., Morristown, NJ 07960 or email to naba@naba.org.
ADVERTISING
American Butterflies welcomes advertising. Rates are the same for all advertisers, including NABA members, officers and directors. For more information, please write us at: American Butterflies, 4 Delaware Road, Morristown, NJ 07960, or telephone, 973-285-0907, or fax 973-285-0936 for current rates and closing dates.
Occasionally, members send membership dues twice. Our policy in such cases, unless instructed differently, is to extend membership for an additional year.
NABA sometimes exchanges or sells its membership list to like-minded organizations that supply services or products that might be of interest to members. If you would like your name deleted from membership lists we supply others, please write and so inform:
NABA Membership Services, 4 Delaware Rd., Morristown, NJ 07960
A Frosted Elfin Survey in East Texas
Frosted Elfins are a species of concern throughout much of the East. Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept. wanted to know if they should be concerned about the distinctive Texas subspecies. NABA stepped up to answer the question.
by Dean Jue
Main photo: A Frosted Elfin Counts! March 4, 2018. North of Colmesneil, Tyler Co., TX.
Inset photo: Charles Smith gets GPS data. March 15, 2018. San Augustine Co., TX.
Wanda Smith (2)
To paraphrase Dave Edmunds channeling Gene Autry (ya’ll need to do lots of clapping to accompany the singing)
Deep in the heart of Texas
That’s where I wanna go
I want an elfin cat and a NABA hat I wanna see Nuttal’s Wild Indigo I wanna sit right back in my Cadillac And count Frosteds moving slow
Introduction
Frosted Elfins are small butterflies in the gossamerwing family. Found from Ontario and New England southward to northern Florida and westward to Wisconsin and the Mississippi River, the elfin also has a seemingly separate population in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas, where it is usually treated as a separate subspecies (Callophrys irus hadros) although some think it merit full species status. The overall range of Frosted Elfins is now greatly reduced, and it is extinct or imperiled in 20 of the 32 states or provinces where it originally occurred.
In 2017, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) began a process to determine if Frosted Elfin warrants federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. Because the exact status of the elfin in Texas was uncertain, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) identified an assessment of the status of the Frosted Elfin in Texas as one of their high priority information needs, to be funded during their 2017 – 2018 License Plate Grant funding cycle.
With NABA being a key stakeholder in national butterfly conservation efforts, the TPWD contacted NABA about possibly applying for that grant. Knowing about our ongoing research efforts with Frosted Elfins in the Florida Panhandle (American Butterflies, Summer 2017), Jeffrey Glassberg contacted me about coordinating a possible Texas Frosted Elfin project. The opportunity to help the elfins in another state was too exciting to pass up. I developed the research proposal that was submitted by NABA to the TPWD for assessing the status of the Frosted Elfin in their state.
The TPWD funded the proposal and officially signed a contract with NABA to conduct the one-year project in December 2017.
Why NABA?
NABA brings several strengths to the table for any Texas-related butterfly project. NABA’s National Butterfly Center (NBC), located in Mission, Texas, has more than 30,000 visitors each year, with an additional 5000 local schoolage children visiting the Center each year, providing a high-profile venue for publicizing butterfly projects. In addition to the more than 1000 NABA members living in Texas, the NABA – Butterfly Enthusiasts of Southeastern Texas chapter based in Houston Texas (NABA – BEST) has hundreds of members in relatively close proximity to sites that needed to be surveyed for Frosted Elfins. These resources are invaluable and difficult to replicate anywhere else.
Of special importance are the NABA members because the submitted NABA proposal was to utilize citizen scientists to look for the Texas Frosted Elfins. Why citizen scientists?
Frosted Elfins have a single brood each year. In Texas, the adult flight is from very late February through mid-April. Eggs hatch about a week after being laid, and the elfin caterpillars can be found until the end of April. After the caterpillars pupate, it is impossible to find evidence for Frosted Elfins until the following year. The area to look for elfins in eastern Texas is about 275 miles in the northsouth direction and about 165 west-east, or about 46,000 square miles. To try to survey
Top left: Yellow Wild Indigo. Apr 27, 2016. Rock Creek, West Little Rock, Pulaski Co., AR.
Top right: Yellow Wild Indigo. May 14, 2018. Hagerman NWR, Grayson Co., TX.
Above: Frosted Elfin caterpillar. Apr. 4, 2018. Tyler Co., TX.
Right: Frosted Elfin caterpillar. Apr. 16, 2018. Hagerman NWR, Grayson Co., TX.
Eric Hunt
Laurie Sheppard
Wanda Smith
Laurie Sheppard
for Frosted Elfins over such a large area during a two-month period using just two or three teams of professional scientists would be very difficult; having citizen scientists spread throughout the eastern Texas area of interest who could regularly survey for elfins near where they lived makes more sense.
And Frosted Elfins are a good species to survey for using citizen scientists. Elfins are butterflies so they have some of the charismatic aura surrounding one of its relatives, the Monarch. Elfins fly early in the year so there are few other species of butterflies flying then with which to confuse the elfin. And the elfin’s host plants, three species of wild indigo (Baptisia sp.) in Texas, are relatively easy to identify, especially when in bloom during the spring, and would help the citizen scientists key in on the exact places to survey for Frosted Elfin.
Survey Preparation
To prepare for Frosted Elfin surveys in Texas,
the first thing was to delimit the geographic area for surveys. This was accomplished by obtaining all the historic and current documented records for Frosted Elfins within Texas. All Frosted Elfin records in Texas from major on-line butterfly databases were obtained, as well as records from the older databases. In addition, iNaturalist records for the locations in Texas of the three wild indigo species used by Frosted Elfin for its caterpillars were obtained. Based on all these records, a geographic survey area for elfins was defined (page 11, left). Counties having recent Frosted Elfin records or counties with historic records with specific location information were ranked as high priority for elfin surveys during this grant. Counties with historic elfins records that could be located only to the county level of precision were ranked as medium priority for surveys.
With the geographic area defined, the exact survey sites still need to be refined. Using a map of the federal, state, regional, or local
Sonia Hill
Nuttal’s Wild Indigo. April 16, 2016. Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary, Hardin Co., TX.
conservation lands in Texas within the elfin study area, all lands of greater than 500 acres were identified as potential survey sites for the NABA Texas Frosted Elfin project. Surveys would concentrate on conservation lands because those would be the lands that could more easily adapt their management plans on their property to benefit Frosted Elfins if that butterfly was found on their lands. The 500acre size or larger is arbitrary but it is easier for land managers to manage for a species if the land under their jurisdiction is large rather than small. Once an initial list of conservation lands was identified for surveying, phone calls to all the land managers of those properties were made. The managers were informed about this TPWD-funded project and a discussion was initiated to determine the likelihood of finding Frosted Elfins on their lands. If it was determined during the call that it was unlikely for Frosted Elfins to be found on their lands, that conservation areas was given a low priority for elfin surveys.
The other resource necessary for this project is citizen scientists for Frosted Elfin surveys. Many outdoor-oriented groups based in Texas were contacted and asked to pass the information about this butterfly project along to their members whom might be interested in helping. Over 40 organizations were contacted. Each citizen scientist were asked to commit to conducting up to four surveys during the March through April 2018 time period for each of their assigned sites. Two would be for adult Frosted Elfins that would be flying during March or early April and the last two surveys would be for elfin caterpillars, if the adult butterfly could not be confirmed during the first two surveys. Participants would be reimbursed for gas mileage while driving to and back from their assigned surveys from their home.
The goal was to recruit 50 citizen scientists distributed evenly throughout eastern Texas. Most of the 41 citizen scientists who volunteered to survey for Frosted Elfins were from one of three organizations: the North
Mary Lea McNulty
Blue Wild Indigo. June 16, 2014. Dexter, MI.
Project Coordinator, Dean Jue (right), with Randy and Cristi Beehn at The Nature Conservancy’s Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary, Hardin Co., TX. Feb. 5, 2018. Unfortunately, no elfins were seen there during this survey, despite the presence of wild indigos.
American Butterfly Association, the Native Plant Society of Texas, or Texas Master Naturalists. Most of the volunteers were from the Houston or Dallas area or northeastern Texas. Many of the NABA members belonged to the NABA chapter Butterfly Enthusiasts of Southeast Texas (BEST), which is based in Houston, Texas.
NABA Members in Action for the Texas Frosted Elfin Grant
When compiling past Texas records for Frosted Elfin, one of the first, well-documented, post2010 records was submitted by Wanda Smith, a NABA member, and her husband Charles to the NABA database. They sighted a Frosted Elfin on March 9, 2011 in Tyler County. With the study area for the grant being most of eastern
Texas, it was also obvious that members of the NABA chapter should be a major player in this project. An in-person recruiting trip to east Texas for the TPWD’s Frosted Elfin grant was likely to be very beneficial to jumpstart this project.
A phone call to Farrar Stockton, the president of NABA’s BEST chapter, led to the scheduling of the February 2018 BEST program presentation about the TPWD’s Frosted Elfin grant to NABA. On the weekend before the scheduled BEST program, there was a field trip scheduled in Polk County to visit a unit of the Big Thicket National Preserve (BTNP) where Frosted Elfin surveys would occur. My wife Sally and I headed off to Texas to attend this BTNP trip prior to giving our talk to BEST members.
Sally Jue
On the BTNP field trip, we met NABA’s Wanda and Charles Smith. We also met Texas Master Naturalists Randy and Chris Beehn there, who regularly survey The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary, where a Frosted Elfin was seen on a NABA count back in 2008. After the field trip, Wanda and Charles gave us a personal tour of their property and the exact location where the Frosted Elfin was seen on their property back in 2011. The following day, Randy and Cristi gave us a personal tour of TNC’s Sandyland Sanctuary and showed us the still-lingering effects of Hurricane Harvey in 2017 on that property and how it may have negatively affected any Frosted Elfin population that may have been there.
BEST programs are held in the evening at the Houston’s Museum of Natural Science. The February program on the Frosted Elfin project was attended by 20 people. The program generated a lot of discussion and enthusiasm and lasted until the entire building had to be closed for the night. NABA –BEST members Tim Bujnoch and Hugh and Diane Wedgeworth volunteered to conduct elfin surveys at the BEST meeting and were responsible for the surveys near the Sabine National Forest.
Even NABA members in Florida helped out with the Texas Frosted Elfin grant. Dave McElveen, one of the principal investigators on the Frosted Elfin populations in Florida’s
Frosted Elfins found here post 2010 and on 2018 survey
Frosted Elfins historically recorded from this county and on 2018 survey
Frosted Elfins not historically recorded from this county but seen on 2018 survey
Frosted Elfins historically recorded from this county but not seen on 2018 survey
Frosted Elfins historically recorded here, but this county not surveyed in 2018
Frosted Elfins not recorded from this county and not seen on 2018 survey
Frosted Elfins found here post 2010 but not seen on 2018 survey
Dallas
Houston
Apalachicola National Forest, has documented the various instar stages of Frosted Elfin caterpillars in Florida and, more recently, has done the same for Gray Hairstreaks. Because the presence of Frosted Elfin at a site can be verified by the presence of caterpillars as well as adults, there were times when citizen scientists surveying for elfins in Texas would find and photograph caterpillars. Were they Frosted Elfin caterpillars or could they be the similar-appearing Gray Hairstreak caterpillars?
Dave reviewed all caterpillar pictures taken during this NABA project and provided his expert opinion on whether it was indeed a Frosted Elfin caterpillar
Citizen Science Surveys
The citizen scientists took 163 survey trips for Frosted Elfins during the spring of 2018. The total survey time for Frosted Elfins summed among all citizen scientists was 334 hours, the equivalent of eight and one-third weeks of non-stop surveying by one full-time worker. If travel time to and from their homes to the survey sites is included, the time dedicated to this project becomes 493 hours, or twelve and one-third weeks. The citizen scientists drove 9,910 miles during these survey trips, a distance equivalent to driving the straight-line north-south distance of Texas, which is 801 miles, over 12 times.
The volunteers surveyed for Frosted Elfins 289 times on their trips. They could find no evidence for the presence of Frosted Elfin at 228 of those stops but either Frosted Elfin adults or caterpillars were documented at 61 of those stops, an overall success rate of 21.45% among all stops. The elfins were found in 21 Texas counties, with Nacogdoches and Upshur being new county records for the butterfly. As might be expected, NABA members were responsible for finding many of the Frosted Elfin sites. Over 67% of the 61 sites were found by NABA/BEST members. Worthy of special mention are members Wanda Smith, Hugh and Diane Wedgeworth, Laura Wright, and NABA Vice-President Jim Springer, each of whom found 6 or more sites during their surveys.
If one accepts the NatureServe protocol of 6.2 miles between Frosted Elfin populations (element occurrences), the 61 Texas Frosted Elfin sightings would translate into 31 different populations. This is all the more impressive because some citizen scientists could not access their assigned survey sites due to flooding or were forced to curtail their surveys due to inclement weather.
What Next?
This TPWD-funded NABA project is part of a nationwide effort to collect better information about the status of Frosted Elfin for the USFWS. This study provided an up-to-date and more complete picture of the status of Frosted Elfin in Texas than what the TPWD could previously provide to the USFWS. Several other states are also conducting Frosted Elfin status assessments or updating their existing elfin data at this time. The USFWS nationwide assessment will be completed by 2023.
With the USFWS continuing its assessment for several more years, this is a good time for NABA members who may live near one or more of the documented Frosted Elfin locations to monitor the Frosted Elfin population there or to search for additional colonies of that butterfly. Because Frosted Elfins have only one brood per year, such monitoring only needs to take place for two months per year (March through April) and your data will be of interest to the TPWD and, ultimately, to the USFWS.
Pending the findings from other state’s research efforts, there are now more known populations of the Frosted Elfin in Texas than for any other state at this time. Good populations of the species can be found in the Angelina, Davy Crockett, and Sabine National Forests as well as at the Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge. All NABA members can be proud of the role that NABA members and your organization played in documenting its continuing efforts to help in the conservation of all butterfly species.
Lipstick Skipper
Red Banner
by Curtis R. Serviss, Jr.
Definitive Destination: Priest Pass, Lewis & Clark and Powell Counties, Montana
Above: A Great Basin Fritillary nectars at a buckwheat (probably Sulphurflower Buckwheat). June 7, 2013. Area 1.
Opposite page: A relief map of Montana, showing the location of Priest Pass along the Continental Divide.
Introduction
While in Texas taking pictures of birds, I was leaving the blind late in the morning, past my time for taking photographs, when I noticed numerous colorful butterflies flying about. I stood looking at the butterflies and the dazzling array of wildflowers for some time, mesmerized by the delicate beauty of this scene. That day opened a whole new world for me, one that I had rarely taken the time to explore. Upon returning home to Montana, I began to research the butterflies of my home state and found very little information. So, I decided to investigate the butterflies that might be present along the Continental Divide near my home in Helena, Montana.
My approach was to select an area of the Continental Divide that had reasonably good road access and the potential for selecting areas that provided a cross section of the Continental Divide habitat from east to west across the divide. The Priest Pass area, located approximately 15 miles to the west of Helena, Montana met the criteria.
Priest Pass can be accessed from Helena by traveling west on Highway 12 to the base of MacDonald Pass and taking a right turn onto the designated Priest Pass Road near the Montana Department of Transportation road maintenance building. Turn left at the road intersection just past this facility.
Climatic conditions and vegetation sometimes vary on the Continental Divide depending on location, for example the east
and west slopes. Four areas were selected to allow for observations at the top of Priest Pass and on both the east and west slopes (see map on pg. 16). The Priest Pass Road is designated as Helena National Forest Road #335.
Geographic coordinates, NAD 83, taken along Priest Pass Road for each of the study areas are as follows:
Elevations vary from approximately 5,480 to 6,160 feet above sea level. At the top of Priest Pass, in Area 2, there is an 18-hole golf course known as Huckleberry Hollow. It is a primitive course that has no facilities and is used only occasionally during the summer months. The study areas are open to public access but there are designations for offroad vehicle travel and restrictions are well marked in the field. Areas 1 and 2 are part of the Helena National Forest, while Area 3 is located on Sieben Ranch land and Area 4 on Bureau of Land Management lands.
The National Forest road #335 designation for the Priest Pass Road is “Primary Access Route — Normally Suitable for Automobile Travel — Travel with Caution”. The road is not conducive for traveling RV’s larger than pickup truck-mounted campers. Primitive
Above: A topographic map showing the four sites visited.
Right: A Milbert’s Tortoishell. July 19, 2013. Area 1.
Opposite page: A Common Branded Skipper on a lupine. July 14, 2013. Area 2.
camping is available in designated areas. The only formally designated trail in the area is the famous Continental Divide Trail, that was established by Congress in 1978 and spans 3,100 miles between Canada and Mexico. A portion of this trail passes through the summit of Priest Pass near the western boundary of
Area 2. The trail is marked by signs. In the Priest Pass area, the Continental Divide’s mountainous terrain is a result of the intrusion and subsequent uplift of the Boulder Batholith, a complex of granitic rocks that intruded during the late Cretaceous period about 75 million years ago. The Boulder
Batholith is a geologic feature that extends approximately 75 miles north-south and 25 miles east-west, with the city of Butte at the southern end and Helena near its northern extent. This batholith has been instrumental in the formation of historically significant precious and base metal deposits and contributed to the “Richest Hill on Earth”, the world class Butte copper deposit. Priest Pass is located at the northern limit of the Boulder Batholith, where deep-seated igneous rocks comprised of monzonite and granodiorite have intruded into and thermally metamorphosed older volcanic rocks. These rocks locally comprise prominent hilltop topographic features where rock outcrops and talus/ gravelly slopes can be attractive to butterflies.
The butterfly areas of interest are characterized by rocky knobs and open mountain meadows with bordering or pockets of coniferous trees dominated by Lodgepole
and Ponderosa Pines or Douglas Fir. Water sources are provided by ephemeral streams in Areas 1 and 4 and a spring located in Area 2. Road ruts act as traps for precipitation and runoff, providing muddy areas that contribute sources of moisture and mineral salts for butterflies. Water-bearing areas generally support deciduous trees, predominantly aspens and willows. Grassy meadows and open timber areas support a variety of wildflowers. The earliest nectar flowers bloom in late April and the flowering community generally peaks in late July to early August. The access road area has been selectively logged to control potential forest fires from beetle-killed trees. The removal of trees along the road corridor will eventually contribute to increased mountain wildflowers which in turn will likely contribute to increased butterfly activity.
Field Work
Over a five-year period, 2013 to 2017, I visited the Priest Pass area during the months of April through August to photographically document the butterfly species in the project area. The objective was to spend at least one field day per week beginning in late April when the snow condition allowed road access. A typical field day lasted from 10:00 A.M. until 2:30 P.M. and usually occurred under sunny and relatively low wind conditions. Although not really treated here, I also photographed the various wildflower species observed in the project area.
Butterfly Species Seen
I sought to document the butterfly species occurring in the four respective study areas by taking photographs of the species, noting the date, and making an estimate of the number of butterflies of each species seen during the day. To date, I’ve been able to identify sixty-one butterfly species in the Priest Pass area. The earliest butterflies, taking flight in April in the Priest Pass area, are Sheridan’s Hairstreak, Hoary Comma, Milbert’s Tortoiseshell and Mourning Cloak. With the exception of Mourning Cloaks, these species are attracted
Top left: The only Arctic Skipper seen was in Area 2 on June 23, 2017.
Top Right: A male Blue Copper. July 14, 2014. Area 2.
Bottom left: A Melissa Blue. July 14, 2013. Area 2.
Bottom right: A Western Pine Elfin. May 29, 2018. Area 4.
to the earliest flowering plants which occur as low (generally less than 4-inch high) ground cover. Area 2 (near at the top of Priest Pass) and Area 4 are the best places to find Sheridan’s Hairstreaks.
Both Hoary Commas and Milbert’s Tortoiseshells (page 16) are common in the Priest Pass area, occurring from April through
July (and beyond).
The Mourning Cloak is the Montana State butterfly and it occurs in early spring, rarely in Area 2 and more commonly in Area 4. It is interesting to note that all individuals viewed in the project area have had white marginal bands verses the yellow bands typical of this butterfly. I only recently observed a yellow-
banded Mourning Cloak just west of Area 4 near blooming Willows along Dog Creek.
The greatest diversity of species was found during the summer months of June and July. This is a wonderful time to be on the Continental Divide due to comfortable temperatures and diversity of wildflowers. Precipitation can be a determining factor for length of wildflower bloom. Weather conditions can change very rapidly on the Continental Divide. If deteriorating weather conditions develop, this usually occurs around 2:30 in the afternoon. At this elevation, it is important to dress for changing weather conditions, layering up in the cool mornings, removing layer(s) at mid-day and having inclement weather gear for any rapidly developing storms.
An explosion in diversity of species occurs in June and July and provides for a wide range of butterfly families. One of my favorites are Phoebus Parnassians, which seems to only fly in Area 3 during June and July. This species is a typical higher elevation butterfly and its strong flight, especially during windy conditions, attests to its strength and agility. When they stop patrolling, they commonly drop into the grasses, making photography difficult. Some of the better photographic opportunities occur when they land in sandy gravel to bask in the sun or to seek mineral salts. Another June-July species typical of higher elevations in the Continental Divide area is Common Alpine.
Typical woodland species that fly during the summer months are the ringlets and woodnymphs. Common Ringlets and Common Wood-Nymphs are best found in Areas 2 and 3, respectively.s
The Priest Pass area sports a wide variety of small butterflies, including blues, coppers, crescents and checkerspots. The earliest documented flight of a blue was that of a Silvery Blue in Area 4 during late May. A diverse population of blues occurs in areas 2 and 3. One reason for this may be the concentration of flowers in the lupine family. As a photographer, two of my favorites are
Melissa Blue and Blue Copper. Greenish Blue is another good example of the delightful blues that occur in the Priest Pass area. The blues do, however, nectar on a variety of other flower species.
With the exception of Sheridan’s Hairstreak, hairstreaks are uncommon in the Priest Pass area. The only other species observed in the study area were Thicket Hairstreak and Juniper Hairstreak, and both of these were rarely seen. A Thicket Hairstreak was seen in 2017, while a Juniper Hairstreak was only recently observed in Area 4 during a recent follow-up visit in May 2018. Another photographer colleague who has an interest in butterflies is conducting a project similar to this one, at MacDonald Pass, approximately four miles south of Priest Pass. He has only completed year one of his observations and has already determined some interesting differences in the butterflies inhabiting his area. To date, he has identified Sylvan Hairstreak and Ruddy Copper, neither of which have been seen at Priest Pass.
Another small butterfly that grabs one’s attention, especially as a photographer, is Sara Orangetip which appeared only in Area 2, flying in late June and July. It is most often seen patrolling along tertiary roadways in the conifer forest and I was lucky enough to catch it landing to nectar on one of the many wildflowers in the area.
Puddling areas, which occur after recent rainfall, are commonly found on secondary and tertiary roadways. These area can be very productive for crescents and checkerspots that are taking advantage of a source of moisture and mineral salts. One may find many butterflies in a given spot.
One of the latest butterflies to fly in August is West Coast Lady, which has been observed in Areas 1 and 2. Based on the very informative presentation by a Ph.D. student on the migration of Painted Ladies, presented at a biennial North American Butterfly Association meeting, I wonder if I am not seeing this species as an end of season migratory butterfly on the Continental Divide. Where observed,
Top: A view looking southwest at the access road to the Priest Pass, Montana area. July 10, 2014.
Bottom: A view looking north from Area 3. This is a good spot for blues and for Rocky Mountain Parnassians. June 22, 1916.
West Coast Ladies seems to be especially attracted to late blooming thistles and invasive knapweeds.
It’s well-known that a good variety of fritillaries occur in Montana, and the Priest Pass area illustrates this diversity. I’ve identified seven species that, other than Mormon Fritillary, are either uncommon or rare in occurrence in the area. Great Basin Fritillary (pg. 14) is an example of one of the uncommon fritillaries having been observed only in Areas 1 and 2 during July.
The Priest Pass area hosts a number of skipper species. The population of skippers seems to explode late in July into August and one of the most common is Garita Skipperling. The greatest abundance of the more common skippers in the Priest Pass area seems to correlate with the bloom of thistles.
Two rarer species of skippers are Common Branded Skipper (pg. 17) and Arctic Skipper (pg. 18). Although it is unusual to see skippers attracted to lupines, seeing a yellow one on the purple flower provides an attractive subject for a nature photographer. The strong yellow coloration of this indiviudal also seemed a bit unusual when examining various references.
Arctic Skipper was an interesting find. It initially reminded me of a fritillary, but it was too small and it exhibited the flight characteristics of a skipper. I knew I had found something different. To date, this skipper was only observed in 2017, even though I had frequently surveyed this specific location of Area 2 in the prior four years. In Area 2, a
tertiary road passes through a moist grassy area occurring in an opening in the conifer forest. The area was badly rutted due to offroad vehicle traffic use until 2016, at which time the Forest Service reclaimed the road and closed it off to future traffic. By 2017, the reclaimed area was showing a nice recovery, and an Arctic Skipper was observed in good habitat for this butterfly species.
Although not found to date in any of the locations covered here, Weidemeyer’s Admiral can be observed while driving up the eastern side of Priest Pass. I usually see it on the roadway in areas where there are small
patches of aspen trees on either or both sides of the Priest Pass access road.
The Winter of 2017 produced above average and record snowfall in many areas of the Continental Divide in Montana. Spring access was limited into the Priest Pass area due to snowpack and the severely eroded road. However, I made a few trips to Area 4 and was astonished to find species that had not been seen during the previous fiveyear period at this location. These included Western Pine and Hoary Elfins, Sheridan’s Hairstreak and Sara Orangetip. In addition, two new species for the Priest Pass area were added on May 29 — Juniper Hairstreak and Two-banded Checkered-Skipper. Were these butterflies displaced to lower elevation due to snowpack and later than usual wildflower bloom? This exemplifies the importance of long term monitoring to really understand the distribution of butterfly species in a given area. I am reminded of something that was said to me in the field while discussing butterflies with a government employee — “Unfortunately, if it does not run or fly and you cannot legally shoot and eat it, there are nil dollars available to study and preserve it.” This resonated with me and emphasizes the importance of citizen science for butterflies now and into the future.
The Priest Pass area not only affords the opportunity for seeing butterflies, one may also be fortunate enough to see big mammals including elk, deer, moose, bears and even the occasional wolf.
Species List
Abbreviations: A, abundant, likely to see more than 20 individuals per visit to the right unit at the right time; C, common, likely to see 4-20 individuals; U, uncommon, likely to see 1-3 individuals; R, rare, unlikely to see any individuals. The project study areas are designated A1, A2, A3 and A4. The numbers indicate flight months at Priest Pass (4 = April, 5 = May, 6 = June, 7= July and 8 = August).
Phoebus Parnassian U A2 6-7, C A3 6-7; Anise Swallowtail U A1 6; Canadian Tiger Swallowtail U A1 7; Western Tiger Swallowtail U A1 6, U A2 6, U A4 6; Checkered White C A1 7, C A2, 7, C A3 7; Western White C A1 5-7, C A2 5-7, C A3 5-7, U A4 5-7; Mustard White U A1 6, U A2 6; Cabbage White C A1 7, C A2 7, C A3 7; Sara Orangetip C A2 6-7, C A4 5; Clouded Sulphur C A1 7, C A2 7, C A3 7; Orange Sulphur C A2 7; Queen Alexandra’s Sulphur U A1 8; Pink-edged Sulphur C A3 7; Edith’s Copper U A1 7, C A2 7; Blue Copper C A2 6-8; Purplish Copper U A1 7, C A2 7; Mariposa Copper C A2 7; Sheridan’s Hairstreak U A2 4, C A4 5; Hoary Elfin U A1 5; U A4 5; Western Pine Elfin R A1 5, U A4 5; Thicket Hairstreak R A1 6; Juniper Hairstreak R A4 5; Dotted Blue U A2 6-7, R A3 6-7; Arrowhead Blue U A2 6; Silvery Blue U A2 6-7, C A4 5; Northern Blue U A2 7; Melissa Blue U A1 7, U A2 7, R A3 7; Boisduval’s Blue U A2 6-7; Acmon Blue U A2 6-7; Arctic Blue U A2 7; Edwards’ Fritillary U A2 7; Zerene Fritillary R A2 7; Callippe Fritillary U A1 7, U A2 7; Great Basin Fritillary R A1 7, U A2 7; Hydaspe Fritillary R A1 7; Mormon Fritillary C A1 6-8, C A2 6-8, C A3 6-8; Variegated Fritillary R A1 7, U A2 7; Northern Checkerspot U A1 7, U A2 7; Pearl Crescent U A1 7, U A2 7; Northern Crescent C A1 7, C A2 7; Field Crescent U A1 6-7; C A2 6-7; Hoary Comma U A1 5-7, C A2 5-7; U A3 5-7; C A4 5-7; Mourning Cloak R A2 4-6, U A4 4-6; Milbert’s Tortiseshell U A1 5-7, C A2 5-7; R A3 5-7, U A4 5-7; Painted Lady U A1 5-7; U A2 5-7, U A3 5-7; West Coast Lady U A1 8, R A2 8; Red Admiral U A1 6, R A2 6; Hayden’s Ringlet U A2 6-7, U A3 6-7; Common Ringlet C A2 6-7, U A3 6-7; Common Wood-Nymph U A1 7, C A2 7, U A3 7; Great Basin Wood-Nymph R A2 7; Small Wood-Nymph U A2 7-8; Common Alpine C A2 6-7, C A3 6-7; Persius Duskywing R A2 6; Twobanded Checkered-Skipper R A4 5; Arctic Skipper R A2 6; Garita Skipperling U A1 7-8, C A2 7-8, U A3 7-8, A A4 7-8; European Skipper U A2 7; Common Branded Skipper U A2 7; Draco Skipper U A2 6-7; Long Dash R A1 8, U A2 8.
All photos this article by Curtis R. Serviss, Jr.
You Are What You Eat
Photodocumentation of Caterpillar Foodplants
We have initiated a project to document the caterpillar foodplants of North American butterflies. For those who would like to participate in this photodocumentation, here are instructions:
Find an egg or a caterpillar (or a group of eggs or caterpillars) on a single plant in the “wild” (this includes gardens). The plant does not need to be native to the area — we want to document all plants used by North American butterflies.
Follow this particular egg or caterpillar (or group of eggs or caterpillars) through to adulthood, with the following documentation.
1. Photograph the actual individual plant on which the egg or caterpillar was found, showing any key features needed for the identification of the plant.
2. Photograph the egg or caterpillar.
3. Either leave the egg or caterpillar on the original plant, perhaps sleeving the plant
it is on with netting, allowing the caterpillar to develop in the wild, or remove the egg or caterpillar to your home and feed it only the same species of plant on which it was found.
4. Photograph later instars of the caterpillar.
5. Photograph the resulting chrysalis.
6. Photograph the adult after it emerges from the chrysalis.
7. If the egg or caterpillar was relocated for raising, release the adult back into the wild at the spot where you found it.
We would like to document each plant species used by each North American butterfly species, for each state or province.
In addition to appearing in American Butterflies, the results of this project will be posted to the NABA website. Please send any butterfly species/plant species/state or province trio that is not already posted to naba@naba. org.
Opposite page
Top: A Common Sweetleaf in flower in. March 15, 2008. Okaloosa Co., FL.
Middle: On March 6, 2018, an early instar caterpillar was found on a Common Sweetleaf. Also visible was the empty egg shell of a King’s Hairstreak. Okaloosa Co., FL.
King’s Hairstreak on
by Mary Ann Friedman
Common Sweetleaf (Symplocus tinctoria) (sweetleaf family) in Okaloosa County, Florida
Common Sweetleaf, also called horse sugar, is a small tree associated with sandhills, ravines and moist woodlands. Butterfliers know to look for the spring flowers of Common Sweetleaf because it is a magnet for early butterflies, especially hairstreaks and azures.
It is also the only known host plant for King’s Hairstreaks. King’s Hairstreaks usually fly during May and June in the Western Panhandle of Florida.
Female King’s Hairstreaks lay their eggs on Common Sweetleaf twigs during the spring but the eggs overwinter in place. Caterpillars are found eating soft fresh leaves and leaf buds as early as March in Northwest Florida.
Mary Ann Friedman
(2)
caterpillar empty egg shell
Mary Ann Friedman (6)
Opposite page
Top left: Another view of the early instar caterpillar. March 6.
Top right: Two days later, the caterpillar had filled out. March 8.
Bottom left: The caterpillar continues to plump up. March 9.
Bottom right: A strong central stripe developed. March 17.
This page
Top: The caterpillar on March 18.
Bottom: The caterpillar on March 22.
Top left: The last instar caterpillar became reddish. March 29.
Top right: The caterpillar begins to pupate. April 1.
Bottom left: The pupa on April 3.
Bottom right: The pupa on April 15.
Mary Ann Friedman (5)
Top left: An adult King’s Hairstreak emerged on April 16 and was released back into the evironment.
Above: A drawing of the approximate range of King’s Hairstreaks. Turquoise indicates one brood. (drawing modified from A Swift Guide to Butterflies of North America).
Above: The approximate range of Common Sweetleaf, based upon county occurrence data from the Biota of North America Program. This might be a useful plant for your garden if you live within the range shown.
Jeffrey Glassberg (2)
ContestPhotographicWinners
1st Place
(opposite page)
by Brandon Cramphorn of Syracuse, NY
Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillar
Photo was taken on Aug. 11, 2016 in Syracuse, NY using a Canon Eos Rebel SL1 camera with a Canon 1EF-S 18-55 mm lens @ F/7.1, 1/250 sec, ISO 1600 with no flash.
3rd Place (above) by
Matthew Orsie of Hedgesville, WV
White Admiral
Photo was taken on July 5, 2015, in Ricketts Glen SP, PA using a Canon 7D camera with a Canon 100-400 mm lens @ F/5.6, 1/800 sec, ISO 1000 with no flash.
2nd Place (opposite page)
Marine Blue on Emory’s Globemallow
by Joan Fox of Tucson,
AZ
was taken on April 1, 2018 in the Sonoran Desert Wash, Pima Co., AZ using a Sony a6000 camera with a Sony 55-210mm lens @ F/6.3, 1/320 sec, ISO 100 without flash.
Honorable Mention (above) Lupine Blue
by John Hendrickson of Clipper Mills, CA
Photo was taken on Aug. 19, 2017 in Panther Meadows, Mt. Shasta, Siskiyou Co., CA using a Canon 1D Mark IV camera with a Canon 180mm/f3.5 macro lens @ F/5, 1/200 sec, ISO 100 without flash.
Photo
Red-banded Hairstreak on Herbwilliam (mock bishop’s weed) was taken by Ed Perry IV of Melbourne, FL on May 12, 2018 in Tosohatchee WMA, Orange Co., FL using a Nikon D800 camera with a Sigma 105 mm/f2.8 macro lens @ F/18, 1/125 sec, ISO 450 without flash.
Gulf Fritillary on Turks’-cap, was taken by Craig Lipski of Fowlerville, MI on Nov. 14, 2016 in Edinburg, Hidalgo Co., TX using a Canon 1D Mark IV camera with a Canon 100-400 mm lens @ F/6, 1/200 sec, ISO 200 without flash.
American Butterflies, Fall 2018
as well as in
elsewhere; and Jeffrey Glassberg, president of NABA.
Common Buckeye was taken by John Hendrickson of Clipper Mills, CA on July 18, 2016
Lorquin’s Admiral was taken by Alan Schmierer of Patagonia, AZ on June 14, 2008 in Cerro Alto, San Luis Obispo Co, CA, using a Pentax K100D camera with a 100 mm lens @ F/13, 1/125 sec, ISO 800 with flash.
in Clipper Mills, Butte Co., CA, using a Canon ID MarkIV camera with a Canon 180mm macro lens @ F/6.3, 1/200 sec, ISO 100 without flash.
Taxonomists Just Wanna Have Fun:
by Harry Zirlin
Cattlehearts
are a group of swallowtails normally found from Mexico south into Central America and on down into South America. Only on extremely rare occasions have members of this group been seen in the United States. They are all in the genus Parides but, before discussing their scientific names, let’s talk about the English name for the group: cattlehearts. They are called this because some members of the group have deep red markings on their hindwings that, I suppose, with some imagination, vaguely resemble a bovine heart. One would have to have a pretty clear idea of what a bovine heart looks like in the first place to make the connection, which, I admit, I do not. Even then, who would name a group of exquisite butterflies after an organ meat? It’s certainly not a vegan name. Without doing any research whatsoever, I’m ready to blame early English collectors for coining this name for the following reasons. First, the English actually eat
cattle hearts so they must know what they look like. There are lots of online recipes for beef heart from British chefs. Second, most of our English group names for butterflies were invented by British collectors in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries. Only recently has NABA president, Jeffrey Glassberg, created some new group names such as sunstreaks, groundstreaks, greenmarks and jewelmarks to help navigate through exceedingly diverse groups where prior group names like hairstreaks and metalmarks were not particularly useful in distinguishing among thousands of species.
This page, very top: A cattle heart.
Bleeding Hearts
Opposite page bottom: A pink-checked cattleheart, Parides eurimedes. Compare the red markings in the middle of the HW with the cattle heart at the top of the page. July 17, 2015. Parque Agua Blanca, Tabasco, Mexico.
This page: Mating Montezuma’s Cattlehearts, Parides montezuma, named for the geographically relevant Aztec king. Aug. 1, 2009. Catemaco, Veracruz, Mexico.
Jeffrey Glassberg (2)
Variable Cattleheart, Parides erithalion. Citing the twenty-two described subspecies, the author explicates the plain meaning of the English name. Sadly however, he whiffs on the scientific name. Your thoughts are welcome (not including references to the Chronicles of Rithalon from the Elvish Jewel). Aug. 11, 2014. Puyacatengo, Tabasco, Mexico.
Finally, the fact that “cattlehearts” is one word strikes me as a Briticism. Americans, for example, usually refer to bees in the genus Bombus as bumble bees. The Brits call them bumblebees. That’s all the evidence I need.
As for the genus name Parides itself, it was first used by the German author Hübner in 1819. Paride, without an s, is Latin for the name Paris, the Homeric character who started the Trojan War by abducting Helen of Troy (although she wasn’t “of Troy” when he abducted her). The suffix “ides” is used to indicate “the offspring of” in Greek, so Parides in all likelihood was meant to mean “the offspring of Paris” or “the tribe of Paris” (meaning the Trojans) by Hübner. I like this explanation as the origin of the genus name because one of the first articles I wrote in this series was titled “Swallowtails of the Trojan War.”
There I pointed out that many of the swallowtails, starting with Papilio machaon (Old World Swallowtail), the first butterfly described by Linnaeus, had a connection to the Trojan War as related by Homer and other classical tellers of the tale. Moreover, cattlehearts are in the tribe Troidinae the name of which also refers to Troy. That tribe was created by Talbot in 1939 but I assume he chose that name because the names Parides, and those of several of the Indo-Australian birdwings such as Ornithoptera priamus (Priam was king of Troy during the Trojan War and father of Paris) referred to Trojans. Cattlehearts share a close relationship with butterflies in the genus Battus and, like them, their caterpillars feed on pipevines and are able to sequester compounds toxic or distasteful to vertebrate predators from those plants in the genus Aristolochia. The bright red
Jeffrey Glassberg (3)
and dark black colors of the cattlehearts are reported to deter predation and the similarity of color patterns among the cattlehearts, and colors sported by other butterflies that are either swallowtails in different genuses (including Battus), or belong to other families of butterflies entirely, is but one example of the infinitely complex mimicry rings that are a feature of the Neotropical butterfly fauna to a degree not seen elsewhere. This brilliant red coloration has a peculiar aspect, being the result of both a pigment and the structure of the scales, so that the red (sometimes pink) has an ethereal iridescence that seems to float just above the wings.
The fact that cattlehearts, butterflies in the genus Battus (for example, Battus philenor, our very own Pipevine Swallowtail) and the huge birdwing butterflies of the Indo-Australian region are all in the tribe Troidinae and all feed on Aristolochia as
Green-celled Cattleheart, Parides childrenae. Apparently the children of Paride include the wives of Children. Oct. 27, 2014. Rio Pingullo, Napo, Ecuador.
caterpillars makes it appear that at some point there was a common point of origin for both the tribe of butterflies and the Aristolochia plants they feed upon. If so, the evidence points to southern Gondwanaland and the
late Cretaceous, some 65-70 million years ago. Think of that the next time you see a Pipevine Swallowtail hanging around your garden and if you are lucky enough to have
Linnaean Cattleheart, Parides anchises. This is the species that got Linnaeus on a Trojan roll (reportedly, there was only ham on the roll, no cattle heart). Oct. 29, 2013. Cascadas de Pimpalala, Napo, Ecuador.
some caterpillars of it on the pipevine twining around your trellis, look at images of birdwing caterpillars online and see how much they resemble each other.
In this column, I am going to treat those cattlehearts that have occurred in the U.S. and/ or are resident in Mexico. There are ten of them. There are many more in South America and the West Indies that do not occur in Mexico.
Paris and Helen did not have any children that survived infancy and Paris himself was killed during the Trojan War. But I think Hübner invented the name Parides to refer to this group as being related to Paris in the larger sense of being named for Trojans or other characters connected to the mythology of the Trojan War. For example, Linnaeus
described Linnaean Cattleheart, Parides anchises, in 1758, under the name Papilio anchises. Anchises was a member of the Trojan royal family, a first cousin of Priam, the king of Troy during the Trojan War as noted above. Anchises was the father of Aeneas, the founder of Rome in Virgil’s Aeneid. Linnaeus, also in 1758, named Parides aeneus, which occurs in South America, but not Mexico. These were the only two cattlehearts known in 1758 and Linnaeus grouped the two under the name Papilio Equites Trojani, meaning “Trojans of the noble class.” So it seems that Linnaeus was using groupings of mythological figures to describe closer relationships (common descent) among species beyond his use of the generic name Papilio.
Transandean cattleheart, Parides iphidamas, was named by Fabricius (a student of Linnaeus) in 1793 for a warrior who fought on the side of the Trojans and was killed by Agamemnon, the commander of the united Greek forces. Fabricius also named another cattleheart, Papilio tros, in 1793 for the mythical King Tros, the founder of Troy (in some versions of the myth), and from whom the city took its name. In other versions of the myth, the founder of troy was Ilos, and Troy took its name from Ilos and was called Ilium (as in Homer’s poem The Iliad). The Cretan name for Ilos is Zacynthus and Fabricius named another cattleheart zacynthus in 1793 as well. (Parides tros and zacynthus are Brazilian, and, so far as I’m aware, have no English names.) So that by the time Hübner invented the name Parides in 1819, five cattlehearts had already been named after Trojans.
Cattlehearts named by authors other than Linnaeus and Fabricius continued to be named for ancient warriors, but not necessarily Trojans. Back to those found in Mexico, emerald-patched cattleheart, Parides sesostris, was named by Cramer in 1780 for the purported Egyptian Pharaoh of the same name referenced by Herodotus in his Histories. According to Herodotus, this Pharaoh fought his way westward from Egypt, eventually
crossing the Mediterranean and conquering parts of Europe. This never happened, and even Herodotus cautioned that he was simply repeating what he had heard from Egyptian priests. There is no other historical evidence for a Pharaoh of this name, although it may be a corruption of Senusret III.
Wedge-spotted cattleheart, Parides panares, was named by Gray in 1853 for a general of the city of Kydonia which was conquered by the Romans in 69 BC.
Montezuma cattleheart, Parides montezuma, was named for the Aztec king and warrior Montezuma II by Westwood in 1842, perhaps in the same spirit as Thaddeus Harris decided to use the names of the people who came to North America before Columbus for our skippers. (If butterflies are going to be named after people, it makes more sense to me to name them after people with some connection to the place the butterflies occur.)
White-dotted Cattleheart, Parides alopius was named by Godman & Salvin in 1890 for a son of Herakles (Hercules) and Antiope one of the daughters of King Thespius. Heracles heroically had offspring with 49 of the 50 daughters of Thespius. The names of the 50 daughters and the names of the offspring of the 49 that had children by Herakles, have proven a fertile source of butterfly names. White-dotted Cattleheart, by the way, has been recorded from the USA at least once.
Pink-spotted Cattleheart, Parides photinus, was named by Edward Doubleday in 1842. Photinus means “shining light” or “glowing light” and is a much bigger name in beetle than butterfly circles because Photinus is the name of a very speciose genus of fireflies (which I know you know are beetles because there was a recent article in American Butterflies about fireflies). Photinus contains 34 described species of fireflies in the USA alone and more than a dozen additional species are in the process of being described. Pink-spotted Cattleheart, I hope, was named for its own shimmering pink glow but there was also a historical figure named Photinus of Thessalonica, who played a role in the schism
between the Western and Eastern Christian Churches and was confined to the sixth ring of hell in Dante’s Inferno for being a heretic. I’d hate to think Pink-spotted Cattleheart was named for him.
Pink-checked cattleheart, Parides eurimedes, was named by Stoll in 1782. Eurimedes may simply be a variant of Eurymede, the name of a number of female mythological characters. The name translates roughly as “lady with wide-ranging thoughts.”
Variable cattleheart, Parides erithalion is so variable that I count 22 named subspecies from Mexico to Argentina. If erithalion was a mythological character, he or she was an exceedingly obscure one. I throw my hands up and give up on the derivation of this name.
I was about to do the same with Greencelled cattleheart, Parides childrenae, when I noticed that superb cycadian was named
Eumaeus childrenae. I posted images of both on my Facebook page and knowledgeable friends informed me that they were named for the wife of John George Children (17771852), the founding president of the Royal Entomological Society. Further research revealed that J.G. Children had three wives (not at the same time and not exactly Hercules with the daughters of Thespius) so I can only assume, without knowing, that Green-celled Cattleheart, named by Gray in 1832, was named for the third wife of J.G. Children, whom he married in 1819. In addition to these two butterflies, a ladybug, stick insect and a python were named after John George Children. But, as far as I can tell, only the butterflies were named after Mrs. Children — the ending “ae” indicating a female. And none were named after the children of the Childrens, as far as I know.
Pink-spotted Cattleheart, Parides photinus. The color of red/pink spots on the HW seems to float just above the surface. Aug. 30, 2015. 3 km north of Calihuala, Oaxaca, Mexico.
John Kemner
Summer 2018 Hot
Seens
Interesting butterfly sightings from the East included a May 1 report from Karlo Mirth of a newly emerged White M Hairstreak in Forest Park, Queens County, NY; a May 3 sighting, by David L. Amadio, of 80 Juvenal’s Duskywings, 47 Sleepy Duskywings, 7 Cobweb Skippers, Olympia Marbles, and Falcate Orangetips at Green Ridge State Forest, Allegany Co., MD; 12 Hessel’s Hairstreaks observed along Route 72 MM 9 and Warren Grove, Ocean Co., NJ on May 11 by Harry Zirlin; and a May 15 submission by Andy Birkey of hundreds of Silvery Blues as well as Olympia Marbles at Kellogg Weaver Sand Dunes Scientific Natural Area, MN. On May 18 Melissa Bruesehoff saw her first Monarch of the year in Warren, MI; Steven Glynn observed six species including 13 ‘Karner’ Melissa Blues and 14 Frosted Elfins on May 25 in the Albany Pine Bush Preserve, NY; Chris Edwards reported a Spicebush Swallowtail, a rare stray to Iowa, on May 28 from Turkey Run Wildlife Area, IA. Also on May 28, Andy Birkey saw a range extending Giant Swallowtail and a range extending Eastern Pine Elfin at the Crystal Spring Scientific and Natural Area, Washington Co., MN. On June 4 Jerry McCormick submitted a nice list of nine species including 10 Macoun’s Arctics from Virginia, MN.
Other hot sightings included a June 6 report from Robert Bell of 15 species, including 16 Columbine Duskywings and two range-extending Mottled Duskywings from Harbor State Park, MI; a June 9 sighting from Bayou Teche NWR, North Unit, LA by Craig Marks of 13 species including eight Appalachian Browns in a persistent colony of this species. 36 species, including 510 Great Spangled Fritillaries, were seen by Chris Edwards and four others on June 16 at
by Michael Reese
Top
What a great way to start the spring — a Zebra Swallowtail nectaring on an Eastern Redbud!
May 3. Greenwood State Forest, Allegany Co., MD.
Bottom
Two Variable Checkerspots nectar at color-appropriate flowers.
May 17, 2018. Lockwood Valley, near Mission San Antonio de Padua, Monterey Co., CA.
David Amadio
Rebecca Riel
Shimek State Forest, IA. John Christensen, on June 24, reported five hairstreak species including an Oak Hairstreak, rare for this area, in the morning at Lillie Park South and late afternoon at Leonard Preserve, MI; and Renee Davis on June 25 saw a Milbert’s Tortoiseshell, a scarce species in Chenango Co., NY.
On June 30 Chris Blazo had a great butterfly day in Upper Horse Valley State Game Lands #245, PA seeing 27 species including 100+ Silver-spotted Skippers, 60+ Little Glassywings, and three Two-spotted Skippers. On July 3, Dan Thackaberry observed two Short-tailed Swallowtails in Nequac, Hay Island, NB; John J. Collins reported a Compton Tortoiseshell on July 3, the third report of this species in NJ this year, from Appalachian Trail - Canal Road, etc., NJ; Steven Glynn checked on a Sleepy Orange colony on July 4 and reported 26 individuals, a good number for this time of year, in Dix WMA, NJ; and Bart Jones reported an Appalachian Brown, a new Shelby County record during the Meeman-Shelby Forest NABA Count Circle, TN on July 7.
Other eastern butterflies of note included a Funereal Duskywing, a rare visitor to Iowa, reported by Chris Edwards on July 7 in the Yellow River State Forest and vicinity, IA; two King’s Hairsteaks were reported by Rick Borchelt on July 8 from Whaleyville, MD, on July 12. David L. Amadio reported 30 species, with swallowtails everywhere on milkweed blossoms — both Eastern Tiger Swallowtails and Canadian Tiger Swallowtails, while a Milbert’s Tortoiseshell was the real surprise in PA SGL#57, PA. On July 14, Susan Hengeveld saw a range-extending Regal Fritillary just west of Itasca SP, Clearwater Co., MN. John Christensen had seven Dukes’ Skippers on July 22 within Oak Openings Preserve Metropark., Lucas Co., OH. On July 24, Joanne Langabee saw 24 species, including a garden first Marine Blue in Lauritzen Garden, Douglas Co., NE, Thomas Bentley
Range Extensions (and one abundance record)
Top left
Giant Swallowtails are moving northward. This one was in Washington Co., MN on May 28.
Top right
Sheridan Hairstreaks were abundant on June 3 on Mt. Ashland, OR with around 150 individuals seen.
Second row left
This Eastern Pine Elfin was also in Washington Co., MN on May 28, slightly south of its known range.
Second row right
Marine Blues are extremely rare strays to eastern Nebraska. This one was seen on July 4 in Douglas Co., NE.
Third row left
Regal Fritillaries seem to be having a good year. This one was seen on July 18 in Clearwater Co., MN, slightly east of its known range.
Third row right
This Mottled Duskywing was found on June 9 in Presque Isle Co., MI, extending the known range northwestward (Robert Bell saw one here on June 6).
Bottom left
While European Skippers seem to be becoming less abundant in the Northeast, they are still expanding their range in the West. This individual, seen July 1 in the James Peak Wilderness, Gilpin Co., CO, moves the range further southeast.
Bottom right
Although Dukes’ Skippers were expected in southwestern Tennessee, this might be the first documentation of their occurrence there. June 23. Haywood Co., TN.
Andy Birkey
Susan Hengeveld
Joanne Langabee
John Christensen
Andy Birkey
Rob Santry
Allan Trently
Venice Kelly
had 27 species including five species of swallowtails and a lifer Hoary Edge at Fults Hill Prairie Nature Preserve, IL on July 27, and Andrew Block saw his first of the year Giant Swallowtail on July 28 in Wallkill River N.W.R., Vernon Twp., NJ.
Western butterfly highlights included a May 4 report by Venice Kelly from Farrell Dr. 2 miles west of Pinecliffe 8,200’ elevation, CO of three Green Commas and two Mourning Cloaks the day after 18 inches of snow fell. Bob Danley reported seven species, including his first of the year Two-banded CheckeredSkipper on May 14 in Pattee Canyon RA (Lolo NF) and Deer Creek Rd, MT; while Jeanette Klodzen, on May 20, had her first Two-banded Checkered-Skipper in six years of butterflying on Lamb’s Canyon Road to Trailhead, UT. On May 31 John Heyse had his first Large Marble in his yard in Crockett, CA; Rob Santry had 39 species, including 150 Sheridan’s Hairstreaks, the most he has ever had in a day, on a Driving Tour of Baldy Creek Road, Soda Mountain Road, and Mt. Ashland, OR. Brant Reif, on June 7, had 20 species including five lifers; Mexican Yellow, Palmer’s Metalmark, Theona Checkerspot, Red Satyr, and Nabokov’s Satyr in Peppersauce Canyon, AZ. William D. Beck observed 24 species, including four species of roadside-skippers, on Ruby Road nr Pena Blanca Lake, AZ on July 1. Also on July 1, Venice Kelly photographed a range-extending European Skipper in Gilpin Co., CO. Rob Santry had a few thousand Lindsey’s Skippers on June 11 on CascadeSiskiyou National Monument and Copco Road, OR, a rare Mardon Skipper on June 20 on Moon Prairie Road, Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, OR, and, on July 10, a lifer Ridings’ Satyr on Pine Mountain Road and Pine Mountain Observatory, OR. On July 27, Wanda Smith photographed a Harvester sipping honeydew from aphids on private property 2 miles north of Colmesneil, TX.
Florida butterfly highlights included a May 11 report from Ron Smith of a Zebra Swallowtail, only the third park record and
We all know that males are very selective about with whom they will mate (mate might be somewhat euphemistic).
Top
A male Falcate Orangetip either doesn’t realize that the female Olympia Marble nectaring at what appears to be a Mouseear Cress, is an inappropriate match for his unbridled ardor, or he doesn’t care (he couldn’t afford the jacket that would make this clear).
May 3, 2018. Green Ridge State Forest, Allegany Co., MD. Bottom
A male Dainty Sulphur behaves in a way that belies his name as he uses strong-wing tactics to try to force himself upon a female Barred Yellow. Unsurprisingly, she wins.
As in the top photo, the two species here aren’t even placed in the same genus.
June 22, 2018. Pinellas Co., FL.
David Amadio
JoAnna Clayton
the first since 2005 in Fort De Soto Park, FL; a submission of 37 species, including 137 Dusted Skippers on May 18 by Edward Perry IV in Bull Creek WMA, FL; a June 13 sighting by Bill Berthet of 317 Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, 233 Spicebush Swallowtails, and 505 Palamedes Swallowtails during a windshield survey for swallowtails at Osceola National Forest N.W. Block Sandlin Bay Area, FL. Additional Florida sightings included a June 14 submission by JoAnna N Clayton of 22 species including hundreds of White Checkered-Skippers at the 62nd Ave NE Water Treatment Plant St. Petersburg, FL; a June 16 report from Walter Wallenstein in Navy Wells, Homestead, FL of 16 of the U.S. Endangered Species Bartram’s Scrub-Hairstreak while Mark and Holly Salvato had 18 Bartram’s Scrub-Hairstreaks three weeks later on July 6; and Linda Cooper and 13 others recorded 54 species including six species of swallowtails and 22 skippers in Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park, FL. On July 20, Tom Palmer saw two Polydamas Swallowtails the first sighting of this species at Lake Blue Scrub, FL.
Whether you see an unusual butterfly, an early or late sighting of a common species, or have a complete list of the species you have seen, we would appreciate hearing from you. Please send your butterfly sightings to sightings@naba.org. Those who record your sightings to the Butterflies I’ve Seen website can just click on “email trip” and send it to the address given above. Your sightings will go into the larger database and will also be available for others to see on the Recent Sightings web page.
This page, top
A female Acmon Blue sees its shadow on May 3, 2018, signaling six more weeks of spring.
Near Pine Valley, San Diego Co., CA.
Cool photos!
Opposite Page Top
A Byssus Skipper, caught in delta wing position as it flies from its Pickerelweed lunch. Note the akimbo tegulum.
June 16, 2018. Tosohatchee WMA, Orange Co., FL.
Opposite Page Bottom
Apparently, someone rang the dinner bell, causing these ‘Florida’ Dusted Skippers to high-tail it onto a Yellow Thistle (yes, I know, it’s purple).
May 18, 2018. Bull Creek WMA, Osceola Co., FL.
Brett Badeaux
Contributors
Mary Ann Friedman holds a Masters’ Degree in Music with a specialization in voice. She is the compiler for three NABA Butterfly Counts in Florida and contributes to butterfly monitoring of the Western Panhandle including Eglin Air Force Base Reservation, Blackwater River State Forest and Nokuse Plantation. Mary Ann presents programs on butterflies and pollinators and she especially enjoys combining her interests in music and nature by creating concerts and multi-media presentations featuring butterfly inspired classical art songs and digital images.
Dean Jue, a bird-watcher and avid outdoor photographer for more than 30 years, began concentrating on butterflies in 2001. He received his undergraduate degree in zoology from the University of California at Berkeley. As research faculty at Florida State University (FSU), he coordinated the collection of distribution data for Florida’s rare and threatened butterfly species on conservation lands throughout the state. Now retired from FSU, he continues to conduct local butterfly surveys with his wife Sally and travels both domestically and internationally to see and photograph butterflies. He is president of the NABA chapter in Tallahassee, Florida and serves on the steering committee for the Imperiled Butterflies of Florida Working Group.
Mike Reese updates the NABA Recent Sightings web pages. He enjoys photographing wild flowers, birds, dragonflies, and, of course, butterflies. He is an educator in Wautoma, Wisconsin and has been recording and documenting the butterflies that are found there for over 15 years. He also maintains a website on the Butterflies of Wisconsin.
Curtis Serviss is a geologist living in Helena, MT. He holds an MS degree from the University of Missouri – Rolla in Geology and Geophysics and retired in 2008 after working for 30 years in the exploration, mining and environmental fields. He travels throughout the U.S. and Canada as a nature photographer and lecturer.
Harry Zirlin’s fascination with butterflies and other insects dates to his early childhood. He travels extensively in the United States, studying and photographing butterflies. He supports this passion by working as an attorney in the environmental area at the New York law firm of Debevoise & Plimpton.
Readers Write
Fireflies
The magic of fireflies continues to delight me every time I slow down and watch them during summery dusks. Thanks for including the article about fireflies in the Summer 2018 American Butterflies. I knew nothing about their development until reading the article nor was I aware that there were so many species. Even though I tried and tried to catch the ones on the ground as a preteen, success was never achieved. The article makes my behavior seem less crazy and might induce me to try it again on a summer’s evening.
Pam Skaar, Madison, WI
Recent Sightings
After checking NABA’s Recent Sightings page, I was able to locate Eastern Neck Wildlife Refuge in Kento Co., MD and finally get to see and get wonderful photos of Zebra Swallowtails. Thank you for providing a way to help with my quest (I posted by experience — a first time for me — in hopes of helping someone else.). The magazines are wonderful. Suzanne Trice, Hulock MD.
Pawpaws
I was very pleased to see the article about pawpaws and Zebra Swallowtails. This is a topic we’ve been concerned about here in Osceola County where I volunteer as a Master Gardener at the UF/IFAS Extension Center. Pawpaws are the only preferred caterpillar host plants for this wonderful butterfly. Due to the pace of development in our county and counties nearby, a lot of natural habitat containing pawpaws has been lost. Because pawpaws are not necessarily “showy” plants, they are not often the choice of homeowners. In our presentations, we are making people aware of this, and encouraging homeowners and associations to plant pawpaws to provide food for this species. I appreciate American Butterflies and enjoy reading it.
Bill Silberman, Celebration, FL
Early Readers!
My entire family, including my 3-year old daughter, reads the magazine with great interest every time it arrives.
Sam Damon, Sutton, VT
