Αύγουστος 23, 2023

Lepidoptera of Ukraine

Today, August 23, is Ukrainian National Flag Day, and tomorrow, August 24, is Ukrainian Independence Day, marking 32 years for Ukraine as an independent country.

As my way of celebrating these Ukrainian national holidays, I encourage you to visit the iNaturalist project page, Lepidoptera of Ukraine, at https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/lepidoptera-of-ukraine . Ukraine is quite the biodiverse country, from the montane conifer forest of the far western Carpathians to the central European mixed forest of the northwest, the forest steppe of the northeast, the open southern grassland steppes, and along the southern coast of Crimea, the Submediterranean Forest Complex. This great diversity likely yields correspondingly diverse communities of butterflies and moths.

Last but not least, I've been amazed by how many Ukrainians have been posting observations on iNaturalist, despite the ongoing events of this terrible war.

Posted on Αύγουστος 23, 2023 1038 ΜΜ by iowabiologist iowabiologist | 0σχόλια | Αφήστε ένα σχόλιο

Ιούνιος 19, 2017

Painted Lady Migrations and Outbreaks this Spring

Painted Ladies have been on the move this spring. Their first generation may have gotten started in southern California during the enormous February-April bloom of desert annuals that provided abundant food plants for their caterpillars. Although there didn't seem to be a widespread Painted Lady outbreak across California - instead I received reports of small numbers there for the most part - there have been scattered reports of large outbreaks in the western U.S. and Canada between early April and now. These include:

Nevada southwest of Las Vegas: April 3 - 5, 2017. On April 3 and 4, Painted Ladies were flying from west to east at rates of 5 per minute or more for periods of 4 and 6 hours respectively. Activity had greatly decreased on April 5, with only about 10 spotted during a half-hour period around 10 am.

Albuquerque, New Mexico: Mid- to late May 2017. Painted Ladies were present in large numbers here since perhaps the middle of May. Hundreds were seen nectaring on a linden tree on May 26.

Alberta, Canada, between Red Deer and Edmonton (south to north) and Alder Flats and Innisfree (west to east): Painted Ladies have been abundant in this area since about June 5, and continued to be as of June 17.

Northwest Iowa, Orange City and near Calumet: June 15. Fresh Painted Ladies were locally abundant in Orange City and also at Iowa State University's Northwestern Research Farm south of Calumet. About 20 were seen within a half hour at each location. Another observation suggested that this abundant population was somewhat localized on June 15. Two other sites near Newell, in west central Iowa about 60 km southeast of Calumet, had only a few or none on the same date. Nor were Painted Ladies present farther east in the Mason City, Eagle Grove, or Ames areas on June 16, although weather conditions were likewise favorable.

If you see Painted Ladies in your area, including larger numbers such as described in the above reports, please report them here or at http://vanessa.ent.iastate.edu.

Posted on Ιούνιος 19, 2017 0841 ΜΜ by iowabiologist iowabiologist | 0σχόλια | Αφήστε ένα σχόλιο

Απρίλιος 10, 2017

Red Admirals Migrating through the upper Midwestern U.S.

Look out for Red Admirals! Large numbers of these butterflies have been migrating northward across the upper Midwest and southern Ontario, Canada in the last few days in the wake of a strong flow of warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico. Some observers have also seen either Painted or American Ladies flying with them. This wave of butterflies has appeared over a wide area of the upper Midwest from northeastern Kansas to Minneapolis, central Iowa, and southwestern Wisconsin within a relatively short time, between April 6 and April 9, suggesting a sudden incursion from elsewhere. To further support this possibility, there has been one report of a steady stream of northbound Red Admirals and Painted Ladies throughout the day on April 8 in Polk County in central Iowa.

Posted on Απρίλιος 10, 2017 0759 ΜΜ by iowabiologist iowabiologist | 1 παρατήρηση | 0σχόλια | Αφήστε ένα σχόλιο

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