The butterfly in the above image is a Viceroy. It’s sometimes confused with a Monarch butterfly because of its coloration, orange background with black and white markings. Some key differences in the two are that Viceroys are smaller than Monarchs, have a more rapid wing beat, and the Viceroy has a transverse bar across its rear wings which the Monarch lacks. The host food of Monarchs is milkweed. Viceroys prefer willows, so your chances of seeing a Viceroy are increasedRead more
Posts tagged: #Viceroy
Some close encounters
I’ve been seeing more cicadas on the paths during the past week, some alive, some expired. Not as close as the cicada, but close enough… The “tail” on the butterfly above is usually longer than it appears in the photo. This butterfly may have narrowly escaped being eaten, the predator getting only a portion of the “tail” not the butterfly itself. The tail is actually an extension of the wings like the tails on a swallowtail butterfly. It won’t beRead more
Which Way does the Wind Blow
I was checking out the local bird listserv, Carolinabirds, and saw a posting that had a link to a web site which displays the current wind direction and speed accross the entire country (it may take a while to load). At this moment (1:10 PM 5/3/12) the winds in our area are coming from the southwest after sweeping NW across Florida, turning north across Georgia and South Carolina, and finally curving around towards the northeast in North Carolina. That same windRead more
Viceroys and a Cruiser
Two Viceroy Caterpillars were seen crossing the path on 19 April. One was in Explore the Wild and the other, Catch the Wind. Viceroy butterflies lay their eggs on willow, poplar, cottonwood and cherry. However, willows are favored. Where there are willows, there are Viceroys. They overwinter as larvae, rolled up in a silk covered leaf among the leaf liter on the ground. Viceroy larvae bear a resemblance to bird droppings, the better to be passed over as food. ARead more
Pearl Crescent and others
In this past week of crisp cool weather, I found many butterflies of many different species. Here are just a handful. Pearl Crescent I’m sometimes asked why this butterfly is named Pearl Crescent. You have to see the underside of the hindwing to get the answer to that question, and this butterfly often pumps its wings up and down while perched, making it difficult to see the underwing. Persistence will get you a glimpse at a small whitish crescent on theRead more
Flowers, Butterflies, Odes, Birds, Snappers, and the Fox
Dame’s Rocket and Blackberry are in bloom. Butterflies find the early blooming blackberries rather tempting. More species of dragonflies and damselflies have been emerging recently. A first-of-the-season Carolina Saddlebags (Tramea carolina) was seen on 29 April as was a new species for the Museum, a Prince Baskettail (Epitheca princeps). I had thought that I spied one of these Common Baskettail (Epitheca cynosura) relatives last year, but couldn’t be certain. The sighting on the 29th confirmed it. On April 23, I witnessed the matingRead more
August’s Insects
Two spiders to look for in both August and September are the Green Lynx Spider (Puecetia viridans) and the Black-and-Yellow Argiope (ar-guy’-o-pee) Spider (Argiope aurantia). The lynx spiders may be found lying in wait on goldenrod, or other flowers, to pounce on nectar-loving insects. The Argiope, one of the most familiar orb weavers in our area, is often seen at this time of year waiting patiently on its web for hapless flying or jumping insects to ensnare themselves in the web. August addedRead more
Autumn Meadowhawk
Right on cue, Autumn Meadowhawks have appeared on the scene (see Autumn Meadowhawks, Explore the Wild Journal, September 16-30, 2008). The first one that caught my eye was on October 19 following the rains brought in by a passing cold front. These rather small dragonflies have a red abdomen and yellowish or straw-colored legs (they were formerly known as Yellow-legged Meadowhawks). Although I’ve seen them in May, they’re typically late-season fliers. The best place to look for Autumn Meadowhawks onRead more
Locust Borer and Late Butterflies
Although mentioned in the last installment of the Explore the Wild Journal, a picture of a Two-lined Spittlebug was not displayed. More spittlebugs have been showing up and I was able to get a nice shot of one (image at right). There was a Locust Borer on the Goldenrod alongside the Wetlands (photo at left). Although I’ve seen Locust Borers on other flowers, Goldenrod is a good place to look for them. They blend in very well with the flowersRead more