Tagged With: Lepidoptera

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

Photograph taken on Saturday, August 13, 2022 by Henry
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

Cathy and I went to the Montgomery County Agricultural History Farm Park this afternoon and enjoyed the butterflies on the flowers. After being really overgrown during ‘the summer of covid’ it’s back in good shape this year and really lovely now. There were lots of skippers and I saw what I suspect was a fritillary but I really didn’t get a good enough look at it. It was the right color and size, though. There were both ‘standard’ and the dark-morph females. There was also a monarch flitting around but never let me get very close. The sulphurs and whites were likewise fairly skittish. So, I was pleased to get this one.

Categories: Creatures, Flowers and Plants | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme)

Photograph taken on Saturday, August 20, 2022 by Henry
Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme)

Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme)

We were back at the Ag. History Farm Park today. I mostly took photos of butterflies and managed to get a pretty good shot of this sulphur. They tend not to stay in one place very long but this one gave me a pretty good opportunity. I’m not sure which species of sulphur this is and there are quite a few that are fairly similar. If I had to guess, I’d say it’s a species of Colias, but I’m really not sure. In any case, it was a beautiful day, not as hot as it’s been, and we were very happy to be outdoors.

Update: it’s been identified as an orange sulphur (Colias eurytheme).

Categories: Creatures | Tags: , , , , , , | Comments Off on Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme)

Euptoieta claudia (Variegated Fritillary)

Photograph taken on Sunday, September 04, 2022 by Henry
Euptoieta claudia (Variegated Fritillary)

Euptoieta claudia (Variegated Fritillary)

Late this spring we were given a box of dahlia roots by our friend Anna. I planted a bunch of them in what was originally my vegetable garden. That garden transitioned from vegetables to herbs a few years ago and has since been overrun by oregano. I dug out over half of the oregano, which won’t slow it down all that much, to plant the dahlias. We have our first buds and I took a few pictures this afternoon. Then I noticed this variegated fritillary (Euptoieta claudia) in the yard and was able to get one good picture before it flew away.

Categories: Miscellaneous | Tags: , , , , , , | Comments Off on Euptoieta claudia (Variegated Fritillary)

Monarch (Danaus plexippus)

Photograph taken on Sunday, July 16, 2023 by Henry
Monarch (Danaus plexippus)

Monarch (Danaus plexippus)

Mom and I came home from North Carolina today, after yesterday’s reunion. Cathy had been to church and was visiting her mom when I got home. We drove to the Ag. History Farm Park where there were a few dahlias in bloom and we walked through the garden to see them and then through the demonstration garden. In the sun it was really hot and the humidity was stifling. Sitting in the shade where there was a slight breeze was bearable, but even that was quite warm. We moved to the other parking area and walked down to the trail by the stream, walking through the woods. We were out of the sun, although the air was quite still. We saw a great blue heron, but only as it flew away. I took a few pictures, but not many. By the time we got back to the car we were drenched in sweat. This monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) was in the meadow as we returned to the car.

Categories: Miscellaneous | Tags: , , , , , , | Comments Off on Monarch (Danaus plexippus)

Battus philenor (Pipevine Swallowtail)

Photograph taken on Wednesday, August 14, 2024 by Henry
Battus philenor (Pipevine Swallowtail)

Battus philenor (Pipevine Swallowtail)

Cathy and I took the day off from work and went up to Pennsylvania today to visit with Dorothy and two of her good friends, Jack and Katie. We had a lovely time with them, spending some time on the Gettysburg battlefield and then going to our property and hanging out a bit. We marked a trail through the woods that Dorothy wants to clear and Dorothy worked a little in the orchard, moving some sticks around. She has a little garden plot that’s the start of something bigger.

I saw this pipevine swallowtail (Battus philenor) on a thistle (Cirsium species) and was able to get a pretty good photo.

Categories: Miscellaneous | Tags: , , , , , , | Comments Off on Battus philenor (Pipevine Swallowtail)

Red-spotted Purple and Tufted Titmouse

Photograph taken on Saturday, August 31, 2024 by Henry
Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax)

Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax)

Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)

Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)

We went to great falls this afternoon and walked on the Goldmine Loop and then the Woodland Trail and back by the Burma Road, and finally down to the towpath and back to the parking area. The woods were quiet and it was a very nice walk. We didn’t see or even hear many birds in the woods but it was still really pleasant, if a bit warm and humid. We saw a butterfly that I didn’t recognize. Looking it up after getting home I found that it’s a red-spotted purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax). I think it’s a beautiful butterfly in the genus Limenitis, the admirals and viceroy butterflies.

When we were on the Burma Road over Widewater we saw a cormorant and then down on the canal we saw more butterflies and a few little grey birds in the cattails. At first we couldn’t figure out what it was but then one hopped up onto a blade in plain sight and we could tell that they were tufted Titmice (Baeolophus bicolor).

I would definitely walk this trail again. I think it would be especially nice in the spring.

Categories: Creatures | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Red-spotted Purple and Tufted Titmouse