Great Spangled Sex

I've been watching dozens of Great and Variegated Spangled Fritillaries in our back field for the past week or so. They're amazing to watch - fast moving, flashes of bright orange against the green grass. I've only seen them come to rest a few times.

Today I came across this hidden in the grass. I had the uncomfortable feeling of being voyeuristic as I peered through trying to figure out exactly what it was.

Yep, Great Spangled sex!

This photo makes me chuckle. I love what looks like an "expression" on the left butterfly:

In the above photos you can see the gorgeous silver spangles on their underwings. (they flash bright metallic silver in the sunlight) 

This photo shows the two connected by the male's claspers:

In the next few weeks we can expect a decrease in female Great Spangled sightings as they go into hiding before laying their eggs in late August/early September. She'll lay approximately 2,000 eggs (wow! most butterflies lay 100-200) on various violet plants. The eggs will hatch 3-4 weeks later and the first larvae will drop to the ground where they'll  hibernate over the winter without eating (and hopefully without being eaten).

When the larvae emerge from hibernation in April, they're at the base of young, succulent violet plants which they voraciously dine on until they become a spiny black caterpillar nearly 2" long. Here's a post from earlier this spring on the Great Spangled Fritillary larva I found in the garden under a clump of violets.


(note that most of the technical information was gleaned from books and various respected sites, one of which is the lovely blog Springfield Plateau. Just a heads-up, you'll want to be careful Googling "butterfly sex!")

Meet Milbert

This has been quite the year for butterflies so far. Seems like every day there's a new visitor to the yard. Or two. Or three.

Today's visitor: Milbert's Tortoiseshell.

It doesn't look that impressive closed, but when it opens it's very distinctive:

We've now spotted in our yard all three tortoiseshells that are found in Minnesota (Compton's, Mourning Cloak and good ole Milbert).

Great Spangled Fritillary Larva

While weeding around our poppies I found this caterpillar at the base of a violet clump. (I love violets and tend to leave them, until they form large masses, then out they go.)

Glad I left them! Violets are the main food source for the Great Spangled Fritillary larva, which I was able to ID thanks to the wonderful resources at BugGuide.net.

Chasing March Butterflies

Last year at this time we had several feet of snow on the ground and were worried about flooding in the St. Croix River Valley.

This year, it's March 18th and I'm out chasing butterflies in 80 degree weather.

The warm weather has stymied the maple sap run throughout most of the Upper Midwest, and what little sap is seeping from the trees attracts dozens of insects, including the first butterflies of the year.

At first I thought there was just one species, but after much patience with the camera, it looks like there may be three, all of which hibernate as adults. (and, since I'm doing all this ID using my "Golden Guide on Butterflies and Moths," please let me know if I've mis-ID'd something!)

The first one I spotted was the Comma:

Here's the silhouette of a Comma drinking sap from the maple:

This one I immediately noticed was different because of the light edging on the wings:

Here's a side view that shows the dark texture of the wings:

 
 Then it opened. It's a Mourning Cloak:

Thought I'd try to get a better shot of the Comma and realized that this butterfly was not a Comma. Turns out it's a Compton Tortoise Shell:

Here's the underside of the Compton's wings:

This one just makes me smile:

Can't think of a better way to spend a March day! Might have to check the trees out tonight to see if moths visit...