Just joined over two weeks ago ,but this is my first post here. These are a few of my husbands pics he made this last summer/fall in our garden.
New Member Photos
this isn't a butterfly, but almost as cute !
sorry, forgot to attach the pic --- told you I was new !!!!
I know, but I can't find my butterfly pics, and i ran across these and HAD to put them somewhere - sorry. Seems I'm offending several folks tonight
Corgimom,
Excellent!!! That is an awesome looking skipper. Big buggers aren't they! Fabulous looking butterfly bush too. I've seen many photos of butterflies nectaring from them...I really must make it a point to go buy one at the garden center before Spring.
Thanks for sharing...even that fly :o)
~ Cat
these are all over here and they look exactly like the native flower they feed off. Not too many butterflies here in Montucky.
Very nice pictures- I love the fly one.
Very nice pictures! I really like them all alot. Nice colors, and nice and clear.
I just wanted to say WELCOME to Corgimom! And nice pics! BTW, I had to go looking around for the forum...so glad it's moved to Garden Talk!
DG folks sure are nice ! I have finally started my DG diary, so ya'll ( I am from the south, you noticed !!) can click on my name and take a peek. Still not quite sure what I am doing and if it is right, but just jumped in there anyway. Thanks for all your help and suggestions!
corgimon, lovely to see your butterfly and fly pictures. The butterfly is the Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) http://www.wisconsinbutterflies.org/butterflies/species/207
Soferdig, your butterfly is a colour form of the Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) http://www.nearctica.com/butter/plate13/Scybele.htm
So how do you start to ID butterflies. It takes too long to look through the book.
How do you ID butterflies? Research...research...research :o)
Actually if you can familiarize yourself with the seven main families it is easier to narrow the identification down. Of course, being cognizant of what butterflies live or migrate through your state helps too.
I carry my Kaufman Focus Guide: Butterflies of North America with me all the time. I can figure out the swallowtails, blues and most of the brushfoots...but am confuzzled with all the white, yellow and the gazillion skippers!
At least I can ID the big tropical skippers and a few of the broad winged ones we get here...but those small grass ones drive me nuts...they all look the same!
~ Cat
I need to get a purse so I can carry all the books I need to learn all the things i get to learn. I thought you could just give me a simple answer. Research is fun but I am working too many areas. Thank you Cat.
Soferdig, don't get discouraged. If you ID your plants, then you can ID your butterflies too. It just takes looking at them a few times then they don't all look the same.
Here is a link to a site that shows you what butterflies are in your area. http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/bflyusa/mt/toc.htm#swallowtai
You can get an idea of the main families by this. Once you start seeing what is in your area you start to remember other ones too. For instance, in my garden I have just a few regulars: Black Swallowtails, Monarchs, Gulf Fritillaries, Sulphurs, and some Skippers, but that is only 1 or 2 of each family.
Reading threads and looking at everyone's pics is a great way of educating yourself, and usually someone else does the research.
Thanks for that site it is easy to use. Now I can start but none of those were the one I was looking for. It was similar to the coppers.
Oh, so you have seen something you are trying to ID? That can be tough because they are not always listed on these sites. Without a picture you have to just research and hope you find a pic of one somewhere.
Google can always find you some site with pics to go thru. I don't bookmark many sites anymore, but here is one that I have used before:
http://troyb.com/photo/gallery/index.htm
You can always go to the library or even to the bookstore and just sit and look thru their books. The Butterflies thru Binocular series has great books. Just go look thru one until you find your visitor. Good luck!
I don't know why but this copper Bfly has exactly the same tones as the flower it feeds on, the same pattern, the same size black spots. Things like that make me want to dig into the details of why did that happen. What are its ranges? What does its larval form look like? Etc There is a story in it for me.
That's interesting! This is where the digital camera is your best friend, otherwise you must put some effort into the research. Post a pic or let us know if you find it.
They arrive around late july for 2 to 3 weeks and then dissapear. Millions of them. I'll photo next year.
Millions? Surely that would be fairly easy to find out. You've got me curious now! Yes, please do take a picture!