Photobombed by a Skipper

While taking the photograph below of a Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia) plant in one of our native landscaping gardens, a skipper flew into my photograph at the last second...

 

Why So Blue When You Can Be White, Yellow, or Pink?

Back on 21-23 May 2012, I was in northwest Indiana to conduct Karner Blue Butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis, aka Plebejus melissa samuelis) monitoring.  My coworkers may think I'm being a fairweather fieldworker on days that I do these surveys, as they have to be conducted between 8 AM and 6 PM, it can't be raining, it can't be too cloudy or windy, and it has to be above 60 degrees Fahrenheit, but I assure them I'm doing it for the butterflies.  It is no lie that I look forward to spending perfect field days searching for a Federally Endangered butterfly.  Does fieldwork get any better than this?

Male Karner Blue Butterfly on Bracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum)

With the strange weather this spring, picking the best week for my surveys was like me throwing a dart at an accelerating Ferrari.  As I pointed out in a previous post that discussed the life cycle of the Karner Blue Butterfly, each individual lives just one week, and it is best to conduct surveys during the peak flight of the population.  Luckily, I had some help from some friends at The Nature Conservancy and Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in deciding when to conduct my first brood surveys .

Female Karner Blue Butterfly on Wild Lupine (Lupinus perennis var. occidentalis)

The Blues (Lycaenidae) are an interesting group of small blue butterflies.  There are several similar species or subspecies with very small geographical ranges scattered throughout North America, such as the Palos Verde Blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus palosverdesensis) in the Palos Verde Peninsula of California, the El Segundo Blue (Euphilotes battoides allyni) in southern California, the Miami Blue (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri) in southern Florida, the Fender's Blue (Icaricia icarioides fenderi) in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, and most famously the Xerces Blue (Glaucopsyche xerces), an extinct species previously known from San Francisco whose demise was said to be a result of habitat loss due to urban development.  Luckily for me as a botanist who does butterfly surveys, there aren't too many species around here that look similar to the Karner Blue, and those species that do look somewhat similar can be easily distinguished with a bit of patience.

Male Eastern Tailed Blue

Take a close look at the butterfly in the photograph above.  This is an Eastern Tailed Blue (Cupido comyntas), a species that can be confused with the Karner Blue, that lives in the same habitat (but a broader range of habitats), and that also feeds on legumes.  Looking at the hind wing, you can see a small "tail" that easily allows you to tell that this is not a Karner Blue.  In addition, Eastern Tailed Blues may have a couple of orange spots on the hind wing, but there isn't as much orange as on a female Karner Blue, and the male Karner blue has no orange spots on the upper surface of the wings.  Eastern Tailed Blues are generally slightly smaller than Karner Blues, and with some experience you can begin to see differences in the flight patterns of the two species.

Male Spring Azure

Yet another small blue butterfly that inhabits savannas and prairies (as well as other habitats) is the Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon), which is nearly impossible to tell from the Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta) aside from time of year that they are flying.  The azures can easily be distinguised from Karner Blues, as they lack orange entirely on their wings.  Still, when doing surveys for Karner Blues, it's worth checking every small blue butterfly that you see.

Of course, while doing butterfly surveys, I have to photograph a few plants that grow in the same plant communties where Karner Blue Butterflies occur.

Wild Lupine

It is impossible to discuss Karner Blue Butterflies without discussing Wild Lupine (Lupinus perennis var. occidentalis).  Wild Lupine is considered the "host plant" for the Karner Blue Butterfly, meaning that the larvae feed on the foliage of Wild Lupine.  The problem is that Wild Lupine is the only host plant for the Karner Blue Butterfly, and habitat for Wild Lupine is declining.  This variety of Wild Lupine is known from the Great Lakes and many Atlantic Coast states, where it grows in sandy soils of prairies, oak savannas, woodlands, pine barrens, and dunes.

Wild Lupine

On occasion while searching through Wild Lupine populations you come across an oddball, such as the plant pictured above.  Wild Lupine plants with white flowers are known as Lupinus perennis var. occidentalis forma leucanthus.  You can see that one of the flowers in the inflorescence above is close to the normal color, so this plant seems almost intermediate between the typical form and forma leucanthus.

Hairy Puccoon

It is nearly impossible to talk about Wild Lupine without mentioning Hairy Puccoon (Lithospermum croceum), as the two are almost always found growing together, they flower at the same time, and their flower colors compliment each other so well.  In addition, Hairy Puccoon is one of the Karner Blue Butterfly's nectar species, meaning that the adults feed on its flowers.  Hairy Puccoon can be confused with Hoary Puccoon (Lithospermum canescens), with which it sometimes grows.  The leaves of Hairy Puccoon have a rougher pubescence and the leaves are more pointed at the tips, whereas those of Hoary Puccoon are soft gray pubescent and more blunt at the tips.  Hairy Puccoon is known from much of the central part of North America, where it grows in sandy soils of prairies, savannas, barrens, dunes open woodlands, and beach ridges.

Sand Coreopsis

Sand Coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata) is another showy early-blooming species of sandy prairies, savannas, barrens, and open woodlands.  It, too, is a Karner Blue Butterfly nectar species.  Although the North American range of this widely distributed composite includes two Canadian provinces and the entire lower 48 minus the Dakotas, Montana, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona (it is even introduced in Hawaii), its range in Indiana is much smaller than one might think, being found naturally primarily only in the northwest corner of the state.  Sand Coreopsis is widely planted and seeded in prairie "restorations" as well as in native landscaping outside of its true range.

Pasture Rose

Also in the sand prairies and savannas of northwest Indiana that Karner Blue Butterflies call their home grows a low-profile thorny species with large pink five-petaled flowers that have a wonderful fragrance.  This is Pasture Rose (Rosa carolina var. carolina), a shrub of the eastern half of North America.  Carolina Rose, as it is also known, grows in sandy or rocky soils of prairies, savannas, open woodlands, and glades.  Karner Blue Butterflies also feed on the nectar of this species.

Clasping Milkweed

I've posted about the ecological functionality of the milkweeds (Asclepias) in the past, so I won't go into detail here.  If you look at the left side of the inflorescence in the photogrpah above, you will see a caterpillar of a Monarch (Danaus plexippus), a butterly species that uses milkweeds as its host plant.  You can also see the broadly clasping and wavy-margined leaves characteristic of this species in the photograph... this is Clasping Milkweed (Asclepias amplexicaulis), a species of prairies, savannas, sand blowouts, glades, open woodlands, and dunes throughout the eastern half of the United States.  Although this species is apparently not a known Karner Blue Butterfly nectar species, several other members of the genus Asclepias are, and I wouldn't be surprised to find a Karner Blue feeding on Clasping Milkweed flowers.

Woolly Beachheather

When you think of Indiana, you probably don't have a mental picture that looks like the photograph above, with sparse vegetation in pure sand.  The minimal amount of this habitat in the state is why the shrub in the photograph is considered threateneed in the Indiana.  This is Woolly Beachheather (Hudsonia tomentosa), a plant known from an area northeast of a line from the Northwest Territories to North Carolina.  Sand Heather, as it is also called, is a species of conservation concern in six additional states.  It grows in sand blowouts, savannas, dunes, and pine barrens in areas with little competition from other plants.

I must be a botanist... this post started out about butterflies and ended with photographs of more plant species than butterfly species!

A Fen-tastic Saturday Morning, Part III

In my previous two posts, I discussed the plant communities and some of the plants present in three of northeastern Indiana's highest quality fens. While botanizing these preserves, Nate Simons and I noticed a few common butterflies and moths that certainly deserve a place on this blog.


In the photograph above, a Monarch (Danaus plexippus) is feeding on nectar from Spotted Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatoriadelphus maculatus). Monarchs are protected by chemicals they obtain as caterpillars that are toxic and taste bad to potential predators. These heart toxins come from milkweeds (Asclepias spp.), and are often many times stronger in the Monarch caterpillar than they are in a milkweed plant.

While most people are familiar with the phenomenon of bird migration, relatively few are aware that millions of Monarchs depart on similar journeys each fall and spring. Many of our butterfly species overwinter as adults, caterpillars, or pupae; however, our winters are just too cold for Monarchs, so they annually travel south (some up to 3000 miles!) at the end of our warm season. Monarchs who have summer homes in eastern North America all travel to the Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico, whereas those in western North America make their way to California. To stay warm during their migration and during the winter, congregations of up to tens of thousands of Monarchs cluster together on a single tree. I hope to someday visit the Sierra Madre Mountains in February to see this amazing sight. As seen on the Journey North webpage, this year's Monarch migration is already underway!

The most amazing part about this migration phenomenon is that the butterflies that migrate this year are several generations removed from those that migrated last year. Once Monarchs return back to North America in the spring, they lay eggs in March and April and then die soon after. Those eggs eventually develop into caterpillars, then into adults that lay eggs and then die. The next generation hatches in May or June, and the next generation after that is born in July or August. Finally, after all of these adults have lived their short lives, another generation is born in September or October. It is this generation that migrates, hibernates, mates, then migrates back to North America to lay eggs and die. One of the great mysteries of our natural world is how the migrating generation of Monarchs knows where to go each fall, as it was their great-great-grandparents, who died several months earlier, that last made the long journey to Mexico or California.


After reviewing the fritillaries in several of my resources, I came to the conclusion that the butterfly above is an Aphrodite Fritillary (Speyeria aphrodite). On another of my photos, the silver spots on the hindwing undersides of this butterfly are conspicuous. Aphrodite Fritillaries have only a single brood each year, with adults typically present from June to September. Eggs are laid in the late summer and caterpillars hatch in the late summer or early fall. The caterpillars then overwinter and begin feeding on violets (Viola spp.) the following spring.


Question marks and commas aren't just forms of punctuation, you know. In fact, they are both species of butterflies. The butterflies going by these names are also quite similar in appearance. When looking at the upper surface, the two species can be distinguished by looking for an extra dark spot on the forewing present in Question Marks (Polygonia interrogationis) but not in Eastern Commas (Polygonia comma). This extra spot is the horizontal rectangle near the top and outside edge of the forewing on the Question Mark shown above.


Another way to tell a Question Mark from an Eastern Comma is to look at the underside of the hindwing, where each species bears the tiny silvery punctuation symbol for which it is named. As seen above, this butterfly is therefore a Question Mark; an Eastern Comma would lack the dot underneath the comma on the underside of the hindwing. Another way to tell the two similar species apart is that Question Marks have longer hindwing tails than do Eastern Commas.

In addition to feeding on nectar from flowers, Question Marks also feed on tree sap, decaying fruit, animal droppings, and carrion. They often overwinter as adults.


The first three species highlighted in this post are butterflies, but the caterpillar above is that of a moth. Specifically, this grayish-green larva is the caterpillar of the Hitched Arches Moth (Melanchra adjuncta), feeding on leaves of Ohio Goldenrod (Solidago ohioensis, or Oligoneuron ohioense). Thanks to Ben Hess of Ben and Joy, who let me know that Janet Creamer of Indy Parks Nature Blog and Midwest Native Plants, Gardens, and Wildlife had identified this caterpillar for him just a few weeks ago. And thanks, Janet!

That wraps up my account of my visit to some of the fens of northeastern Indiana this September. As you can see, these unique communities are home to a nice variety of unique plants and animals, but my reports barely scratch the surface.

Goose Pond Fauna, And A Final Note On The Goose Pond Biodiversity Survey

I've already posted in general about the recent Goose Pond Biodiversity Survey, and in more detail about the results of our vascular plant survey, so this post will be dedicated to the fauna observed during the event.

The bird highlight for me was seeing so many Black-necked Stilts (Himantopus mexicanus) throughout the marsh communities. Aptly named for the black plumage on the backs of their necks and the long, pink legs, this shorebird species was not known to breed in Indiana until as recently as 2005. With the restoration of ~4,000 acres of marsh habitat, Goose Pond is now a hot spot for this otherwise primarily coastal species, as 19 Black-necked Stilts were tallied during the two-day survey.


In the seeded prairies, Sedge Wrens (Cistothorus platensis) were singing constantly. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get photos of the Henslow's Sparrows (Ammodramus henslowii) that were also giving their insect-like "tsilik" songs from the same prairies. Both of these grassland species are listed as State Endangered in Indiana, and without the installation of ~1400 acres of prairie on the preserve, they would not be as successful in Greene County, Indiana as they are today.


A common butterfly, Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), has also benefitted somewhat from the restoration at Goose Pond; however, this species is widespread and often thrives in weedy old-field areas as well as prairies. If you're not watching for butterflies, this one can go undetected, as its wingspan only totals ~1 inch.


The much more conspicuous species shown below is a female Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes), which has a wingspan of 3 1/4 to 4 1/4 inches. Black Swallowtails are found throughout the eastern 2/3 of the continental United States, in all sorts of open habitats.


Thanks to Don Gorney and Sandy Belth for verifying my butterfly identifications.

The Smartweed Caterpillar (Acronicta oblinita) is a common species of open, often moist habitats throughout eastern North America. As the common name implies, larvae of this species often feed on smartweeds (Polygonum spp.), but they will also feed on a variety of other plant species including forbs, shrubs, and trees. As an adult moth, this species is known as a Smeared Dagger Moth. Identification in the field was made by Ben Hess.


One of the common dragonflies observed at Goose Pond was the Common Whitetail (Plathemis lydia, aka Libellula lydia), a member of the group known as Skimmers. Common Whitetails display sexual dimorphism, as the males (shown below) and females look quite different. This conspicuous species can be found in nearly any wet area throughout the Lower 48, as well as in southeastern Canada.


Another common dragonfly found in abundance at Goose Pond was the Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis). Another "Skimmer," this species is also widespread, found in all types of wet areas throughout most of the contiguous United States and into portions of southern Canada. In the photograph below, the male Blue Dasher is shown in "obelisk" position, a posture taken to reduce the amount of surface area exposed to the sun to prevent overheating. As you can see in this Wikipedia link, the posture of the Blue Dasher below is in fact reminiscent of an obelisk.


For most of the two days, my eyes were focused on the ground, so my fauna observations were limited. However, the article below, printed in the Bloomington Herald Times, gives a nice recap of the wildlife that was observed, and of the biodiversity survey in general.

Portrait of life: Goose Pond biodiversity survey paints a picture of wildlife that call southern Indiana wetlands home
By Dawn Hewitt
7/25/2010
Who would have dreamed that bog lemmings live at Goose Pond? The small rodent is found in grassy openings in forests and forest edges, especially where sedges, ferns and shrubs grow, and not in corn and soybean fields. Somehow, the hardy little mammals survived a century of draining, plowing, row crops, pesticides, fertilizers and bulldozing during wetlands restoration.

The critter was one of thousands caught and cataloged July 16 and 17 during the first Goose Pond Biodiversity Survey. The newly restored, 8,000-plus acre state fish and wildlife area is teeming with life. The bird species the wetlands have attracted have been well documented and jaw-dropping at times. But what else is out there?

Scientists from across the state and beyond joined forces to address that question. Organized and co-sponsored by the Indiana Academy of Science and Friends of Goose Pond, 82 biologists, including botanists, ichthyologists, lepidopterists and other entomologists, herpetologists, mammalogists, ornithologists and biogeochemists went into the fields and marshes in an attempt to paint a two-day, summertime picture of all life forms present there.

While the lemming was a shocking find, many scientists were more impressed with the sheer numbers of organisms found.

“We didn’t find anything exceptional, but the abundance is phenomenal,” said herpetologist team leader Daryl Kerns, with the IAS and a biology professor at Hanover College. The school’s Rivers Institute was also a key player in organizing the event.

Goose Pond property manager Brad Feaster provided some preliminary results:
• Vascular plants: more than 400 species identified so far
• Beetles: 79 species and counting
• Butterflies: 47 species
• Moths: 41 species and counting
• Dragonflies: 22 species
• Reptiles and amphibians: 19 species
• Birds: 123 species

Many reports and final tallies are still to come from the 13 teams that were in the field that weekend. Team leaders have until Aug. 16 to submit their results, and some will spend a month sorting, identifying and counting.

The entomologists collected literally buckets of bugs that will take weeks to identify. Some set up bright lights in fields at night, and the insects dove by the thousands onto collecting sheets.

The final results will be published in the Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Sciences and will also be made available to the public. Such a list already exists for birds on the web at www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/3094.htm.

Other species likely or known to be at Goose Pond will not show up in the survey because they are dormant this time of year, or simply weren’t found on the two-day search, Feaster said.

“This one event will significantly expand our knowledge of the biota at Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area,” Feaster said.

Barbara Simpson, a member of Friends of Goose Pond and key organizer of the event, said publishing the results will encourage nature lovers to document additional species there. “It will be like an on-going treasure hunt,” she said.

Simpson said the success of the survey includes more than species tallies, but also the enthusiastic participation of scientists, students, nature lovers and volunteers, all of whom donated their time and expertise to the project, including travel expenses. In return, they got free meals and lodging, a chance to socialize with like-minded biologists, and an opportunity to explore the re-established wetlands.

Goose Pond is “well-managed for diversity, and suitable to become a world-class natural resource,” Kerns said.

One Week

I think I accomplished a lot in the past week... I mowed the lawn, washed clothes, worked on plant collections, slept about 42 hours, walked Bootypants, worked over 50 hours, and worked on the blog post you are currently reading, among other things. Not bad for one week. I'll wake up and do it all again next week, and for many more weeks, months, and years.


Do you know what this guy did in the last week? He emerged from a chrysalis, drank nectar, and mated (hopefully!), and he will die in the next couple of days. This is the story of the entire one week life span of an adult Karner Blue Butterfly (Plebejus melissa samuelis; Lycaeides melissa samuelis).

The Karner Blue Butterfly is a federally endangered species with a wingspan of only approximately one inch. There are two generations, or broods, per year. Caterpillars of the first brood hatch in April and feed on leaves of wild lupine (Lupinus perennis var. occidentalis), shown below. In early- to mid-May, the caterpillars pupate and spend the next week or two in a chrysalis. Adult butterflies then emerge, mate, and sip nectar from flowers of a variety of plant species. Females then lay eggs on or near wild lupine plants, completing the life cycle of the first brood. The eggs from the first brood hatch about a week later, and caterpillars feed on wild lupine leaves for the next several weeks. These caterpillars then pupate, and adult butterflies of the second brood appear in July. The second brood adults eat, mate, and die; the eggs of the second brood overwinger and hatch the following spring. Because wild lupine is their only host plant, Karner Blue Butterflies are negatively affected as we continue to degrade and destroy habitat for wild lupine.


Wild lupine is not an uncommon plant in the right habitat. Often, it is the dominant groundcover species in black oak savannas and barrens. In the absence of some form of disturbance, however, an open savanna or barren will transition into a woodland and eventually into a forest with too much shade for wild lupine to survive. Fire and macrofauna were historically the main cause of this disturbance, and in some places human-induced fire is still the main mechanism by which savannas escape succession. In our anthropogenic landscape, however, mowing and clearing also serve as disturbances beneficial to wild lupine. In fact, all photographs in this blog post were taken within powerline rights-of-way maintained by mowing/brush-hogging and herbicide application outside of the growing season.


Male and female Karner Blue Butterflies look nearly identical on the ventral side (underside) of the wings. The wings are grayish or grayish-brown with several dark spots with light borders and with a continuous band of blue-green, orange, and black spots along the edges of the hind and forewings. The orange spots distinguish Karner Blue Butterflies from the similar looking Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon), Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta), and Silvery Blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus). Eastern-Tailed Blues (Cupido comyntas; Everes comyntas) can also look similar, but have two orange spots and a small tail on the hind wing.


The sex of a Karner Blue Butterfly can best be determined by looking at the dorsal side (upper side) of the wings. The wings of males are an irredescent blue surrounded by a black margin and a white outer band (below).

The dorsal side of female Karner Blue Butterfly wings are dark blue to brown or even charcoal with orange crescents near the outer edges inside the black band; they also have a white outer band (below).


Karner Blue Butterflies are currently known from only eight states: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire (reintroduced), New York, Ohio (reintroduced), and Wisconsin; they are considered extirpated from Maine, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Ontario, and may have occurred in Iowa but are no longer present there.

I hope you enjoy this short video, which is equivalent to about half of a day in the average human life.

A Sunday Walk in the Park

Our friends Mike and Ben came to visit this weekend, and we spent Sunday morning at Potato Creek State Park.


Along the trails, Lindsay found a small white and black-striped caterpillar with long, white hairs. The caterpillar was crawling on Canadian Clearweed (Pilea pumila). As you can see, Ben was excited to see this little creature.


I believe that this is a Hickory Tussock Moth caterpillar (Lophocampa caryae), but I don't see the long tufts of black hairs that are commonly found on this species. Hickory Tussock Moths feed on a variety of tree species, including hickory and pecan (Carya spp.), walnut (Juglans spp.), American Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana), ash (Fraxinus spp.), elm (Ulmus spp.), oak (Quercus spp.), and willow (Salix spp.). A rash can sometimes form on people who touch this caterpillar, and it has also been said to inflict a sting.

A bit later, Lindsay saw an Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina) with a beautifully patterned shell scurrying across the trail. The Eastern Box Turtle is one of only two turtle species in Indiana that spends most of its life outside of the water; the other is the Ornate Box Turtle (Terrapene ornata). Amazingly, there are records indicating that Eastern Box Turtles can live up to 120 years old! While this species is not uncommon, studies show that their numbers are decreasing as a result of habitat destruction and collecting.

Near the end of our walk, I spotted a large orange and black butterfly, and was able to get a few photos before it flew off. I think this is a Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele), a common species of woodlands and meadows. Great Spangled Fritillary caterpillars overwinter, feed on violets (Viola spp.), and develop into an adult butterfly the following summer. They have been found alive until late September, making them a long-lived butterfly species.

Expanding My Horizons

I am a botanist, first and foremost. That's why last weekend, when I saw what you see in the photograph below, my first thought was, "cool... Asclepias hirtella!". Tall Green Milkweed, as it is commonly known, is primarily a plant of prairies and glades throughout the middle of North America.


Luckily, about the time Tony Troche and I found this plant, renowned Chicagoland entomologist and biologist Ron Panzer just happened to be walking by. While Ron also saw the Tall Green Milkweed, he had the careful eye to also note the presence of several Acadian Hairstreaks (Satyrium acadica). I would have known that this was a hairstreak, given the small size, grayish color, and small hairs on the hind wing, but that's where my identification would have stopped.

This small (up to 1.25") butterfly species is found in a narrow band from New England to the east side of the Rocky Mountains, most often near willows (Salix spp.) in wetlands. In fact, caterpillars of this species feed exclusively on willows. Adults feed on nectar from various plant species, including Meadowsweet (Spiraea alba), New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus), thistles (Cirsium spp.), and milkweeds (Asclepias spp.), and fly from June to early July. While their numbers are considered globally secure, this is considered by many to be a rare butterfly.

I am constantly trying to expand my understanding and appreciation of our natural world. Thanks to great naturalists like Ron, who are passionate and eager to teach others, I can continue to expand my horizons.