Camouflage

This faded Mottled Duskywing blends in perfectly to the gravel. It would be almost impossible to see on a tree. Butterflies seem to use one of two options for survival: hide or being easily seen. All in all fascinating insects.

To see video of this butterfly and others check out mnwindchill's YouTube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/user/mnwindchill

Mimicry

I am on a butterfly photography mission these days and getting images of both new species and old friends. Among the old friends is the Viceroy butterfly. At first glance this is appears to be a Monarch but a couple things distinguish it from the Monarch. It is smaller and does not float in flight like a Monarch. It will will allow you to get a good look at it when its resting, something a Monarch rarely does. When looking at it the bar on the rear wing becomes obvious, something the Monarch does not have. There are lots of them around. The next time you are watching butterflies consider: Is that big orange butterfly a Monarch or Viceroy?

Gorgone Checkerspot

What's in a name? I'm fascinated by the common names of plants and butterflies. In Greek mythology there were three Gorgon sisters who had snakes for hair and would turn anyone who looked at them into stone. Fortunately this is not the case with this butterfly.

New Growth

This camera has been in the Fish Lake area for the last month and I braved the deer flies to see what was on the card. Only a couple deer and a work crew came by during that time. I am always amazed at the number of people who pass by such out of the way and inhospitable locations.
Dale

Milkweed Peak

Common milkweed are at or near peak and definitely at peak for butterfly photography. Not only is the photography excellent, the aroma of the flower is incredible. Just by watching a plant with camera in hand dozens of photo ops present themselves. These plants are a food source for almost everything that flies and even the crab spiders that lie in wait for dinner.

Shiny Teeth

This wolf came very close to the trail cam and showed its gleaming teeth. What impresses me the most is their small size. For some reason I thought the teeth would be bigger, probably a function of the mythic "big bad wolf" mentality. A pack of five passed through in mid June. The alpha male with it's shoulder stripe, a black male, 2 mid sized grays, and a small yearling gray bought up the rear. The alpha and the small gray have been in area intermittently but this is the first time this year the pack has been at the scent post. Based on tracks this is probably the pack that has been frequenting the Buggert L. area.
Dale

(Image cropped to 50% of original)

Karner Blues

This was an excellent year for both lupine and the first flight of Karners at Crex and Fish Lake. Several times I lost count of the number of butterflies flying about me. The Prairie Redroot this one is feeding on is similar to Jersey Tea but I believe it is Redroot. Karner caterpillars feed exclusively on lupine but the adults feed on several different plants. I hope the second flight later this month is as active as the first one was.
Dale