NABA's MISSION STATEMENT:
To promote nonconsumptive, recreational butterflying and to increase the public's enjoyment, knowledge and conservation of butterflies.

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COMING EVENTS:

Oct. 5, Sat. Busch Wildlife. LAST Butterfly Walk of the year! Meet at 11:00am at the Butterfly Garden (bottom of parking lot at HQ building). Note the later starting time - this will allow the temperature to warm up a bit and get the butterflies flying. To get there, take the I-64 (Hwy. 40) bridge across the Missouri River, exit at Hwy. 94. Turn left (south) onto Hwy. 94. In about 1 mile, at the first light, turn right onto Hwy. D. Go about 2 miles and the entrance to Busch is on your right. At the T intersection inside Busch, turn right and then go straight.

Nov. 14, Thursday. Conservation Forum 2002. Living World, St. Louis Zoo. Sponsored by the International Center for Tropical Ecology, UMSL. NABA-St. Louis will have a display table.

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THANKS:

Our hearty thanks go out to Anne McCormack and Linda Virga for hosting garden walks during the month of September. It is truly inspiring to see what is possible in a suburban environment. Thanks to member Carol Asbury for inviting NABA members to the Open House hosted by Henry White Research & Demonstration Farm near Millstadt (Monroe County) IL.

SEPTEMBER 2002 BUTTERFLY REPORT: by Yvonne Homeyer

Late August: August began and ended with Harvesters! On 8/31, Scott Marshall found a Harvester (*photo) at Busch C.A.; it was so cooperative that it even landed on his finger. That is only the third sighting of Harvester at Busch in the last 7 years. Scott also found Banded Hairstreak (a late brood), Wood Nymph, and N. Pearly-eye that day at Busch. The end of August also produced two sightings of Swamp Metalmark on 8/25. Ron Goetz and Mark Peters found one at St. Francois State Park, while Dennis Bozzay located one at Victoria Glade. And on 8/31, Dennis Bozzay found a Dion Skipper (*video YH), another locally rare butterfly, at Mark Twain NWR in Calhoun County, IL. Mark Twain NWR was full of Orange Sulphurs (300+), with Pearl Crescents also quite numerous (100+), plus good numbers of Dainty Sulphurs, Monarchs, Checkered Whites, Common Sootywings, Common Checkered Skippers, 1 American Lady, 4 Painted Ladies, and more (DB, JZ, YH). Kraig Paradise counted 23 species of butterflies in his garden, with 6 species of skippers including Peck's and Tawny-edge. Jeannie Moe found 3 Duke's Skippers at the Watershed, Edwardsville, IL on 8/29, and 2 on 8/31. In late August, Dennis Bozzay and Jim Ziebol found 80 Dainty Sulphurs in a field along the Levee Road in Monroe County, IL.

September: In September, there were sightings of many interesting species: Gulf Fritillary, Harvester, Gray Comma, Banded Hairstreak (unusual for late summer), and 6 hard-to-find skippers: Duke's, Dion, Leonard's, Clouded, Eufala, and Ocola. The 3 latter species are irruptive and the individuals seen are most likely dispersing from breeding populations in other areas. Butterfly gardens throughout the area were aflutter with Swallowtails, Sulphurs, Buckeyes, Red-spotted Purples, and several of the more common Skippers such as Sachem, Fiery, Peck's, and Silver-spotted. Monarchs were reported but not in large numbers.

On 9/1, Ron Goetz found Dion Skipper, Harvester (*photo), and 3 Bronze Coppers at Mark Twain NWR. A Gray Comma was seen at Mark Peters' prairie on 9/1, while 2 Gray Commas were seen at Busch on 9/2 (JZ, JM, YH). Scott Marshall photographed a Variegated Fritillary laying eggs on violets at Marais Temps Clair on 9/1; a Variegated was also found at Busch on 9/2 (JZ, JM, YH). Jeannie Moe observed a Southern Dogface visiting her garden in St. Charles on 9/1. A Clouded Skipper was found in Ron Goetz's garden on 9/3; this is a very unusual find.

On 9/7, Annie Marshall spotted an amazing butterfly in IL - a Gulf Fritillary (*photo)! The range of this southern butterfly barely gets above the Arkansas border, but Gulf Fritillaries are known for roaming further north. Mark Peters has found yet another locally rare butterfly on his prairie - this time, a Duke's Skipper (*photo) seen on 9/7. Also on 9/7, Jim Ziebol saw a Sleepy Orange at Tyson Research Center; very few have been found this year. Ron Goetz photographed a very fresh female Byssus Skipper in his yard on 9/8; he also found Byssus at Powder Valley on 9/5.

Another rare butterfly has turned up on Mark Peters' Prairie - this time, Leonard's Skipper (*photo MP, video JZ). Mark found the first one on 9/12, Jim Ziebol saw one on 9/13, and two were observed on 9/14 (MP, JZ, YH). The host plant for Leonard's Skipper is Little Blue Stem. That same weekend, Ron Goetz found Leonard's Skipper (*photo) at another location and on 9/21, he observed a Leonard's Skipper at a third spot. Due to its loss of habitat, the population of Leonard's Skipper has been drastically reduced. Along with Gray Copper and Dusted, Duke's and Dion Skippers, it is one of our rarest local resident butterflies.

Yvonne Homeyer & Margaret Gilleo found a Eufala Skipper (*video YH), a rare migrant, on the statewide Count at Busch on 9/15, proving that even cloudy days that threaten rain can produce interesting butterflies! Busch was teeming with butterflies for our Walk on 9/21. We had 31 species, including hundreds of Eastern Tailed Blues, Orange Sulphurs and Pearl Crescents. A very cooperative and very fresh Sleepy Orange was waiting for us at the Butterfly Garden; our garden includes its host plant, Wild Senna. We also saw 10 Gray Commas, 1 Dainty Sulphur (reported in very low numbers this year), several Common Checkered Skippers, and about 30 Monarchs.

Ron Goetz counted 31 species at Hilda Young Conservation Area on 9/21, including a Southern Dogface and 50 Pipevine Swallowtails. A dominant nectar source in September is Cirsium discolor, Field Thistle, which is a native thistle species. The Pipevines found it very tempting. The next day, on 9/22, Ron found 2 Checkered Whites and a Variegated Fritillary at Unger County Park. That same day, Dennis Bozzay had a very late Banded Hairstreak in his yard - like Scott's Banded Hairstreak, this is a late brood, since Banded Hairstreaks are generally seen only in May and June. Also on 9/22, while butterflying at Busch, Dennis saw a Tawny Emperor and a Spicebush Swallowtail, two species not seen by the group on 9/21, and he found a Monarch caterpillar on a Swamp Milkweed in the Butterfly Garden.

To top it all off, on 9/23, Mark Peters found an Ocola Skipper on his prairie and Ron Goetz found another Ocola at Meramec Community College. These sightings are very unusual for our area because the Ocola breeds in the southeastern part of the U.S.

Dennis reported several Painted Ladies at his garden in September; this species was common last year but is hard to find this year. Belle Warden, Madison, IL, saw up to 15 species in her yard on some days in September, including Monarchs, Black Swallowtails, Gray Hairstreaks, and Painted Ladies. A Monarch caterpillar and a Cloudless Sulphur migrated off their host plants (milkweeds & Wild Senna, respectively) to form their chrysalises on a Butterfly Bush in Dave Berry's garden. Dave also reported Black Swallowtails, Cloudless Sulphurs, Monarchs, Buckeyes, and Red-spotted Purples in his yard.

Ron Goetz had a White-M Hairstreak at Meramec Community College on 9/24.

CONTRIBUTORS: Dave Berry, Torrey Berger, Dennis Bozzay, Margaret Gilleo, Ron Goetz, Yvonne Homeyer, Annie Marshall, Scott Marshall, Jeannie Moe, Kraig Paradise, Mark Peters, Belle Warden, Jim Ziebol. An asterisk * denotes photographic or video documentation of an unusual or hard-to-find species. Please submit reports at least 3 days before the end of the month to Yvonne: homeyer@earthlink.net or Jim.

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WISH LIST:

Volunteers for the Butterfly Garden - end of the season work to get the garden ready for winter: Call Dennis Bozzay.

Butterfly photographs to add to the web site. Contact Dave Larson

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POETRY:

BUTTERFLY LAND by Belle Warden

From my window
I can see
A land of freedom
That calls to me.

Where flowers bloom
And birds do sing
And others flutter
On colorful wings.

Must water my garden
And pull some weeds,
But household chores
Are calling me.


Please wait for me
I'll not be long,
For your call to me
Is much too strong.

Where is this place
This land not far?
Come with me
To my own backyard.

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REFLECTIONS ON NABA MEMBERS MEETING, JULY 18-21, 2002 by Karen Haller

NABA's fifth annual members meeting was convened amid the diverse beauty of central Oregon. Bend, a city of 53,000 inhabitants, is advantageously located in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains on the western edge of Oregon's high desert plateau. Exploring new territory is always exciting. Under the excellent, scientific guidance of our field trip leaders, amazing identifications were made of butterflies with only the slightest variation in markings. Those attending workshops and evening programs gained further enlightenment through the knowledgeable speakers.

On Friday evening Jim Anderson was the featured speaker. He had us all "in-stitches" as he regaled us with tales of his wildlife encounters during his job as a naturalist. His hilarious accounts were so entertaining that we never had time to see the slides that were to have been part of his presentation. Neil Bjorklund, co-founder of the Eugene-Springfield Chapter of NABA had outstanding slides of some of the 168 species of butterflies in Oregon including blues, coppers and others.

On a field trip we could not help but notice the frenzied action of a chrysalis of the California Tortoiseshell, attached to a branch of a Ceanothus species shrub. The one and one-half inch chrysalis continuously and violently vibrated from side to side and from the point of attachment to the Ceanothus twig. After a brief suspension of activity, it would begin again. This strange behavior continued for such a long period of time that seven photographers satisfactorily shared the site after 23 non-camera-toting naturalists viewed the vibrations. What was the meaning of all this activity, we wondered. Robert Michael Pyle in his afternoon program, "Butterflies of Cascadia," concluded, after many years of study, that the action is to keep the wasps from laying their eggs in the butterfly chrysalis, which would serve as food for the developing wasp larvae.

At another site, my attention was diverted from the targeted Sonoran Skipper and the Hedgerow Hairstreak butterflies to the plant life. Monkshood (Aconitum columbianum), grew three feet tall, with deep, lilac-blue flowers and geranium-like leaves two inches in diameter. The hood-like formation of each top sepal made identification easier. Then came another interesting plant discovery - Pinedrops (Pterospora andromedea). The two-plus foot, pinkish pubescent stem, one inch in diameter at the base, supported numerous cream-colored, bell-shaped flowers. Rust colored sepals added a touch of bright color to this saprophytic find.

Among the excellent sightings were two Lorquin's Admiral butterflies sipping sap from holes in tree trunks girdled by sapsuckers. We saw Edith's Copper, Great Basin Fritillary, Hydaspe Fritillary, Great Spangled Fritillary and California Hairstreaks in meadow and stream bank habitat. The beautiful flowering plants of the Lupine genus are host to the Boisduval's Blue. Jeffrey Glassberg's Butterflies Through Binoculars- The West lists as food plants, "Many lupines (but each population usually uses just one)." The Peterson Field Guide Series says female Boisduval's are attracted to the lupines with the hairiest leaves at any site. We also saw two outstanding dragonflies; a Pacific Spiketail and a Cardinal Meadowhawk. Must be a connectivity here to something.

The Anderson family, Sue, a butterfly expert, Jim the naturalist described before, their daughter, a computer wiz, and son, Caleb, an excellent birder, gave an enormous amount of time and talent to the planning and execution of the four-day meeting. Offering ten field trips per day, and ordering and distributing box lunches for all the participants, testified to their organizational skills. In addition, Jeffrey Glassberg, competent director and president of NABA, added his talents. What a delight to meet this author of three Butterflies Through Binoculars books. His Thursday evening President's Welcome and his keynote address, "The Birth of Butterflying" on Saturday evening, were both inspiring.

And among the 250 people from diverse backgrounds a camaraderie was established through shared activities. The connectivity occurred in spite of the extremely dusty conditions and the devastating forest fires nearby. It seems that butterfly enthusiasts find it natural to be open to and accepting of new situations and experiences. In simple terms, a good time was had by all. Want to be a part of it at the next meeting, in Texas, in 2004?

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AND MORE...

NABA-ST. LOUIS ON CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

The St. Louis County Parks Department has created a Citizens Advisory Committee of nature and conservation groups to work in cooperation with the County on the mitigation aspect of the Page Avenue Bridge project. In order to compensate for the land that was taken for the road and bridge, St. Louis County and the Missouri Dept. of Transportation acquired nearby land in the Missouri River flood plain, including a natural wetlands known as "Little Creve Coeur Lake." This spot is well know to birders and provides good habitat for butterflies and dragonflies as well. Torrey Berger has offered to represent NABA-St. Louis at these meetings. Other groups on the Committee are Sierra Club, Webster Groves Nature Study Society, Missouri Coalition for the Environment and St. Louis Audubon. We will keep you informed as plans for passive recreation in the mitigation area unfold.

PLANT AVAILABILITY by Belle Warden

NABA is encouraging people to plant Pipevine, the host plant of the Pipevine Swallowtail. (See "Pipe-dream Project", American Butterflies, Summer 2001.) You can find Wooly Pipevine, also called Dutchman's Pipevine (Aristolochia tomentosa), which is native to our area, at Missouri Wildflowers Nursery, 9814 Pleasant Hill Road, Jefferson City, MO 65109; (573) 496-3492. Their catalogue is free. Other sources of Pipevine are listed in the 2001 article by Jeffrey Glassberg. Virginia Pipevine, or Virginia Snakeroot (Aristolochia serpentaria), native to our area, is our smallest Pipevine. It is on the Threatened list in Illinois. If anyone has it, treasure it.

Milkweed is another important plant, because it is the host plant for Monarchs. Madison County, IL has 9 species of Milkweed, not counting the milkweed vine. Mead's Milkweed is federally endangered under the Endangered Species Act and also on the Illinois list. "Grow a Milkweed - Feed a Monarch."

MEMBER SPOT LIGHT

One of our informal objectives is to get to know each other while we get to know the butterflies. In an effort to give our members a little more personal information, this newsletter's spot light is shining on KAREN HALLER. Karen has written a book, Walking With Wildflowers, which was published by the University of Missouri Press in 1994. She has been an elementary school teacher. Her hobbies include synchronized swimming, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, gardening, camping, botanizing, butterflying and photographing. Karen is a member of many organizations and does volunteer work at the Butterfly House. She has two children, three grandchildren and a genial husband Al who has joined us for garden walks. Her travels have taken her to 52 countries and many parts of the USA.

NEW MEMBERS

The following people have become members of the St. Louis Chapter of NABA since September 1: Lawrence Enkoji and Jennifer Rosenkranz. Welcome, Larry and Jennifer!

BUTTERFLY GARDENING CLASS

Dennis Bozzay will be teaching the second of two butterfly gardening classes on Thursday, October 3, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. at Fox High School in Arnold (offered through Jefferson College). Please call Dennis if you have any questions ((314) 968-2714).

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Editor: Scott Marshall, Email: scottmarshll@cs.com
Suggestions, Corrections and Articles are appreciated.

[View Post-Dispatch Articles: Sep 2000; July 2001]