Past Issue July 2006
In This Edition:
NABA's MISSION STATEMENT: 1) Upcoming Walks and Events 1. UPCOMING NABA WALKS AND EVENTS – July and August 2006: Beginners and children accompanied by adults are welcome on every butterfly walk and count. Directions are found below, at the end of the Calendar. Water, hat, and sunscreen are recommended for every outing. Tick prevention methods include wearing long pants and using insect repellent. Feel free to invite a friend, or even better, several friends! Sun. July 2, 10:00 a.m. *FOURTH OF JULY COUNT* at Busch C. A. , followed by picnic lunch in the pavilion behind the Visitor’s Center, at approximately 1:30 p.m. This is NABA’s official count, held once a year. Participants are grouped in teams and assigned to a particular territory. Each team is led by an experienced member, but participants do not need any special expertise. Busch Wildlife is a large place and we need many teams and eyes to do a thorough count of all the territories. NOTE: Even if you can’t attend the count, please come to the picnic! NABA will supply beverages. Sun. Aug. 20, 9:45 a.m. Fourth of July Count at HorseshoeLake. We will meet at 9:45 a.m. at the Burger King on Illinois Hwy. 203 across from the Gateway Racetrack. We will leave Burger King at 10:00 to go to our assigned territories. All groups should be able to finish their area by 12:30. Sat. Aug. 26, 10:00 a.m. [...]. Meet at the parking lot at 10:00 a.m. [...] is the most reliable location in the St. Louis area for the SWAMP METALMARK, our target butterfly for this field trip. DIRECTIONS: Busch Wildlife Conservation Area: From St. Louis County, take I-64 (Hwy 40) across the Missouri River bridge and exit at Hwy. 94. Go left (south) on Hwy 94 approximately 1 mile to Hwy D. Turn right onto Hwy D and go about 1.5 miles to the entrance on your right. Turn right and at the T intersection, turn right again and proceed to the parking lot at the Visitor's Center. Meet at the Jim Ziebol Butterfly Garden at the bottom of the parking lot. HorseshoeLake: To get there from the St. Louis side, cross the Poplar Street Bridge into Illinois and follow the signs for I-70/55 (do not get onto I-64). Exit at Hwy. 203 (only about 5 miles from the Arch) and go left. The racetrack will be on your left and a truck stop will be on your right. You will see a Burger King on the right as well. We can't leave our cars there but will simply use Burger King as the meeting location and then head out. Victoria Glade: From the intersection of I-270 and Tesson Ferry (Hwy. 21), go south on Hwy. 21 for 24 miles to Hillsboro. At the traffic signal at the corner of Hwy. 21 and Main Street, you will see a Hardee's on the southeast corner. Turn left by the Hardee's onto Main Street. (Note: on the right, Main Street is called Hwy. BB - do not turn in that direction). Proceed on Main Street east one block where it ends. Turn right (south) onto Vreeland Road and travel 2.2 miles - watch for the Victoria Glade sign at a small gravel parking lot on the left side of the road. Note: Vreeland Road changes names to " Victoria-Hillsboro Road" or " Victoria Road". There are no facilities at Victoria Glade. 2006: Looking Ahead - Butterfly Counts and Walks: Sat. Sep. 9. Little Creve Couer Lake Butterfly Walk. 2. JUNE BUTTERFLY SIGHTINGS by Yvonne Homeyer June Sightings: Jim Ziebol saw 1 Dukes’s Skipper at Horseshoe Lake on 6/1; this is the first time Jim has seen an individual from the early summer brood (more will emerge in August). Jim also observed a DelawareSkipper. On another trip to Fults Hill Prairie on 6/2, Ron Goetz found Bell’s Roadside Skipper (a county record), Hayhurst’s Scallopwing (first sighting in the immediate St. Louis area), and Gorgone Checkerspot. A Variegated Fritillary, 2 Banded Hairstreaks, Giant Swallowtail and numerous Hackberries were highlights at Busch Wildlife on 6/3 (YH). The butterfly of the year will undoubtedly be the BROAD-WINGEDSKIPPERS found by Jim Ziebol on 6/3 at Horseshoe Lake. This species is a new discovery for the St. Louis area, as well as a county record for Madison County, Illinois. Whether these Broad-winged Skippers have resided at Horseshoe Lake for a long time, unnoticed, or whether they have recently taken up residence, we don’t know. In Butterflies through Binoculars: theEast, Jeffrey Glassberg states that this species of tidal wetlands has been expanding its range to inland fresh-water marshes. Whichever the case, the habitat is perfect: Horseshoe Lake contains some of the last remaining wetlands in the St. Louis area, and also contains stands of Common Reed, Phragmites communis, the caterpillar food (host) plant. To protect this vulnerable colony from individuals who might wish to collect, we are not disclosing the precise location except to NABA members. In your next issue of American Butterflies, check out the “Hot Seens” column by Michael Reese for a report on this discovery. (Documentation: video, Jim Ziebol and Yvonne Homeyer; photographs Scott Marshall). On a return trip to Horseshoe Lake on 6/4, 12 Broad-winged Skippers were counted (JZ, YH, M.E. Rufkahr, S. McCowan, S. Marshall). Other highlights of the day included Black Swallowtail, Gray Hairstreak, Buckeye, 12 Silver-spotted Skippers, 4 Least Skippers, 7 Northern Broken-Dashes, 4 Delaware Skippers, 1 Byssus Skipper, and 20+ Duke’s Skipper (first brood). The Broad-winged Skippers were still flying on 6/6, when Jim Ziebol counted 18. A Hayhurst’s Scallopwing was also seen at Horseshoe Lake that day (JZ). A hastily scheduled field trip on 6/10 to Horseshoe Lake proved that one week can make a tremendous difference in butterfly activity. Of the target species, only one Broad-winged Skipper and one Duke’s Skipper were seen. The Thistle that had drawn so many species and individuals the previous week had lost its charm. It was a slow day for butterflies in general. Ron Goetz reported 26 species at Kidd Lake Marsh in Monroe County, Illinois on 6/7. Highlights included 3 Bronze Coppers, 1 Dion Skipper, 1 Hoary Edge, and most notably, a Golden-Banded Skipper, a very rare find in the St. Louis area. A Striped Hairstreak visited the Butterfly Weed in Dave Berry’s garden on 6/10; this is an exceptional yard butterfly and one that has rarely been reported by NABA members anywhere in the St. Louis area, although it is a resident species. Torrey Berger led a butterfly walk at Riverlands on 6/17 and Mary Eileen Rufkahr kept tally of the 19 species seen – a high number for this time of the summer, when many butterflies are between broods: 3 Black Swallowtails, 1 Spicebush Swallowtail, 5 Checkered Whites, 20 Cabbage Whites, 13 Clouded Sulphurs, 1 Cloudless Sulphur, 16 Orange Sulphurs, 1 Little Yellow (first sighting in immediate St. Louis area), 1 Bronze Copper, 4 Gray Hairstreaks, 15 Eastern Tailed-Blues, 1 Summer Azure, 1 Snout, 1 Variegated Fritillary, 1 Great Spangled Fritillary, 35 Pearl Crescents, 1 Buckeye, 4 Monarchs, and 8 Juvenal’s Duskywings. Ron Goetz found four additional species at Riverlands that same day: at least two GrayCoppers, Southern Cloudywing, Common Sootywing, and Delaware Skipper. A total of 23 species in mid-June equals a very good day anywhere in the St. Louis area! On 6/21, Ron Goetz returned to Riverlands and saw 3 Gray Coppers, including a female ovipositing on Dock, its host plant. He added 1 Viceroy and 1 Common Checkered-Skipper, bringing to 25 the number of species reported at Riverlands that week. Highlights of a trip on 6/17 to Bootleg Access in Washington County south of Potosi were 1 Checkered White, 4 Tawny Emperors, 1 Silvery Checkerspot, 6 Wild Indigo Duskywings and 1 Horace’s. A Hoary Edge and 2 Goatweeds were found at nearby Bismarck Lake C.A. (JZ, YH). A Snout and 4 Byssus Skippers were seen at Tyson Research Center on 6/19 and 2 Dukes’s Skippers were still flying at Horseshoe Lake on 6/23 (JZ). Four Swamp Metalmarks were found on 6/18 at [...]. Yvonne and Mary-Eileen were checking [...] as part of our chapter’s Swamp Metalmark Survey. Swamp Metalmarks have 2 broods: one in June and another in August. (Note: we will lead a butterfly walk to [...] on 8/26 to see these spectacular butterflies; see Calendar.) Also flying were 1 Giant Swallowtail, 2 Wood Nymphs, 2 Spicebush Swallowtails, 1 Goatweed, 1 Horace’s Duskywing, and a Hickory Hairstreak. Torrey Berger found two Swamp Metalmarks on 6/21 at a new location [...]. Torrey also saw 1 Dukes’s Skipper. Dave Berry reported 21 species flying at Cuivre River State Park on 6/23, but no Swamp Metalmarks. [...] Highlights of Dave’s trip included 36 Pipevines, 12 Spicebush, 1 Giant, 1 Zebra, 32 Great Spangled Fritillaries, 7 Coral Hairstreaks, 1 Monarch, 5 Little Glassywings, and 3 Sachems. The following day, 6/24, Yvonne counted 21 species at Shaw Nature Reserve but despite many flowers in bloom in the prairie, numbers were much lower than Dave’s sightings at Cuivre River the day before. Highlights at Shaw - 2 Zebra Swallowtails, 2 Pipevine Swallowtails, 1 Black Swallotail, 10 Cloudless Sulphurs, 3 Great Spangled Fritillaries, 2 Buckeyes, 1 Hackberry, 1 Tawny Emperor, 1 Northern Pearly-eye, 4 Little Wood Satyr, 1 Wood-Nymph, and 4 Wild Indigo Duskywings. On 6/23, Jim Ziebol surveyed the private property in Franklin County for Swamp Metalmarks and found none but Wood-Nymphs were numerous. On 6/24, Scott Marshall checked [...] but came up short on Swamp Metalmarks at both places. Ron Goetz participated in the Revis 4 th of July Count north of Springfield, IL on 6/24 (Susan Dees is the coordinator). Specialties of that count include several species not found in the immediate St. Louis area. Ron reported 30 Ottoe Skippers, 20+ American Coppers, and hundreds of Regal Fritillaries out of a total of 45 species – 45 being about double the number of species we are finding on a typical day in the St. Louis vicinity this June. On 6/25, 26 species were flying at Busch Wildlife, including 2 fresh Coral Hairstreaks spotted by Dave Berry. Despite the frequency of NABA visits to Busch each season, it has been several years since the last sighting of Coral Hairstreak in Busch. (J. Ziebol, Y. Homeyer, M.E.Rufkahr, D.Berry, K.Paradise). (See article by Mary-Eileen Rufkahr). Mary Eileen Rufkahr checked a new location in St. Charles – McNair Park, which has a handicapped accessible garden. She saw Cabbage White, Pearl Crescent, Hackberry, Monarch and Least Skipper. A Eufala Skipper seen by Jim Ziebol on 6/28 was a good find. Jim was checking the private property in Franklin County for Swamp Metalmarks when he observed it. Garden Reports: On 6/2 in Bridgeton, Mary Eileen Rufkahr saw a Cloudless Sulphur and 5 Cabbage Whites and on 6/5, she found 1 Tiger Swallowtail, 1 Monarch, 5 Cabbage Whites, 1 Eastern Tailed Blue, 1 Summer Azure, and 1 Northern Broken Dash. On 6/14, she had saw five species in her garden: 1 Spicebush Swallowtail, 1 Orange Sulphur, 5 Cabbage Whites, 1 Pearl Crescent and 1 Silver-spotted Skippers. Two Gray Hairstreaks appeared on 6/16. On 6/17, a female Horace’s Duskywing was nectaring on Butterfly Weed in Yvonne’s garden in Brentwood. On 6/24, Dave Berry found a Snout nectaring on milkweed in his St. Peters garden. Ron Goetz went on the Wild Ones native plant garden tour on 6/25 and ended up seeing 22 species of butterflies, including 4 species of swallowtails in one garden, Banded Hairstreaks (2), Common Wood Nymphs (many, but only at Maritz), American Lady (1), Horace's and Wild Indigo Duskywings (1 of each), Little Glassywings (2), Dun (several), Tawny-edged (1) and Peck's Skippers (1), and even Byssus Skippers (two locations, including 5 individuals at Maritz). Alana Studebaker had Tiger Swallowtails, Monarchs, Question Marks, Commas, Red Admirals and Pearl Crescents in her Oakley, IL garden. Tom Krauska sent in the following report from his Crestwood garden: Urban and suburban butterfly gardens support a lot of butterfly species, so keep up the good work! CONTRIBUTORS: Torrey Berger, Dave Berry, Dennis Bozzay, Ann Earley, Ron Goetz, Yvonne Homeyer, Dave Larson, Scott Marshall, Sherry McCowan, Jeannie Moe, Kraig Paradise, Mary Eileen Rufkahr, Alana Studebaker, Linda Virga, Belle Warden, Jim Ziebol. Bold indicates the first reported sighting of the year. 3. UPCOMING NABA PROGRAMS AT POWDERVALLEY by Yvonne Homeyer Starting in September, we will begin our indoor program series. All programs will be at Powder Valley Nature Center and will start at 7:00 p.m. (See Directions at the end of the Calendar section.) Tom and Gloria Bratkowski will start our season off on Wednesday, September 13, with an informative program about their trip to the Monarch wintering grounds in Mexico. Tom and Gloria’s slides of the millions of Monarchs clustered together on the oyamel firs in a small slice of mountainous Mexico will show what the destination of the Monarch migration looks like. Tom is an entomologist on the faculty of Maryville University. On October 11, Torrey Berger will talk about his trip this summer to Brazil. Dale and Nancy Delaney are the trip leaders and Lee Berger and Dennis Bozzay are also taking part. Torrey promises to come back with spectacular photographs of Brazil’s wildlife and some entertaining stories as well. We hope you will enjoy these members’ presentations. 4. GOOD BUTTERFLY BINOCULARS Mike Reese provides the following review and information about an excellent pair of close-focus binoculars that are great for butterflying: "I wanted a smaller pair of binoculars to carry around ever since I purchased a heavier DSLR. I found that it was very difficult to carry both the DSLR and regular binoculars. When I saw the Pentax Papilio 6.5 binoculars, I just had to try them, and I have not been disappointed. They do take some getting used to since they focus so close. When looking at close objects and then having to change to focus on butterflies farther away, it isn't always easy to get them focused before the butterfly moves. On the other hand, after I took a photo of a Hoary Elfin from two feet and then I looked at it for several minutes from two feet with the Pentax Papillo, I am very glad that I purchased them. It is amazing! [The Pentax 6.5x21 Papilio binoculars are currently selling for $129.00 on ebinoculars.com, with free shipping. -Ed. Note: Mike Reese does the Butterfly Sightings page for NABA, and the unusual sightings column for the American Butterflies publication.] 5. “GLIB KIDS’ STORIES” by Mary-Eileen Rufkahr Ready for some smiles, some giggles, some out and out laughs? Then check out the newest addition to Kids' Corner. . .Glib Kids! Glib Kids is a fun word game you can play over and over again. It's easy to play. . .all you need is your "thinking cap" on! Pick out one of the starter stories. . .insert a word for the part of speech indicated (noun, verb, etc), then read back the story. You will be surprised at the silly, crazy and goofy stories you can come up with. Here's a quick example. Suppose a story goes like this: Grandma got home from a busy day running errands. She sat down in her big, comfy [noun]. Soon the telephone [past tense verb]. "Oh, that [adjective] telephone," thought Grandma. "Always interupting me when I'm trying to [verb]." Let's go back and think of some of those parts of speech. Remember, just ask your friend to name something that goes with that part of speech. . .don't read the story to them. . .it will spoil the fun. And remember. . .anything goes. . .don't try and make the story "make sense." noun:tractor Now here's the silly story you read back to your friends: Grandma got home from a busy day running errands. She sat down in her big, comfy tractor. Soon the telephone coughed."Oh, that rocky telephone," thought Grandma. "Always interupting me when I'm trying to sing." You can retell the stories over and over again with new words. Now check out the Kids' Corner for a whole bunch of Glib Kids stories. . .of course with a butterfly theme. 6. RIVERLANDS BUTTERFLY WALK by Mary-Eileen Rufkahr It was a breezy, but warm and sunny day when NABA members met at the Riverlands area for a butterfly walk. Torrey Berger was the leader and those in attendance included NABA members Sue Gustafson, Jeff Norris (and his guests Sterling and Ebony) and Mary Eileen Rufkahr. The NABA group leader, Torrey Berger, has special access to an area not available to the public, Ellis Island, so all were anxious for the additional opportunity to explore habitat not normally open to them. The dry weather was responsible for a limited number of flowers in bloom; however, a fairly large number of butterfly species were noted, and included: Juvenal's Duskywing, Black Swallowtail, Spicebush Swallowtail, Checkered White, Cabbage White, Clouded Sulphur, Cloudless Sulphur, Orange Sulphur, Little Yellow, Bronze Copper, Gray Hairstreak, Eastern Tailed Blue, Azure, Snout, Variegated Fritillary, Great Spangled Fritillary, Pearl Crescent, Buckeye and Monarch. Torrey commented on the limited number of Swallowtails seen this year in comparison to last year's walk at the same location. Yet, despite the lack of Swallowtails, all those in attendance agreed that it had been an enjoyable day to meet and scout for butterflies. 7. BUSCH C. A. BUTTERFLY COUNT REPORT by Mary-Eileen Rufkahr Sunday, June 25th was the date for the third count for the Missouri Department of Conservation, held at Busch Conservation Area. Led by Jim Ziebol, the team included Yvonne Homeyer, Kraig Paradise, Dave Berry and Mary Eileen Rufkahr. The sky proved to be variable, partly cloudy with periods of bright, clear sun. The area was extremely dry and few flowers were in bloom, so expectations were not high. However, as the morning progressed, many species of butterflies were noted. One particularly exciting find were two coral hairstreaks, discovered by Dave Berry, which have not been seen at Busch for many years. Both coral hairstreaks were seen on Queen Anne's Lace, which may prompt further checking on future counts and walks. Following is a list of the species spotted by the team members: Zebra Swallowtail, Black Swallowtail, Giant Swallowtail, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Spicebush Swallowtail, Cabbage White, Orange Sulphur, Coral Hairstreak, Gray Hairstreak, Eastern Tailed-Blue, 'Summer' Spring Azure, Pearl Crescent, Question Mark, Eastern Comma, Red Admiral, Common Buckeye, Hackberry Emperor, Tawny Emperor, Little Wood-Satyr, Monarch, Silver-spotted Skipper, Horace's Duskywing, Wild Indigo Duskywing, Least Skipper, Little Glassywing and Dun Skipper. 8. SWAMP METALMARK SURVEY IN SECOND YEAR by Yvonne Homeyer Last year, at the request of Jeffrey Glassberg and national NABA, our chapter began a survey to monitor Swamp Metalmarks in the St. Louis area. Missouri has the largest geographical range of Swamp Metalmarks – they are just dots on the map in Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana. When a butterfly is reduced to such a small geographical range, it is more vulnerable to threats such as habitat loss, bad weather, pesticide spraying, and collecting. Our purposes in conducting the survey are 1) to determine the locations of Swamp Metalmark colonies in Missouri; 2) to monitor the status of the population; and 3) to use those data to obtain legal protection for the species and its habitat. Jim Ziebol has reviewed the historical records of Swamp Metalmark in the St. Louis area. These records, maintained by collectors, go back to the early 1900s. Many of the local places where this species had been found (and collected) no longer support populations of this butterfly. By the 1990s, Swamp Metalmarks were being reported at only 3 locations in the St. Louis vicinity [...]. In 1999, Jim Ziebol and I discovered a colony on private property in Franklin County, adding a fourth location, and on 6/21/06, Torrey Berger found two Swamp Metalmarks [...] adding a fifth location. In last year’s survey, no Swamp Metalmarks were found at [...] or on the private property in Franklin County. Swamp Metalmarks were, however, seen at [...]. We will be checking these four locations again this year. So far in 2006, there have been two sightings of Swamp Metalmarks: 4 individuals were seen at [...] on June 18, found by Mary-Eileen Rufkahr, and 2 individuals were seen at [...] on 6/21, by Torrey Berger. To see a photograph of a Swamp Metalmark, follow this link: http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabasl/photoswamp.htm Swamp Metalmarks have two broods in Missouri: mid June and mid to late August. Our survey will, over time, give us more precise information about their flight periods. We will be leading a field trip to [...] on Saturday, August 26, which should coincide with the August flight period (based on last year’s sightings). We will meet at the parking lot at 10:00 a.m. (see Calendar for directions). Participants in the survey include Scott Marshall, Dave Berry, Mary-Eileen Rufkahr, Dennis Bozzay, Torrey Berger, Ron Goetz, Dave Larson, Jim Ziebol and Yvonne Homeyer. If you would like to become involved in this project, contact Jim at (314) 781-7372 or e-mail Yvonne at homeyer@earthlink.net. 9. GARDEN PARTY by Mary-Eileen Rufkahr A more picture-perfect evening could not have been ordered for NABA's first garden tour of the season at Anne McCormack's home. NABA members and guests arrived at Anne's prize-winning garden on the evening of Friday, June 23rd for an evening of socializing, nibbling and admiring Anne's outstanding talents with plants. Anne's garden features a tranquil fish pond, complete with goldfish darting about, lush greenery and secluded nooks for quiet times in a cozy lawn chair. The garden was filled to capacity as guests arrived throughout the evening. The garden was also the perfect setting to recognize the work of outgoing St. Louis chapter president Ann Earley, who happened to be celebrating her birthday that evening! Yvonne Homeyer, NABA/St. Louis vice president, presented Ann with a beautiful framed photograph of a swamp metalmark butterfly, taken (and donated) by NABA/St. Louis board member Dennis Bozzay. Later in the evening, guests moved into Anne's home to watch a DVD presentation on butterflies, native gardening and hummingbirds. As all left under a starry, summer sky, it was agreed that the evening had been a most splendid way to spend a Friday night. 10. BROAD-WINGED SKIPPERS FOUND AT HORSESHOELAKE by Jim Ziebol The Broad-winged Skippers that I discovered at Horseshoe Lake on June 3 rd were a good find indeed. Several NABA members were able to see these skippers in the following week. The high count was 18 individuals in a single day. I check Horseshoe Lake frequently for birds but I usually don’t visit there for butterflies until the beginning of July, when the first Southern Dogfaces appear. For some reason, this year I went there at the beginning of June. I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. A week later, only one individual was seen. I could easily have missed that single butterfly if I hadn’t known they were there. I believe that Horseshoe Lake and other St. Louis sites still hold some surprises for St. Louis butterfliers. So keep your eyes open for the unexpected! On another note, if you ever have the chance to take a field trip with Dave Berry, please take advantage of that opportunity. Dave has superb field skills and his cheerful personality makes him a natural field trip leader. He reminds me of Jeff Glassberg, whom Yvonne and I have bumped into a few times in the Rio Grande Valley. 11. A THANK YOU NOTE TO NABA-St LOUISfrom Ann Earley Dear NABA members, I was greatly surprised and honored at Anne McCormack's garden tour to be presented with a Jim Ziebol butterfly card, a certificate of appreciation, and a wonderful framed swamp metalmark photo taken last August by Dennis Bozzay. The dedication and hard work of the St. Louis chapter's board and members made my time as chapter president fly by. I am honored to be associated with such an outstanding group of people. Thank you for honoring me with these very special gifts. Ann 12. NABA-ST. LOUIS MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION… YOUR OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS, AS OF APRIL 2006: (AT = @ in Email address)
NEWSLETTER ARTICLES WELCOME: If you have questions or suggestions, e-mail Ann Earley (aee623ATprodigy.net). MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION: If you would like to join NABA, please fill out this application. You will become a member of both NABA and the local St. Louis Chapter, if you live within the St. Louis metropolitan area or nearby Illinois area: Name ____________________________________________ Dues are $30 (regular) and $40 (family) per year. Please make check payable to NORTH AMERICAN BUTTERFLY ASSOCIATION. Please mail this form with your check to: Scott Marshall, Membership, 609 West Lockwood, St. Louis, MO 63119. |
“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes
it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” - Maya Angelou -