Central Ohio NatureButterflies That Don’t Look Like Butterflies
Posted on June 22, 2020
In the last few weeks butterflies have become a lot more common, especially during warm late spring afternoons. To the casual observer some don’t even look like butterflies.
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Below are some seen recently where there’s no question what they are.
The very small Banded Hairstreak, (Donna).
Another very small butterfly, the Summer Azure, (Donna).
Hackberry Emperors are a very common medium size butterfly that shun flowers but on a warm day will often land on your skin.
The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is a large butterfly that’s easy to spot and usually easy to get a picture of.
The profile of the medium size Eastern Comma is a bit confusing but in flight there is no mistaking it for anything but a butterfly, (Donna).
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But then there are some where we’re not quite sure, a moth, butterfly, or something else?
The Silver Spotted skipper is one of the largest of the skippers and for that reason fairly easy to spot. It is a fast flier not floating like the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. Habitat: Disturbed and open woods, foothill stream courses, prairie waterways. Range: Extreme southern Canada and most of the continental United States except the Great Basin and west Texas; northern Mexico. http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org
The Zabulon Skipper is very small, common but easy to miss. Habitat: Brushy openings near moist forests and streams. Range: Massachusetts west through southern Michigan to central Kansas; south to central Florida, southern Louisiana, and northeast Texas. Strays to New Mexico, South Dakota, and southern Quebec. A separate population ranges from central Mexico south to Panama. http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org
Two very small and seldom seen Crossline Skippers. Habitat: Open grassy areas including prairies hills, barrens, power line cuts, old fields, forest openings. Range: Western North Dakota east across central Minnesota, southern Ontario, and southern Quebec to central Maine; south to northeast Texas, the Gulf Coast, and northern Florida. http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org
A Peck’s Skipper on a dandelion. A very small fury butterfly. Habitat: Many open grassy habitats including meadows, prairies, lawns, marshes, landfills, roadsides, vacant lots, and power line right-of-ways. Range: British Columbia east across southern Canada to Nova Scotia; south to northeastern Oregon, southern Colorado, northwest Arkansas, and northern Georgia. http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org
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And then there’s this rather unusual specimen.
American Snout, Habitat: Forest clearings and edges, thorn scrub, brushy fields, roadsides.
Range: Argentina north through Mexico and the West Indies to southern United States. Migrates to central California, southern Nevada, Colorado, and most of the eastern United States. http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org
While fascinating it’s not clear what purpose the snout serves, (Donna).
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Given that many butterflies are very small and some fly very fast it can be a challenge to spot them. However once spotted, they transport one into a world that few visit and get to appreciate.
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Thanks for stopping by.
Flowers and Flies
Posted on June 17, 2019
Exploring the world of insects is an excellent example of how digital photography has opened a door into a world most folks don’t give much thought to much less appreciate. A passion for bugs may start out innocently enough when one decides to photograph a flower and finds that it’s occupied by many creatures not noticed before. A closer look reveals some to be beautiful and fascinating in their own right and others downright scary. This may prompt one to make an effort to identify the bug just photographed which in turn often leads to an awareness of how much there is yet to learn about this small world.
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Fortunately it doesn’t take an expensive camera to get a reasonable picture of a insect the size of the common house fly. We’re not talking macro-photography here, where one focuses on the dragonfly’s eye, but instead about a picture that will allow you to identify the insect and be good enough to share on social media. Our favorite of the small sensor “bridge cameras” is the Panasonic Lumix FZ200 or 300. With their fast lens and close focus capability they are a great all round camera for anyone starting out in nature photography. When one moves up from there to larger APS-C sensor DSLR’s you are looking at more money and bulk which may limit their appeal on long hikes. In the world of DSLR’s just about any lens similar to the Canon 18-135 mm will allow you to focus close enough to get a reasonably good shot. Longer lenses such as the Tamron 100-400 mm (more money still) will allow you to focus on subjects that won’t let you get close enough with a shorter lens. With it’s close focus capability perhaps the best all round bird/bug nature camera setup I’ve seen is the micro four thirds Panasonic G7 with the 100-400 mm Panasonic/Leica lens that my wife uses. It employs an excellent but smaller sensor than my Canon APS-C which is part of the reason for it’s admirable close focus performance. That being said I’m sure there are excellent camera setups that I’ve not had experience with.
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Unless stated otherwise the below pictures have all been taken close to home at Griggs Reservoir Park so the adventure doesn’t necessarily mean hours of driving to some exotic location. Almost all insect images have been significantly cropped.
(click on the image for a better view)
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A Bumble Bee enjoys Foxglove Beardtongue.
An nice illustration of the difference in size between a sweat bee and bumble bee, (Donna).
If you think this is an innocent little Bumble Bee you would be wrong in fact it’s a Bumble Bee Mimic Robber Fly no less ferocious than the one below, (Donna).
A more typical looking robber fly a little over an inch long. If you’re a small insect it will be a bad day if you run into one of these, (Donna).
Four lined Plant Bug, (Donna).
Eight-spotted Forester Moth, (Donna).
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Thimbleweed.
Moth Mullein, (Donna).
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A very small but beautiful Long-legged Fly.
It’s a rough world for bugs. A long legged fly falls prey to a robber fly.
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Water Willow at waters edge. Deer are known to browse the leaves and beaver and muskrat will consume the plant rhizomes. The submerged portion is home to many micro and macro invertebrates, (Donna).
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Little Wood Satyr.
Painted Lady, one of the most common butterflies found on every continent accept Antarctica and Australia, their favorite food plant on which to lay their eggs is thistle, they do not overwinter and they can have long migrations up to 9,320 miles long, (Donna)
Hackberry Emperor, a butterfly not usually seen on flowers but on a warm day may land on exposed skin, (Donna).
Question Mark, (Donna).
Red Admiral, (Donna).
Silver-spotted Skipper, one of the larger skippers, (Donna)
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The beautiful flowers of the Milkweed. A very import plant for many insects most notably the Monarch Butterfly.
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Milkweed Beetles, (Donna).
Great Golden Digger Wasp, (Donna).
Perhaps some type of wood wasp, (Donna).
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Black-eyed Susan’s.
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Golden-backed Snipe Fly, they can be found throughout Ohio, and are most often observed resting on low vegetation. They appear in the late spring and early summer, and have been observed mating in late May and early June, although timing likely varies across their range. Little is known about their life cycle.
Small hoverflies on fleabane.
Hoverfly profile.
Two Marked Tree Hopper. Click here to learn more about this fascinating insect.
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Common Mullein.
Northern Catalpa.
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Syrphid Fly Yellowjacket Mimic. The syrphid fly often mimics wasps or bees to gain protection from predators, (Donna).
The Green Bottle Fly is usually observed around less savory food items.
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Black-eyed Susan’s, (Donna).
Depford Pink, (Donna).
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Mating Candy-striped Leafhoppers, (Donna).
Mirid Plant Bug, (Donna).
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Butterfly Weed.
A field of clover.
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A Mayfly falls prey to a jumping spider. Normally slow moving jumping spiders are capable of very agile jumps, when hunting, in response to sudden threats, or to navigate obstacles. They all have four pairs of eyes, with the pair positioned closer together being larger.
Another view, (Donna).
A small moth on Canada Thistle.
If it’s real lucky this Orange Dog caterpillar may become a Giant Swallowtail.
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A field of fleabane.
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A rarely seen Orange Bluet, (Donna).
Female Twelve-spotted Skimmer, (Donna).
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Hairy Wild Petunia.
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It’s hard to believe what’s out there in that small incredible world that goes largely unnoticed by most as we pursue our daily lives. In the hierarchy of human affection warm cuddly animals seem to be at the top with insects being at the other end of the spectrum and usually not considered a welcome intrusion. But as with most things the more you know and understand the more you grow to love.
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A casual glance will not do. To discover wonder and beauty one must look closely with intention.
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Thanks for stopping by.
It’s A Butterfly Time Of Year
Posted on August 16, 2018
Not that they aren’t seen earlier in the spring and summer but August does seem to be the time for butterflies. This year it’s been almost impossible to be out for any length of time without seeing a Monarch. In the late morning or afternoon small but beautiful Pearl Crescents make the shorter grass along the trail their playground. The beauty of some butterflies like the Giant Swallowtail is apparent to even a casual observer but others like the Buckeye reveal their beauty only after a closer look. Others like the hairstreaks are easy to miss altogether unless you know what to look for. The good news is that you don’t have to get up a the crack of dawn to see butterflies.
Sunlight filters through the woods along the Big Derby during a recent butterfly hike.
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So below is a celebration of butterflies that have been seen in the last few weeks. Much of the credit must go to my wife who tirelessly pursues these usually unpredictable creatures until she gets the shot she wants while I often content myself to photographing the more predictable wildflowers.
In late summer Bull Thistle is common in the prairie areas of Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park and seems to attract it’s share of Monarchs.
The Giant Swallowtail is Ohio’s largest butterfly and not one we see every day, Griggs Reservoir Park..
A Giant Swallowtail depositing eggs, (Donna).
Great Blue Lobelia enjoying the more shaded areas of Griggs Reservoir Park.
A very small female Eastern-tailed Blue rewards Donna by opening it’s wings.
Prairie sunflowers, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
The beautiful but very small Gray Hairstreak, (Donna).
Hackberry Emperors are fairly common in Griggs reservoir Park and on a warm day enjoy hitching a ride on your arm to take advantage of your perspiration, (Donna).
Cardinal Flower
A small Summer Azure almost seems to blend in, (Donna).
Wingstem, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park prairie.
The not often seen Meadow Fritillary
The fairly common but lovely Orange Sulfur, (Donna).
New England Aster
Usually not seen in central Ohio until late summer or fall the medium size Buckeye is striking, Griggs Reservoir Park, (Donna).
Fringed Loosestrife also enjoys the more shaded areas along the Scioto River.
A small Zabulon Skipper, (Donna).
A small but lovely Common Checkered Skipper, (Donna).
Lazard’s Tail along the Scioto River, Griggs Reservoir Park.
Silver Spotted Skipper, Griggs Reservoir Park.
Tall Blue Lettuce, Griggs Reservoir Park.
Red-spotted Purple, (Donna).
Another look, (Donna).
Gray-headed Coneflowers seem to take flight.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Another look.
A somewhat faded black form of the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, (Donna)
Black Swallowtail, (Donna).
Black Swallowtail laying eggs, (Donna).
Ironweed, Griggs Reservoir Park.
The Peck’s Skipper is a very small moth like butterfly, (Donna).
Cup Plant
Monarch, (Donna).
Monarch
Trumpet Flowers, (Donna).
Mating Pearl Crescents
Pearl Cresent
Tall Bellflower
Eastern Comma
The tiny flowers of Virginia Knotweed.
Certainly not the most aesthetic setting, a Zebra Swallowtail lands in our canoe just as we finish a paddle on Paint Creek, (Donna).
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Where there are butterflies and moths there are caterpillars and no one is better at spotting them than my wife.
Brown-hooded Owlet, (Donna).
Monarch caterpillar, (Donna).
Orange Dog (Giant Swallowtail caterpillar), (Donna).
Another look.
Black Swallowtail caterpillar showing horns. Horns extend when head is touched lightly. Donna).
Without horns protruding, (Donna).
Sycamore Tussock Moth caterpillar, (Donna).
Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillars, (Donna).
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We would be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge some of the birds that continue to charm us as we walk through the woods of central Ohio.
Male Goldfinch, (Donna).
This time of year False Dragonhead can be seen along the shore of Griggs Reservoir.
A Ruby throated Hummingbird checks out the Bull Thistle at Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, (Donna).
Woodland Sunflowers offer a splash of color in the woods along the Scioto River.
A Tufted Titmouse checks Donna out as she attempts to take it’s picture.
Indigo Bunting, Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park.
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So what was I doing while my wife was taking so many excellent photographs in central Ohio? Fishing in Michigan of course.
This nice Largemouth Bas went swimming right after posing for this picture.
Fishing at sunset on Devoe Lake, Rifle River Recreation Area.
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If time spent in nature speaks to the essence of your being, your soul, you have riches greater than any material procession can offer. A wealth that grows in health, spirit, and the awareness of being part of the greater mystery. Thanks for stopping by.
A First Sighting
Posted on June 27, 2018
Each year it’s a happy time when we again realize that while increased leaf cover and more secretive nesting behavior may make birds harder to observe other beautiful and fascinating things have taken their place. The other things that enchant, as we explore area parks, are the butterflies and dragonflies.
These creatures are a lot like small birds in the sense that you must get close up and personal in order to really appreciate them. At a distance they look like just another LBFI. For starters an essential tool is a pair of close focus binoculars, minimum focus distance of 6 – 7 ft. If you are like me that may soon give way to the desire to photograph them either as an aid to identification or for the record. That’s when you really start to notice how fascinating and beautiful they are. The next thing you may notice is their behavior like the pond surface tapping of a female dragonfly depositing eggs or the unique flight patterns of various butterflies. The more you observe and learn the more enchanting it all becomes.
Dragonfly heaven, Prairie Oaks Metro Park.
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That’s not to say that we’ve given up on the birds. During recent insect outing I was hoping for a good shot of an Indigo Bunting but the one seen was just a little too far away.
Again too far away for a good picture but it is an Indigo Bunting.
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A few other birds were a little closer.
A Brown Thrasher plays hide and seek in the leaf cover.
Certainly not trying to hide, this singing Protonotary Warbler was amazing hard to find but once spotted hard to ignore. It’s cavity nest wasn’t far from this perch.
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Gradually as we work our way through June the bulk of nature’s activity increasingly revolves around the insects. A major menu item for many of the now stealthier birds, it’s impossible to ignore them while exploring areas such as Darby Bend Lakes in Prairie Oaks Metro Park. On a recent outing dragonflies and damselflies seemed to be everywhere and was made all the more exciting when a dragonfly that my wife spotted turned out to be the first recorded sighting in central Ohio!
Double-striped Bluet, (Donna).
Smaller than a Halloween Pennant a beautiful Calico Pennant poses for the camera.
Damselflies often are seen flying among the leaves of low lying bushes making them easy prey for the orb weaver spider.
Female Blue-ringed Dancer
Damselflies can be friendly.
Powdered Dancer
Blue-fronted Dancer.
Male Ebony Jewelwing, (Donna).
Halloween Pennant
Mating Halloween Pennants.
Female Widow Skimmer
A male Widow Skimmer dining on what appears to be a damselfly.
Male Eastern Pondhawk
One of the larger, but very common, dragonflies this female Eastern Pondhawk dines on a small insect, (Donna).
Fawn Darner
The Swift Setwing is one of the larger dragonflies and this sighting was the first recorded in central Ohio. Over the past few years it has slowly been working it’s way north perhaps due to such factors as global warming, (Donna)
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Butterfly Weed
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And as if the dragonflies weren’t enough during the past few weeks we’ve been treated to sightings of an amazing variety of other insects. So much so, that at times it was a bit overwhelming!
The medium size Eastern Comma Butterfly.
Eastern Comma another view, (Donna).
The medium size Great Spangled Fritillary, (Donna).
Another view of the Great Spangled Fritillary.
Virginia Ctenucha Moth
Red Admiral.
On a warm day the medium size Hackberry Emperor often lands on exposed skin to take advantage of the goodies in ones perspiration.
The beautiful marking on the underside of the Hackberry Emperor’s wings.
Monarch Butterfly.
A Monarch Butterfly shows the underside of it’s wings.
As far as we can remember this is the first time we’ve seen a Delaware Skipper, (Donna).
A very rare view of the top side of the very small female Eastern-tailed Blue Butterflies wings, (Donna).
A very common medium sized Orange Sulfur Butterfly.
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Sometimes it’s hard to believe your eyes, such was the case a number of years ago when we saw our first hummingbird moth. We continue to be amazed.
Snowberry Clearwing Moth, Donna
Another view, (Donna).
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Pearl Crescent, a common, beautiful, but smaller butterfly, (Donna).
Duskywing, a fast flying smaller butterfly.
The Silver Spotted Skipper butterfly is one of the larger skippers that we’ve observed to have an rather fearless attitude toward other flying insects. (Donna).
A Hoverfly pollenates on a Black-eyed Susan.
A very small long legged fly taxes the closeup capability of a Tamron 18-400 mm zoom.
Recently not far from our house we were thrilled to see Michigan Lilies in bloom
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It’s always hard to know when to stop as there are always more pictures that could be part of the post based on their merit. However, realizing that the photographer is usually more excited about pictures taken than those looking at them I’ve decided to show some compassion and stop here. At the very least I hope this post inspire nature lovers to get out and take a closer look and find that which enchants.
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Thanks for stopping by.
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Hey wait, what about me!
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Central Ohio Nature 