Early Season Butterflies

West Virginia White

It was nice to see a small variety of butterflies today. I took the dogs for a walk and didn't bother with carrying the camera; because of the wind. I saw several Eastern Commas, a lone West Virginia White and several of what was most likely Spring Azures.

Ya Never Know

Common Ringlet (c) High Virginia Images 2012

Yep, you just never know what you may find; if you just look. I was sitting along Rt 66 in Pocahontas County, WV today; finishing off a slice of pizza and thought about taking a photo to submit to the Pocahontas Nature Club. I hadn't posted anything to their site in a while and hadn't taken any photos for a couple of days. I saw a Monarch laying eggs on a milkweed, but it headed across the road to the golf course. I was scanning the un-mowed field for some type of other butterfly activity and noticed what I thought was probably an Eastern-tailed Blue sitting on a goldenrod, just a few feet away from my truck. Out comes the camera and as soon as I got a little closer, I realized that this was something different. The Common Ringlet (Coenonympha tullia) is a butterfly normally found in Alaska, Canada, Northern US and the Pacific Coast. But here it is in good old Pocahontas County, WV. I know that one other was found in the Durbin area a couple of weeks ago. So, be on the lookout, ya never know what you may find. You'll never find anything, unless you look.

Posted by High Virginia Outdoors (c) 2012 All Rights Reserved

A Nice Find !!

Carolina Satyr  (c) High Virginia Images 2012

I was returning home from Thomas on Saturday afternoon and decided to take the Sugarlands Road-St. George-Clover Run route back. I was intending to try for a few good mushroom photos. To say the least, mushrooms were a bit sparse on this fine day. It didn't make much difference to me; as this is always a nice ride, no matter the season.

There was a group of Common Mergansers on the Cheat; fifteen in total and close to the road. A female with her brood. I had to go down the road and turn around. I was in luck, they were still there when I got back. I needed to change lenses and was crouched behind some shrubs; feeding the deer flies and heard the dreaded scrape. A pair of kayaks were scraping there way downstream and went right through the mergansers. Oh, well. I took 2 dragonfly shots and headed on downstream. I got on Rt.72 and then Rt.38 and turned up Clover Run Road, still hoping for some fungi. Nothing worth slowing down for. The dogs were getting restless.

I pulled into there favorite squirrel and bunny chasing spot and let them explore. We walked awhile and I got tired of untangling Ralphie. I brought them back and tied them to the truck, so they could roll in the grass; which is one of their favorite sports. I sat there and scanned the area for something, anything to photograph while the dogs were entertaining themselves. Just a Red-spotted Purple was to be found, I guess it will have to do. The wind was picking up as I chased it around and I got some real bad photos. I noticed something was wrong with the pictures. I have a tendency to push some unintended buttons, when putting the new camera away. I haven't quite gotten used to it yet. The ISO somehow managed to get switched to 400 on this bright, sunny day. Not Good.

I was sitting on the tailgate, watching the beagles roll and fake fight and noticed a little brown butterfly, perched on a poison ivy leaf. There were 4 or so of these little brown butterflies flitting around. Well, I don't have many photos of little brown butterflies and the camera was now set up properly. So, I was in pursuit and of course at this time, the wind decided to pick up. I managed to get one decent shot of the little brown butterfly and by that time the dogs were ready for some ice-water. So we headed on home.

I looked the butterfly up when I downloaded to the computer and decided it was an Appalachian Brown (Satyrodes appalachia) that made sense and we have them in our area. Case closed, or so I thought. On Sunday, I was trying to identify some skipper photos (the birding community thinks sparrows are hard), try skippers. I found Butterflies and Moths of North America, a citizens science database for identification and sighting recordings (Really Nice). I submitted some skipper photos for a final answer as to what they were and I threw in the Appalachian Brown for their records. I received an e-mail shortly after identifying the skipper, along with a great notation that this photo wasn't an Appalachian Brown, but was a Carolina Satyr (Hermeuptychia sosybius), which until now has never been recorded and confirmed in the mountains of WV!! Well it has been, Now! What a great  surprise. This butterfly has been found in the southern and western portions of WV. According to the species research I did, it has never been recorded and confirmed East of I-79.

Like I have said before, you never know what you may find; if you just sit and stare.

Posted by High Virginia Outdoors  Photos by High Virginia Images (c)2012 All Rights Reserved

Beauty and the Beast

We are trained in our minds to associate butterflies and flowers. But did you know that there are some butterfly species that never use nectar as a food source? The Northern Pearly Eye (Enodia anthedon) is one such species. This butterfly is a species of wet woodland areas. The host plants for the larvae are members of the panic grass family.

The Northern Pearly Eye feeds on carrion, dung, fermented fruit and tree sap. Judging from the fruit flies; this coyote turd seems to be a Northern Pearly Eye smorgasbord. This photo was taken on 8/4/12 at Pleasant Creek WMA in Barbour County, WV.

(c) High Virginia Outdoors 2012 All Rights Reserved

They Got That One Right !

I was sitting out in the edge of my yard on Tuesday and a little yellow butterfly fluttered by. I had never seen a yellow butterfly that was smaller than the normal sulphur species'. I managed to chase it down and get a good look as it stopped on some white clover.

I went into the house to get my camera; of course the camera was outside in the truck on the other side of the house. Just as standard procedure plays out the little butterfly was nowhere to be found when I returned.

Often, when you look something unfamiliar up; you wonder how they came up with a name for something. Not in this case; they finally got one right. It was a Little Yellow (Eurema lisa) butterfly. It is more common in WV in the southern counties and along the Ohio River. I am pretty sure that I have never seen one around here. We may notice more smaller butterflies this year, since there doesn't seem to be many big ones around.

Posted by High Virginia Outdoors  (c) 2012 All Rights Reserved

Something Is Wrong

This is my joe-pye weed on August 2, 2010. It is in the same stage of bloom today and there was one Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and one Silver-spotted Skipper. I do have two Spicebush Swallowtails and a couple of Pearl Crescents. That is pretty much the whole show. This is without a doubt the worst year for butterflies that I have seen. On the bright side, I have numerous Hummingbird Clear-wings; more than I have ever seen.
I do not know what has happened, but something isn't right. There were quite a few tiger swallowtails here this Spring; when the Yellow Poplar was beginning to leaf out. They have since disappeared. I didn't even have very many Cabbage Whites bothering my cabbage and broccoli. I hope they don't return later to devastate my kale. I have seen a couple of sulphurs and a few Least Skippers; fluttering around. There were two Eastern Commas' in the compost pile this morning. I am hoping for a strong late-season performance from the butterflies. I have a lot of milkweed out there; going to waste.


Photos by High Virginia Images (c) All Rights Reserved

The Commas' Comma

The Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma) is a common butterfly of the woodlands and streams. While it may be common; it is equally difficult to photo. It is an erratic flier and rarely holds still; for any amount of time. I was finally able to get a good photograph; showing the comma of the comma. This photo is untouched in any way and totally natural. The comma on the wing is as bright as it shows in the photo. This shot was taken on Glady Fork, in Randolph County, WV on 7/6/11.


The Butterflies Of West Virginia and their Caterpillars (Pitt Series in Nature and Natural History)

Photo by High Virginia Images

Butterfly of the Month/July

Butterflies seem to be present in very low numbers right now. I went out a little while ago searching for a butterfly of the month subject and had little success. There were a couple of sulfurs rapidly flying around; they presented no photography opportunities. I saw one cabbage white and no swallowtails of any kind. The only species present today in any significant numbers was the familiar Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) and you had to look for them.
The Silver-spotted Skipper is our largest skipper. It is common throughout North America; from Florida to California north to British Columbia and east to Quebec.
This species is found wherever black locust is present. It may be found in any open area throughout the High Virginia's. The adult butterfly feeds on a wide variety of summer flowers. The larvae host plants include many members of the legume family. The first brood of butterflies emerge in May and June. The second large brood begins flying in July and has the largest number of butterflies. The final partial brood emerges in August. Therefore the Silver-spotted Skipper should be easy to find throughout the Summer (even the Summer of 2011).
The Butterflies Of West Virginia and their Caterpillars (Pitt Series in Nature and Natural History)

Photography by High Virginia Images

Butterfly of the Month/June

Great Spangled Fritillary

The Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele cybele) is a common butterfly throughout the High Virginia's. It is a butterfly of openings near woodland areas. This species can be found from late May - October. There are eight species of the Longwing subfamily that may be found in our area. The Great  Spangled is the largest of the species that we commonly see. Members of this family are long-living; up to six months. Older specimens are often beat up and ragged looking.
The host plant for caterpillars is one of the many violet species. Twenty-seven species of violet are known to occur in West Virginia. This is the reason that the members of the Fritillary family are so widespread. Preferred nectar sources of the Great Spangled Fritillary are milkweeds, thistles and joe-pye weed.
The Butterflies Of West Virginia and their Caterpillars (Pitt Series in Nature and Natural History)
West Virginia Butterflies & Moths: An Introduction to Familiar Species (State Nature Guides)

Posted by High Virginia Outdoors     Photos by High Virginia Images

Caterpillar to Butterfly

The one Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus troilus) chrysalis that I saved from the Carolina Wrens last fall; became a butterfly today. I had 3 chrysalis' placed around my deck. Before I knew what was going on, 2 disappeared. I took the one that was formed on my chimney and placed it in a little wooden box. I filled the box with leaves and placed a rock on top of it; to keep the wrens out. The box was outside on my garden table all Winter.

One day, last week I noticed that some Spicebush Swallowtails were beginning to fly, so I put the chrysalis in a plastic plant pot and put an onion sack on top. Again this was wren protection. Today 5/18/11. the Butterfly emerged from its chrysalis. It is apparently to cold for flight and as of 8pm the butterfly is still holding on to the little wooden box.

I am glad that at least one out of last years brood that fed on my sassafras tree completed its cycle. The photos in this article are all of the same caterpillar, chrysalis and butterfly. I actually saw this caterpillar climb to the corner of the chimney and begin the process.

I wish that I could have saved the other 2; but they were consumed, before I knew what was happening. I have 8 Promethea Moth cocoons in the same sassafras host tree. I know that the woodpeckers and chickadees got a few of them over the winter. Some of them feel as if they are still all right. I guess that I will find out; if it ever warms up.

The Butterflies Of West Virginia and their Caterpillars (Pitt Series in Nature and Natural History)

Posted by High Virginia Outdoors       Photos by High Virginia Images

Butterfly of the Month/May

Juvenal's Duskywing

The Juvenal's Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis) is the most common dark skipper that is found in our region, in early spring.  This butterfly is normally found in association with oak woodlands. The adult butterfly feeds on vetch, autumn olive, blackberry and spring beauty. The larval host plant is members of the oak family; most often white oak.

The Juvenal's Duskywing can often be found in moist areas and mud puddles are a great place to look. This species can be found from April -June.


The Butterflies Of West Virginia and their Caterpillars (Pitt Series in Nature and Natural History)


Posted by High Virginia Outdoors    Photos by High Virginia Images

Butterfly of the Month/April

Mourning Cloak

The Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa antiopa) is usually the very first butterfly species that we see as Winter is making its retreat.  These big, dark butterflies can sometimes be seen; when snow is still on the ground.  The adult butterfly actually hibernates in our region.  It uses hollow logs and trees for hibernation.  Other members of the angle-wing family do the same.  The Question Mark, Eastern Comma, Gray Comma, Green Comma and Compton Tortiseshell are also hibernators.

Members of this family of butterflies can be found along roads and woodland clearings.  They feed on rotting fruits, tree sap and wet mineral soils.  the first Mourning Cloak that I saw this year was on March 20, on Shavers Mountain.  I saw one last year on the Dry Fork above Harman in early March.

The preferred host plant for the larvae is Black Willow and Weeping Willow.
The Butterflies Of West Virginia and their Caterpillars (Pitt Series in Nature and Natural History)

Posted by High Virginia Outdoors   Photography by High Virginia Images