The first is a small orange and brown butterfly in the Skipper family (Hesperiidae). After checking my regular sources (books by Bob Stewart have the best photos) I favored Sachem as the ID. I uploaded the photo to Bug Guide and quickly received confirmation. Then I did a web search and found a great source called Birds and Moths of North America (BAMONA). This BANOMA account for the Sachem told me just about all I might want to know. This is the male Sachem. After mating the female will lay her eggs on certain grasses to feed the caterpillars after they hatch. The species account (above link) has all the details.
Along the same trail, which is on the west side of the pond at Nagasawa Park, we spotted a good number of small blue butterflies. The view of this one through the scope was rather stunning. The photo barely hints at the awesome shimmering pink/violet color on the hindwings. The butterfly is almost certainly the Acmon Blue. They measure one inch or less, and don't usually land for very long. This was nectaring on a weedy mint named Pennyroyal, which is toxic to the liver of higher animals.
My equipment yields "soft" photos of most small creatures, which to my eye sometimes look prettier than tack-sharp images from a DSLR.
No comments:
Post a Comment