I came across this short article today claiming that this recent description of the hairstreak butterfly, Ministrymon janevicroy Glassberg 2013, may in fact be the “last truly distinctive butterfly species left to be discovered in the United States…. [and] the era of new U.S. butterfly species is ending”. I find that statement a little bit . . . → Read More: The Last Butterfly Described in the US?
 Comments are closed  Entomology  Butterflies, Collecting, Entomology, Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae, New Species The Hop Azure (Celastrina humulus) is a diminutive and uncommon blue found on the front range of the Rockies here in Colorado. Its host plant is the wild hop: Humulus lupulus, varieties of which are of course a critical ingredient in beer! In a week or two I’ll be out in the field looking to . . . → Read More: A Very Hoppy Butterfly Researcher Share this! 2 comments - (Comments are closed) Beer, Entomology Beer, Butterflies, Colorado, Conservation, Entomology, Front Range, Hops, Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae Share this!The story of many San Francisco butterflies are well known and depressing. The area has been heavily impacted by human development for over two centuries and is the infamous home to the first known example of an extinct American butterfly, the Xerces blue. While other butterflies are hanging on, or getting help to hang on . . . → Read More: When Taxonomy Makes a Species Less Critically Endangered Share this! Comments are closed Entomology Bay Checkerspot, Butterflies, California, Conservation, Ecology, Endangered Species, Entomology, Lepidoptera
The local news for most of the eastern US and Canada has been aflutter (ha) recently with reports of the irruption of Vanessa atalanta – the Red Admiral butterfly. While this is a common occurrence every spring for these butterflies to migrate north from their overwintering grounds in the southern US, . . . → Read More: The Invasion of the Butterflies Share this! 3 comments - (Comments are closed) Entomology, Skepticism Butterflies, Entomology, Irruption, Lepidoptera, Midwest, Migration, Red Admiral, Skepticism, Spring For all intents and purposes this looks like a blue butterfly (as in subfamily Polyommatinae)… it’s very, very blue after all. But assumptions based on color would lead you down the incorrect road; as it turns out this butterfly is actually a species copper. There are subtle difference in wing shape and probably venation, but . . . → Read More: A Copper Butterfly in Disguise Share this! 2 comments - (Comments are closed) Entomology Arizona, Butterflies, Collecting, Entomology, Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae, Photography A few months ago a magnificent key to the Lepidoptera of Canada (all of them) was published by Jason Dombroskie – a PhD student from the U. of Alberta. The program is available for windows users only so I haven’t had a good chance to explore it yet – but the PDF is available online . . . → Read More: Key to the Lepidoptera of Canada Share this! One comment - (Comments are closed) Entomology, Science News Butterflies, Canada, Entomology, Identification, Key, Lepidoptera, Moths Plebejus samuelis
We all saw this day coming, the rise of the butterflies, the day they will take vengeance on us. No longer will they passively fly around their habitats as they are bulldozed for malls and polluted with runoff. One particularly angry Karner Blue has submitted a letter to . . . → Read More: Butterfly Vengeance Share this! One comment - (Comments are closed) Entomology Butterflies, Conservation, Endangered Species, Humor, Lycaenidae A month ago or so the California Academy of Sciences launched a full fledged expedition to the Philippines. While the majority of the cash was spent on a clipper ship and dive teams, there was a terrestrial component. While I didn’t get to go (and sat at home and pouted), I did talk some of . . . → Read More: Insects of the Philippines I Share this! 2 comments - (Comments are closed) Entomology Butterflies, California Academy of Sciences, Collecting, Entomology, Lepidoptera, Philippines This GOP is less of a challenge and more of a simple roundup of miserable stock photography. Alex Wild and others have long ago pointed out the massive failings of many stock photo sites – but here is a brief and painful lep roundup using Google. Step 1: Image search “moth on flower”. Step 2: . . . → Read More: Genius of the Press XX Share this! 5 comments - (Comments are closed) Entomology Bad Science, Butterflies, Contest, Entomology, Flowers, Lepidoptera, Media |
Skepticism |
