GWC Prior Butterfly Stories 2003 continued ( Page 7 )

The 2003 Butterfly Season has gotten off to a slow and uncertain start. At the time of the writing of this note April 10 only two species of Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) and Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma) have been reported. Both of these species over winter as adult butterflies and were first seen in mid-March. [Again, Martin Bialecki found the first butterfly of the year. It was an Eastern Comma flying at Iron Creek Mill Pond in southwest Washtenaw County on March 16.] Intermittent sightings of each species have continued into the first weeks of April.

No butterfly species that emerges from a chrysalis or migrates into our area from further South has been seen yet. The most likely candidates that fit these descriptions Cabbage White (emerger), Spring Azure (emerger), and Red Admiral (migrant) are still to come.

This season the Greater Washtenaw Survey is going to closely track several butterfly species that seem to be threatened with local extinction in our area. The species most at risk include Compton's Tortoise Shell (Nymphalis vau-album), Brown Elfin (Incisalia augustinus), Persius Duskywing (Erynnis persius), Silvery Blue (Glaucopsysche lygdamus), Harris' Checkerspot (Chlosyne harrisii) and Meadow Fritillary (Boloria bellona). Two of these Persius Duskywing and Silvery Blue were not found at all in 2002. The others were seen either in uncomfortably low numbers or at very few and restricted sites.

It would be a terrible loss if these species joined the list of formerly resident butterflies in the Greater Washtenaw County Area that definitely or possibly have gone locally extinct. This list includes Karner's Blue (Lycaeides melissa samuelis), Frosted Elfin (Incisalia irus), Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus), Swamp Metalmark (Calephelis mutica), Regal Fritillary (Speyeria idalia), Mottled Duskywing (Erynnis martialis), and Indian Skipper (Hesperia sassacus).

Intermittent warm weather in Southeast Michigan the second and third weeks of April has begun to bring out some other butterfly species than our typical over-winterers. Cabbage Whites (Pieris rapae) are appearing on the scene with more regularity and the first migrant butterfly Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) was found April 16 in two locations in Ann Arbor.

Of special interest was the sighting of two Brown Elfins (Incisalia augustinus) on April 14 by Roger Wykes at the Discovery Center in the Waterloo Recreation Area in northwestern Washtenaw County. That tied the earliest sighting date for the species in the nine year history of the Greater Washtenaw County Survey.

Altogether our Survey has reported seven or eight species of butterflies so far this season. The one species in doubt is a possible Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis) seen on April 14. Only the underside of the butterfly was seen and it appeared to have a question mark on it. Its size was reported as seeming bigger than Eastern Commas seen that same day. Unfortunately the butterfly was not netted for a more detailed examination of both dorsal and ventral wing surfaces.

Species and their first sighting dates seen so far in the Greater Washtenaw Survey are as follows:

Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma)                 March 16
Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)              March 17
Cabbage White (Pieris rapae)                    March 27
Compton's Tortoise Shell (Nymphalis vau-album)  April 12
Brown Elfin (Incisalia augustinus)              April 14
Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis)       April 14?
Gray Comma (Polygonia progne)                   April 16
Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)                  April 16