Spring butterflies in Michigan's Upper Peninsula

[Bob Kriegel]

For those of you who might be wondering which leps are flying in the
northern Great Lakes, here is the list of butterflies encountered last
weekend (5/30-6/2/97) in the upper peninsula of Michigan (mostly in the
western half):

     Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio canadensis)
     Mustard White (Pieris napi), several individuals at multiple locations
including 
          a possible county record
     Brown Elfin (Incisalia augustus), very common throughout the UP
     Hoary Elfin (Incisalia polios)
     Henry's Elfin (Incisalia henrici), multiple individuals found at three
different locations 
          including a new county record
     Eastern Pine Elfin (Incisalia niphon), numerous but very localized
     Western Pine Elfin (Incisalia eryphon)
     Spring Azure (Celastrina lucina), very common throughout the UP
     Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa), common
     Compton's Tortiseshell (Nymphalis vau-album)
     Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma)
     Meadow Fritillary (Boloria bellona)
     Freija Fritillary (Boloria freija), common in bog
     Red-disked Alpine (Erebia discoidalis), common in bog
     Chryxus Arctic (Oeneis chryxus), very common in an open barrens habitat

Both Boloria freija and Erebia discoidalis were numerous at a large bog in
the western U.P. but were difficult to capture.  B. freija in particular was
flying very fast just above the hummacks as temperatures soared near 90F.
The moth activity was a bit slow but we did collect a single specimen of
Heliothis borealis.  Lady luck smiled on us with four days of sunny, above
80F temperatures; quite a feat in itself for the upper peninsula.

Mogens Nielsen, Bob Kriegel, Terry Herig, and Own Perkins

VISIT THE MICHIGAN LEPIDOPTERA SURVEY HOMEPAGE AT:  
                       http://pilot.msu.edu/user/kriegelr/mls