Migrant observation

Runar Krogen rkrogen at online.no
Sat May 30 13:33:59 EDT 1998


Today, May 30., I observed one Nymphalis antiopa about 20 km. south of
Trondheim. It was a male having established a territory on a dirtroad along
a lake - a typical locality for the species. I could see that it was
covered by pollen of Taraxacum officinalis (Asteraceae), prooving that it
had taken nectar from this flower which is common in the area. Normally it
feeds on tree sap, at least here in Norway.

N. antiopa does only breed permanently in southernmost Norway. Further
north, including Trondheim, it is a rare migrant. I have only seen it four
times here in
Trondheim during more than 30 years of observating (1984, 1990, 1996 and
1997).

I have observed the species in great number where it is a permanent breeder
in Norway since 1992. It was rather scarce in the same area in the late
eighties and until 1991, but common again back in early/mid eighties. 

Since it is common in the southernmost Norway now, most probably in
southern Scandinavia in generall, my observation to day is not surprising
and can probably be linked to my observations of the species in Trondheim
in 1996
and 1997. 

Runar Krogen
rkrogen at online.no




More information about the Leps-l mailing list