first butterfly

[Joseph G. Kunkel]

Hear I am in Amherst, Massachusetts (USA), just East of the Connecticut
River and I also saw my first mourning cloak (_Nymphalis antiopa_) of
the season on April 6 on a day that hit 60F.  Spring Peepers were out
last Thursday April 1.  Wood frogs _Rana sylvaticus_ were out the prior
week.

Ernest Williams wrote:
> 
> First butterfly on the wing in central New York state (USA) - mourning
> cloak (_Nymphalis antiopa_) - on April 3, when the temperature hit the mid
> 60s F.  This species has been the first to fly in all the years I have good
> records for except one.  With spring peepers, Aconite, and Crocus all out
> in the past week, it must finally be spring....
> 
> Ernest Williams

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______________________________
Joe Kunkel, Professor
Biology Department, University of Massachusetts at Amherst
joe at bio.umass.edu  http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/kunkel/