first butterfly

[Kelly Richers]

Ron Leuschner and I went to Kelso Valley Road and up the Kern Canyon looking for day-flying Annaphila moths on Monday and froze.  We found some Incurvaria moths in the canyon with one lygdamus blue butterfly in the canyon.  In the desert we caught several Callophrys dumatorum, one crescent of unknown identification at this time and one Megathymus coloradenis martini.

>>> Ernest Williams <ewilliam at hamilton.edu> 04/06 5:18 AM >>>
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