I need help.......

[Runar Krogen]

In 1998 northern Norway experienced a summer warmer than normal. Breeding
of Vanessa cardui almost certainly took place at about 66.5 degrees N.
Latitude in Mo i Rana, for those who have a map. The first migrant was seen
there on June 23. Caterpillars were found in August. During three days, 14.
- 16. September three fresh adults were seen flying around, indicating a
successful breeding just a few yards south of the Arctic Circle. In the
same season of 1998 the species also bred in central Norway around
Trondheim at 63.5 degrees N.Latitude. Here I found more than 200
caterpillars late season, but few developed into butterflies in nature. The
conditions were better in northen Norway (normally it is the opposite)
during the season of 1998. There will be published a paper on migrant
butterflies in central and north Norway in 1998 in the journal ATALANTA
later on.
Around Trondheim V. cardui has bred sucessfully in certain years. The best
years were probably the warm seasons of 1980 and 1988 when V. cardui was
common in fresh specimens early autumn. V. atalanta breeds regularly around
Trondheim, f.ex. last season, 1999.

Runar Krogen

Finnmyrveien 38,
N-7350 Buvika,
Norway

rkrogen at online.no

----------
> From: Paul Cherubini <cherubini at mindspring.com>
> To: leps-l at lists.yale.edu
> Subject: Re: I need help.......
> Date: 5. mai 2000 12:25
> 
> Ken Philip wrote:
> 
> > One can never be sure about a given specimen--but there is enough
> > evidence that SW US butterflies can disperse this far north. Both _V.
> > cardui_ and _V. atalanta_ have been found in the Yukon (Carmacks and
> > Haines Junction, respectively), and _V. atalanta_ has been found in SE
> > and Southcentral Alaska. There is also one record of _H. isola_ from
> > Wiseman, Alaska. All these species are noted for northward dispersal
> > flights...
> 
> I agree it looks like both the Red Admiral and Painted Lady stray
> as far north as interior Alaska on occassion. The Monarch has strayed
> as far north as the Yukon and Hudson's Bay too - far out of range of
> it's milkweed host plant.
> 
> Now I am wondering what are the northernmost breeding records for 
> the Red Admiral and Painted Lady? It would seem a more serious
> issue if school releases caused false positive breeding records. I have
not
> heard of any to date.
> 
> > The Kenai Peninsula _cardui_ were caught in 1973, which may
> > have been before the schools up here began releasing them--but I'm
> > not sure about that.
> 
> Insect Lore - the company that supplies schools with Painted Ladies
> began business in 1969. But I don't know how many years it took
> the owner-entomologist Carlos White to get his business established 
> in remote areas like Alaska. The spring of 1973 was an outbreak year
> for Painted Ladies here in California in April. At this time the
butterflies are
> in moderate to heavily faded condition. These older butterflies could
have 
> reachedthe Anchorage area of Alaska by June if they could cover an
average of
> about 30 miles per day (as monarchs do) through the intense cold, rain
> and overcast of the west coast of Canada and Alaska, but I wonder how
> realistic this is? And I wonder if the moderately worn Painted Ladies 
> migrating north in California in April are capable of living to June?  
> 
> Paul Cherubini
>