early E. claudia in MN?

[Kenn Kaufman]

I was just in west-central Minnesota, the area just east of 
Fargo, ND, and was seeing only moderate numbers of 
Red Admirals (a few dozen per day before the cold front 
came in, nothing like the hundreds per day I was seeing 
in Oklahoma and Kansas at the beginning of May).  
I was more surprised to see several Euptoieta claudia 
(Variegated Fritillary).  On May 19 and 20, I saw a total 
of at least eight different individuals at various points in 
the eastern part of Itasca State Park, in Hubbard and 
Clearwater counties.  Although I can't claim to know 
Minnesota leps well, it struck me that this seemed quite 
early for E. claudia to be flying in numbers so far north. 
Has anyone noticed an early push of this species?  

Kenn Kaufman
Tucson, AZ
kennk at ix.netcom.com



 
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