Vanessa at night - no 3

[Paul Cherubini]

Stan Gorodenski wrote:

> As Nicklas Wahlberg pointed out a while back (I believe), we can't see
> in the dark.  You seem to be taking the position that butterflies
> (specifically Vanessa's) don't fly at night because you haven't seen
> them fly, but we humans can't see in a completely dark night (thus the
> reason for outdoor lighting) to be able to say we have or haven't seen
> them. 

But we can see quite a bit on warm, starry, full moon-lit nights.
I have plenty of good memories seeing noctuid and hummingbird 
moths nectaring at patches of blooming milkweed and rabbit brush plants
in rural areas several hours after sunset.  But never a butterfly.

In my own rural backyard with 1/4 acre of blooming Buddleia
bushes, I can see dozens of noctuid moths nectaring on moon-lit 
nights in July. Also, dozens of Painted Ladies, Red Admirals and Monarchs, 
plus hundreds of honeybees, and bumblebees, but only for 
the first 20-30 minutes after sunset. 

Paul Cherubini

 
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