Associated People Suzanne Kahn Eder Nancy Viehmann
With the crafts festival right around the corner, the time to mow fields for parking is approaching. Unfortunately, some of the parking fields are full of milkweed and monarchs. Fortunately, this is a good time to cut the fields to encourage strong regeneration next year.
In an effort to conserve butterflies before the mow, a small team went out to find and relocate monarch eggs and larvae. They transferred 37 eggs and 25 caterpillars from the Knight Trail fields to the Muskie field. Congratulations and thanks to Dennis, Emily, Brandon, Sonny, Suzanne, and Nancy.
Nancy inspects the undersides of milkweed leaves for eggs or caterpillars.
Late and early monarch instars.
The Wells Reserve couldn't run without its army of volunteers. They help with every aspect of activity here. One task that I never have problem getting volunteers to help with is going out into the field with insect nets and catching dragonflies and butterflies.
In 1999 the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife started a state-wide survey of dragonflies. That survey concluded in 2004. This year starts the first year of a survey for Maine's butterflies. MDIF&W relies on citizen scientists to go out and collect specimens in as many different places in state as possible. To increase our knowledge of what kinds of insects we have at the Wells Reserve, we established several sites to sample here as part of those two programs.
According to the Maine Butterfly Survey website one of the goals of the survey is "acquiring a solid baseline of the distribution and abundance of Maine butterflies."
Because of their short generation times, sensitivity to environmental insults and often narrow habitat requirements, insects can be effective sentinels of environmental change. As the specter of global warming looms, wildlife biologists and ecologists need to be able to monitor the direction and rate of changes in plant and animal populations. The use of any group of organisms to monitor population changes requires a firm baseline of information against which changes can be judged.
With over 115 species native to Maine, butterflies contribute a colorful and conspicuous component to our state's biological diversity. Butterflies play an important role in terrestrial and wetland ecosystems by serving both as pollinators of many wildflowers and prey (both caterpillars and adults) to larger species ranging from dragonflies to birds.
For more information on both these programs, visit the Maine Damselfly and Dragonfly Survey and the Maine Butterfly Survey.
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One icehouse chrysalis has become translucent and a near-adult monarch is now visible through the case. Thanks, Laura L, for the irresistible photographic update.
The Reserve's milkweed feeds multitudes of monarch larvae. The adult butterflies seem to be especially abundant this summer and signs that they're reproducing are commonplace. The clapboard siding of the icehouse has proven popular with monarch caterpillars. Here, a newly formed chrysalis conceals an amazing transformation while another larva fastens up before molting its skin to reveal the chrysalis formed within.
As the month of May closes, so does most of the major passage of migrating birds. The movement is not over; it just isn't so obvious.
Summer approaches and with it come myriad winged creatures without feathers, so in coming weekly reports some insects might find themselves the objects of attention.
Today's butterflies (to get things started entomologically) included sulfurs, ladies, and blues, just a few of the many species that can be found here between spring and fall. Exactly how many species might appear on site is unknown; the reserve has no comprehensive list of its butterflies. Surveying them would be fascinating and beneficial.
Showing blog posts tagged butterflies: 1–5 of 5
