Butterfly group at Pleasant Valley Conservancy

Today we enjoyed a rare treat: lots of butterflies identified by experts. The Southern Wisconsin Butterfly Association, together with Madison Audubon Society and the Prairie Enthusiasts, toured Pleasant Valley Conservancy under leadership of butterfly photographer Ann Thering. There were 20 participants, many of whom were extremely knowledgeable. And the weather was also cooperative.

The photo above shows part of the group using the boardwalk to get closer to the wetland, where, among others, there were large numbers of Baltimore Checkerspots.

Here is Ann's list (29 species; the numbers are only approximate):

• Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (3)
• Black Swallowtail (7)
  
• Giant Swallowtail (3)
• Cabbage White (1)
• Clouded Sulphur (1)
• Orange Sulphur (1)
• Bronze Copper (1)
• Banded Hairstreak (1)
• Eastern Tailed-Blue (1)
• ‘Summer’ Spring Azure (7)
• Great Spangled Fritillary (5+)
• Aphrodite Fritillary (1)
• Silvery Checkerspot (30+)
• Pearl Crescent (20+)
• Baltimore Checkerspot (20+)
• Question Mark (1)
• American Lady (3)
• Red-spotted Purple (1)
• Hackberry Emperor (3)
• Eyed Brown (3)
• Little Wood-Satyr (2)
• Monarch (4)
• Silver-spotted Skipper (6)
• Northern Cloudywing (2)
• Juvenal’s Duskywing (2)
• Least Skipper (35+)
• European Skipper (10)
• Tawny-edged Skipper (2)
• Long Dash (3)

One of the Great Spangled Fritillarys was seen nectaring on a glade mallow flower.