Butterfly trip at Pleasant Valley Conservancy

On Saturday, June 21, 2014, a butterfly field trip (24 participants) was held at Pleasant Valley Conservancy led by Ann Thering and Kathie and Tom Brock. This trip was held under the auspices of the Prairie Enthusiasts, Madison Audubon Society, and the Southern Wisconsin Butterfly Association. This was the fourth year this trip has been held and it is almost becoming a "regular". We are pleased that Pleasant Valley Conservancy has become a great site for butterfly conservation.

Due to time constraints, only the wetter areas of the Conservancy could be visited. Thus, species found primarily in the oak savannas or dry prairies are probably missing from the list below. The count was provided by Ann Thering.

• Eastern Tiger Swallowtail: 2
• Bronze Copper: 1
• Banded Hairstreak: 1
• Eastern Tailed-Blue: 2
• ‘Summer’ Spring Azure: 3
• Great Spangled Fritillary: 6
• Aphrodite Fritillary: 7
• Silvery Checkerspot: 5
• Pearl Crescent: 2
• Baltimore Checkerspot: 50+
• Eastern Comma: 1
• Mourning Cloak: 1
• Red Admiral: 1
• Red-spotted Purple: 2
• Viceroy: 2
• Eyed Brown: 6
• Little Wood-Satyr: 2
• Monarch: 3
• Silver-spotted Skipper: 2
• Least Skipper: 35+
• European Skipper: 1

The Baltimore Checkerspot is one of the species of most interest, since it is not that common in southern Wisconsin. As the "count" shows, Pleasant Valley Conservancy is a great site for this species. The photo shows a "tame" mating pair of this small but attractive species.