Category Archives: ID Challenges & Tips

Duskywings In April: Calling All Photographers

Posted on April 3, 2016 by connorj

  What name would you give to the butterfly above? All photos here are by Dave Amadio and of the same individual skipper — at Glassboro WMA on 4-1-16. You can go to the Sightings Log to see Dave’s conclusion, but … Continue reading →

Posted in ID Challenges & Tips, Photo Forum, Skippers | Comments Off on Duskywings In April: Calling All Photographers

Nine Species in Nine Days — an Early-March Outburst

Posted on March 10, 2016 by connorj

In the first nine days of March South Jersey witnessed both a three-inch+ snowstorm and record-setting heat. Meanwhile, our intrepid observers wiped the snowflakes off their binoculars, stripped down to their short-sleeves, and documented nine different species of butterflies flying … Continue reading →

Posted in First Emergences, ID Challenges & Tips, Links to Research Articles, Looking At Our Data, Lycaenids, Nymphalids | Comments Off on Nine Species in Nine Days — an Early-March Outburst

Do Orange Spots Make An Orange Sulphur?

Posted on January 5, 2016 by connorj

Harvey Tomlinson has  created the challenge above — by capturing a seldom-seen feature in these two photos he took in Cumberland County on Jan. 3. Those orange dots on the hindwing of the white female in the first photo and … Continue reading →

Posted in ID Challenges & Tips, Pierids | 1 Comment

The Colias Conundrum

Posted on December 22, 2015 by connorj

Hidden in the swirl of more exciting finds this month has been a surge of reports of both orange and clouded sulphurs.   We already have more December reports of these two than in any of our previous seven Decembers … Continue reading →

Posted in ID Challenges & Tips, Late Dates, Pierids | 1 Comment

More Rosa Pix — And a Question for Spring

Posted on November 11, 2015 by connorj

In follow-up to the post of November 9 here are more photos of “rosa” morph buckeyes, showing their wide range of forms. Thanks to the photographers listed here for passing their shots along. See the earlier post — below — … Continue reading →

Posted in ID Challenges & Tips, Links to Research Articles, Looking At Our Data, Nymphalids, Out-of-Area Reports | 1 Comment

Our Fall “Rosa” Buckeyes

Posted on November 9, 2015 by connorj

So far, it’s been a good November for buckeyes.  Twenty-four of our first fifty reports of the month (as of today) included at least one buckeye — and we have at least one November report from seven of our eight counties … Continue reading →

Posted in ID Challenges & Tips, Links to Research Articles, Nymphalids | Comments Off on Our Fall “Rosa” Buckeyes

September 2015 Photo Gallery

Posted on October 1, 2015 by connorj

Among its many other advantages, David Reese’s new logging system allows us to share our photographs much more easily than we could previously. You can see all 70+ photographs posted by our observers in September 2015 by going to our … Continue reading →

Posted in Eggs, Cats, Chrysalids, ID Challenges & Tips, Lycaenids, Nymphalids, Photo Forum, Pierids, Skippers, Swallowtails | Comments Off on September 2015 Photo Gallery

Worn and ragged butterflies — a summer ID puzzle!

Posted on July 8, 2015 by connorj

Ouch, every summer, just when you think you have learned (or re-learned) the local flyers’ field marks, they show up ratty and chipped. Here are four for your viewing (dis)pleasure so worse for wear that they seem good puzzles. If … Continue reading →

Posted in ID Challenges & Tips | 4 Comments

Can You ID These Skippers?

Posted on June 2, 2015 by connorj

Harvey Tomlinson photo’d these two worn skippers on a trip to Cumberland County on May 31, and he has invited comments and analysis on their identities. If you are willing to identify their species and provide some details about the … Continue reading →

Posted in ID Challenges & Tips, Skippers | 3 Comments

More April Pix & an ID Challenge

Posted on May 6, 2015 by connorj

Several observer/photographers on our team had some good luck in the last couple of days of April. And we also have a photo illustrating how Henry’s and frosted elfins can require careful looks. And what about this one? If you … Continue reading →

Posted in ID Challenges & Tips, Lycaenids, Skippers | 2 Comments