Category Archives: ID Challenges & Tips

Is Hickory Hairstreak Possible in South Jersey?

In Butterflies of New Jersey Michael Gochfeld and Joanna Burger end their discussion of hickory hairstreak with an intriguing sentence, “This species is certainly both misidentified and overlooked.” They note that various authors have differed about the keys to hickory’s … Continue reading

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Photo Forum #4: What is it?

Steve Glynn and Harvey Tomlinson photo’d a skipper (or a couple of skippers) in Hunter’s Mill Bog on June 15 that left them puzzled. Anyone out there willing to try to ID the butterflies above and below? Warning: these are … Continue reading

Posted in ID Challenges & Tips, Skippers | 3 Comments

Photo Forum version 3.1: An Overlooked Azure?

From the spring of 2008 through the spring of 2013 we logged a total of fewer than half a dozen reports of summer azures in their spring form for all six years combined.  As of April 18, we have 8+ … Continue reading

Posted in ID Challenges & Tips, Looking At Our Data, Lycaenids, Photo Forum | 2 Comments

Photo Forum 3: The Complex Becomes Complexer

Look out, everyone! Trouble ahead! The weather report for today, tomorrow, and the weekend looks good for butterflies — with sunny skies and temperatures crossing into the 70s. Even more little blue butterflies should be flashing around here and there. … Continue reading

Posted in ID Challenges & Tips, Lycaenids, Photo Forum | 2 Comments

Photo Forum 2: Suffering with Sulphurs

We could use some help with this one, everybody! Jesse Amesbury’s photo is our first report of sulphurs of any kind on the log this year, and so it seems a good time to get a discussion going on what … Continue reading

Posted in ID Challenges & Tips, Photo Forum, Pierids | 2 Comments

Photo Forum 1: What’s Your Take?

  Some SJ butterflyers have been growing restless with this late winter’s snow and cold and have suggested we warm up for the coming season with some photo IDs. Jack Miller volunteered to start us off with this photo of … Continue reading

Posted in ID Challenges & Tips, Photo Forum, Skippers | 3 Comments

Kevin Karlson you need not be: the value of blurry photos

Dave Amadio sent in the following note with his photos above: “Had the giant swallowtail again this afternoon [8-30-13] at Wheelabrator in Westville. I am somewhat embarrassed to send such poor images. Kevin Karlson I am not! In my defense, … Continue reading

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One Odd Azure

Yes, the date above is correct. The photo was taken just last week — August 16th, not March 16th or April 16th. Jim Dowdell and Clay Sutton found the odd-looking azure on that date at the Atlantic City Airport (while … Continue reading

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Weekend Adventurers

At least a dozen of our contributing observers were out in the field over the weekend, Saturday and Sunday, and we had some cool finds. Brian Johnson may have invented a new mode of butterfly-chasing as he brought his surfboard … Continue reading

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But On Second Thought….

The last post below about European skippers from the other day represents the state of knowledge from last week… and now that understanding seems so obsolete! Will Kerling’s find on June 5 sparked at least four other SJBFers to get … Continue reading

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