05-12-16 Butterfly Field Note

05-12-16 Butterfly Field Note

May 13, 2016

Jeffrey Pippen's field note shares images and insight into spring butterflies and tiger beetles.

Butterfly Field Note Spring Butterflies and Tiger Beetles Jeffrey S. Pippen 5 May 2016

Snow covers part of the Baldy Summit butterfly transect in early April.

Glacier Lilies provide nectar for early spring butterflies on Baldy.

Scales wear off of Sheridan’s Hairstreaks each time they crawl into leaf litter for shelter. As scales imbue wings with color, older butterflies may become dull.

A Pine Elfin perches on its namesake caterpillar food plant at MPG North.

Several species of “whites” (Pierinae) fly during spring time in western Montana. Dandelions provide early spring nectar for many insect species like this Becker’s White.