Tag Archives: Mississippi

Scour Or Fly? Tropical Leafwing Butterflies

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Filed under Leafwing, National Butterfly Center, Mission, TX

Tropical Leafwing Butterfly photographed by Jeff Zablow at the National Butterfly Center, Mission, TX

We flew some 1,600 miles from Atlanta to San Jose, Texas. From there to Alamo, Texas, where we stayed for 6 days. Did we see lots of butterflies? Yes. Did I see butterflies I’d never seen before? Yep, dozens of new ones? Among them, this Tropical Leafwing butterfly.

Georgia has a different Leafwing, the Goatweed Leafwing. I’ve yet to see one here in Georgia. I’ve seen one once where I was so startled to see it, that I neglected to Duh!, take pictures of it, in that 1.7 seconds that I had the opportunity to shoot. I also saw one in Mississippi, that time I did think it was a leaf, growing out of the slender tree trunk it was seemingly connected to. Once again stunned to see what I realized I was seeing, I failed to take a photograph.

To the question. Should I fly around the USA, seeking such as Leafwings, or should I scour my own state, Georgia, for butterflies that I’ve failed to yet share with you?

Jeff

Finding a Wetland Skipper Butterfly at the Edge of a Wet Southern Woods

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Filed under Skipper, Yazoo National Wildlife Refuge, MS

Skipper Butterfly at Yazoo National Wildlife Refuge, MS

Yazoo National Wildlife Refuge was an excellent Mississippi destination for photographing butterflies. This May 2010 day did not disappoint.

Poanes yehl is a wetland skipper and that’s where we found it, at the edge of wet southern woods.

It took a bit of research for me, unaccustomed as I am to southern U.S. butterfly species.

As with most skippers this Yehl is an active nectarer.

Mississippi abounded with wildlife and Yazoo NWR kept me busy with Oohs and Aahs!

Jeffrey

It’s likely that this Monarch Butterfly has Mated and Deposited her Eggs on Milkweed Plants

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Filed under Butterfly Types, Monarch, Phipps Conservatory, Pittsburgh, PA

Monarch butterfly photographed at Phipps Conservatory Outdoor Gardens, Pittsburgh, PA

Shouldn’t she have already left Pittsburgh and be in West Virginia or Kentucky? It’s September 22nd and our Danaus plexippus is methodically nectaring on tall verbena flower heads in the Outdoor Gardens of the Phipps Conservatory.

Smart lady. Surrounded by expansive beds of verbena, zinnias, asters and more, she is preparing for the long flight ahead.

How fortunate is she to have little to fear from the animals about that would otherwise prey on such a vulnerable prey. Our recent Monarch butterfly post discusses why she has little to fear and why that is.

So there she is. It is likely that she has mated and already deposited her eggs on carefully chosen Asclepias (milkweed) plants.

She probably arrived safely in Alabama, Mississippi or Louisiana. Which was her destination? I defer to our blog visitors from NABA (North American Butterfly Association) or Xerces Society for their Comments.

Did she, or was it her progeny that crossed to Gulf of Mexico and flew into Mexico? Again, Hmmmm.

What we do know is that she is vivacious!

For me, this opportunity and this image represent serendipity!

Jeffrey