Leps of Late

With migration over, we birders are now allowed to pay attention to other things besides birds, in our case, butterflies. There is quite a good selection here in Kansas, with day lists often topping 20-30 species (and even 40, if you're really lucky) in late summer. The best one-day total I've tallied this year is only 26 species, but I've also managed to find a few lifers, bringing my Kansas life list up to an even 70 species.

I found this Little Wood Satyr (a lifer) near our farm a few days ago. This had been somewhat of a nemesis butterfly for me, so I was glad to finally catch up with one.

American Snouts, with their unique labial palps (think nose), are around again.

 Summer Azures are back, fluttering around the Rough-leaved Dogwood clumps.

Checkered Whites are one of the most common butterflies around right now. Its caterpillars (along with those of the Cabbage Whites) are the ones that destroy your cabbage and broccoli plants.

A Clouded Sulphur nectaring on a thistle.

This Hackberry Emperor was feeding on rotting cherries a few mornings ago.

I found this Funereal Duskywing (a lifer) as well as the Gray Copper below while swathing hay earlier this week.

And finally, a Delaware Skipper, one of our most common skippers.

If you are interested in getting into butterflies a good guide to start with is Butterflies of Oklahoma, Kansas, and North Texas. Although it only has 100 of the most common species in the covered area, it covers pretty much everything you'll be able to identify.

Joseph