Story and Photographs By Joan Herrmann
Whereiwander… today is definitely into the meadow. The meadow is about three and a half acres and is now adorned with more than 400 native Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) plants. This species is a pale lilac color and in full bloom right now and is attracting numerous species of insects, birds and even spring peepers. The birds and peepers aren’t really interested in the flowers, but they are very interested in the insects that are seeking pollen or nectar.
Among the plethora of insect that arrive daily are several species of butterflies and some diurnal (active during the daylight) moths. Butterflies like most insects have six legs, two sets of wings (forewings and hindwings), a head, thorax and abdomen and a pair of antenna (antennae plural) which have clubs at their tips. Butterflies belong to the Order Lepidoptera which is Greek meaning scales (Lepidos) and wings (ptera). Other members of the Order Lepidoptera are moths and skippers. Butterflies have been admired and talked about for centuries. Fossils of butterflies have been found and one of the best places to still find them today is at Pike’s Peak in Colorado. Petroglyphs (cave drawings) have been found in the Dominican Republic of butterflies, some so accurate that they can be identified as species that we can even see today.
Butterflies have different patterns on their wings when the wings are open (upperside) and when the wings are closed (underside). For identification purposes it is often necessary to be able to see or photograph both the upperside and underside of the wings while the butterfly is stationary. In our area we even have three species of butterflies that may be seen in late May or early June as they winter over as adult butterflies. There are other species which also have their own way of wintering over which include as an egg, a larva or pupa. For identification purposes a field guide book is truly handy as some species of butterflies the male and female of the same species may vary slightly in coloring or patterns and also they may look different due to age or circumstances. Their wings may fade with age and many wings become tattered from escaping predators; such as a piece of wing torn away by a bird’s beak.
The life cycle of a butterfly begins when the egg is laid on its host plant. The transformation from egg, to larva, pupa and adult is thought to be a miracle, and I totally agree. The female selecting the correct host plant is critical. The hatching larva (caterpillar) is a minuscule “eating machine” and it will consume the plant or other host plants until it goes through at least five growth stages (instars). Each stage of instar the larva will shed its outgrown skin and continue to eat until the next instar is also too small. When it has reached its last instar it will then be ready for the next stage which is the pupa or chrysalis stage. Unlike moth larvae which construct a cocoon, the butterfly larva spins a “silk button” to a piece of plant material and hangs until the last instar skin is shed. Then the larva begins to harden into a shape specific to its species (for example a “jellybean” shape for Monarchs). The chrysalis contains the adult butterfly and, after the appropriate time per species, the adult will emerge. Most adult butterflies live only a few weeks with the exception of those that winter over as adults and those which migrate.
I am sure that many of you already know that the best time to see moths is in the evening because most moths are nocturnal (night-time) you may or not be aware that there are several species of moths that are diurnal and among the day time moths there are three in particular that I will be able to see and photograph within our meadow; especially right now with the abundance of the Wild Bergamot. Among these three two of them are Clearwing Moths, the Hummingbird Clearwing (Hemaris thysbe) and the Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris diffinis) the third isn’t a clearwing moth. It is known as the Virginia Ctenucha (Ctenucha virginica). The hummingbird clearwing gets its common name from its habit of hovering when retrieving nectar from flowers, which is similar to the way Hummingbird also retrieve nectar. The hummingbird clearwing is colored olive green and burgundy on its back and their undersides are a yellowish and burgundy color. Its wings are transparent with a dark reddish brown border. When the clearwing first emerged as an adult its wing had scales, but after its first flight the scales drop off, leaving the “glassy” area on each wing. It may appear to have a tail, but it is actually shortened tufts of hairs. Both the Hummingbird and the Snowberry clearwings may be found in early spring feeding on Lilacs and later on Milkweed blossoms, Viper’s Bugloss and on Monarda. The Snowberry Clearwing resembles a queen bumble bee and they are both similar in coloring. Both clearwings are about one and a half to two inches in length and they share similar host plants for their larva as both caterpillars eat honeysuckle, dogbane and several fruit trees which may include cherry, plum and hawthorn. The larva of each is a limey green color with a “horn” on the last segment. Occasionally a hummingbird clearwing larva may be a reddish color and a snowberry larva may be brown but most often they will be the limey green color.
The Virginia Ctenucha (Ctenucha virginica) moths may be found throughout the late spring and early summer in our meadow or along the roadside, in gardens, marshes, swamps and bogs. Its shape and coloring reminds me of a “caped crusader”. It has a long feathery or fringed antenna and a bright orange head with black eyes and brilliant iridescent blue body. Its forewings are long and may be black or grayish olive-brown and edged with white. The larvae have a variety of host plants which include grasses, irises and sedges. Favorite flowers of the adult are milkweed and goldenrod and even though its name is Virginia it is found throughout all of our areas.
Joan Herrmann has taught and done programs for Schools, Garden Clubs, Libraries, and Nature Centers for about 38 years as a Professional Nature Photographer, Naturalist, and Outdoor Educator. After moving from the Rochester area in 1995, she began her Photography business, Essence of Nature, and became a co-owner of The Artworks in Old Forge, New York. As a docent at Munson, Williams, Proctor Arts Institute in Utica, New York, she has been educating children and adults for nineteen years.
In 2007, she began working with the Black River Outdoor Educational Program (BROEP). In 2013 and 2014, she did a week-long summer program at BROEP with Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC).
Using her love of nature and photography, she created a Flora/Fauna outdoor educational program teaching students (ages 6 to 14) the joys of nature and creative photography skills.
Joan’s love of nature has been a lifelong study of Birds, Wildflowers, Mosses, Ferns, Trees, Amphibians, Reptiles, Grasses, Insects, Spiders, Tracks, Scat, and Galls. She has assisted in cataloging all trails used by the hiking Coaches and photographed and identified seasonal Flora.
Since October 2016, she has written a bi-monthly nature column with Adirondack Express Newspaper. In October 2019, she began a bi-monthly column with the My Little Falls newspaper. You may reach her at jmhphoto8442@gmail.com.