Fw: [DPLEX-L:48147] Wave after wave of butterflies from Texas

[Carolyn King]

Here in Southern Ontario we were delighted by the "invasion" of thousands of red admirals, beginning April 16.  I'm curious about the waves of other species that Chip Taylor mentions here.  Are any of you  in the Midwest seeing unusual numbers?

I would love to see more of the southern species.  Variegated fritillaries are occasionally seen here, but dainty sulphurs would be wonderful!

Cheers,
Carolyn King

Toronto Entomologists' Association
http://www.ontarioinsects.org

----- Forwarded by Carolyn King/fs/YorkU on 04/25/12 07:24 PM -----

Chip Taylor <ch...@ku.edu> Sent by: owner-...@listproc.cc.ku.edu 04/24/12 07:27 PM Please respond to dpl...@listproc.cc.ku.edu

To <dpl...@listproc.cc.ku.edu> cc Subject [DPLEX-L:48147] Wave after wave of butterflies from Texas

Over the last three weeks we have experienced wave after wave of
butterflies migrating north from Texas. First it was red admirals,
then painted ladies, then American painted ladies, followed by
variegated fritillaries, dainty sulphurs, two other sulphur species,
grey hairstreaks, buckeyes, and now orange sulphurs (Colias
eurytheme) - with hundreds of them in the garden at any one time.
This short video (to be posted to our Facebook page soon) will give
you an idea of the number of sulphurs present today. I can truthfully
say that never have I seen so many butterflies in our garden in
April. The numbers and diversity actually rival anything we've seen
in the fall when butterflies are usually abundant here.

Everything is early and remains so even though the temperatures have
been nearly normal for the last three weeks. On Saturday (21 April)
while mowing my lawn I spotted and Asclepias viridis (green antelope
milkweed) in bloom. The usual dates for first bloom of this species
in this area are 8-12 May.

This is a spring like no other - at least in the last 20+ years that
I have been following monarchs closely. Conditions have been
consistently excellent for monarch reproduction of 6 weeks.
Everything to this point indicates that monarchs will rebound this
year. A big bounce back is possible. I will summarize the situation
as I see it as time becomes available in 10 days or so.
--
Chip Taylor
ch...@ku.edu
Monarch Watch
http://www.MonarchWatch.org/
Dplex-L:  send message "info Dplex-L" to List...@ku.edu
1-888-TAGGING -or- 1-785-864-4441
University of Kansas
1200 Sunnyside Avenue
Lawrence, KS 66045-7534
Create, Conserve, and Protect Monarch Habitats

[Dana, Robert , DNR]

Must say I find Ms King’s post a little unsettling. All the species Chip Taylor lists are common “weedy” species across the southern US. All can be expected to prosper with climate warming. Mining Saskatchewan’s tar sands will be just fine with them. Meanwhile, our northern specialists are going to find hard going at best. Some will be able to retreat farther north, but some are likely to be squeezed off the planet. Even if all the northern species here in MN find adequate habitat up in Canada, I won’t be able to think of the southern vagrants  as commensurate replacements.

 

Robert

[gganw...@shaw.ca]

No tar sands to speak of in Saskatchewan; but we got lots and lots here in Alberta!  Saskatchewan would LOVE to have some, I am sure!

 

Gary (an Alberta resident, formerly a Saskatchewan resident)

 

(This has been a small but free geography lesson.)