Painted Lady butterfly fact sheet
DAVID A LEATHERMAN
http://bspm.agsci.colostate.edu/files/2013/03/Painted-Lady.pdf
Since so many birders are noting the big crop of Painted Ladies, I thought referral to the excellent fact sheet by Whitney Cranshaw is in order. Like the note on Arthropods of Colorado website by Mike Weissmann that SeEtta mentioned, Whitney has communicated to the plant listserv the same story: the big influx of butterflies is locally produced, probably most of them being raised on thistles, although they feed on a lot of other common plants in our area. The initial cloud-seeding is by migratory individuals from the Southwest in spring, but then they either do OK up here or have a bumper crop like they did this year.
I'd be interested in any reports of birds eating painted ladies. My impression is they are not as sought after as some other common butterflies, say whites and sulfurs. Of course, monarchs are mostly avoided but not totally.
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
Maureen Blackford
Doug Ward
Following up on the interesting notes and encounters related to this year’s Painted Lady irruption, as well as David’s request for predation by birds feedback, I have an interesting (at least I thought so) anecdote to add to the mix. Unfortunately for me, I’ve been swamped with work so far this fall, so haven’t had the chance to get out any place more exotic than our house here in southwest Denver (Denver Co.) – I work from home. Fortunately, however, we only live a block from Huston Lake Park, and have a big yard, so the urban birding is actually pretty good.
Enough of my woes, and on to the story. Yesterday (Sat., 23 Sept.) morning while working away, noticed a SAY’S PHEOBE out back, then surprisingly he was joined by a juvenile WESTERN KINGBIRD. After watching the Kingbird catch, beat the...poop…out of, then down a large grasshopper, I watched him take after a Painted Lady only to turn back at the last second. So, the young bird’s instinct, and the insect’s toxic coloration seemed to be in play. However, a little later the Pheobe took after, caught, then ate one of the butterfly’s as its wings fluttered to the ground. Sooo, could considering a Painted Lady prey be a learned behavior? I thought it was interesting that two species from the same family, one that specializes in eating insects, behaved so differently – so there’s one to ponder David.
While on the topic of feeding behavior that I hadn’t observed before, also yesterday we had an adult male DOWNY WOODPECKER climbing around and hanging on ripe locust tree seed pods like a parrot. He drilled into and fed on its seeds, at least that’s what it looked like. Has anyone noticed animals besides squirrels exploiting this overly abundant crop?
So there’s the story – waiting for the second half.
Go Broncos,
Doug
Denver
24 Sept.’17 So. Alcott St., Denver, Denver Co.
Canada Goose – 8
Ring-billed Gull – 1
Rock Pigeon – 20
Eurasian Collared-Dove – 4
Downy Woodpecker – 1m
Northern Flicker – 3 “Red-shafted”
Say’s Pheobe – 1
Western Kingbird – 1 imm
Blue Jay – 5
Black-capped Chickadee – 4
American Robin – 1
White-crowned Sparrow – 1 imm “Gamble’s”
Red-winged Blackbird – 10
House Finch - 10
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Doug Ward
While on the topic of bird feeding behavior, thought I’d finally follow up on the Downy Woodpecker/locust pod story I’d included in a post a few weeks back. You’ll note David Leatherman provided a very interesting explanation – they are after Honeylocust Bean Weevils. So with continued Downy activity in the locust tree out front, at least three (3) different individuals, I did investigate more thoroughly. Sure enough, after checking a couple of pods, found the pupa of one of these little buggers.
Much larger than I was expecting, so hence the thought the woodpecker was taking the seed itself. On that note, our Downies are pretty sloppy eaters leaving these everywhere:
So, once again Dave provides us another layer of learning and enjoyment to our own personal study of birds. This is what makes Nature so rewarding to embrace.
Good Birding,
Doug
Denver
PS – Dave, still need to track down your article.
From: Doug Ward [mailto:doug...@frontier.com]
Sent: Monday, September 25, 2017 6:59 AM
To: 'DAVID A LEATHERMAN'
Subject: RE: [cobirds] Painted Lady butterfly fact sheet
David,
Thanks for the information on the Honeylocust Bean Weevil (like that moniker the best). By all means I’m going to check the pods more closely when I get home – on the road with work again this week. Very interesting stuff you pass on. One of these days I’m hoping to get out in the field with you. Thanks again for the note.
Cheers,
Doug
From: DAVID A LEATHERMAN [mailto:daleat...@msn.com]
Sent: Sunday, September 24, 2017 3:46 PM
To: doug...@frontier.com
Subject: Re: [cobirds] Painted Lady butterfly fact sheet
Doug,
Thanks for the anecdotes about the Painted Ladies. The reason I asked the question is that my impression is that they are not particularly tasteful to birds. Like you pointed out, some birds seem to be able to tolerate it, most don't care for them. I suppose it is like humans and egg plant. I saw a Pygmy Nuthatch today drop one in tact. I took that as a rejection. So far folks have said they've seen Peregrines and Common Grackles take them. You would think based on where they are most observable, Western Kingbird would be near the top of the list. I've never thought of their coloration as aposomatic, but maybe it is.
The DOWO is after a pea weevil called the Honeylocust Seed Beetle (also called Honeylocust Bean Weevil, Honeylocust Pea Weevil). I wrote about this in my "The Hungry Bird" column in "Colorado Birds" (V50No.1, Jan2016). If you are a CFO member supposedly you can read it archived on the CFO website. I just watched this at length a week or so ago in Hasty CG and figured out that the woodpecker taps along the pod and is able to detect which ones are infested from the outside of the pod! Once detected, then the woodpecker whacks into the pod, chips thru the seed coat and pulls out the developing weevil. At this time of year, the majority I was able to uncover the other day at Hasty are pupae, with a few being larvae. Some adults, which come in houses and are harmless but I suppose somewhat of a nuisance pest to people who are bit anal about insects, have already emerged. Pic of an adult on a honeylocust bean from which it emerged attached.
Cheers,
Dave
I'd be interested in any reports of birds eating painted ladies My impression is they are not as sought after as some other common butterflies, say whites and sulfurs. Of course, monarchs are mostly avoided but not totally.
Dave Leatherman
Fort Collins
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