A late-summer immigrant to Wisconsin from more southerly regions; does not overwinter this far north. I photographed this one this afternoon at the Grady Tract of the University of Wisconsin Arboretum. I would love to document a life cycle on this beautiful creature; perhaps next spring I can spot one ovipositing on some plantain.
Click photo for bigger.
What a glorious and autumnal palette the velvety "feathers" of a Buckeye be!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful colors. Whatever that is that it is resting on is a perfect match for the butterfly's colors.
ReplyDeleteWe get a lot of them here in Alabama. They are one of my favorites from childhood.
I saw dozens of these just last weekend. I was kayaking on a tidal creek at the base of Cape May, and at the mouth of the creek, where it flows into Delaware Bay, a few monarchs and many buckeyes (and several species of bees and flies) were chowing down on goldenrod, the only thing blooming there at this time of year. I assume that the buckeyes were migrating, but I don't know where they go for the winter.
ReplyDeleteI followed this little fellow through the prairie for about 5 minutes before he finally held still for the photo. If I remember correctly, the leaf he is resting on is one of the "elephant ear" basal leaves of the Prairie Dock (Silphium).
ReplyDeleteAnd MWarhol, these butterflies do migrate, especially along the East Coast. I have read that at times their concentrations rival that of the Monarchs.