Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Butterfly Monitoring Continues into 2016 
at the GTM Research Reserve
Here are some highlights from 2014 and 2015, species rarely seen at GTM NERR:
 Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus)

Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)

Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)
Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme)
Clouded Skipper (Lerema accius)
Least Skipper (Ancyloxpha numitor)
Delaware Skipper - (Anatrytone logan)

New species observed for the first time at the GTM Research Reserve included the Black Swallowtail in September 2014, the Least Skipper in May 2015 and the Zebra Swallowtail in September 2015. 


On March 21, 2016 we were treated to morning and afternoon presentations by entomologist Mike Pogue, one of our volunteer butterfly monitoring team members.  Mike reviewed butterfly physiology and ecology, highlighting details and numbers of our diverse population of butterflies at GTM NERR.
Mike had supplied verified data for a special section on Butterflies at GTM NERR to the inaturalist.org website.   See www.inaturalist.org/guides/2511

Note: Other animal classifications are also represented on the inaturalist.org site such as Birds, Reptiles, Arthropods and Plankton at GTM NERR: