Insects & Other Invertebrates Galleries

SJBF Club Field Trip to Parker Preserve 6-13-09 : The South Jersey Butterfly Club had a wonderful expedition to Franklin Parker Preserve (NJCF property around Chatsworth). Twenty-two observers found twenty-two species of butterflies -- and an amazing mix of other animals and plants. Stephen Mason arranged the visit, chose the sites, and led us around with great success. Thanks to Emile DeVito for allowing our group vehicular access -- and thanks to Pat Sutton and Frank Windfelder for allowing me to include their photos here.

SJBF Club Field Trip to Parker Preserve 6-13-09

The South Jersey Butterfly Club had a wonderful expedition to Franklin ...

Updated: Jun 14, 2009 11:40am PST

Skippers : A mix of skippers in reverse chrono-order, 2009 - 2007, and a few earlier. Trying to learn this tough group.

Skippers

Parker Preserve 2009 :

Parker Preserve 2009

Updated: Jun 13, 2009 2:12pm PST

Azures & Elfins Spring 2008 : The Mannheim Ave "extension" (the dirt road that leads through red maple/pitch pine forest to south side of Mullica River two miles west of Port Republic) is the place we usually find our first azures of the year. 3/14/08 was a new local early date for J & me (old record 3/16/95, also on Mannheim Ave). 9 individuals seen in 60 minutes. One had central patch (= Celastrina ladon lucia, form "lucia"); others showed dark trailing edge w/o the patch (= Celastrina ladon lucia, form "marginata"). By the new understanding of the spring azure complex (cf. David Wright) both forms here are the blueberry azure, whose caterpillars feed on Vaccinium flowers. Next good day was 3/26/08, with ~20 azures in one hour on Mannheim. One lightly-marked "marginata" type (presumably) stood out, lacking darkness in trailing edge. April was cold, wet, and windy first week and a half. Next photos here are from Old Port Road, 4-10-08, when managed to photo a female azure laying eggs on high-bush blueberry. First holly azures on 4-13-08, Akers Trail and upland drive at Forsythe NWR. Holly azures continued to fly into early June. Saw first ovipositing by summer azure, C. neglecta, on maleberry on 6/17/08 near Klots Bog in Lakehurst. Some pix from last year comparing azure species here.

Azures & Elfins Spring 2008

Hairstreaks, Coppers, & Blues 2007-08 : Hairstreaks photo'd with my new camera.

Hairstreaks, Coppers, & Blues 2007-08

Bob Pyle & the South Jersey Ramblers, 5-21-08 : Bob Pyle, founder of the Xerces Society, author of The Audubon Society Field Guide To Butterflies, Wintergreen and more than a dozen other books, is engaged on a Butterfly Big Year in 2008, raising pledges for the Xerces Society as he chases butterflies across America. Pat & Clay Sutton hosted him at their house in Goshen this week and organized an expedition led by Will Kerling to two local hot spots. Our primary targets were Hessel's hairstreak, one of Bob's "grail butterflies," and roadside skipper, a South Jersey rarity. We found those & more. (To see earlier days of Bob's Year, go to his Xerces blog here or his Orion blog here.)

Bob Pyle & the South Jersey Ramblers, 5-21-08

Butterflies in J's Garden 2008 :

Butterflies in J's Garden 2008

Odonata 2007 & 2008 : A mix of odes -- 2008 pix first, about a half a dozen new species as of 6/18/08, then 2007 shots in roughly seasonal order.

Odonata 2007 & 2008

Tiger Beetles 2007 & 2008 : Most pix here from 2007. As of 3/23/08 starting again to see how many I can photo and ID this year (2008). 2007 species total only 6. H. Boyd lists 21 species in NJ; but they seem more of a challenge to track down than I thought. Can I photo ten this year? First of season again was C. tranquebarica on 3/23/08, the early species of the group. Second of 2008 on 4-10-08 was C. sexguttata (same sequence as last year). Third 5/7/08, C. scutellaris rugifrons, Warren Grove. Fourth, 6/25/08, C. unipunctata, path to Lake Pam, on Stockton campus.

Tiger Beetles 2007 & 2008

Bees In Local Places, 2008 : A group with far too many species to learn w/o dedication, but fun to photo nonetheless.

Bees In Local Places, 2008

Resin Bees in J's Garden July-Sept 2007 : An email from NJ NABA (Michael Gochfeld) alerted us to be on the lookout for giant resin bees, Megachile sculpturalis in the garden this year. They are a non-native, Asian species, first found in North Carolina in 1994, that have spread to the southeast and also northward, it seems. Sure enough, we found them soon after we started looking -- in our garden on 7/22 and 7/24 and at Makepeace Lake on 7/24. They have continued here all summer, mostly on Verbena but also other plants. At the moment, the last photo'd were still nectaring on 9-8-07.

Resin Bees in J's Garden July-Sept 2007

Parker Preserve Survey, Aug 11, 2007 : Late afternoon trip to Parker, then after a supper break, out in search of moths at the bait Jamie has painted on the trees along the road that leads past the Spong up to the Red Pit. Lots of pepperbush flowering, but relatively few butterflies during the day. A couple of hard-to-ID skippers I haven't figured out yet.

Parker Preserve Survey, Aug 11, 2007

Parker Preserve Survey, June 7, 2007 : A third trip to Parker Preserve with Jamie Cromartie. Hundreds of odonates flying, of more than a dozen species, including several species new for the survey this year. Some photos here are murky, but included to document IDs.

Parker Preserve Survey, June 7, 2007

Parker Preserve Survey 8-2-07 : First trip to the section of refuge located in "downtown" Chatsworth; low 90s, very humid, but some breeze. Lots of nectar sources, especially sweet pepperbush, but few butterflies seen. Jamie and I went up first in the morning, lasted until 12:40, saw & photo'd one Dion skipper; then decided heat was keeping insects inactive and retreated to Stockton; we returned at 4:30. Had a couple of shots of a second Euphyes dion in the bog. White fringed orchids along 563. Many Celithemis marthain mating "wheels." Ended the day watching a spider wasp dragging a huge spider to her nest.

Parker Preserve Survey 8-2-07

Parker Preserve Survey, July 13, 2007 : A quick early afternoon trip to Parker to look for butterflies and other insects and to paint some moth bait on the trees.

Parker Preserve Survey, July 13, 2007

Parker Preserve Survey, 6/19/07 and 6/22/07 : Two trips to Parker -- on 6/19 with Jamie, approx 9-11:30 a.m, and another solo on 6/21, 9:45-2:00pm. Sandwort still flowering; sand wasps active; cranberry and yellow loosestrife bloomng even more obviously than 6/7. No bog coppers seen, despite focused searches both days. However, dotted skippers were flying on both days, Hesperia attalus. All but the "Red Pit" female on 6/19 were found in the sandwort/sand wasp area perhaps 1/3rd a mile in from 563 on east side of road. Double-click on any image to enlarge. Another double-click goes to full size.

Parker Preserve Survey, 6/19/07 and 6/22/07

Parker Preserve Survey, 5/9/07 and 5/22/07 : Jamie Cromartie is helping conduct an insect survey of New Jersey Consevation Foundation's new preserve, 5000 acres at an old cranberry farm deep in the Pine Barrens near Chatsworth. I've tagged along to take photos a couple of times.

Parker Preserve Survey, 5/9/07 and 5/22/07

Pink-Spotted Hawk Moth Aug 4, 2007 : A pink-spotted sphinx moth, Agrius cingulatus, has been visiting Cleome, spider flowers, at the Cromartie/Gitchell garden. Photo'd this one as their Saturday night barbecue came to an end.

Pink-Spotted Hawk Moth Aug 4, 2007

Cumberland NABA count 7-31-07 : Pat Sutton has been running the Cumberland County NABA butterfly survey for many years. Jesse and I have been counting the last few years in Area 6, between Dividing Creek and Gandy Beach along the Bayshore. This year we had about 24 species in that area, including painted lady (our first for the year) and four cloudless sulfurs.

Cumberland NABA count 7-31-07

Azures 2007 : Trying to tune into the different species of Celastrina this year. The first to emerge is C. lucia ladon/blueberry azure in D. Wright's terminology. At least 30 individuals flying along Mannheim Avenue dirt road on 3/29/07, temperature in high 50s/low 60s(?), blueberry flowers not quite open. Red maple and a few leatherleaf plants flowering. 2-3 of the azures showed "lucia" patch. April then mostly cold, gray, and wet. Few warm/sunny days good for butterflying. Saw/photo'd azures on and off with weather esp on Mann. Ave and Old Port Road, but no ovipositing recorded. First idella (holly/Atlantic azure) seen exactly one month after lucia, 4-29-07. Both species photo'd together on 5-1-07 and (apparently) 5-3-07 on OPR.

Azures 2007

Wildcat Ridge June 27, 2007 : Trip to Wildcat Ridge, Morris County, led by Tom Halliwell. Several North Jersey species of butterflies and dragonflies -- and a pickerel frog -- that we don't see in South Jersey.

Wildcat Ridge June 27, 2007

Butterflies 2004-06 : South Jersey species (mostly Atlantic County) photo'd over three years. I've moved skipper photos to a separate gallery: Click here

Butterflies 2004-06

Not BFs or DFs : Insects other than butterflies and dragonflies. "Journal" or "All Thumbs" under Style make for easiest browsing. Click on any image for larger view.

Not BFs or DFs

Dragonflies & Damselfies 2004-06 : Southern NJ is home to more than 100 species of these generally under-appreciated animals. Choose "Journal" or "All Thumbs" on Style menu for easiest browsing.

Dragonflies & Damselfies 2004-06

Spiders : Pix of spiders, many of which I can't ID or have ID'd tentatively here. Corrections, anyone? Choose "Journal" or "All Thumbs" for easiest browsing. Click on any image for larger view.

Spiders

Butterflies in the NJPB : Butterflies in some well-known & not so well-known places in the NJPB.

Butterflies in the NJPB

Lizard Tail Swamp Bioblitz June 10 06 : A sampling of species found on the Bioblitz in Lizard Tail Swamp Preserve in Goshen, organized by Endangered Species Program and The Nature Conservancy, June 9-10 2006.

Lizard Tail Swamp Bioblitz June 10 06

Caterpillars : A gallery still under construction, as of November 2, 2008. A mix of moth and butterfly caterpillars here.

Caterpillars

Cicada Killers in Port : A colony of cicada killers (Sphecius speciosa) has occupied the Port School soccer field for many years, and this year I discovered a larger colony at the Boat Launch parking area adjacent to Nacote Creek, about 300 yards from the school. Is the school colony a satellite of the Boat Launch? Males were flying at the school as of 7/9/06. Much patrolling and chasing. First four nests dug 7/18/06; three more on 7/19/06. First female observed/photo'd with cicada, afternoon of 7/19/06. Wikepedia info about the species: here. Ohio State University Extension fact sheet: here.

Cicada Killers in Port

Wasps in local places : Trying to learn this group of intriguing insects a little bit.

Wasps in local places

Wasp Mimics, Parasites, Predators :

Wasp Mimics, Parasites, Predators

Cool Flies, Believe It Or Not : Another group I'd like to learn a little. 2006 pix from our garden, especially on J's mountain mint. More recent (2007 & 2008) photos from various locations.

Cool Flies, Believe It Or Not

Pipevine Swallowtails June 05 to June 06 : George Basset, who has been raising pipevine swallowtails for many years, gave us several of his young caterpillars in June 05. We fed them pipevine leaves from Jesse's garden and kept the chrysalids in a glass fish tank in our barn over winter. As of 5-7-06, seven have emerged -- and something else has happened....See below.

Pipevine Swallowtails June 05 to June 06

Xerces Count 7-2-05 : Photos from this year's annual Galloway Xerces Butterfly Count, organized by Jamie Cromartie. Jesse & I covered Port, farmlands/roads nearby, Chestnut Neck, & Kennedy Farm on campus. Jamie led the other team up Clark's Landing, to Forsythe NWR, and elsewhere.Our team's total was 24 species for the day; total for both teams was ~30.Choose "Journal" or "Slideshow" at Style for caption reading; choose "All Thumbs" to spare yourself my comments.

Xerces Count 7-2-05

Parker Preserve St Patricks Day 2009 : With Rick Radis and Steve Mason for a mid-March tour of Parker Preserve and a quick stop at Warren Grove for flowering Corema.

Parker Preserve St Patricks Day 2009

Azures for SJBF Club 4-1-09 :

Azures for SJBF Club 4-1-09

Updated: Apr 07, 2009 12:04pm PST

Jesse's Garden Insects Up-close 2009 : How many insects can we identify and photo in the garden and yard in 2009?

Jesse's Garden Insects Up-close 2009

May SJBF Meeting 050609 :

May SJBF Meeting 050609

SJBF Trip to Stafford Forge 6-23-09 : Chip Krilowicz led a SJBF odes trip to Stafford Forge WMA, finding 19 species, despite the overcast day. Some photos.

SJBF Trip to Stafford Forge 6-23-09

Chip Krilowicz led a SJBF odes trip to Stafford Forge WMA, finding 19 ...

Updated: Jun 26, 2009 3:29pm PST

Pix by SJBF Members : Collecting here pix by So Jersey Butterfly Club photographers sent me to be added to our log. No photos in this gallery are by me (darn it!)

Pix by SJBF Members

Collecting here pix by So Jersey Butterfly Club photographers sent me ...

Updated: Oct 09, 2009 4:20am PST

Sussex County July 2009 : Some photos from weekend in Sussex County, first on Springdale NABA Count with Sharon & Wade Wander and next day with So Jersey Butterflyers, Pat Sutton & Stephen Mason.

Sussex County July 2009

Some photos from weekend in Sussex County, first on Springdale NABA Co ...

Updated: Jul 13, 2009 11:00am PST

Utah Butterflies & Dragonflies : Some of the leps and odes we saw in southwestern Utah, 7/21/09-7/28/09.

Utah Butterflies & Dragonflies