Dragonflies, Two Orange Butterflies, and a Hummingbird Moth

Top Photo: Slaty skimmer (male).

Three new Dragonfly species showed up during the past few weeks, bringing the total number of Dragonfly and Damselfly species seen so far this spring to fifteen. Comet Darners, Slaty Skimmers, and Black Saddlebags were spotted over the Wetlands. Comet Darners and Black Saddlebags also made appearances at the Sailboat Pond.

gd_5_15viceMonarch and Viceroy Butterflies were both seen during the period. Viceroys are mimics of the Monarch, although they are a bit smaller than the Monarch. Viceroys can usually be seen near Willow Trees since they lay their eggs on the leaves of those trees. There are plenty of willows in the Wetlands, which is where I saw the Viceroy. One way to distinguish between the two is to look for a thin black band through the center of the hindwings of the Viceroy. The black band is absent on the Monarch.

gd_5_15humoA Hummingbird Moth buzzed around the many blooming Oxe-eye Daisies near the Ornithopter looking for a place to nectar. Apparently it was looking for a specific kind of nectar source because it moved on without sampling what the daisies had to offer. These day flying moths look remarkably like a hummingbird in both color and behavior with their rapidly flapping wings as they hover over the flowers. (The one pictured is not in flight.)

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