wisconsinbutterflies.org | Butterfly sightings

Sep1

Wayne Anderson
Location: Lake Emily Areas
Portage County
Many tiger beetles out. C. tranquebarica, C. punctulata, C. formosa and C. purpurea.

Sep1

Dan Foster
Location: My garden in Germantown
Washington County

Sep1

Judith Huf
Location: Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
Milwaukee County
The Giant Swallowtail was a big surprise. This is the first I’ve seen here; I just returned from Florida where there were many. Today, I also had a glimpse of a fast moving dark swallowtail, but it flew off around some trees and was lost to sight before I had a good look.

Sep1

Joan Braune
Location: Schurch Thompson
Iowa County

Sep1

Rose Tiegs
Location: Home in Oneida
Outagamie County

Sep1

Jorgen Goderstad
Location: 9 springs E-way near Madison, sanitation ponds
Dane County
This is my first sighting of a giant swallowtail this summer. I thought I saw one 2 weeks ago, but wasn’t certain at that time. The ponds are a better place for spotting shorebirds than butterflies, but it turned out to be rewarding for both.

Sep1

Ryan Brady
Location: Chequamegon National Forest southeast of Grand View
Bayfield County
Windy and way too hot…

Sep1

Ron Arnold
Location: DNR property in the town of Saratoga along Highway 13
Wood County
I was here for about an hour and a half this morning, and these were the only 2 butterflies that I saw. I saw the Crescent when I crossed through the pine plantation to the other side of the property, and the Sulphur only flew up because I almost walked into it. I thought that maybe the numbers were down due to the heat, but there were butterflies flying around on my property after I got home in the afternoon.

Clouded Sulphur (1)
Northern Crescent (1)

Sep2

Karen Medeiros
Location: Pewaukee (my kitchen, originally found at neighbor’s yard)
Waukesha County
These are 2 Monarch caterpillars “rescued” from a neighbor’s sparse patch of milkweed plants that were inhabited by numerous Milkweed Tussock Moth caterpillars (Note: Female Milkweed Tussock Moths lay eggs in “rafts” and caterpillars are gregarious during instars 1–3, solitary in later instars, when marked with bright tufts. May defoliate patches of milkweed.*) There was a 3rd, larger Monarch caterpillar with what appeared to be wasp eggs laid on it. I have been raising these 2 smaller caterpillars at home to try to protect them from the same fate (or running out of milkweed due to the Tussock caterpillars!)

*http://bugguide.net/node/view/433/bgimage

Monarch (2)

Sep2

Jorgen Goderstad
Location: Lake Farm Park
Dane County
There were a large number of blues “puddling” along the gravel roads in the park. The tiger swallowtail was a dark phase female with it’s wings in shreds. It was still an impressive site against thet yellow sunflowers.

Sep2

Karen Medeiros
Location: Pewaukee (my backyard garden with Torch sunflowers)
Waukesha County
Torch sunflowers have relatively small but very bright, orange blossoms that attract butterflies, especially Monarchs, and bees, as the attached photos demonstrate. A week later (9/9/08), the bumble bees are still in the garden but, no butterflies other than a cabbage white or two. NOTE: The smaller of the 2 Monarch caterpillars I am raising in the house molted on 9/2/08. Photo of Monarch caterpillar just after molting attach

Sep3

Mike Reese
Location: Greenwood Refuge
Waushara County
Went out for about an hour, and even with some sun there were more tree crickets than butterflies or bees.

Eastern Tailed-Blue (1)
Monarch (3)

Sep3

Ryan Brady
Location: Chequamegon National Forest southeast of Grand View
Bayfield County
Just some documentation photos. I think this is only the second individual of this species that I’ve seen all year.

Painted Lady (1)

Sep5

Joan Braune
Location: Olbrich Gardens in Madison
Dane County

Sep5

Craig Ellefson
Location: Decatur Lake Boat Launch near Brodhead
Green County

Sep5

Judith Huf
Location: Wehr Nature Center, Hales Corners
Milwaukee County

Sep6

Mike Reese
Location: Boerner Botanical Gardens, Hales Corner
Milwaukee County

Sep6

Mike Reese
Location: Rotary Gardens, Janesville
Rock County

Sep6

SWBA field trip, 38 participants
Location: Olbrich Botanical Garden
Dane County
Our large group split into two: one group got fantastic views of the Pipevine nectaring on Verbena. Beautiful day. Photos from the trip submitted by Charles Roberts.

Sep7

Ryan Brady
Location: Chequamegon National Forest southeast of Grand View
Bayfield County
Cool, mostly cloudy, and sometimes rainy = not much flying.

Sep7

Craig Ellefson
Location: Decatur Lake Boat Launch
Green County

Sep7

Tod Highsmith
Location: Scuppernong Valley, Kettle Moraine SNA
Waukesha County
Lots of very fresh-looking Eastern-tailed Blues. Also many pretty bottle gentians and dragonflies.

Sep9

Ann Thering
Location: Black Earth Rettenmund Prairie
Dane County
Cool and partly cloudy.

Sep9

Karen Medeiros
Location: Pewaukee (my dining room table)
Waukesha County
2 photos of the 2 Monarch caterpillars I have been raising: One changed to a chrysalis JUST LAST NIGHT! Photo #1 - the larger Monarch caterpillar as it looked exactly 1 week ago before transforming into a chrysalis. Photo #2 - the chrysalis as it looks today, 1 week old. As each butterfly emerges, I will release it to “fuel up” on the Torch sunflowers in my garden and then they can start their amazing migration down south to Mexico for the winter!

Monarch

Sep10

Tammy Smith
Location: Reedsburg
Sauk County

Black Swallowtail (3)
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (6)

Sep11

Judith Huf
Location: Courtyard of the Milwaukee Public Museum
Milwaukee County
I saw a single Red Admiral while taking a lunch break about noon. Interestingly this is only the 2nd Red Admiral I’ve seen all summer. Last year I saw hundreds.

Red Admiral (1)

Sep14

Sharon Morgan
Location: Town of Menasha yard…
Winnebago County
It was pretty windy again and he stayed all day. Longer than I have ever noticed in my yard. He even rested on the Blue spruce for a while and then right back to the butterfly bush…

Monarch (1)

Sep14

Ron Arnold
Location: my property in the town of Seneca
Wood County

Sep15

Andy Paulios
Location: Lake Mills Wildlife Area - Zeloski Marsh Unit
Jefferson County
Large numbers of monarchs the last few days.

Sep16

Tod Highsmith and Joan Braune
Location: East side of Madison in our front yard
Dane County
It was a good day in our front yard. The Gray Hairstreak and Buckeye were nectaring on White Snakeroot. Also saw a possible Black Swallowtail.

Sep16

Ryan Brady
Location: Chequamegon National Forest southeast of Grand View
Bayfield County
Sunny and warm with temps in 70s and SW winds. Nice activity for this late in the year here in the northwoods.

Sep17

Ann Thering
Location: Olbrich
Dane County
The Tiger had but three wings, but was flying around quite well.

Sep17

Mike Reese
Location: Greenwood Refuge
Waushara County

Sep18

Ann Thering
Location: Pheasant Branch
Dane County
One of the Common Buckeyes was the fall form.

Sep19

Adrian Konell
Location: Lake Township
Marinette County

Cabbage White (2)
Monarch (1)

Sep19

Jorgen Goderstad
Location: Odana Road, Madison
Dane County
I’m working at an assignment on busy Odana Road on Madison’s west side. But next door is a large undevoloped area with goldenrods, asters and a few butterflies.

Sep20

Craig Ellefson
Location: Decatur Lake boat launch and service road
Green County

Sep20

Mike Reese
Location: Riverside Park, downtown La Crosse
La Crosse County

Sep20

Ron Arnold
Location: my property in the town of Seneca
Wood County

Sep20

Mike Reese
Location: several boat landings off Hwy 35
Vernon County

Sep20

Mike Reese
Location: Hogback Prairie SNA
Crawford County
This Black Swallowtail was a little worn but one male was very fresh. Lots of Fringed Gentians on the north side of the hill.

Sep20

Karen Medeiros
Location: Pewaukee (my kitchen, then my backyard)
Waukesha County
Wed 9/17, details of Monarch wing very visible through chrysalis. Thur 9/18, Monarch butterfly emerged from chrysalis. After wings were relatively dry and butterfly was able to fly, released it to the backyard. Spotted a Monarch (was it the same one?) this morning, partaking in nectar from Torch sunflowers in my garden. Great day to be a Monarch butterfly!

Monarch (1)

Sep21

Craig Ellefson
Location: Decatur Lake boat launch and service road
Green County

Sep21

Tod Highsmith
Location: Cherokee Marsh, north end of Sherman Ave., Madison
Dane County
The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail was the black form. Also lots of Lance-tipped Darners and Autumn Meadowhawks.

Sep21

Wayne Anderson
Location: Dewey Marsh
Portage County
Many Hemileuca maia (Buck Moth)flying among the willows.

Sep21

Mike Reese
Location: Avoca Wildlife Area
Iowa County
One of the Eastern Tailed-Blues was the smallest male I have ever seen.

Sep21

Mike Reese
Location: Rocky Run Oak Savanna SNA
Columbia County
The alfalfa field to the north of the area was teeming with sulphurs and in the 1st field every patch of asters had many sulphurs nectaring.

Clouded Sulphur (500+)
Monarch (3)

Sep21

Ryan Brady
Location: Chequamegon National Forest southeast of Grand View
Bayfield County
Another warm day with decent activity. Still had a Hummingbird Clearwing Moth and plenty of darners, including this Shadow Darner.

Sep22

Sharon Morgan
Location: Town of Menasha yard
Winnebago County
One sat on the viburnum bush, I think just resting and then one went to the butterfly bush and then to the cosmos.

Monarch (2)

Sep22

Ann Thering
Location: UW Arboretum
Dane County
One of the Common Buckeyes chased the Mourning Cloak around for at least a minute.

Sep22

Ann Thering
Location: Back Yard
Dane County
The male Sachem could be the offspring of the female Sachem that I saw in the same spot in August. Crabgrass is said to be one of their caterpillar host plants; plenty of that in my yard!

Sep22

Jorgen Goderstad
Location: Odana Road, Madison
Dane County

Sep23

Joan Braune
Location: Black Earth R. Prairie
Dane County
I just had time to go to a pretty small area of the prairie. I’ve never seen so many Clouded Sulphurs!

Sep23

Andy Paulios
Location: Turtle Valley Wildlife Area
Walworth County
Also saw an unidentified swallowtail and one of the ladies did a flyby.

Sep24

Sharon Morgan
Location: In my Town of Menasha yard
Winnebago County
The Orange Sulphur that I spotted was the first one that I have ever noticed. I always see the white and yellow almost daily here. He was too fast for me to photograph.
The Viceroy was soaking up some sun on the Blue spruce.

Sep24

Ann Thering
Location: Back Yard
Dane County
The Painted Lady in the photo was absolutely fearless. It REALLY liked Verbena…the other Lady fancied Liatris, Garlic Chives, and Cosmos; it ignored the Verbena completely.

Sep26

Tod Highsmith
Location: Cherokee Marsh, north end of Sherman Ave., Madison
Dane County
Not a great deal of butterfly activity, but a nice smattering of species.

Sep26

Ann Thering
Location: Pheasant Branch
Dane County

Sep26

Mike Reese
Location: Allen Centennial Gardens, Madison
Dane County

Sep27

Mike Reese
Location: Rocky Run Oak Savanna SNA
Columbia County
Still lots of sulphurs, but not much else.

Sep27

Ron Arnold
Location: my property in the town of Seneca
Wood County
This was only the second Buckeye I’ve seen all year.

Sep28

Mike Reese
Location: Rotary Gardens, Janesville
Rock County
12:30–3:30. No sun and cool. Most butterflies were moving slowly, except for the Sachem which I didn’t sit still. The Sachem and the Gray Hairstreak were the first ones I have seen this year.

Sep28

Sharon Morgan
Location: My Town of Menasha yard
Winnebago County
We went for a walk and seen a couple of them flying around in an open field close to home and then the other three were in the yard..one is in such terrible shape.

Cabbage White (2)
Monarch (4)

Sep28

Ron Arnold
Location: my property in the town of Seneca
Wood County

Eastern Tailed-Blue (1)

Sep29

Molly Fifield Murray
Location: UW-Madison Arboretum
Dane County
The Buckeyes were getting chased from the goldenrod by bees, but they were persistent and stayed in the garden area all afternoon.

Butterfly Sighting Lists

2008 sightings

2007 sightings

2006 sightings

2005 sightings

Sightings for September 2008