More Coleopteran Goodness

Aster novae-angliae. Blooming in mid-June?

I did my butterfly monitoring route at the Fen today. I brought my camera with me because of something that happened last week. My favorite butterfly is out in force right now. Last week, I saw a really cool aberration. It was a female entirely lacking the yellow spots on the forewing. Naturally I didn’t have a camera with me at the time. And naturally that particular individual was nowhere to be seen on today’s trip. But I did see good stuff. Two important wetland species that I’m monitoring (the eyed brown and Baltimore checkerspot) are having really good flights this year. And I saw two mulberrywing skippers already. That’s a really rare fen species here, and I’m glad to see the population doing well. Today’s total butterfly tally: 20 species, 167 individuals in 1.5 hr. Those are very good numbers with this protocol. I also observed one really odd bit of phenology. A New England aster was in full bloom on Saturday. Plants of the Chicago Region lists blooming dates from 27 July to 20 October, yet this plant was in full bloom on 16 June- outrageous.

Baytele suturalis on prairie coreopsis

Because I had my camera with me, I was prepared for other opportunities. I have been envious of late, as other folks who are blogging about nature have posted some really nice photos of longhorn beetles, a favorite group of mine. Well, I can stop feeling left out. Here is Baytele suturalis, a beautiful little red longhorn that, as an adult, sits on flowers and eats pollen. The larvae bore into dead twigs of oak and hickory.

Baytele suturalis on ox-eye daisy

Oh, and while we’re at it, here’s a clerid beetle.

Trichodes nuttallii on ox-eye daisy