Northland Nature: European skippers common locally in midsummer
Jul. 14—During the heat on these midsummer days, we can see myriad insects. It seems like no matter where we go, we will find these six-legged critters (or they find us).
I think June as being the time of greatest dragonfly diversity and populations. But walking on these July days, I see that many are still here. Darners, gomphiids, emeralds, chalk-fronted corporals and calico pennants bask and hunt insect meals in the warmth.
Even some of the small, late-summer dragonflies, the meadowhawks, are flying about at this time. But though there are many kinds of dragonflies now, I consider July to be the month of butterflies, also seen with each walk.
Two of the largest butterflies in the region that were around during June may still be seen this month. The black and yellow tiger swallowtails that were so easy to see in June are waning in July. The other large butterflies, the monarchs, are active now in their summer generation. Taking advantage of their presence, the similar viceroy butterflies fly now, too.
Other black-orange butterflies of midsummer are the fritillaries. Most likely in the open, we can find these kinds of fritillaries: great spangled, aphrodite and atlantis. They vary from small, medium to large.
The dark red admiral has red bands on black wings, while the white admiral has white bands. Cabbage whites, yellow sulphurs and blue azures are about, too. There is also a whole group of brown butterflies.
Mostly staying in the woods and often not getting nutrition from flower nectar, they may be hard to see in the shaded forests. They bear names like little wood satyrs, ringlets, eyed browns, pearly-eyes and wood nymphs (almost black). All flutter about in mid-summer. And there are the skippers.
With these butterflies, nearly all are small and though often yellow-orange, some can be nearly all black. These tiny butterflies have been with us since May, when the Arctic and hobomok skippers fluttered in the yards. Later, they were replaced by equally small European, long dash and pepper and salt skippers. The silver-spotted skipper, larger than the others, may be here, too.
Typically, skippers are less than an inch long. They fold wings differently from other butterflies and fly with a jumping fluttering pattern, which is why they are called skippers. There is a huge variety of skippers in the country, fewer in the Northland, but still very common and diverse. One, the European skipper, is abundant now.
Non-native butterflies are not common in the region — cabbage whites and European skippers being exceptions. Imported accidentally into this country as eggs and caterpillars on hay, these little orange butterflies arrived and thrived here. Their bodies are orange above, light yellow, nearly white below with a slight black border on the wings and black eyes. Spending winter in immature stages, they take nectar from a variety of flowers as adults and some years are very abundant.
Such was the situation when during a morning walk recently, I came across a large number of these skippers. The morning was cool with a dew and they were still grasping the plants they held onto the previous night.
With these morning temperatures and being dew-coated, they needed to warm and dry the bodies before taking flight. And so, they sat and waited for the rising sun. They seemed to be everywhere in the roadside shelter. When I returned later, I noted that many had warmed and were taking flight.
These small orange butterflies be around for more weeks as we move through summer.
