Buckeye Butterflies

Butterflies in general are still scarce at Blue Jay Barrens, but one species, the Buckeye, is here in record numbers.  Buckeyes are an immigrant species that overwinters in the southern United States and expands its range northward each summer.  They are attractive butterflies, but immigrant species are not addressed in my Blue Jay Barrens Management Plan.  I manage for a diverse group of resident species and trust that success in that area will also provide habitat for many immigrant and migratory species.

Special management isn’t really a requirement for Buckeyes.  Adults like to rest on bare ground and the larvae utilize common weedy plants.  This is a butterfly that can be successful just about anywhere.  It will utilize flowers for nectar, but it is more commonly found at mud puddles or drinking the sap from a wounded tree.

I’ve been scaring up Buckeyes every time I walk through the fields.  For such colorful creatures, they are certainly drab on the wing.  I would describe a flying Buckeye as being brown with little flashes of white.

If you find a Buckeye sitting on vegetation, it’s most likely going to be a plant close to the ground.  A startled Buckeye launches itself out of the grass like a game bird.  It’s quick to take off, but it usually doesn’t go very far.

The preferred resting place of a Buckeye butterfly is on bare ground.  That’s something the barrens have in abundance.

Buckeye butterflies are typically unmoving while at rest.  Arrival of a second Buckeye causes the wings of the first to begin opening and closing.

The battered individual in the lower right has just flown in.  The butterfly in the upper left is responding by pumping its wings and moving toward the interloper.

All of this action is related to mating.  Males claim territories to which they try to attract females.   They will drive away all rival males.  All their energy goes into producing another generation of Buckeyes.  Being intolerant of cold weather, neither these butterflies nor their offspring will survive the winter.  They represent the portion of the population that is sacrificed on the off chance that they can successfully colonize new areas.  When climatic conditions change, species like these are the first to claim a foothold.  One day the Buckeye may be on the Blue Jay Barrens list of resident species.

Spider Catches Butterfly

Buckeyes are currently the most common large butterfly species at Blue Jay Barrens. Swallowtails and Fritillaries, usually very common during the summer, have been almost nonexistent this year. I’m thinking that the never ending spring rains may have been partially responsible for this absence. Buckeyes, being migrants that move into the area from the south each summer, would have avoided any local springtime catastrophe. As a species they have thrived, but this individual met with disaster in the form of a crab spider.

It’s not unusual to see butterflies being held by crab spiders. This was a special event, because I was able to witness the action of the capture. The spider was hiding in the flowers and grabbed the butterfly when it stopped to nectar. The butterfly initially seemed stunned. A second later it suddenly took wing and pulled the spider from its perch. The spider held tight and played out line in the form of spider silk to cushion the jerking struggle of the butterfly. The event looked much like a fisherman playing a huge marlin. The pair spun circles and zipped back and forth for many seconds.

Even if it had broken free, the butterfly was finished. Upon initial capture, the spider’s first act was to inject the butterfly with paralyzing venom. After a short but violent struggle, the butterfly was subdued.

With its prey secured, the spider began to reel in line.

Once back to the flower, the spider let the line go free. It then began to arrange its prey for consumption.

The spider’s final act before settling down to feed was to conceal its body in the flower cluster. A capture like this is a common event in the prairie, but it’s not one that you very often get to witness from start to finish.

Dry Pond Butterflies

The tadpole stew that was left behind after the pond went dry is attracting a wide range of butterfly species. A Giant Swallowtail spent over an hour sucking up the nutritious goo. This is the first time I’ve ever seen one of these super sized butterflies sit still.

The Buckeye is an immigrant species that can’t survive Ohio winters and must reestablish itself from southern populations each year. I typically see this species in September as it suns itself in open areas. It’s not a normal pond bottom feeder.

Spicebush Swallowtails are regular visitors to mud puddles. Spicebush, the host plant of this particular butterfly, is not very common at Blue Jay Barrens. Fortunately, the butterfly also utilizes Sassafras as a larva food source and Sassafras grows here in abundance.

Pearl Crescents are always common visitors to the damp pond bottom. Sometimes found with the Pearl Crescents is the similar, but slightly larger Silvery Checkerspot. That’s the Silvery Checkerspot with its wings partially opened. Silvery Checkerspots tend to standout in a crowd of Pearl Crescents because of the sharp detail of the pattern on the underside of the hind wing. They are also slightly larger and display a flight pattern that seems more under control than that of the Pearl Crescents.

Pearl Crescents and Eastern Tailed Blues are the most dependable pond bottom visitors. They’ll visit every year even when the mud hasn’t been enhanced by a mass of decomposing amphibian larvae. Butterflies haven’t been overly abundant this year, so I have to think that the presence of the tadpoles has been a factor in attracting the more uncommon species to the pond bottom.

Several Skipper species have also swarmed into the mud flats. Peck’s Skippers numbered in the dozens. I like the skippers that show a little bit of recognizable patterning. It helps a lot with the identification.

There were also several unadorned skippers flitting about. This type and another with a more golden coloration were quite abundant. I’ve not yet mastered all of these skippers, so this one will remain unnamed today. Skipper ID is just another interesting thing I can look forward to pursuing in the future.

Late Season Butterflies

Despite the cold, dry weather and the lack of nectar sources, I’m still seeing several butterflies around Blue Jay Barrens. The most abundant is the Buckeye. This is a southern immigrant that won’t survive the winter in Ohio. I can’t remember a year where I’ve seen this many Buckeyes.

The occasional Clouded Sulphur can still be found in the field. This is a common resident that is normally abundant every year.

The Variegated Fritillary is another immigrant. I don’t see this species very often at Blue Jay Barrens. I’ve seen several during the past month.

Meadow Fritillaries have been especially abundant this year. They prefer a moist habitat, so it’s interesting that I’m seeing so many in this super dry year. Maybe the abundant rainfall early in the year set the stage for a population explosion of this species.

Checkered Skippers are still abundant, but they seem to have ceased their egg laying activities. Most of the individuals I see are just resting spread-winged in the sun.

There must be a lot of butterflies around if they’re all trying to squeeze into the same picture. This year has had an extraordinary abundance of butterflies. I hope the butterfly bonanza continues on into next year.