Amphibians
Birds
Fish
Insects
    Dragonflies
    Butterflies
    Bees and Wasps
Mammals
Reptiles
July 10, 2016 NABA Butterfly count in the Preserve
Glenda  Denniston and Dave Hogg

Eastern Tailed-blue 1
Pearl/Northern    
      Crescent 9
Great Spangled
     Fritillary 2
Banded Hairstreak 4
Clouded Sulphur 1
Dun Skipper 2
Least Skipper 1
Silver-spotted
    Skipper 3
Cabbage White 12
Common Buckeye 1
​Monarch 1
Picture
Black Swallowtail along the field edge. July 10, 2016 G. Kutzbach

Butterflies of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve

Some of the most visible and identifiable insects are butterflies. Butterfly diversity can serve as a measure of restoration success. The 2007 Preserve butterfly count, described in Increasing Insect Diversity, is one measure of butterfly diversity. Lakeshore Nature Preserve butterfly numbers and diversity were lower at the 2008 NABA Butterfly Count. 

For general information on butterflies, see the Wisconsin Butterfly Association. This site provides brief descriptions, excellent photos, weekly sighting statistics in Wisconsin. You can also report your own sightings. The list of butterfly sightings in the Preserve, compiled some time ago by Glenda Denniston, with the help of Edgar Spalding, Dave Fallow and Kyle Evan Johnson, needs updating (see the Dane County Species List). Please send your butterfly observation records (species, date, and place seen, and photo if possible) to [email protected]
2008 List of Butterflies observed in the Preserve
Black Swallowtail Papilio polyxenes
Giant Swallowtail Papilio cresphontes
Tiger Swallowtail Papilio glaucus

Cabbage White Pieris rapae
Clouded Sulphur Colias philodice
Orange Sulphur Colias eurytheme

American Copper Lycaena phlaeas
Eastern Tailed-Blue Everes comyntas
Holarctic Azures
Summer' Spring Azure Celastrina ladon neglecta
Summer azure Celastrina neglecta

Summer azure Celastrina neglecta
Variegated Fritillary Euptoieta claudia
Great Spangled Fritillary Speyeria cybele
Meadow Fritillary Boloria bellona
Baltimore Checkerspot Euphydryas phaeton
Pearl Crescent Phyciodes tharos
Northern Crescent Phyciodes selenis
Eastern Comma Polygonia comma
Mourning Cloak Nymphalis antiopa
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta
Painted Lady Vanessa cardui*
Common Buckeye Junonia coenia
Red-Spotted Purple  Limenitis arthemis
Hackberry Emperor Asterocampa celtis
Tawney Emperor Asterocampa clyton
Monarch Danaus plexippus

Silver-spotted Skipper Epargyreus clarus
Common Sootywing Pholisora catullus
Dunn Skipper Euphyes vestris
Least Skipper Ancyloxypha numitor
Fiery Skipper Hylephila phyleus
Peck's Skipper Polites peckius
   List reported by Edgar Spaulding in 2003
   and added to by Glenda Denniston, Mark Nofzonger
Check out the Friends field trips in July, which usually include one or two opportunities to see and identify butterflies. 
Six different Families of butterflies are breeding in Wisconsin:
Swallowtails - Papilionidae
Whites and Sulphurs - Pieridae
Gossamer-wing Butterflies Lycaenidae
    Coppers
    Hairstreaks
    Blues
Metalmarks Family - Riodinidae
Brushfooted Butterflies - Nymphalidae
   Hekliconians and Fritillaries
   True Brush-foots
   Leafwings
   Emperors
   Satyrs
   Monarchs
Skippers - Hesperiidae

Butterflies chose carefully where they breed. They search for habitats within a certain temperature range and where their larval food plants grow. Because they are cold-blooded, they cannot fly in cold weather. Sunshine helps to warm their bodies above air temperature. The butterfly life cycle has four stages: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, adult.

Most butterfly species overwinter as larvae (caterpillars), or even eggs or pupae (chrysalis). Some butterflies migrate to warmer areas, such as the Monarch. 
Also check out butterflies in other parts of the world in Learn About Butterflies. This site has a wealth of information on anything related to butterflies.