Mariposas of the Dominican Republic

In this Post, Peter Hall recounts his experience observing butterflies in the Dominican Republic during the northern winter. Without renting a car, he explored the Samaná Peninsula on foot from a small hotel in Las Galeras. During his week there, he identified 48 butterfly species, including endemics from the island of Hispaniola. He highlights the presence of species such as Calisto and various skippers. Additionally, he mentions sighting rare and endemic species like the Haitian V-mark Skipper and the Dynamine butterfly. He also shares findings about the distributions of some species and the consulted literary sources.

The Highest Butterfly in North America Recorded

Perched in the alpine zone of Mount Whitney, the highest peak in California, is a population of Chryxus Arctic subspecies known as the Ivallda Arctic (Oeneis chryxus ivallda). Thanks to Zachary MacDonald and his colleagues who found it, its also known as the highest butterfly in North America. The team published their findings recently and it is now shared with e-Butterfly.

From Canada to Mexico: Anthony Battah’s Epic Ultramarathon for Monarch Butterflies

Today, November 1st, the Day of the Dead, Anthony Battah (@ultra-trail Monarque) is completing his ultra-marathon journey to the overwintering sites of the Monarch butterfly in the state of Michoacan, Mexico. 4500km (!!!!!) later, after setting out from the #Insectarium on his journey on July 29th last year. Anthony chose to recreate the Monarch butterfly’s […]

Butterflies and Drought in South-east Arizona

By Peter Hall, eButterfly advisor A long-term drought has gripped many parts of the western U.S. on and off for years. South-east Arizona has been prone to these dry spells, sometimes with serious effects for vegetation and wildlife. Andrew Hogan, in an earlier posting to eButterfly, showed the results of butterflies of the droughts at […]

Rare Butterflies in Upstate New York

Among the most unique and at-risk habitats in eastern North America are the sand plains of central New York state. The localized, rolling dunes in this area are covered in pitch pines with a low ground cover that has been dominated by sundial lupines. This combination also makes them one of the last strongholds for a number of butterflies that are also at risk.

After Two Decades of Searching a Rare Butterfly is Discovered during the Vermont Butterfly Atlas

A rare and elusive butterfly has been discovered for the first time in Vermont, flying this spring at one of the state’s protected natural areas. Bog Elfin, patterned in brown and rust, and no bigger than a penny, had eluded detection in the state until one flew past a Vermont field biologist who had been searching for it for two decades.