[TN-Butterflies] Re: Butterfly Quiz I
- From: "Michael Lee Bierly" <mlbierly@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Tennessee Butterflies" <tn-butterflies@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 20 Jun 2009 22:52:14 -0500
Butterfly Quiz I
Questions:
1. What is the only North American butterfly species with carnivorous
caterpillars?
2. What is the most widely distributed butterfly in the world?
3. What are the "three witches"?
4. What is the rarest butterfly in Tennessee according to the
NatureServe Global Status?
5. What plant would you seek to find the Yucca Giant-Skipper? And (the
harder part), what three Tennessee counties has the species been found?
6. What colors can butterflies see?
7. How many pairs of legs and feet do butterflies have?
8. What is the meaning of the order Lepidoptera?
9. What is the most widespread skipper in North America?
10. What second state record was found recently on the Land Between the
Lakes (South) butterfly count?
Bonus: How many butterfly species had Steve recorded occurring in Tennessee
through May?
THE ANSWERS FOLLOW, SO DECIDE YOUR ANSWERS BEFORE SCROLLING DOWN.
Answers:
1. Harvester (Feniseca tarquinius). The caterpillars suck sap from
alders, witch hazel, ash, beech, hawthorn, and wild currant. Larry McDaniel
recently showed us the photo of his life Harvester find at Steele Creek Park
in Bristol.
2. Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui). It is found on all continents except
Australia and Antarctica.
3. Little Glassywing (Pompeius verna), Dun Skipper (Euphyes vestries),
and Northern Broken-Dash (Wallengrenia egeremet). These three similar dark
skippers are referred by some authors as the "three witches". [When you
Google this, you get more how witches turned themselves into butterflies.]
We need a group dissertation by one of you "witches" experts.
4. Linda's Roadside Skipper, (Amblyscirtes linda). NatureServe rates
this species as a G2, which is, "Imperiled globally because of rarity (6 to
20 occurrences), or because of other factors demonstrably making it very
vulnerable to extinction throughout its range. Is endangered throughout its
range." Tennessee's only record is from Madison County.
5. Of course, look for them around yuccas. They have been found in three
Tennessee counties: West-Chester and Hardin; East-Polk. The species has been
reported from Chester and Polk this season. It's one flight is over for this
season, so you will have to wait until next year to check your yuccas.
6. Red, green, and yellow, but they also see color in the ultraviolet
range, which reveals patterns on flowers-and other butterflies-that we can't
see.
7. Six pairs of legs and feet. In some species such as the Monarch, the
front pair of legs remains tucked up under the body most of the time, and is
difficult to see. Taste sensors are located on the feet of some species
enabling them to taste their food and whether the vegetation is the right
host plant to lay eggs.
8. It is Greek for "scaly wing". There are more than 155,000 species in
the order. The wings are actually transplant and the iridescent overlapping
scales give the wings the colors that are seen.
9. Common Roadside Skipper (Amblyscirtes vialis). It occurs from British
Columbia east across southern Canada to Maine and Nova Scotia; south to
central California, northern New Mexico, Texas, the Gulf states, and
northern Florida (BAMONA). In Tennessee, it has been found in 11 counties:
West-Decatur, Wayne; Middle-Putnam, Wilson; East-Anderson, Grundy, Hawkins,
Sullivan, Washington.
10. Funereal Duskywing (Erynnis funeralis). The species occurs mainly in
the southwest, south to Argentina with strays to a number of states. The LBL
individual was in Stewart County. The first record being in Shelby County.
Bonus: 100 species. In 2008 by the end of May, there were only 85 species
and only 101 species by the end of July. Perhaps there is more field work
this year.
Now, let the group know how you did!
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