Butterfly abundance is declining as expected in September. Most of the butterflies still on the wing are common ones: Cabbage White, Clouded Sulphur, Northern and Pearl Crescents, Great Spangled Fritillary and Common Ringlet. However, a little field work can turn up valuable records.
For instance, I sampled some fields in Waterville today and found a Wild Indigo Duskywing. This specimen represents a new northern record for the state. We know this species is on the wing through September so there is the opportunity to make my range-extension record a short-lived one.
I also found an Eastern Tailed-Blue (photograph above), a species whose flight season extends into October.
A couple of grass skippers will be on the wing until the middle of September: Leonard’s Skipper (http://www.butterfliesofmassachusetts.net/Leonards.htm) and Laurentian Skipper, the northeastern form of the Common Branded Skipper. I don’t have a photo of Laurentian Skipper but did photograph the similar Western Branded Skipper earlier this summer in Wyoming. Quite a striking skipper.
Western Branded Skipper, Gros Ventre Road, Wyoming
Finally, September is a great month for the anglewings. A good strategy for finding various Polygonia species is to walk or drive slowly along dirt roads or fairly open woodland trails. Last summer, I am sure I could have found over 100 Green Commas by driving a dirt road in LaGrange. The anglewings were easy to see in the road and a stealthy approach resulted in acceptable voucher photographs.
