danaus plexippus
Friday, June 25, 1999 — 8:17 am
Grundy County, Illinois — Goose Lake Prairie State Natural Area
I drove down to see birds, but except for several Henslow’s Sparrows, I didn’t see much. As the day heated up, and it didn’t waste any time doing so, I saw quite a few butterflies.
This Monarch was flitting over the grasses in the center of the prairie. It occasionally landed on a leaf, sometimes with its wings open and sometimes with them closed. It did not have scent spots.
satyrodes appalachia
Thursday, June 24, 1999 — 11:25 am
Cary, Illinois — Hickory Grove Conservation Area
I was walking back to my car through the wood lot. I had just crossed over the long wooden boardwalk and hadn’t yet reached the small bridge over the muddy creek that runs through the wet woods. This butterfly crossed in front of me and landed on a low leaf along the path, about four feet away. It sat there motionlessly for five minutes while I compared it to the field guide.
It was pale tan-brown. It had a submarginal row of black spots with white centers and tan edges on both underwings. The four spots on the upperwing were lined up vertically, with the lowest one largest, the top and third ones a bit smaller, and the second one smallest. The black circles did not touch. Just inside of the spots was a thin brown line that curved sinuously. It definitely did not zig-zag. I make a point of this because this line is the mark of an Appalachian Brown that distinguishes it from an Eyed Brown. The Eyed Brown is on the McHenry County list, but the Appalachian Brown is not. According to the map in the field guide, however, both species are to be expected in this area. After I convinced myself that I had seen a new butterfly for the county, it disappeared while I was flipping through the book.
cercyonis pegala
Thursday, June 24, 1999 — 11:06 am
Cary, Illinois — Hickory Grove Conservation Area
I was walking through the field in the southwest corner of the park, near the shelters. I saw this butterfly flit across the path and disappear down into the tall grass. I brushed the grass, and it flew up and darted into a nearby bushy weed, landing on a horizontal branch in the shady underpart of the plant. It opened its wings briefly, then sat motionlessly with its wings folded.
It was very dark, appearing black in flight and when perched, except when I looked at it through binoculars; then it looked dark brown. The upperside of the wing appeared unmarked except for a few dark spots. The undersides were uniformly dark with one large dark spot ringed with dull yellow on the upperwing and a few similar, smaller spots on the lower wing. It was a little bit larger than a Cabbage White.
euphydryas phaeton
Thursday, June 24, 1999 — 10:24 am
Lake County, Illinois — Lyons Marsh Conservation Area
I was walking along the floating boardwalk that extends out into the marsh. I saw this butterfly land on the reeds a few feet off the walk and remain motionless. I identified it from the book. Then the butterfly flew from its perch and landed on a wet area on the boardwalk. It walked to within two feet of where I stood. I crouched down and studied it carefully while comparing it to the picture in the book.
It was black overall, with a marginal row of orange cresents on both surfaces of all four wings. There were also seven or eight orange spots on the undersurface of the wing near the body. The upperside of the wing had several rows of cream-white spots on the outermost part. The underside of the wing had similar spots covering the entire surface. It was about the size of a Cabbage White.
pieris rapae
Thursday, June 24, 1999 — 9:16 am
Cary, Illinois — Hickory Grove Conservation Area
Three Cabbage Whites were flitting around above the mown grass on the parking lot margin between a field and a wood lot. They frequently landed on clover flowers. Their flight was very fluttery and erratic. On a few occasions, one would chase another off a flower.
Upperside was white with two black spots in the center of the forewing. On one, the lower spot was much smaller and faint. The forewing tips were black.
