Date: 05/28/2010

Number: 1

I have observed several Monarch butterflies around my back yard. The orange hawkweed and red clovers are just beggining to bloom which is what they seem to prefer nectaring at this time of year. I have seen several eggs on milkweed plants outside of the butterfly house and left them where they were laid. I captured a female monarch yesterdy ( 27th) and placed her in my butterfly house and now have 100+ eggs on Asclepias incarnata plants. She is being fed a solution of honey, sugar and water + a drop of orange juice and apple juice because the buddleia bushes dont yet have flowers.

Put a a few sleeves out containing 4-5 hundred mourning cloak larva today on elm. And sleeved some red admirals over stinging nettles. There are a TON of red adimirals and painted ladies this year. Also a ton of Milberts tortoishells. Must be the unusually warm spring.

I have had a few cecropias eclose and pair with wild males along with a bunch of promethea, io, polyphemus, and lunas. A lot of cocoons left to hatch. This is the earliest I have ever seen some of the Saturniidae and sphingidae species out. I had Smerinthus jamaicensis come into lights on April 29th!

Eau Claire, WI

Latitude: 44.7 Longitude: -91.5

Observed by: Ian
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