July doldrums

Thank goodness for bugs.  I'm serious.  It seems like the last thing I want to do these days is to look at a bird and good thing, considering it's July and not much seems to be happening.

Here are some recent butterfly pictures followed by a list of species I've seen in the last week or so.

First up is the flashy REGAL FRITILLARY.  I saw as many as 8 at Doolittle Prairie here in Story County.  The only issue is that they almost NEVER LAND.  Here is a blurry picture of one in flight:

There was another type of fritillary at Harrier Marsh.  This is the more-widespread GREAT SPANGLED FRITILLARY:

I actually found a lifer butterfly the other day at Doolittle Prairie (they already don't come as often as they used to).  It was overdue but fun nonetheless; a CORAL HAIRSTREAK:

I have been seeing COMMON BUCKEYES on most days out now:

Another species I've been seeing a lot of lately (including one in my yard) is the COMMON SOOTYWING:

This VICEROY perched nicely at Harrier Marsh:

I took a distant photo of this lady hoping it would be an American Lady (where are those things?) but alas, it was the more abundant PAINTED LADY:

I have saved the highlights for the end.  Both came recently at Harrier Marsh in Boone County.  First up is the local DION SKIPPER which was new for me.  I saw as many as 8 or 10 that day.  Here is the proof:

The other highlight was finding a male MELISSA BLUE.  This would represent the first Boone County record of this species:

Here are the recent sightings that come to mind (27 species):

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Black Swallowtail

Cabbage White

Clouded Sulphur

Orange Sulphur

Gray Copper

Bronze Copper

Coral Hairstreak

Eastern Tailed-Blue

Summer Azure

Melissa Blue

Great Spangled Fritillary

Regal Fritillary

Meadow Fritillary

Pearl Crescent

Gorgone Checkerspot

Question Mark

Mourning Cloak

Painted Lady

Common Buckeye

Red-spotted Purple

Viceroy

Hackberry Emperor

Monarch

Common Sootywing

Least Skipper

Dion Skipper

I've continued to keep an eye out for dragonflies that I can actually identify.  It really is a lot of fun; I'm glad I've started getting more serious about them.  Here are pictures of a couple of species followed by my list of recent dragonflies.

First up is a type of emerald (and the ONLY type I've seen), the PRINCE BASKETTAIL.  This one was actually flying over my yard:

Next is a PLAINS CLUBTAIL at Doolittle Prairie:

I have noticed an influx of meadowhawks at this point in the season.  Here are two pictures of male WHITE-FACED MEADOWHAWKS from Harrier Marsh:

I have yet to get a good picture of one of these guys.  This COMMON GREEN DARNER was actually hovering enough for me to get a blurry photo:

So an overall list of the dragonflies I've seen this week (15 species):

Common Green Darner
Plains Clubtail
Prince Baskettail
Common Whitetail
Twelve-spotted Skimmer
Widow Skimmer
Eastern Amberwing
Halloween Pennant
Dot-tailed Whiteface
Eastern Pondhawk
White-faced Meadowhawk
Ruby Meadowhawk
Band-winged Meadowhawk
Blue Dasher
Black Saddlebags

Hopefully I'll have more insect photos to share after another couple of days....