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Photo by Anthony Westkamper
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A spunky little skipper on a thistle.
It's getting late in the season, the time when all the insects that overwintered as eggs have hatched, grown through their larval stages and are now wearing their adult colors.
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Photo by Anthony Westkamper
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Fritillary on thistle. Likely a great spangled fritillary, there are several species with subtle differences.
There were quite a few of one my favorite late season butterflies out today.
A fritillary (genus
Speyeria) was nectaring on thistle blossoms. I looked through my archive of photos and found almost all of the shots I have of these are on thistles. It makes sense that their maturation is timed to coincide with the blossoms on which they commonly feed.
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Photo by Anthony Westkamper
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Western tiger swallowtail on thistle.
Western Tiger Swallowtail (
Papilio rutulus), our largest butterfly, feeds on almost any flower.
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Photo by Anthony Westkamper
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Buckeye on mint.
Buckeyes (
Junonia coenia) sport striking eyespots and put on quite a show defending territories and pursuing mates whenever another one enters their airspace.
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Photo by Anthony Westkamper
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Skipper basks on redwood.
I've seen quite a few skippers (family hesperiidae) lately. This group of little butterflies are, I think, vastly under-appreciated pollinators. I have always liked the way they hold their wings at rest, like a little jet fighter.
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Photo by Anthony Westkamper
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Yellow and black mud dauber nectars on Queen Anne's lace.
A black and yellow mud dauber (genus
Sceliphron), a wasp I've tried unsuccessfully to photograph before, allowed me to get a few shots. The females build mud nests and stock them with paralyzed spiders for their young.