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Reiman Gardens, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, Buck Roses, Butterfly House - Nathan's Notes |
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Nathan's Notes
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Nathan's Notes Read timely information from Nathan Brockman, Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing Curator, about the happenings in the Butterfly Wing.
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More entries 
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July 15, 2010 |
Jul 14, 2010 |
Whether at home or in the Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing, this month, keep an eye out for an Iowa native, the Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta). One interesting characteristic to discuss is the territorial behavioral of the male Red Admirals. With the high native populations, this behavior is relatively easy to observe during an evening walk outdoors. As you get close to an individual they often leave their perch, fly around you and possibly even land on you. These individuals are trying to shoo you out of their territory, although we typically enjoy the close encounter with these individuals. Keep an eye out for these beautiful native butterflies.
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11:02 AM
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June 15, 2010 |
Jun 15, 2010 |
Keep an eye out this month in the Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing for a native species called the Morning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa). Since it overwinters as an adult, the Morning Cloak is typically one of the first species observed in spring. Unlike a lot of the nectar feeding butterflies, the Morning Cloak avoids flowers; instead it prefers feeding on rotting fruit and tree sap. Morning Cloaks are strong, deliberate fliers which often sit with their wings closed while at rest. If you are fortunate enough to observe an individual with its wings open during your visit to the Butterfly Wing, take a moment to observe the subtle beauty inside.
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8:11 AM
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May 15, 2010 |
May 11, 2010 |
In butterflies, the “Leafwing” common name usually refers to those butterflies that look like leaves when their wings are closed. Depending on the species, some butterflies have muted coloration and some have flamboyant coloration when they open their wings. The Siderone marthesia is a flamboyant Leafwing which calls the Butterfly Wing home and dazzles visitors, assuming they aren’t hiding from you.
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2:10 PM
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April 15, 2010 |
Apr 13, 2010 |
This month in the Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing, take time out to search for the Redspot Duke (Dolpha evelina). These individuals are hard to find due to availability rather than camouflage. In the latest shipment from Malaysia only two individuals were sent. Similar in color to the Chocolate Pansy (Junonia iphita), which I have discussed in the past, the Redspot Duke is primarily a brown butterfly with two small red spots along the front side of the forewing. Native to Asia, the Redspot Duke can be observed feeding from spoiled fruit. At rest, this species often sits with its wings spread making it an excellent individual to observe or photograph while visiting the Butterfly Wing.
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3:52 PM
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March 15, 2010 |
Mar 12, 2010 |
This month, in the Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing, visitors might get a chance to see Iowa’s largest moth. Captive bred Cecropia Moths (Hyalophora cecropia) are currently emerging from their cocoons and being released in to the Butterfly Wing. The Cecropia Moth is a species which only has one generation a year, making the window to observe this short lived moth very small. Typically, in Iowa, adults are only visible mid-May until early July. Due to the warm artificial conditions applied to the cocoons in the Butterfly Lab, we were able to get any early visit from some of these spectacular individuals for Butterfly Wing visitors to enjoy.
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11:26 AM
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