Butterflies and Milkweed by Mike Reese
Mike Reese is a Wisconsin Butterfly expert, winner of a lifetime achievement award from the Wisconsin Citizen-Based Monitoring Network, and coordinator of WisconsinButterflies.org. He also oversees the sightings page for the North American Butterfly Association. Mike shared photos of 16 butterfly species he observed in ONE day nectaring on milkweed. All of these photos were taken on June 30, 2012 at Buena Vista Grasslands and Sandhill Wildlife Area in Wisconsin. Buena Vista Grasslands is one of the most northern and eastern places in Wisconsin to see the Regal Fritillary (a Wisconsin endangered species) and Gray Copper. Sandhill Wildlife Area is the best place in the state to see the Two-spotted Skipper and Acadian Hairstreak. Part of the reason for the plentiful butterflies at these sites are abundant nectar resources, including milkweeds, on which they were nectaring that day.
Acadian Hairstreak on Swamp Milkweed
Gray Copper on Butterfly Weed
Coral Hairstreak on Butterfly Weed
Aphrodite Fritillary on Butterfly Weed
Silver-bordered Fritillary on Butterfly Weed
Regal Fritillary on Butterfly Weed
Common Wood-Nymph on Butterfly Weed
Sachem on Common Milkweed
Long-dash on Common Milkweed
Two-spotted Skipper on Common Milkweed
Fiery Skipper on Common Milkweed
Dun Skipper on Swamp Milkweed
Dion Skipper on Swamp Milkweed
Broad-winged Skipper on Swamp Milkweed
Mulberry Wing on Swamp Milkweed
Black Dash on Swamp Milkweed
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