Birding Alaska

Northern Blue Lycaeides idas resting on last year’s Yarrow Achillea millefolium at Kenny Lake, 15 July 2009.

A flashy little dude.

I thought I should post another butterfly photo since I’m now on board the NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson and will be in the Bering Sea for the next 18 days.  I probably won’t see any butterflies out here.

Dorcas Copper Lycaena dorcas, Tern Lake, Kenai Peninsula, 8 July 2009.

The birding was a bit slow today, but the butterflies picked up the slack.  I photographed these Dorcas Coppers at Tern Lake on the Kenai Peninsula this evening.  There were several cavorting along the lake edge at the main pull-out on the Sterling Highway.

Update 24 July 2009. I’ve edited the information here since the original post on July 5th based on feedback that I received from members of the Western Canada Butterflies List-serve.  Several members, most notably Norbert Kondla, provided expertise and guidance on the identification of many of these butterflies. You can read my original post to WCanButterflies and Norbert’s response here.

Time to post a few butterfly pictures from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northeast Alaska.  I’m a novice at this butterfly business and all of the identifications are open to suggestions from others with more experience.  I would very much appreciate any comments on the identification of any of these butterflies.

Eversmann’s Parnassian Parnassius eversmanni, Coastal Plain of Arctic National Wildife Refuge, near Canning River, 2 July 2009.

A real jaw-dropper!  There were at least two males on a small dry hill surrounded by wet tundra. On this windy day at least 8 other species were on this same hill. While I was watching them they only fed on Moss Campion Silene acaulis, despite many other flowers in full bloom on the hill.

Old World Swallowtail Papilio machaon, Coastal Plain of Arctic National Wildife Refuge, near Canning River, 2 July 2009.

About a dozen Old World Swallowtails were on the hill with the Eversmann’s Parnassian. Also on this same hill were Northern Marble, Arctic Blue, Disa Alpine, Ross’s Alpine, an unknown Sulphur and at least one unknown Fritillary. I’m sure that I probably missed several more.

Common Ringlet Coenonympha kodiak yukonensis, near Plunge Creek, Canning River, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 29 June 2009.

This Ringlet was the only one I saw. It looks much different from the one I photographed on the Kongakut last July.  That photo is here.

Greenish Blue Plebejus saepiolus, Fairbanks, 14 June 2009.

This photo was not actually in the Refuge, but it was my first new butterfly of the season and the first of a string of Blues for the summer.

Silvery Blue Glaucopsyche lygdamus, on Dwarf Fireweed Epilobium latifolium Canning River, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 25 June 2009.

Silvery Blue Glaucopsyche lygdamus, Canning River, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 16 June 2009.

Silvery Blue was the most common Blue that we saw in three weeks.  We found it at most locations along the river and on most days that butterflies were out.  Last year during a 18 day stretch on the Kongakut River the only Blue that we found was Northern Blue, which was very common.  We did not see Northern Blue this summer in the Refuge.

Western Tailed-Blue Everes amyntula, Wagtail Island, Canning River, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 30 June 2009.

This was the only Western Tailed-Blue that we found.

Booth’s Sulphur Colias (tyche) thula, Canning River, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 2 July 2009.

I had originally identified this butterfly as Labrador Sulphur Colias nastes. Norbert Kondla suggested that Booth’s Sulphur might be a better fit.  He writes, “Colias: the nastes could be nastes although I suspect it is a thula due to the yellowish nature of the venter. The Alaska north slope has both species and even when one has specimens in hand the identification of some individuals can be tricky/open to different ident opinions.”

Northern Marble Euchloe creusa on Mountain Avens Dryas octopetela, Coastal Plain of Arctic National Wildife Refuge, near Canning River, 2 July 2009.

Mt. McKinley Alpine Erebia mackinleyensis, Canning River, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 17 June 2009.

Alpines were well represented in the Arctic and we probably saw more alpines than any other type of butterfly.  All black with a splash of red, this one is high in the running for coolest butterfly of the summer.

Banded Alpine Disa fasciata, Canning River, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 17 June 2009.

Ross’s Alpine Erebia rossii on Moss Campion Silene acaulis, Coastal Plain of Arctic National Wildife Refuge, near Canning River, 2 July 2009.

Disa Alpine Erebia disa on Arctic Bell Heather Cassiope tetragona, Coastal Plain of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, near Canning River, 2 July 2009.

Reddish Alpine Erebia lafontainei, Canning River, 17 June 2009.

Is this butterfly just emerging and “inflating” its hind wings?

White-veined Arctic Oeneis taygete, near Plunge Creek, Canning River, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 21 June 2009.

Melissa Arctic Oeneis melissa gibsoni, near Plunge Creek, Canning River, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 21 June 2009.

I thought I was photographing another White-veined Arctic when I took this photo, but after seeing it on the computer I wondered if it could be another Arctic, possibly Melissa.  This is from Norbert, “Oeneis: The Plunge Creek arctic looks suspiciously like an Oeneis ‘melissa’ gibsoni. Not all arctics with white veins are white-veined arctics and not even all white-veined arctics have white veins ”

Dingy Fritillary Boloria improba, Coastal Plain of Arctic National Wildife Refuge, near Canning River, 2 July 2009.

This butterfly really stumped me as it didn’t quite match anything in my books.  Thanks very much to Norbert who pointed me towards Dingy Frittilary.  He advised, “the nominate subspecies [of Dingy Fritillary] is normally highly melanic on the upperside; in contrast to the more southerly subspecies which is mostly brighter/more orange on the upperside.”

Mountain Fritillary Boloria alaskensis, Canning River, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 1 July 2009.

Freija Fritillary Boloria freija, Salisbury Creek, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 27 June 2009.

Frittilaries were also very common and are very frustrating for me.  To my novice eye it looks like a good shot of the underwing is necessary for identification of most species, but it was very difficult to get a look at the underwing. With help from others I was able to identify these two fritillaries.

Thanks to all who provided information on these butterflies!