2015 August 9

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  I went to Cordova Spit today in another attempt to find a Western Branded Skipper.  Phew!  It’s a long walk from IVB in this heat.  On the way there, in the grassy fields just inshore from IVB, there were clouds of Woodland Skippers, and a very few Large Heaths (C. tullia) and Cabbage Whites.  The spit itself at first seemed to be totally barren of all butterflies, but I persisted and saw about two Woodland Skippers and a Purplish Copper.  And then I got it – just one very brief glimpse of a single Western Banded Skipper.  It was nectaring on Grindelia for just a second, and then it flew off and vanished.  However, even though I saw only a very brief glimpse, it was enough to answer one question.  I had wondered if I was failing to recognize the Western Branded Skipper.  Perhaps many of the butterflies that I had been dismissing as Woodland Skippers were in fact Western Branded Skippers, which I had failed to recognize. Well, my one brief glimpse answered that question.  Even at a casual glance it was obvious what it was. The chance of confusing the two species is zero.  The Western Branded Skipper is an entirely different animal.  Whether it is a different animal than the Common Branded Skipper I’m not so sure.  Small and subtle differences in museum specimens from different populations of a widely-distributed species do not amount to different species. Someone please find me a caterpillar!

   So – if the Western Branded Skipper is not yet on your life list, there is a small – but finite – chance at Cordova Spit just now.

   No more invertebrate news today. Too hot for people and for butterflies, I think.