Sightings – Butterflies & Moths
Observer: Kurt Buermann
Observation Date: 7/28/17
Observation Time: N/A
Observation Location: In our yard (Furnace Street) on a spicebush shrub
Common Name: Tiger Swallowtail butterfly
Scientific Name: Papilio glaucus
Comments: fairly common large butterfly
More Information: Butterflies and Moths of North America
Observer: Kurt Buermann
Observation Date: 7/31/16
Observation Time: N/A
Observation Location: Furnace Street
Common Name: Tiger Swallowtail butterfly
Scientific Name: Papilio glaucus
Comments: A common butterfly whose range stretches along the entire U.S. Atlantic coast and as far west as Texas. Having the ability to utilize a number of host plants and habitats this species does well and is not threatened.
More Information: Wikipedia
Observer: Amy Waters
Observation Date: 9/2/08
Observation Location:
Common Name: Unicorn Caterpillar
Scientific Name: Schizura unicornis
Comments: This Unicorn Caterpillar may have crawled off a blueberry bush. It also likes hickory, birch, maple, cherry, oak, sweet pepperbush, witch hazel, and many more woody shrubs and trees. Its range is from Canada to Florida and Texas. It will turn into a moth. Its family is Prominents – Notodontidae.
More Information: University of Missouri
Observer: Paul Lauenstein
Observation Date: 5/21/10
Observation Time: 8:20 a.m.
Observation Location: Gavins Pond Road
Common Name: Viceroy Butterfly
Scientific Name: Limenitis archippus
Comments: Smaller than a monarch, with a characteristic black line across the hind wings.
More Information: NatureWorks
Observer: Zahava Friedman
Observation Date: 6/22/20
Observation Time: 10:40 a.m.
Observation Location: near Gavins Pond
Common Name: Viceroy butterfly
Scientific Name: Limenitis archippus
Comments: Viceroys are smaller than the famous migrating monarchs, and the black markings are different. Note the curved black line on the hind wings. Monarchs do not have this line.
Viceroys are brush-footed butterflies, which have tiny, hairy forelegs that look more like brushes than feet and are not used for walking.
More Information: NatureWorks
Observer: Paul Lauenstein
Observation Date: 7/17/13
Observation Time: 3:00 p.m.
Observation Location: Gavins Pond area near soccer parking area
Common Name: Viceroy butterfly
Scientific Name: Limenitis archippus
Comments: This butterfly is smaller than the famous migrating monarchs, and the black markings are different. Note the black line on the hind wings. Monarchs do not have this line.
More Information: NatureWorks
Observer: Paul Lauenstein
Observation Date: 6/29/11
Observation Time: 10:20 a.m.
Observation Location: near outflow pool at Gavins Pond Dam
Common Name: Virginian Tiger Moth caterpillar
Scientific Name: Spilosoma virginica
Comments: This caterpillar, which was chewing on grape leaves, will metamorphose into a beautiful white moth.
More Information: Moths in a Connecticut Yard
Observer: Paul Lauenstein
Observation Date: 8/10/23
Observation Time: 11:40 a.m.
Observation Location: Gavins Pond Rd.
Common Name: White Admiral butterfly (same species as Red-spotted Purple Admiral – see below)
Scientific Name: Limenitis arthemis astyanax
Comments: The white Admiral butterfly is a North American species in the genus Limenitis. It has been studied for its evolution of mimicry, and for the several stable hybrid wing patterns within this nominal species; it is one of the most dramatic examples of hybridization between non-mimetic and mimetic populations.
L. arthemis can be split into two major groups, mainly based on one physical characteristic: the presence or absence of a white band along the wings. Individuals of the northern group, called White Admirals, have a conspicuous white band that traverse both the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the wing, while those of the southern group, called Red-spotted Purple Admirals, lack that trait as they have evolved to mimic the poisonous pipevine swallowtail (Battus philenor). Due to overlap in distribution among the two major groups, subspecies are numerous as hybridization occurs frequently.
More Information: Wikipedia
Observer: Josh Simons
Observation Date: 6/1/23
Observation Time: 9:45 a.m.
Observation Location: Moose Hill area
Common Name: White slant-line moth
Scientific Name: Tetracis cachexiata)
Comments: The caterpillars of the white slant-line moth are twig mimics, like other members of the Geometer family. Their brown, narrow bodies hold on to a branch at one end and stretch away from the branch to look like a twig.
More Information: Insect Identification
Observer: Josh Simons
Observation Date: 7/7/20
Observation Time: 1:30 p.m.
Observation Location: Moose Hill area
Common Name: Widow Underwing moth
Scientific Name: Catocala vidua
Comments: The widow underwing (Catocala vidua) is a moth of the Erebidae family. It is found from southern Ontario, into Maine, New Hampshire and Connecticut, south at least to Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama, west to Texas and Oklahoma, and north to Wisconsin.
More Information: iNaturalist and Bugguide.net and Discover Life and EverythingAbout.net
