Summer on the Washougal or the Great Spangled Frit

       It's truly summertime here in the Pacific Northwest.   Forest fires are raging and Mt. Hood rises like a hazy ghost east of Portland.  But with the full force of the season comes the chance to see butterflies that don't emerge until summer.  When you think about the butterfly's imperative, to emerge, breed, insure a new generation,  it makes you wonder why evolution would favor such a late start. 

 

     Nevertheless, there are a few butterflies that don't emerge until August.  One of these late risers, the Great Spangled Fritillary, is one of our best butterflies.  This assumes that you like big orange beauties.  I do.  And I'll bet you do, as well.

Hydspe Frit female august 2024 Washougal River

    It had been three weeks since we last went to Dougan Falls and the Upper Washougal.  In the interim we had been to a couple other butterfly spots, installed a butterfly exhibit in the Camas Library and gone north to see Jeff Dunham and his politically incorrect puppets.  

     On Wednesday we got an early start and were all the way to Timber Creek by 10:30.  Unfortunately our tire pressure alarm illuminated and chimed at 10:29.  We circled the BOT-mobile in the parking area by the dry creek.  Radial tires, right?  They always look like they might be flat.  Sandra and I made the decision not to go further, eschewing the steep climb  on a narrow gravel road and headed back down.  

    Half a mile before the weedy car park Sandra spotted a large orange butterfly on the side of the road.  Here we encountered a male Great spangled Frit that held still long enough for the picture you see here.  Additionally. there were a few really small orange skippers, roughly the size and color of some small berries dotting a broad leafed shrub.  Following the photo, the frit left and did not return.  the small skippers persisted, though and after a few unsuccessful swipes, we finally caught one.

Hydspe Frit female, ventral August 2024

    With our tiny skipper safely stowed, we made it to our favorite weedy car park.  Over the last few months I have been cultivating a patch of thistles, removing the morning glory vines that threatened to choke off these valuable plants.  It was immediately apparent that my efforts had paid off.  Several big orange butterflies were nectaring on the thistles.  We had the opportunity to take a couple videos and a few more pictures.  In one video you can see the frit extending his proboscis repeatedly in to the flower.  There were so many opportunities that it was not too difficult to catch one of them. 

    This was not the only interesting butterfly.  We caught another tiny insect that we were sure was the tail end of the mylitta crescents.  But the coup de grâce was a medium sized frit that perched on a weed near the car.  A stealthy approach resulted in the capture of a hydaspe frit.  Sandra has become an excellent butterfly handler and we got the pictures you see here.  We were sure that this was a hydaspe and Caitlin reported that it was a female.  Her book says females are more yellowish, but perhaps it was the way she bugged out her eyes that gave it away.  

Great Spangled Fritillary, August 2024, Washougal River

    We endeavour to take as few as we can, and so, after these pictures were taken, she was released.  As she flew up into the woods she was heard to say, "Don't forget to take out the garbage!"  Yet another clue as to her gender.  

    With our charges safely ensconced, we made it to the nearest Costco tire station.  There, Sandra supervised the attendant who gave each tire a small dosage, but diagnosed the problem as a false alarm.  Meanwhile, I bought a Costco chicken, so the trip was not a total loss.

    Back at the ranch, we had three participants duly awaiting their turn in the refrigerator.  The frit was called upon first.  He emerged from his quarters in beautiful condition, as you can see.  This species is unusual in that the female is dramatically different, with a brown and white dorsal coat, so there was no doubt that this, and all the big orange butterflies we saw were males.

    Sandra took him outside where he immediately took to the skies.  He landed in the building across the street, which is a remarkable habitat, in that numerous unusual species have been recorded there.    

Woodland Skipper, August, 2024

      Next was the little skipper.  He cooperated long enough for us to get a wings up ventral picture and then, as so many of our butterflies do, made a bee line for the window.  The picture you see was taken on the window sill.  Lucky for him, he let Sandra nab him and he was released outside.

    We have struggled with these orange-ish skippers.  Caitlin declared this to be a woodland skipper.  One would hope that this Identification was made on morphological exam.  But I believe that it was made primarily on local knowledge of the season and location.  Little orange and brow bugs...what can you do.  Probably someone is catching one of them and examining the genitalia. 

   Last but not least came or natty crescent.  Its sort of interesting to note that this species was an early spring butterfly and reemerged as a second generation a month ago.  This fellow was clearly late in his life.  

A natty male Mylitta Crescent, Washougal River, August 2024

    like the skipper, he permitted a ventral view photo and then dashed for the window..  Sandra caught him once as he ascended the pane, brought him down and I got this quick picture between the vanes of the Venetian blinds before he headed up again.

    The next day I was able to show him to my grandson, now in a more tractable state.  Was there an object lesson here?  Allow yourself to be caught and you will be released outside to play.  Persistent defiance and you end up a drying husk in the window well.  

   And on that happy note, we wish you a good summer and many beautiful butterflies,

jeff