Butterfly and Bee September 2021

September 14, Southview Avenue, Latah County, Moscow Idaho
In the early evening on a warm, sunny day, I found two insects on weeds next to a sidewalk. The first was a cabbage white butterfly (Pieris rapae). It flapped around different weeds for a while as if it were indecisive, and then settled down on a plant while opening its wings to sunbathe. The plant it rested on (as is seen in the picture) is a canada thistle (Cirsium arvense). Some other plants in the area were the panicle willoweed (Epilobium brachycarpum) and curly dock (Rumex crispus). I also found an unknown bee species that could possibly be a leaf cutter bee. It was feeding on sweet clover flowers(Melilotus sp.). Some other plants next to it were hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) and spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa). The habitat was a disturbed, weedy site protected from wind at the bottom of a west-facing hill, and there was dry silt on the ground radiating the sun's heat.

Posted on September 15, 2021 01:52 AM by