The following butterflies, dragonflies, damselflies, and mosquitoes (we'll count anything) have been identified at Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center.

Butterflies
(updated June 2007)

Swallowtails — Big and spectacular; long “tail” extensions of hind wings

Black swallowtailPapilio polyxenes
Eastern tiger swallowtailPapilio glaucus
   
Whites & Sulphurs — Our most abundant butterflies; bright pastel shades

Checkered whitePontia protodice
Cabbage whitePieris rapae
Clouded sulphurColias philodice
Orange sulphurColias eurytheme
Cloudless sulphurPhoebis sennae
Little yellowEurema lisa
Dainty sulphurNathalis iole
   
Gossamer-wing Butterflies — Small; shaded in blue, gray, or copper; often with false eyespots and “tail” antennae

HarvesterFeniseca tarquinius
Gray copperLycaena dione
Bronze copperLycaena hyllus
Gray hairstreakStrymon melinus
Reakirt's blueHemiargus isola
Eastern tailed-blueEveres comyntas
Spring azureCelastrina ladon
Melissa blueLycaeides melissa
   
Brush-footed Butterflies — Highest number of species; often large; in colors of black, red, or brown

American snoutLibytheana carinenta
Variegated fritillaryEuptoieta claudia
Great spangled fritillarySpeyeria cybele
Regal fritillarySpeyeria idalis
Silver-bordered fritillaryBoloria selene
Gorgone checkerspotChlosyne gorgone
Silvery checkerspotChlosyne nycteis
Pearl crescentPhyciodes tharos
Question markPolygonia interrogationis
Eastern commaPolygonia comma
Gray commaPolygonia progne
Mourning cloakNymphalis antiopa
Painted ladyVanessa cardui
Red admiralVanessa atalanta
Common buckeyeJunonia coenia
Red-spotted purpleLimenitis arthemis astyanax
ViceroyLimenitis archippus
Hackberry emperorAsterocampa celtis
Tawny emperorAsterocampa clyton
Northern pearly-eyeEnodia anthedon
Common wood-nymphCercyonis pegala
Little wood-satyrMegisto cymela
MonarchDanaus plexippus
   
Skippers - Small, robust bodies; jerky, skipping flight; hooked antennae; many species and very hard to distinguish (many of gold/brown or charcoal/gray coloration)

Silver-spotted skipperEpargyreus clarus
Hayhurst's scallopwingStaphylus hayhurstii
Wild indigo duskywingErynnis baptisiae
Common checkered-skipperPyrgus communis
Common sootywingPholisora catullus
Peck's skipperPolites peckius
Tawny-edged skipperPolites themistocles
Little glassywingPompeius verna
SachemAtalopedes campestris
Delaware skipperAtrytone logan
   

Dragonflies & Damselflies
(updated July 2005)

Dragonfly - At rest, holds wings horizontally from body; thick abdomen; strong flier; compound eyes touch or nearly touch.
Damselfly - At rest, most species hold wings folded above body; thin abdomen; weak flier; compound eyes separated.

dragonfly
Dragonfly
Dragonflies
 
Darners

Common Green DarnerAnax junius
 
Common Skimmers

 
Halloween PennantCelithemis eponina
Eastern Pondhawk Erythemis simplicicolis
Widow Skimmer Libellula luctuosa
Twelve-spotted Skimmer Libellula pulchella
Blue Dasher Pachydiplax longipennis
Wandering Glider Pantala flavescens
Eastern Amberwing Perithemis tenera
Common Whitetail Plathemis lydia
Variegated Meadowhawk Sympetrum corruptum
Western Meadowhawk Sympetrum occidentalis
Black Saddlebags Tramea lacerata
Red Saddlebags Tramea onusta
 
Emeralds

Common Baskettail Epitheca cynosura
Prince Baskettail Epitheca princeps
 
Clubtails

Jade Clubtail Arigomphus submedianus
 
damselfly
Damselfly
Damselflies
 
Broad-winged Damsels

Ebony Jewelwing Calopteryx maculata
 
Pond Damsels

Red Damsel Amphiagrion sp.
Paiute Dancer Argia alberta
Blue-fronted Dancer Argia apicalis
Springwater Dancer Argia plana
Vivid Dancer Argia vivida
Azure Bluet Enallagma aspersum
Familiar BluetEnallagma civile
Orange Bluet Enallagma signatum
Rainbow Bluet Enallagma antennatum
Skimming Bluet Enallagma geminatum
Eastern Forktail Ischnura verticalis
 
Damsels

American Ruby SpotHetaerina americana


Mosquitoes
(updated September 2007)

Aedes vexans
Anopheles punctipennis
Anopheles quadrimaculatis
Anopheles walkeri
Culex erraticus
Culex pipiens
Culex restuans
Culex salinarius
Culex tarsalis
Culisita inornata
Ochlerotatus atropalpus
Ochlerstatus sollicitans
Ochlerotatus triseriatus
Ochlerotatus trivittatus
Psorophora ciliata
 
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