The Petersham Butterfly Institute had a spirited trip Sunday into Royalston with 16 participants lead by Carl Kamp assisted by Dolores Price and Dave Small. The group had great looks at several species including American Copper, Spring Azure, Clouded Sulfur, Juvenal’s Duskywing, Pine Elfin, Cabbage White, Silver-bordered Fritillary and Tiger Swallowtail.
The highlight for everyone was the finding of 2 adult Harvesters. The first presumably a male, perched in the open 2-3 feet above the ground next to a gravel road. This animal was extremely sedentary. The second several miles away was a female observed and photographed ovipositing eggs in the Alder Wooley Aphid colonies. Her behavior was very different frantically zig zagging through the alders. A great start for the institute finding and observing these elusive butterflies on our first outing.