February 1
Bob Hardwick: Learning to Identify Lesser Fritillaries and Crescents
Bob has done such a wonderful job in teaching us butterflies by families. His tips on comparing similar species have been very helpful to all. Bob is a skilled teacher and has helped bring us all to a more advanced level of butterfly identification.
March 7 – Dr. Dennis Paulson: Dragonfly Identification
Each year we have one program which strays outside of lepidoptera. This year we return to odonata as by popular demand we have Dennis back to help us with the dragonflies we see as we are butterflying. Dennis is an excellent teacher and brings his delightful humor into his programs.
April 3 – Dr. Tom Daniel, Komen Endowed Chair, University of Washington Reverse Engineering Insect Flight – Winging it at UW
Within the blink of an evolutionary eye, flight appeared on the planet, transforming the earth and giving rise to incredible diversification of the insects. As fundamental as this process is to the basic biology of the insects, understanding how insects fly still remains a considerable challenge. From the aerodynamics of flapping flexible wings to the ways in which insects use diverse sensory cues to regulate flight and navigation, we are trying to unravel the complex physics of flight control.
May 2
Dr. David James discussed the Snow Mountain Ranch, 1800 acres of rich and varied butterfly habitat ranging from lowland-riparian at about 1500 feet through canyons and shrub-steppe areas to summit & ridges at about 3000 feet. As Director, he plans to further enrich the habitat and perhaps also add butterfly species. The area is owned by the Cowiche Canyon Conservancy and is close to another preserve, Cowiche Canyon.
June 6
Dr. Robert Pyle: Butterflies of China
During much of May, 2010, Bob and Thea Pyle had the remarkable opportunity to take part in a natural history trip to China, including in-depth visits to several nature reserves. Along with Janet Chu, Paul Opler, and Evi Buckner, they paid particular attention to the butterflies. This PowerPoint presentation will introduce many of the nearly 100 species they encountered, compare them to our own fauna, and place them in context with the culture, terrain, plants, and other animals, including giant panda and giant red flying squirrel. Thea’s photographs of some remarkable wildflowers complement those of the butterflies and landscape.
September 5
PNW Moths: The Making of a Website. This summer, a team of researchers from institutions across the region saw three long years of work come to fruition in the launching of Pacific Northwest Moths, a website featuring high- resolution photographs of more than 1,200 species, along with detailed descriptions and distribution maps and an easy-to-use identification key. The site allows users to play with a vast dataset on moth distributions, providing the opportunity to study shifts in seasonality and distribution. At the same time, it is the first comprehensive source of information on this group of Pacific Northwest lepidopterans whose diversity far outstrips that of the region’s butterflies. Two of the principal contributors to the website, Lars Crabo and Merrill Peterson, will tell us about how they pulled together this vast resource, and provide demonstrations on how to take advantage of the many features the site has to offer. They will also give tips on where, when, and how to find moths, many of which rival in beauty our most spectacular butterflies.
October 3.
Matching the Euphilotes Blues to the Eriogonum Buckwheats They Use. Dave Nunnallee will discuss the Eriogonums-Blues associations in our area, where they occur, some basics of buckwheat identification and why identification is important. He will describe some of the recent discoveries and how they are critical in the larger picture of Euphilotes (buckwheat blues) distribution and speciation and some of the differences observed in various locations. He will also present some of the Plebejus (acmonoid) blues which use buckwheats, what is being done elsewhere by professionals, and how additional field work may help to clarify this confusing group of blues as well. Through his excellent photos Dave will illustrate all the buckwheats and the butterflies discussed.
December 5th
Monarchs in the Pacific Northwest and Beyond with Dr. Robert Pyle
Where do Washington and Oregon’s Monarch butterflies come from…and where do they go? Why have we had so few in recent years, and can we do anything to encourage more? What effects have Monarch releases had on our understanding of their natural distribution and migration, both historically and in modern times? Bob will share our current state of knowledge about our region’s Monarchs, and their relationship to the larger phenomenon in both California and Mexico. Come learn how the erroneous “Berlin Wall” model of North American monarchs arose in the first place, how studies in the Pacific Northwest helped to bring it down, and what has come to replace it as we get to know our Monarchs better. Of course, we will also learn about and view remarkable photographs of the amazing Monarch winter masses in Mexico, for those who have enjoyed or someday hope to visit this grand spectacle.