Most studies of butterfly flight based on three-dimensional analysis have been performed in artificially confined conditions. We performed this study in completely natural conditions, focusing on freely flying males of territorial lycaenid Favonius taxila. They flew fastest in chasing flight and slowest in fighting (circling) flight. Flight velocity and directional change were negatively correlated. Acceleration at take-off and deceleration at landing were 15.8 m/s² and –6.5 m/s², respectively, at the inflection point of a fitted sigmoid curve. A pursuing tendency in interaction flights was objectively confirmed by constructing a path similarity graph based on individual distance with time shift; in fighting flights with simple patterns, a single peak was observed, indicating that one individual pursued, and in fighting flights with complex patterns, two peaks were observed, indicating that both individuals pursued each other. The form of fighting flights of the present species was far from a so-called “circling flight”, but rather was composed of an irregular combination of distorted small circles. Aggressive acts against the wing of conspecific males were observed in a brief model experiment.

Holistically managed urban greenspaces have human and ecological benefits. Butterflies and skippers (Papilionoidea) are particularly sensitive to human impacts and changing environmental conditions and can serve as model organisms for park management. We monitored butterflies across 18 urban parks in Cincinnati, Ohio, to explore the relationship between the amount of forested and non-forested microhabitat and Papilionoidea biodiversity. Transect counts were used to assess Papilionoidea occurrence throughout the summer of 2021. Species richness was found to significantly increase with the amount of non-forested area, while no relationships were found between forested species richness and area or total species richness and total park area. In addition to providing suggestions for urban park microhabitat management, this study updates the species checklist for Hamilton County, Ohio, adding four species. Forty-three species and 433 individuals were sighted during the study. Three species found in Cincinnati Parks were under Ohio Department of Natural Resources conservation status.

Larval surveys can be an important tool in butterfly studies serving many purposes including determining species presence. Current survey recommendations for the imperiled frosted elfin Callophrys irus (Godart, 1824) (Family: Lycaenidae) include use of larval surveys for detecting species presence. But similar-appearing larvae of the gray hairstreak Strymon melinus (Hubner, 1818) (Family: Lycaenidae) also occur on C. irus host plants, which if misidentified as C. irus can result in false-positive detections. We reared C. irus and S. melinus larvae (n = 61 and n = 16 respectively) and assessed three characteristics of late instar larvae for distinguishing between them in the field. Larval body coloration overlapped for both species (pale green and pale pink) though C. irus was typically green while S. melinus was typically pale pink or red. Cranial pigmentation was also a helpful though imperfect distinguishing characteristic accurately identifying 65 (94.20%) of 69 larvae. The ratio of cranial width to distance between the sensory setae insertions on the prothoracic shield was a definitive distinguishing characteristic with C. irus having ratios <2.20 and S. melinus having ratios >2.20. We recommend observers determine the presence of C. irus at a given site based on multiple larvae (2-3 individuals minimum) if using a combination of body color and cranial pigmentation, or on one individual larva if using ratio measurements. Both larval body color and cranial pigmentation can be determined in the field; the former with the naked eye and the latter with a 60x hand lens. Ratio measurements require use of a dissecting microscope ex-situ.

Abstract. We sampled the Lepidoptera fauna of the Californian San Joaquin Desert (SJD) over 12 years (2004-2016) and supplemented our results with species reported on iNaturalist and SCAN websites. We recorded 468 species representing 45 families in 20 superfamilies. In addition, there were another 200-250 specimens which we could not identify, in the Nepticuloidea, Tineoidea, Gracillarioidea and Gelechioidea superfamilies. These were not included in the general tally. Based upon known or published larval hosts, 70% of the recorded species are monophagous, feeding on plants in 45 families. Asteraceae was the most frequently used host plant family, sustaining 51 herbivore species. The remaining 29% are polyphagous. Many of the latter are potential crop pests and are more prevalent in the northeastern region of the Valley where agricultural activities are most intense. We found only one SJD endemic species, Schinia carrizoensis Osborne (Noctuidae) and one near-endemic, Euproserpinus euterpe Edwards (Sphingidae). The most diverse area was the southern region with 302 recorded species, while the least diverse was the Valley Floor area, with 162 species. Recognition of the historical aridity of this region and the establishment of restoration measures that consider the past and current desert-like environment and the effects of human activities and climate changes would benefit the entire flora and fauna of the SJD.

Population studies of tropical butterflies are still scarce considering the huge diversity of species worldwide, and historical data are even more limited.The present paper describes in detail the population parameters of M. cymo salonina from a semideciduous forest in the interior of São Paulo state, Brazil. A mark-release-recapture (MRR) program was carried out in a forest fragment in Sumaré municipality, from August 17, 1974 to October 26, 1977. In total, 2892 individuals were captured and marked (1620 males and 1272 females). The estimated population size varied from two to 1349 individuals per day for males and from one to 908 for females. For both sexes, the population showed a markedly seasonal pattern in the three studied years, with a distinct peak at the end of the wet season, followed by a decrease in numbers at the beginning of the dry season, maintaining low numbers until the mid-wet season. The overall sex ratio (56% male) was male-biased, but considering the months separately, this bias was reported in only nine out of the 25 tested months. The residence time (based on recaptured individuals) varied from one to 91 days for males and from one to 112 for females; the average residence time of males and females was not significantly different. The age structure was unstable and showed a clear predominance of new individuals at the onset of the population peaks, followed by an increase in the proportion of intermediate and old individuals in the ensuing months. Survival curves were similar for both sexes, approaching a type II survival curve. The present study provides novel information regarding this group, indicating that general patterns are still not well explored. Therefore, any further studies on ithomiines, including different species and populations of already studied species, are highly encouraged.

An early instar larva of Spodoptera ornithogalli (Guenée) was collected from spearmint, Mentha spicata (Lamiales: Lamiaceae), and reared to adult in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. A female S. ornithogalli was collected from the same locality and laid eggs. Her offspring were reared successfully on this host. This is the first record of S. ornithogalli using Lamiaceae as a hostplant outside of the laboratory, so the agricultural and regulatory implications of this record are examined. Identification of the immature stages of S. ornithogalli is difficult with the existing literature. We illustrate key larval, pupal, and adult characters of the original specimen found on M. spicata and discuss morphological characters to distinguish S. ornithogalli from related species throughout its range.