On a related note, in east-central Iowa there has been no problem 
with either butterfly abundance or diversity this summer despite the 
fact that 69% of Iowa's entire landmass is covered with GMO corn 
and soybean monocultures nearly all of which is planted using neonic
coated seed.  See butterfly census results below:

From: Chris Edwards <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: [IOWA-INSECTS] Iowa City Butterfly Count 7/19
Date: July 21, 2014 5:17:26 PM PDT
To: Iowa Insect Listserve <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: Chris Edwards <[log in to unmask]>

On Saturday 7/19 Mark Brown, Tom Jantscher, and Rick Hollis joined 
me on the annual Iowa City Butterfly Count.  The weather was partly
cloudy with temperatures ranging from 66-82F and light S winds.  We visited
Kent Park,Hawkeye Wildlife Area, Macbride Nature-Recreation Area, Lake 
Macbride State Park, and Turkey Creek Preserve.  In 9.25 hours we found 32 
species and 767 individuals which is pretty typical.  The count's 16-year average 
is 33 species and 980 individuals, but that number is skewed upwards by 
occasional very high counts of Clouded and Orange Sulphurs.

Species w/ numbers significantly above average:  Great Spangled Fritillary
(record high count), Red Admiral, Silver-spotted Skipper, Black Dash (record
high count).

Species w/ numbers significantly below average:  Common Buckeye, 
Red-spotted Purple (missed), Common Sootywing (missed), Least Skipper.

Black Swallowtail 2
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail 11
Cabbage White 112
Clouded Sulphur 184
Orange Sulphur 51
Little Yellow 24
Gray Copper 2
Bronze Copper 1
Coral Hairstreak 1
Eastern Tailed-Blue 30
Summer Azure 88
American Snout 1
Great Spangled Fritillary 96 (record high count)
Meadow Fritillary 4
Pearl Crescent 13
Question Mark 2
Eastern Comma 3
American Lady 4
Painted Lady 4
Red Admiral 31
Common Buckeye 3
Viceroy 9
Common Wood-Nymph 24
Monarch 28
Silver-spotted Skipper 23
Horace's Duskywing 1
Least Skipper 1
Peck's Skipper 4
Little Glassywing 2 (record high count)
Dion Skipper 2
Black Dash 4 (record high count)
Dun Skipper 2

Total 32 species, 767 individuals

Chris Edwards
Solon, IA
[log in to unmask]
 

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