About

Before I became a science writer, I was well onto the career path of being an entomologist, and my biggest interest was butterflies. I’d been a butterfly collector as a kid in southeast Missouri and the Ozarks, and even spent a summer in graduate school as a curatorial assistant at the Smithsonian, relaxing and spreading a unique collection of South African moths and butterflies collected in the early 1960′s. But it was always the living butterflies that interested me most, and the way the exotic-sounding names — mourning cloak, great spangled fritillary, hoary edged skipper, falcate orangetip, tawny emperor — tripped off my eight-year-old tongue. I’ve had a chance the last couple of years to pick up my old avocation again, and look forward to spending more time in the field with the three B’s: birding, butterflying, and botanizing. This blog is about those adventures in the field, and the interesting snippets of butterfly and ecological research I come across in my reading.

5 Responses to “About”

Mary Owen Says:

June 21, 2010 at 02:38
I am trying to identify a butterfly my friend saw on her land yesterday – large maybe 3inches long – bright blue upper wings long pointed lower wings of a lemon colour – we are in the Alpujarras in Southern Spain – any ideas?

Reply
1. Rick Says:
  
  July 17, 2010 at 18:31
  Hi, Mary, was hoping one of our members might chime in. But it’s REALLY difficult for us to ID a European species from a narrative description. Might do a little better if you sent us a link to a photo.
  
  Reply
Cornelius E, Klots Says:

November 9, 2011 at 14:00
I would be grateful for the “easy” route into the Klots Bog, as I would love to take some grand- and great-grandchildren of Professor Klots into it, not immediately but perhaps when school is out. Thank you, Cornelius E. Klots

Reply
1. Rick Says:
  
  November 11, 2011 at 13:07
  What a wonderful idea; happy to help. Professor Klots’ books and other writing were instrumental in getting me into the field of entomology in the first place.
  
  Really is pretty easy (now that I know the way!). Park in front of Lakehurst (Manchester CO) High School in the lot along Colonial Drive. Facing the high school, walk left around the building to the back side. If they haven’t cleaned it up, there’s a cluster of trailers, discarded equipment and such in the left corner of the school property. Use the straight line described by the west walls of the school (the left side you walked past) and follow it to the tree line at the back of the property. Presto! There’s a very clear trail there that leads over the RR tracks and straight back into the bog, which is only a few hundred yards in. The bog is to your left walking in. There are two little paths leading off the dike into it.
  
  It’s really that easy.
  
  Reply
Debbie Says:

August 20, 2012 at 18:42
Monarch Help Needed! I noticed a fallen Monarch today. His wing was torn and he could not fly. I went online and researched how to repair it. It all
went well until my “co-surgeon” botched his job and now the upper left wing
is not working. We are devastated. Is there anyone out there with advice? We have the butterfly inside right now because of the rain and failing wing. Any help would be appreciated.

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