Observation of the Week May 22nd-28th, 2022
Welcome to our second Observation of the Week (OOTW) for the 2022 CVC Butterfly Blitz. I’m sure you’re as excited as us to see the change in weather! As the days get warmer, a greater diversity of butterfly species will soon appear in the watershed. We’ve already gotten almost 50 observations of 13 butterfly species, and we’re looking forward to seeing what else you find.
This week we’ve chosen a Mustard White observed by Natalie (@huronia). Natalie spotted this butterfly while eating lunch but gave up some of her break time to make the observation. “I love taking pictures of butterflies, but the mustard white is one that always seems to escape me. Every time I see them I recognize their pure white upper wing surface, but they never seem to land for a picture. So, when this one flapped by while I was having lunch I told myself to be patient and ready with my camera. When it finally landed I dove into action trying to take as many pictures as I could, and I felt really lucky to be able to watch it move from flower to flower. I was dedicated to trying to get good pictures of the veins on the underside, so I was lying flat on the ground to get the right angle. But, that’s what it takes sometimes to get the right shot!”
Natalie focused on getting the right angle because there is another species in our area that can be confused with the Mustard White—the West Virginia White. Getting a good view of both sides of the wings is important to tell them apart. Mustard White has distinct greenish-grey lines along the veins on the underside of the wings, while West Virginia White has fuzzier and lighter markings (see below). Without a view of the underside, you might only identify it to species—like in this observation. This is a reminder of why it’s important to take photos of your butterfly from different angles.
The West Virginia White is a species at risk in Ontario. No one has seen it in the Credit River Watershed since the 1990s. Laura (@lltimms), the Scientific Coordinator of the Butterfly Blitz, spent a week in early May hunting for West Virginia Whites and didn’t find a single one! They’re only around in the early spring and live in natural woodlands where toothwort plants (their host plants) and other early spring flowering species grow. We’d love to hear about it if you think you may have seen one, so please get in touch!
Like West Virginia White, Mustard Whites live in intact, natural forest habitats. The spread of Garlic Mustard into our woodlands has affected both butterfly species. Garlic Mustard is an introduced plant species that is closely related to the native hosts plants of these butterflies. Female Mustard White and West Virginia Whites will get fooled into laying eggs on them. Unfortunately, their caterpillars don’t grow well when they eat Garlic Mustard and eggs laid on these plants won’t successfully develop into adult butterflies.
Though the Mustard White is not a species at risk, it is still a somewhat uncommon butterfly in our area—we love seeing your observations of this species in the Butterfly Blitz. Through your efforts, we are learning more about where in the Credit River Watershed we can find species like the Mustard White. Thank you, and happy butterflying!
Written by @lltimms, Senior Specialist in Natural Heritage, CVC and @kristenvalencia, Program Assistant in Community Outreach, CVC
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