Butterfly walks popular with all ages

Sponsored by the Dishman Hills Conservancy and Inland Northwest Land Conservancy, a classroom session was followed by a walk in a natural area with a group that included seniors, couples and parents with kids ranging from teens to a gaggle of fascinated elementary schoolers.

A butterfly's life cycle begins as an egg and hatches into a larva (caterpillar), which does most of the feeding.

Yarrow is a favorite butterfly enticements to have in a yard with other flowering plants, he noted as he highlighted what lures the insects.

The ethics of collecting butterflies for scientific study and hobbying are debated among experts.

Habitat loss is the main threat to butterflies, but too many zealous collectors could have an impact in some cases, Baumann said.

"Some species are difficult to tell apart from a photo," he said, referring to one of the benefits of scientific collecting.

[...] the green comma butterfly, which has a burnt-orange appearance looking down at it with wings open and more camouflaged with wings folded, appears as though a slug nibbled on the edges of its wing.

Western tiger swallowtails thrive in towns where willows, aspens, cottonwoods and plane trees are potential local larval food plants.

The mourning cloak butterfly, found throughout the Dishman Hills, has antifreeze in its system to allow adults to get an early start in the year.

Equipped with nets and nifty observation jars with built-in magnifying glass bottoms, some of the kids had a few butterflies netted in no time.

The discussion of whether to collect specimens for mounting, study and display was quickly decided by several elementary school-age children who made it clear they would engage only in catch, observe and release.