Observation of the week – July 20-26, 2020
We are particularly excited about this week’s OOTW – a Broad-winged Skipper seen by participant @uofgtwitcher.
This is only the third record of Broad-winged Skippers in the Credit River Watershed – with the other records being from the Acton and Georgetown areas.
Broad-winged Skippers tend to stick close to patches of their host plants, which are broad leaved sedges, including lake sedge (Carex lacustris). These sedges are often found growing in narrow strips along roadsides or at the edge of rivers and other wetlands.
That’s where Andrew (aka @uofgtwitcher) saw this Broad-winged Skipper, at the edge of Birchwood Creek on the east side of Jack Darling Park, in what Andrew calls a “tiny piece of extraordinary habitat.”
There are a few wetland butterfly species in our Watershed that are rarely seen but can be found in large numbers if the habitat is right. These butterfly species depend on high quality wetland patches that support their host plants.
Through the efforts of Butterfly Blitz participants, we are getting a better idea of where these species can be found exactly in the watershed. Some species seem to be restricted to only one location, while others can be found in a handful of locations. These habitats are special places, and CVC will use information from the Butterfly Blitz to help protect and restore them.
And that brings us to the other exciting thing about this observation - the Broad-winged Skipper was seen in Jack Darling Park, on the lakeshore in Mississauga. It shows that habitat for uncommon butterflies can be found in urban areas when it is protected and maintained.
As Andrew says, “it is a gorgeous, albeit tiny area and I hope it can be preserved for future generations to see what “once was” in the GTA. The stream was flowing, the pollinators were stirring and the Joe Pye-Weed was fully in bloom. The perfect end to a day of exploration in an area of the lakeshore that I spent countless hours wandering as a young boy.”
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This species also eats Phragmites, I've seen it in a couple places around the GTA where that was clearly the foodplant, though never in Credit watershed. I think the species might be expanding its range a little due to the spread of invasive phrag. Don't know what sedges would be in this exact spot, but there isn't a lot of C. lacustris left in Mississauga (not sure over ever found it personally) and i'd bet that it's eating phrag here.
Thanks @reuvenm - CVC has records of Lake Sedge along Birchwood Creek, so I assumed that's what it was on but clearly can't say for sure. Interesting that you've seen it on Phragmites - everything I read seemed to indicate that it only feeds on Phragmites in the coastal populations in the U.S.
I asked the same question a couple years ago, see here: https://groups.google.com/d/msg/onbutterflies/dD7t-MLkMd0/mEHePblQCAAJ
Interesting! Thank you for sharing. So many potential research questions out there ...
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