December 1, 2011 Nella Letizia l WSU News
WSU Entomologist David James, Coauthors New Book on Life Histories of Pacific Northwest Butterflies
PROSSER, Wash.—The California Sister has “fangs” as a caterpillar that it bares when disturbed. In its juvenile form, it also builds piers from its own dung on the leaves it feeds on to rest and possibly to avoid small insect predators. The hardy Coronis Fritillary migrates up to 200 miles from low to high elevations and back during its life, climbing from 2,000 feet on the Columbia Basin plains to 8,000 feet in the Cascade Mountains of Yakima County, Wash. These are two of the 158 species featured in a new book, Life Histories of Cascadia Butterflies, coauthored by Washington State University entomologist David James with Seattle-area naturalist David Nunnallee. read full article