Junonia found on Sanibel
Sue Burnett, of Fort Myers, found a junonia on Jan. 17 at about 12:30 p.m. near the Blue Dolphin Cottages on West Gulf Drive on Sanibel. Her sister, Roberta Bewsey, reported that Burnett said it “just rolled up in the surf!” Burnett moved to the area a little over a year and a half ago from Ohio, and her and Bewsey have become obsessed with shelling. Bewsey noted that she was home sick in bed so she did not go out the day her sister found the shell. She added that it is Burnett’s first junonia find, and that she herself is hoping to find one some day too!
Junonia found on Sanibel
Maddie Schmitt, 9, of Mendham, New Jersey, found a junonia on Dec. 25 between the Sanibel Lighthouse and the Sanibel Moorings during a morning walk with her mother, Erika, and 12-year-old brother, Sam. Her mother reported that the family was unsure at first of what Maddie had found, with her daughter commenting, “It’s either a flamingo’s tongue or an actual junonia, mom!” Schmitt continued that she, her husband and children were spending the Christmas holiday with extended family at the Moorings for the week. She added that she used to visit Sanibel annually as a child with her parents 30-plus years ago. The family would come from Minnesota for a week to visit Schmitt’s grandparents, who spent the winter on Sanibel for a week. She noted that the family hopes to continue the tradition of visiting the islands in some way.