Sighting for August 5, 2013
Rick Borchelt
US National Arboretum
District of Columbia, DC
- Zebra Swallowtail 1
- Eastern Tiger Swallowtail common
- Spicebush Swallowtail 4
- Cabbage White common
- Sleepy Orange 5
- Gray Hairstreak 1
- Red-banded Hairstreak 5
- Eastern Tailed-Blue 3
- Variegated Fritillary 1
- Silvery Checkerspot 3
- Pearl Crescent 7
- Common Buckeye 1
- Viceroy 1
- Silver-spotted Skipper common
- Hayhurst's Scallopwing 3
- Least Skipper 2
- Peck's Skipper 4
- Little Glassywing common
- Zabulon Skipper 5
- Dun Skipper 2
Two hours in early afternoon, partly cloudy, warm (80F) and dry. The butterfly garden benefits from being kept a little on the weedy side by furloughs of the federal arboretum grounds staff. Red-banded Hairstreaks have rebounded in the current brood from very small flights earlier in the year throughout the mid-Atlantic; female Zabulons emerged this week to fly with males that emerged last week. Eastern Tiger Swallowtail numbers have dropped dramatically this week and most flying adults are showing a lot of wear. Abundant nectar, including clethra, buddleia, various perennial sunflowers, vitex, partridge pea, senna and various mints.