June 2012 Sightings

Dogbane starting to bloom along pipeline cut. Also found 6 Common Buckeye cats on toadflax

Observations from 2:30 to 5:15 with limited sun. The Hobomok skippers included 2 pocahontas form females. The Monarch was a final instar cat on Common Milkweed.

2 Banded Hairstreaks perched vertically on wall alongside moths, including The Green Marvel, Io, Rosy Maple, & Giant Leopard Moth (9 a.m.)

My first Bronze Copper of the year, a female, while checking this area at 5 p.m.

Zebra Swallowtail was a small spring form

This is our count for the 4.8 mile section of Judge Rye Rd from the beginning to the W. VA. border. A good number of the butterflies were seen near the Long Mt. trail head and in the meadow just down the trail.

With a slight cool front having moved through the day before, temperatures were warm but not oppressive. We entered the WMA via its southwestern entrance, about 5 miles east of Harrisonburg. There was a large amount of purple bee balm blooming along the side of the roads within the unit, and those floweres brought out the butterflies in great numbers. We did not attempt to keep actual numbers, but we easily saw several hundred from 10:00 until about 2:45. We ended up seeing 29 species.

Super abundant American Snout migration moving in a southern direction. A few large oranges in the mix…less than 1 percent.

Most of the Little Wood Satyrs are new. They are the beginning of the partial 2nd brood that occurs at this location.

We spent the whole day at this county park. In addition to the list submitted, we also observed at least 7 Monarch cats on Com.Milkweed & an American Lady cat on wet grass early a.m.

Harris’s Checkerspot adults out in numbers with a few males already rather faded or worn; a few pairs in mating behavior; also some females were egg-laying on Aster umbellatus (as in photo). A few skipper spp. were already almost gone from their first or only adult flight periods, such as Peck’s and Cobweb Skippers. A fairly short visit overall, 3 hrs. with excellent weather to this prime butterfly site of the region.
(Egg-laying female Harris’s Checkerspot photo by T.F.)

No Bronze Copper this time

Cabbage White in the clutches of a dragonfly managed to escape!

between the town of Windsor and the Pennsylvania state border

Weather: 86°F, sunny, windy
Habitat: Sand prairie with woods and small wetlands.
Sightings recorded over 2 hour and 20 minute period.

Foraging on various flowers.

Aberrant Canadian Tiger Swallowtail

Fresh Zebra Swallowtails on Button Bush. Common Milkweed & Butterfly weed in full bloom. Sleepy Orange found near butterfly garden. (possible Kent County record )

The Falcate Orange was a very fresh female and 28 is the highest number for the Meadow Fritillary at this location. Went with the intention of finding Baltimore Checkerspots….none were found.

A very boreal spot for this butterfly!

The whole purpose of this outing was to photograph Lindsey’s Skipper. This is a very good locale for them, especially 2.1 miles up the steep American Mine Road, which is BLM land and is gated, so unfortunately, you have to walk it. Did I say it is Steep!

Lifers: Coral Hairstreak, Great Purple Hairstreak, and Byssus Skipper

RK photo.

Record number of Appalachian Browns for this site

Zebra Swallowtail was fresh summer form with long tails

The Juniper Hairstreak was very fresh. I’m surprised at the low number of Eyed Browns here. Still no Baltimore Checkerspots.

Little Yellow is regionally quite rare. One was seen on the Sky Meadows State Park/Thompson WMA 4th of July Butterfly Count. First park record for Sky Meadows.

(Sorry for the late note).

With Jane Lampkin
FOS Banded Hairstreak
FOS Coral Hairstreak

So far this year at this location, Bronze Coppers have been elusive.

A portion of the NABA 4th of July count for Summit county

Also 1 Monarch caterpillar.

A portion of the NABA 4th of July count in Summit county.

Ray Bruun and I found 25 Northwestern Fritillaries in a forest glade. That’s the most I’ve seen at one locale!

Note: The Northwestern Fritillary tally is listed under the ‘Atlantis Fritillary’ listing.

a big comeback for Zebra Heliconian. Other participants: BCooper, BBindschadler, DCutler, SFarnsworth, MCutler, KMulholland, RMulholland, NPrine

Includes sightings from the picnic area itself, along the road, and a meadow/stream crossing around milepost 12

First time I have ever seen a second brood of Variegated Fritillaries. Normally we are lucky to see one or two Variegated Fritillaries for an entire year!

Nectared at several flower clusters of Buddleia on the north side of the house, then flew over the house and nectared at Zinnia, before flying off to the south. (Forwarded by Yvonne Homeyer)

wet, fenny meadow

Fresh Zebra Swallowtails, and 1 dark form female E. Tiger.

Slow day with only 2 identifiable species and one caterpillar species (Black Swallowtail).

Weekly survey with Alan Wells, and with help today from Deborah Kral and Maha Katnani.
Regarding Little Wood-Satyrs, Glassberg discusses a typical second lesser emergence in late June following a strong emergence in May followed by a lull. That is exactly what happened here at Lily Pond, with our numbers today slightly less than our mid-May counts of 30+/-. Most individuals were very fresh. Some were very worn, evidently survivors of the first wave.

Powerline Road is an excellent place to look for butterflies. This list covers Powerline Rd, and Fish Hole Road to Long Bluff Rd and back to Powerline Rd. Other participants: BCooper, DCutler, MCutler, TPalmer

About 30 per hour seen, for about 4 hours of observation time

Complete absence of Swallowtails of any species

My first Monarch of the year; could not find Bronze Copper

Full lake circuit of both impoundments, partly sunny with a light breeze and a high around 90 degrees F.  Nectar sources included fleabane, milkweed (common and swamp), dogbane, vervain, and pickerel weed.  In the field from 1430-1700 hours.  

Participants: Carroll Arkema, Steve Chorvas, Eileen Cunningham, Jayne Dean, Jean Dorman, Lin Fagan, Maha Katnani, Debi Kral, Aimee LaBarr, Donna Seymour, Mairead Stack, Charlie Woodruff, Henry Halama, leader

In a fairly diverse old field. Cloudy and wet, but still some activity.

Skipper has been on the same leaf of ivy all morning and day.

Cloudy, breezy morning, temps in upper 60s. Pipevine was spread in the trail, then lit on a butterfly weed. Uncommon sighting in our preserve.

under perfect butterflying conditions Steve Chorvas and I were scouting various points in the upcoming NABA Easter Catskill Count circle

Dozens of butterflies necatring on flowering Indian Hemp.

Ontario Butterflies Google Group

Still no Baltimore Cherckerspots and Eyed Brown numbers are way down.

Participants: North New Jersey Butterfly Club
7 Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillars
Band Hairstreak was new to the count

RK photos.

Weekly count with Alan Wells
23 species is a record for this relatively small site
This second wave of Little Wood Satyrs is impressive. A clicker was used..

Observations made from 4:10 to 5:02 p.m.

Very low numbers for Baltimore Checkerspot. Northern Pearlyeyes were all very fresh.

Common Buckeye spotted a full two months earlier than last year!

Tiger Swallowtails fresh

Juniper Hairstreaks very common at multiple locations today