May 2014 Sightings

In search of Falcate Orangetips after epic rains for the last two days. The weather turned unexpectedly nice with sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-70’s F. Several species showed up today, including a decent number of Falcate Orangetips.

There were 55+ Moss’s Elfin larva at 2 locations about 1/4 mi. apart!!

Weekly survey with Alan Wells and Danny Albantides
62, sun with clouds
Small numbers of both individuals and species compared to previous years at this time

first this year

A couple of Crescents patrolling parts of trail

82-86F
Second brood, female Sara Orangetip - uncommon pale yellow

For comparison, first brood male, Back Creek Canyon, 4/26/14

This may be the easternmost record ever for the Pepper and Salt Skipper in Virginia. The species is rare outside of the mountains in Virginia; this sighting is on the Coastal Plain!

my sightings as part of a NABA-North Jersey field trip

warm and sunny, numbers and diversity about where they should have been 2-3 weeks ago.

Weather clouded up around 1. Nectar sources behind at least a week. 2 different spring azures present, 1 fresh (holly feeder) 1 worn (blueberry feeder) is the general consensus.

Another group (the other was Harry Zirlin’s) from the Newark Entomological Society’s annual field trip.

Unfortunately, temperatures no better than mid-60’s, but sunnier in the morning. (This was our first stop.)

Spring Azures appeared to include Holly/Idella and Blueberry…

Part of one group of Newark Entomological Society’s annual field trip…

Temperatures remained in the mid-60’s, but sun was still out, midday…

Hoary Elfin population lower than in early May in some other years…

First Vanessa of the year…

Bearberry habitat favored by Hoary Elfin teeming with micromoths related to Ancylis comptana

Final leg for annual spring field trip of Newark Entomological Society…

By 3 p.m., more cloudy & breezy. Mid-60’s at best.

Classic Hessel’s Hairstreak habitat yielded no Hesseli, either owing to the weather conditions, a late start this year, and/or staying high in the Atlantic white cedar.

More Vanessas (American Lady)…

First 2.5 miles (and then back) - the trail and creek formed a “pond” that turned me back.

beautiful sunny day with multiple nectar plants blooming

69-71F
Second brood male mustard white (“pallid white”)
Second brood mustard whites - mated pair

sunny but windy day at my house, blue mistflowers are blooming attracting monarchs and now queens.

Observed my first Mourning Cloak of the year at the bank of the creek, it quickly flitted into the woods.

67F
male checkered white on radish

cool and cloudy

Also saw an unidentified anglewing. Meadow Fritillaries appear at family farm annually about this time, although this year’s number is very low (about 20 on May 5th last year). My point-and-shoot camera, unfortunately, is not up to the task of getting a picture. And if I may make a very unscientific comment: Meadow Fritillaries are crazy beautiful!

With Jean and Bill Evoy, Karen Finch. Full sun. Scrub habitat. Very dry conditions. We were thrilled to see the Neamathla Skipper, a first for many of us.

The Buckeye was a surprise. Even though the Dusted Skipper is considered rare, we see one nearly each field survey in the Foothills.

feeding on the flowers of a maple on the end of the Braun’a Bay peninsula

With Karen Finch (photos). Full sun; walked roadsides and tram roads in the strand. Conditions were extremely dry. Spanish Needles and Buttonbush used for nectar.

all seen in about 2 hrs. in p.m. with sun & temp’s reaching 80 F. - Red-spotted Purple was the best surprise this early, in this year.

Windy day. Mostly worked roadsides.

69-71F

95 degrees with blistering sun.

First Pearl Crescent, American Lady and Black Swallowtail of the season. Falcates have declined. Also had three Yellow-washed Metarranthis.

With Karen Finch (photos). Partial sun. Walked areas around Oasis Visitor Center and edges of nearby campground.

With Jane Lampkin & Jolie Lampkin

78F

In flowers of Seagrape, Poisonwood, and Pisonia trees in my yard! Sunny, windy and hot conditions!

Extensive habitat of bearberry, larval food plant of Hoary Elfin, in NJ Pine Barrens

Bruce deGraaf and I went to see if the first brood of Juniper Hairstreaks was larger than an Aug ‘13 42 seen last summer. It was, we saw 222, over 5 times as many!

As seen on a Rockland County Audubon Society birding trip.
Photo by Alan Wells

Partly sunny with afternoon showers, high in the upper 70s. Two stands of Goatsbeard (Aruncus dioicus) were found and searched for Dusky Azure eggs/caterpillars; none were found.

90’s and windy

First Eastern Tiger Swallowtail seen in general area for 2014

Very warm & humid, to 80 degrees. Most butterflies were seen patrolling & hill-topping later in the day. At least 5 additional hairstreak spp. were seen but were far too active to be well-seen & thus identified; these may or may not have been additional Juniper HS. There was one duskywing in addition to the Juvenal’s that were identified which may have been either a small male Juvenal’s in very fresh condition, or another species of duskywing (Horace’s is known at the site). No elfins noticed.

Weekly survey with Alan Wells
60 -62 degrees mixed sun and clouds
Falcate Orange Tip is a new site record.
Numbers of species and individuals continue to lag far below the two previous years

With Karen Finch (photos), Jean and Bill Evoy (photo). Full sun, breezy, 80F. All skippers we observed were nectaring on Buttonbush near the lake.

It was cool and windy. It has been on the carport wall for over 6 hrs.

Partly cloudy and warm, slight breeze. All butterflies in and around my yard in flowering Jamaican Dogwood, Pisonia, Buttonwood, and Geiger trees.

Eastern Tailed-Blue observed just over the Gadsden and Liberty County line. Only third time we’ve ever observed this blue in Florida.

Report include butterflies seen within the Park, as well as along roadsides immediately outside of the Park, in Bristol, Florida.

My back was sore today, so I sat in a rocker in the backyard for much of the afternoon.

Started at 3pm

Weekly survey with Alan Wells. With Della Wells.
62 degrees sun and clouds
Conspicuously absent this year are Cobweb Skippers and Brown Elfins.

Breezy, temperatures mid- to upper-60’s, mid-afternoon…
My first Swallowtail of the year, and first Bronze Copper (female), the sought-after species in this habitat

74-78F

Spanish needle, Geiger tree, Pisonia, Jamican Dogwood blooming! Sunny and very windy

Partly cloudy and windy. Butterfly garden and Old Bahia Honda bridge trail, afternoon.

Cobweb Skippers were in the grassy portion at the top of the very first rise going up from the parking lot. Sorry for the poor quality of the photo, it was the best I could do! Eastern Tailed-Blues were so abundant I was afraid I was going to step on them! Still two Falcate Orangetips… but only two.

Azures were two different entities: Most were fresh and what some taxonomists have described as Celastrina idella and the few others were well-worn early-flying taxon that feed on Blueberry sp. in the barrens and is referred to by some as a disjunct population of C. lucia. At MM9, the famous Hessel’s locality, there were far more butterfliers than butterflies (7 to 2) and I saw no Hessel’s although I saw an email report later that stated one came down late in the afternoon. I suspect that spot is subject to insecticide drift from adjacent commercial blueberry field. The weather was sunny a good deal of the day and low numbers of species and individuals is perplexing and troubling.

Spring flooding receding enough to make it to the bench.

Brown Elfin and Satyrs were flying at the higher elevations (7000+ ft)

2 un-ID’d Sulphers

Butterflying in Lower Keys with Mark and Eric Whiteside with Amy Grimm. Sunny, windy, and warm.

Sylvan Hairstreak - most I’ve seen at one time.

Pine Elfin is rarely seen here. Maybe my 5th or 6th in over 20 years of observing. Overall down numbers of both species and individuals - -No Cobwebs or Dusted - - holding out hope they show up later. 3 Harris’ Checkerspot caterpillars at end of Michigan road in their appointed spot. Park Mgmt. has agree to let some of this habitat to expand into formerly cut areas.

Sunny day, strong winds on some trails. Water level of the lakes was good. Many flowers blooming.

Atlantic white-cedar bog with periphery of blooming highbush cranberry and understory of sand myrtle. Cool (low 60s), partly cloudy, often very stiff breezes. Very little butterfly activity. Hessel’s were seen between 4 pm and 5 pm in a brief period of sun after a mostly cool, cloudy afternoon. Photo by Tom Stock. The Spring Azures were the ‘Atlantic’ Spring Azure.

More clouds than sun; high around 65. This park has a good mix of floodplain forest, upland forest, and old field habitats.

The Canyon had been severely flooded last September. The sand, soil and plants had been scrubbed clean, leaving steep banks and unstable boulders.

71 F

5000’elevation, partly cloudy, upper 40sF, subalpine meadows

Loads of Parnassium phoebus smintheus caterpillars feeding on Sedum.

cool and overcast, with intermittent sun.

Oregon Old World Swallowtail with several small blueish purple butterflies the size of a quarter.

Mostly sunny, high around 80, some wind. Maritime forest and woodland communities were searched for Oak Hairstreaks; this species was not found.

Mostly sunny; high around 80. This is a big year for Silvery Checkerspots along the James River.

Cloudy, mid-60s

Below River Road and upstream from the Potomac River

Feeding on a Pincushion flower, Scabiosa_ spp.

European Skipper is early.

I’ve been searching for Euphyes bayensis for a long time. I finally got it after wading into the sedges in a brackish coastal marsh near Crystal Bay in Harris County, TX.

76-81F
3 Mylitta Crescents: female on top; male consort below; party crasher at left.

My first time seeing & photographing West Virginia White, so that makes it a “lifer” for me. My 5th White species! Some West Virginia Whites were nectaring on one of the caterpillar hostplants, toothwort, just above a creek just north of Blossburg.

A lot of blue along sides of paths and roads, from Spring ‘Summer’ Azures, Eastern Tailed-Blues, and tinier Bluish Spring Moths!

Tiger Swallowtails all appeared to be Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, but I didn’t get a close look at each individual. Always a possibility for Canadian Tiger Swallowtail in these parts.

One skipper - from below - looked like a Zabulon (but that would be north of the standard range); but it apparently wasn’t Hobomok either!

Schaus’ swallowtails appear to be having a good flight with almost 70 individuals being recorded so far this spring by researchers on the island.

Bahamian swallowtails, which returned to Elliott Key last year after a long absence, were also on the wing. The ones we observed appeared to be the Cuban subspecies, Papilio andraemon andraemon.

Saw two Bronze Coppers flying wildly in circles in a dizzying display; couldn’t see for sure, but assuming male/female in courtship dance? They never settled within viewing distance.

Butterfly numbers overall seemed a little low, although my first Spicebush Swallowtail (female, immaculately fresh!), Silver-spotted Skipper, and Peck’s Skipper of the season.

4 p.m., temperatures around 80.

Beautiful, sunny day after 3 cloudy, rainy ones.

Scouting for upcoming NABA count. Found an unusual looking Pearl Crescent.

1 Unknown Swallowtail (Western or Two-Tailed)

Tried hard to get 20 species but settled on 19, although I could count the Harris’ Checkerspot caterpillars for 20. I think things are still late and am hoping missing species will be out in a week or so Dusted Skipper only encouraging find. Very worn Spring Azure and was lucky to get Zabulon mixed in with Hobomoks. One dark female Hobomok.

Weekly survey, with Jane Lampkin
76 degrees, sun and clouds
Both American Ladies were ovipositing on Pussytoes (Antennaria)

85-90F

Dennis Holmes, Ray Bruun, Joe & Jen Smith, and I drove through far northeastern California’s Surprise Valley and Warner Mountains to do a preliminary butterfly census before we do a NABA Count at this wonderful and remote part of California. We finished up on the Fandango Pass, right through the heart of the Warner Mountains.

photo: 3 Melissa Blues puddling and discussing the sunny day to come, after 8 days of rain, hail, and clouds.

Periodic survey with Groundskeeper Matt Ceplo
76 degrees

With Dusty Rhodes (photos). Intermittent sun, 80F. We were rained out after an hour. Thrilled to see our first Byssus!

Start at 4:30pm
Most bflys seen in 1st mile of trail
1 UnID’d Yellow Swallowtail (Western or 2-tailed)
1 UnID’d Blue

73-77F

Mark and Holly Salvato, Linda Evans, Mary Rose, Libby Mahaffey, Buck and Linda Cooper. Fresh female Schaus’ Swallowtail was seen early in the morning warming in the sun. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Elevation 8700+ ft
Satyrs flying over snow covered ground

1 UnID’s White

very intriguing and positive development today.. I found many Baltimore Checkerspot caterpillars feeding on English Plantain in the Meadow Picnic Area. This species used to be common here, but has all but disappeared over the past two decades. It has jumped to this weed as a food plant in other areas such as Long Island, but this is the first I know of it here, Also had Harris’ Checkerspot caterpilllars feeding in the area that Park Mananageemnt agreed to leave unmowed per the request of a number of butterfliers …

Aaron’s Skippers and Salt Marsh Skipper nectaring on Mountain Laurel on slope above brackish tidal marsh. Eastern Tiger Swallowtail a caterpillar on Sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana).

Landed on a Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii) Royal Red
and a Red Penta plant.

70-73F

Dennis Holmes and I led a macro camera class on a butterfly outing to a well-known butterfly locale in the Redding Area. Callippe Fritillaries and Lindsey’s Skippers are just showing up. Last week I didn’t see either. Also, I had three first-of-season Rural Skippers.

Linda Evans, Cliff Martin, Buck and Linda Cooper. 8:15 a.m.-4 p.m.

Report summarizes butterflies observed in and around the Royal Palm region of the Park.

Locations included Navy Wells Pineland Preserve, Lucky Hammock, Modello Wayside Park, among others, as part of the Homestead NABA count.