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| List: Carolina-Leps Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2025 22:14:21 -0400 From: Harry LeGrand (via carolinaleps Mailing List) <carolinaleps...> Subject: Second county record in NC for Cassius Blue! |
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--000000000000112279063989c18b Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Folks, Today at Fort Macon State Park in Carteret County, Josh Emm and Ranger Randy Newman were butterflying in the park, with Randy doing his butterfly survey and Josh there to look for Crystal Skipper. They did find at least one skipper, but they spotted a CASSIUS BLUE apparently along the route. Both Josh and Randy got photos, and it appeared to be ovipositing on a *Hydrocotyle* species, likely *bonariensis*. Here is the iNaturalist report from Josh: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/296575265 There are three previous records in NC, all from Mark Jones in his yard south of Wilmington in New Hanover County, from 2006, 2007, and 2010. So, Carteret is the second county record and the northernmost in the state. There is at least one record for southeastern Virginia. It is a sporadic breeding species in coastal SC. It will be interesting to see if the butterfly DID deposit eggs, and if so, if any of them survive to eclose to adults later in the summer. It happened with likely a single Zebra Longwing at this park in 2008, which produced several DOZEN adults later in the summer! Harry LeGrand Raleigh --000000000000112279063989c18b Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Folks,</div><div><br></div><div>Today at Fort Macon S= tate Park in Carteret County, Josh Emm and Ranger Randy Newman were butterf= lying in the park, with Randy doing his butterfly survey and Josh there to = look for Crystal Skipper.=C2=A0 They did find at least one skipper, but the= y spotted a CASSIUS BLUE apparently along the route.=C2=A0 Both Josh and Ra= ndy got photos, and it appeared to be ovipositing on a <i>Hydrocotyle</i> s= pecies, likely <i>bonariensis</i>.=C2=A0 Here is the iNaturalist report fro= m Josh:</div><div></div><div><br></div><div><a href=3D"https://www.inatural= ist.org/observations/296575265" originalSrc=3D"https://www.inaturalist.org/= observations/296575265">https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/296575265<= /a></div><div><br></div><div>There are three previous records in NC, all fr= om Mark Jones in his yard south of Wilmington in New Hanover County, from 2= 006, 2007, and 2010.=C2=A0 So, Carteret is the second county record and the= northernmost in the state. There is at least one record for southeastern V= irginia.=C2=A0 It is a sporadic breeding species in coastal SC.</div><div><= br></div><div>It will be interesting to see if the butterfly DID deposit eg= gs, and if so, if any of them survive to eclose to adults later=C2=A0in the= summer.=C2=A0 It happened with likely a single Zebra Longwing at this park= in 2008, which produced several DOZEN adults later in the summer!</div><di= v><br></div><div>Harry LeGrand</div><div>Raleigh</div></div> --000000000000112279063989c18b-- |
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