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| List: Carolina-Leps Date: Sun, 24 Aug 2025 12:08:17 -0400 From: Harry LeGrand (via carolinaleps Mailing List) <carolinaleps...> Subject: Southern Skipperling colony survey, Raleigh, Wake Co, NC -- Aug. 24 |
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--0000000000003fa4cf063d1ea658 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Folks, The Southern Skipperling had a huge colony last year in western Raleigh near the entrance to Schenck Forest and at the "parking lot" for the State Fair nearby. This colony still persists in 2025, but is much smaller. In fact, Lori White and I skipped such a survey -- for time and heat-related reasons -- during the Wake County butterfly count on August 15 owing to her spotting one earlier in the day at the Art Museum grounds. We also saw one on low verbenas at Raulston Arboretum in the afternoon. However, we knew the colony early in the year was rather poor. This morning, from about 945-1045, I decided to give a good walk of the large parking lot field, south of a private business (that I don't care to name or publicize). I parked where several dirt tracks crisscross at the NW corner of the field, and walked SE all the way to the detention pond. Though I counted about 9-10 north of the east-west dirt track, all near the dirt road intersection, on White Clover, I only saw 1-2 south of this track, and they were close to it. The rest of the huge grassy area is full of Fiery Skippers, even on the clover. I will go out on a limb and say that right now, the *total number of Fiery Skippers in Wake County equals or exceeds the number of individuals of all other 50-60 or more species of butterflies combined.* Here are the meager totals, owing to the low stature of the vegetation in the parking lot: E. Tiger Swallowtail 2 Sleepy Orange 2 Orange Sulphur 2 perched, always nice to still have some in the area (E. Tailed-Blue 0) hmmm; I assume they don't use White Clover as a hostplant, but there are a few around Variegated Fritillary 3 Common Buckeye 10 Common Checkered-Skipper 10 Fiery Skipper 150 or more (Sachem 0) they prefer taller grassy areas and gardens Southern Skipperling 11 sound like a lot, but not really considering the White Clover present for nectar Blah photos of the skipperlings for documentation on iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/308738890 Harry LeGrand Raleigh --0000000000003fa4cf063d1ea658 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Folks,</div><div><br></div><div>The Southern Skipperl= ing had a huge colony last year in western Raleigh near the entrance to Sch= enck Forest and at the "parking lot" for the State Fair nearby.= =C2=A0 This colony still persists in 2025, but is much smaller.=C2=A0 In fa= ct, Lori White and I skipped such a survey -- for time and heat-related rea= sons -- during the Wake County butterfly count on August 15 owing to her sp= otting one earlier in the day at the Art Museum grounds. We also saw one on= low verbenas at Raulston Arboretum in the afternoon.=C2=A0 However, we kne= w the colony=C2=A0early in the year was rather poor.</div><div><br></div><d= iv>This morning, from about=C2=A0945-1045, I decided to give a good walk of= the large parking lot field, south of a private business (that I don't= care to name or publicize).=C2=A0 I parked where several dirt tracks criss= cross at the NW corner=C2=A0of the field, and walked SE all the way to the = detention pond.=C2=A0 Though I counted about 9-10 north of the east-west di= rt track, all near the dirt road intersection, on White Clover, I only saw = 1-2 south of this track, and they were close to it.=C2=A0 The rest of the h= uge grassy area is full of Fiery Skippers, even on the clover.=C2=A0 I will= go out on a limb and say that right now, the <u>total number of Fiery Skip= pers in Wake County equals or exceeds the number of individuals of all othe= r 50-60 or more species of butterflies combined.</u></div><div><u><br></u><= /div><div>Here are the meager totals, owing to the low stature of the veget= ation in the parking lot:</div><div><br></div><div>E. Tiger Swallowtail=C2= =A0 2</div><div>Sleepy Orange=C2=A0 2</div><div>Orange Sulphur=C2=A0 2=C2= =A0 =C2=A0perched, always nice to still have some in the area</div><div>(E.= Tailed-Blue=C2=A0 0)=C2=A0 hmmm; I assume they don't use White Clover = as a hostplant, but there are a few around</div><div>Variegated Fritillary= =C2=A0 3</div><div>Common Buckeye=C2=A0 =C2=A010</div><div>Common=C2=A0Chec= kered-Skipper=C2=A0 10</div><div>Fiery Skipper 150 or more</div><div>(Sache= m=C2=A0 0)=C2=A0 they prefer taller grassy areas and gardens</div><div>Sout= hern Skipperling 11=C2=A0 sound like a lot, but not really considering the = White Clover present for nectar</div><div><br></div><div>Blah photos of the= skipperlings for documentation on iNaturalist:=C2=A0=C2=A0<a href=3D"https= ://www.inaturalist.org/observations/308738890" originalSrc=3D"https://www.i= naturalist.org/observations/308738890">https://www.inaturalist.org/observat= ions/308738890</a></div><div><br></div><div>Harry LeGrand</div><div>Raleigh= </div><div><br></div></div> --0000000000003fa4cf063d1ea658-- |
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