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| List: Carolina-Leps Date: Fri, 27 Mar 2026 18:34:12 -0400 From: Harry LeGrand (via carolinaleps Mailing List) <carolinaleps...> Subject: NC Sandhills butterflies -- March 27 |
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--0000000000004c7878064e091a8b Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Folks, Lori Arent and I visited several sites in the Richmond County portion of the Sandhills Game Land, on a sunny and very warm day, with the temps into the 80s from noon onward. The Drought Monitor's Severe level was very evident, not just from the quite dusty roads but the lack of moisture over most of the pind stands, and near lack of flowering by herbaceous species. So, we concentrated mainly on a few streamhead pocosins and small ponds, especially looking for flowering shrubs. Halfway through our day, we ran into Randy Emmitt, who was at the game land yesterday, camped out there, and was back at it this morning. We did spend 30-40 minutes with him at one site with much blooming *Amelanchier* [shadbush sp.] and *Sorbus* [Red Chokeberry]. We had quite nice results: Spicebush Swallowtail 40 Palamedes Swallowtail 1 E. Tiger Swallowtail 30 Sleepy Orange 2 GREAT PURPLE HAIRSTREAK 1 not really scarce here, but always nice to see; on *Amelanchier* HESSEL'S HAIRSTREAK 3 all 3 on the same small stand of *Amelanchier* near Atlantic White-Cedar Holly Azure 25 small in size and males with bright blue dorsal side, seemingly richer blue than on Summer Azure E. Tailed-Blue 2 Variegated Fritillary 1 Common Buckeye 2 Pearl Crescent 1 Sleepy Duskywing 20 all rather fresh males Juvenal's Duskywing 50 a few females Wild Indigo Duskywing *3* smaller size; dark inner half of wings above; small white dot band, silver scales near wing tip; good count YUCCA GIANT-SKIPPER 1 at a known stand of yucca; probably a male Azure identification is tricky, and one to several could have been Summer Azures, especially larger ones that fly over head height and appear light blue in flight. At all sites, there was an abundance of evergreen holly species present. Harry LeGrand Raleigh PS -- No odonates of interest, but we heard 4-6 Bachman's Sparrows singing --0000000000004c7878064e091a8b Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Folks,</div><div><br></div><div>Lori Arent and I visi= ted=C2=A0several sites in the Richmond County portion of the Sandhills Game= Land, on a sunny and very warm day, with the temps into the 80s from noon = onward. The Drought Monitor's=C2=A0Severe level was very evident, not j= ust from the quite dusty roads but the lack of moisture over most of the pi= nd stands,=C2=A0and near lack of flowering by herbaceous species.=C2=A0 So,= we concentrated mainly on a few streamhead pocosins and small ponds, espec= ially=C2=A0looking for=C2=A0flowering shrubs. Halfway through our day, we r= an into Randy Emmitt, who was at the game land yesterday, camped out there,= and was back at it this morning. We did spend 30-40 minutes with him at on= e site with much blooming <i>Amelanchier</i> [shadbush sp.] and <i>Sorbus</= i> [Red Chokeberry].=C2=A0 We had quite nice results:</div><div><br></div><= div>Spicebush Swallowtail=C2=A0 40</div><div>Palamedes Swallowtail=C2=A0 1<= /div><div>E. Tiger Swallowtail=C2=A0 30</div><div>Sleepy Orange=C2=A0 2</di= v><div>GREAT PURPLE HAIRSTREAK=C2=A0 1=C2=A0 not really scarce here, but al= ways nice to see; on <i>Amelanchier</i></div><div>HESSEL'S HAIRSTREAK= =C2=A0 =C2=A03=C2=A0 all 3 on the same small stand of <i>Amelanchier</i> ne= ar Atlantic=C2=A0White-Cedar</div><div>Holly Azure=C2=A0 25=C2=A0 =C2=A0sma= ll in size and males with bright blue dorsal side, seemingly richer=C2=A0bl= ue than on Summer=C2=A0Azure</div><div>E. Tailed-Blue=C2=A0 2</div><div>Var= iegated Fritillary=C2=A0 1</div><div>Common Buckeye=C2=A0 2</div><div>Pearl= Crescent=C2=A0 1</div><div>Sleepy Duskywing=C2=A0 20=C2=A0 =C2=A0all rathe= r fresh males</div><div>Juvenal's Duskywing=C2=A0 50=C2=A0 =C2=A0a few = females</div><div>Wild Indigo Duskywing=C2=A0 <b>3</b>=C2=A0 =C2=A0smaller = size; dark inner half of wings above; small white dot band, silver scales n= ear wing tip; good count</div><div>YUCCA GIANT-SKIPPER=C2=A0 1=C2=A0 =C2=A0= at a known stand of yucca; probably a male</div><div><br></div><div>Azure i= dentification is tricky, and one to several could have been Summer Azures, = especially larger ones that fly over head height and appear light blue in f= light. At all sites, there was an abundance of evergreen holly species pres= ent.</div><div><br></div><div>Harry LeGrand</div><div>Raleigh</div><div><br= ></div><div>PS -- No odonates of interest, but we heard 4-6 Bachman's S= parrows singing</div><div><br></div></div> --0000000000004c7878064e091a8b-- |
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