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| List: Carolina-Leps Date: Mon, 27 Apr 2026 09:23:58 -0400 From: Harry LeGrand (via carolinaleps Mailing List) <carolinaleps...> Subject: Re: Macon County, NC leps from 26 April 2026 |
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--000000000000abd6d806507107a4 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Jason, Nice to hear about a seemingly new site for the scarce Tawny Crescent. Where found, they can occur in numbers of 5-10 or more. Most NC populations are in the Jackson, Macon, and Clay counties region. I think you were suspecting that some or many of the crescents along the ridgetop were Incognito Crescents. Yes, they are very hard to separate from the abundant Pearls, but the first brood flight timing is right, as is the mid- to higher elevation and remoteness from civilization. Behavior-wise, Incognitos often fly higher than do Pearls, frequently above 3 feet off the ground, whereas Pearls usually stay within a foot of the ground. Incognito can average slightly larger in size, but most are similar enough to Pearl that this isn't normally helpful. It is not a scarce species in parts of the mountains, but the similarity in appearance means that nailing down its real abundance and distribution is difficult. Harry LeGrand Raleigh On Sun, Apr 26, 2026 at 5:49=E2=80=AFPM Jason Love <carolinaleps...> = wrote: > Folks, > I just got back from a 6.15 mile, 6 hr and 50 minute ramble along a ridge > near my house that has some open woods, including some cedar cliff/glades= . > Good day for butterflies after yesterday's 0.5" worth of rain. Partly sun= ny > and in the mid 60s for the most part. Hiked along a finger ridge of Cowee > Mountains that forms the southern border of Middle Creek in Otto, NC. > > Eastern Tiger Swallowtail - 8 > Spicebush Swallowtail - 10 > Pipevine Swallowtail - 3 > Dark swallowtail spp. - 8 > Appalachian Swallowtail (probably) - 2 > Painted Lady - 1 > Pearl Crescent - 12 (mostly along gated USFS road) > *Tawny Crescent* - 8 (these were in the open woods/glade areas - got a > good look at them through binoculars; creamy underside of hind wing that > had few markings. Dorsal more black than Pearl; not surprised to see them > here, as the habitat is right) > Crescent spp - 15 (there were several more crescents along the ridgetop; > some looked different than Tawny and Pearl's, but most of the crescents > would never land to give me a proper look, much less a picture) > Silvery Checkerspot - 8 > Azure spp. - 2 > Red-banded Hairstreak - 2 > Gemmed Satyr - 8 (along ridge in open areas; often found alongside the > crescents) > Carolina Satyr - 4 (lower, more mesic areas) > Silver-spotted Skipper - 3 > Lace-winged Roadside Skipper - 1 > Duskywing spp. - 8 > Juvenal's Duskywing - 2 (worn) > Dreamy/Sleepy Duskywing - 4 > Dreamy Duskywing - 2 > > Also found a female Aurora Damsel in an open patch of Mountain Mint on th= e > ridge, rather far from any water sources. > > Cheers, > Jason Love > Otto, NC > > > > > --000000000000abd6d806507107a4 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Jason,</div><div><br></div><div>Nice to hear about a = seemingly new site for the scarce Tawny Crescent.=C2=A0 Where found, they c= an occur in numbers of 5-10 or more. Most NC populations are in the Jackson= , Macon, and Clay counties region.</div><div><br></div><div>I think you wer= e suspecting that some or many of the crescents along the ridgetop were Inc= ognito Crescents. Yes, they are very hard to separate from the abundant Pea= rls, but the first brood flight timing is right, as is the mid- to higher= =C2=A0elevation and remoteness from civilization. Behavior-wise, Incognitos= often fly higher than do Pearls, frequently above 3 feet off the ground, w= hereas Pearls usually stay=C2=A0 within a foot of the ground. Incognito can= average slightly larger in size, but most are similar enough to Pearl that= this isn't normally helpful. It is not a scarce species in parts of th= e mountains, but the similarity in appearance means that nailing down its r= eal abundance and distribution is difficult.</div><div><br></div><div>Harry= LeGrand</div><div>Raleigh</div></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote gmail_q= uote_container"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Sun, Apr 26, 2026 = at 5:49=E2=80=AFPM Jason Love <<a href=3D"mailto:<carolinaleps...>">= <carolinaleps...></a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_qu= ote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,20= 4);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr">Folks,<div>I just got back=C2=A0from = a 6.15 mile, 6 hr and 50 minute ramble along a ridge near my house that has= some open woods, including some cedar cliff/glades. Good day for butterfli= es after yesterday's 0.5" worth of rain. Partly sunny and in the m= id 60s for the most part. Hiked along a finger ridge of Cowee Mountains tha= t forms the southern border of Middle Creek in Otto, NC.</div><div><br></di= v><div>Eastern Tiger Swallowtail - 8</div><div>Spicebush Swallowtail - 10</= div><div>Pipevine Swallowtail - 3</div><div>Dark swallowtail spp. - 8</div>= <div>Appalachian Swallowtail (probably) - 2</div><div>Painted Lady - 1</div= ><div>Pearl Crescent - 12 (mostly along gated USFS road)</div><div><b>Tawny= Crescent</b> - 8 (these were in the open woods/glade areas - got a good lo= ok at them through binoculars; creamy underside of hind wing that had few m= arkings. Dorsal more black than Pearl; not surprised to see them here, as t= he habitat is right)</div><div>Crescent spp - 15 (there were several more c= rescents along the ridgetop; some looked different than Tawny and Pearl'= ;s, but most of the crescents would never land to give me a proper look, mu= ch less a picture)</div><div>Silvery Checkerspot - 8=C2=A0<br></div><div>Az= ure spp. - 2</div><div>Red-banded Hairstreak - 2</div><div>Gemmed Satyr - 8= (along ridge in open areas; often found alongside the crescents)</div><div= >Carolina Satyr - 4 (lower, more mesic areas)</div><div>Silver-spotted Skip= per - 3</div><div>Lace-winged Roadside Skipper - 1</div><div>Duskywing spp.= - 8</div><div>Juvenal's Duskywing - 2 (worn)</div><div>Dreamy/Sleepy D= uskywing - 4</div><div>Dreamy Duskywing - 2</div><div><br></div><div>Also f= ound a female Aurora Damsel in an open patch of Mountain Mint on the ridge,= rather far from any water sources.</div><div><br></div><div>Cheers,<br></d= iv><div>Jason Love</div><div>Otto, NC</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><d= iv><br></div><div><br></div></div> </blockquote></div> --000000000000abd6d806507107a4-- |
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