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| List: Carolina-Leps Date: Wed, 20 May 2026 21:35:31 -0400 From: Harry LeGrand (via carolinaleps Mailing List) <carolinaleps...> Subject: Re: N.C. State farm butterflies, Wake Co., NC -- May 20, 2026 |
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--0000000000002ce030065249eec0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Folks, I have an important addendum to MY list this morning. I ran into Bob Oberfelder at the Agro-ecology Farm, and he was photographing butterflies, though he was unfamiliar with what a Checkered White looked like when I told him that I had a male earlier. I showed him the photo and told him that Checkered Whites have more dark markings than does the Cabbage White, which he certainly knows, as it is one of the more often seen butterflies at the farm fields. An hour ago he sent me a photo (actually two similar ones) and asked me to confirm that he photographed one, at a different place along Mid-Pines later this morning than where I had one. *Yes,* he did, but his was a heavily marked FEMALE that had her abdomen curled up to a plant -- it was ovipositing on a pepperweed (Lepidium), to confirm that this genus is a -- and maybe THE ONLY -- hostplant for Checkered Whites there. It remains to be seen if I can have him place this valuable photo online somewhere, but it is always valuable for scientific reasons to have photo documentation of butterflies ovipositing on hostplants, even where they are moderately well known. Harry LeGrand On Wed, May 20, 2026 at 12:17=E2=80=AFPM Harry LeGrand <hlegrandjr...>= m> wrote: > The heat wave and drought continues everywhere, but the milkweed planting= s > at the Agro-Ecology Farm along Mid-Pines Road are in full bloom; tons of > bright orange (Butterfly Milkweed) and dull pink/purple (Common Milkweed)= , > along with yellows of poor-nectar Coreopsis of some exotic species. Near= ly > all of the butterflies were here, but I added a few roadside ones elsewhe= re > along the dusty road --including one goodie. > > Pipevine Swallowtail 1 male seemingly a long way from any hostplants > E. Tiger Swallowtail 7 > Spicebush Swallowtail 3 > Sleepy Orange 1 > Clouded Sulphur 1 could have been more > Orange Sulphur 8 at least, most rather worn > CHECKERED WHITE 1 male, thankfully stopped to nectar along Mid-Pines; > lots of pepperweed (Lepidium sp.) nearby; I see one about every 2 years h= ere > https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/363379913 > Cabbage White 8 several seen perched, but most non-stop in flight; > flies higher and faster than Checkered > Gray Hairstreak 1 fresh > E. Tailed-Blue 1 > Monarch 5 (the main reason for the milkweed plantings) > Variegated Fritillary 15 > American Lady 4 > PAINTED LADY 1 quickly eluded me in the plantings; my first since 2024 > Common Buckeye 1 normally many more > Silver-spotted Skipper 1 > > I typically see very few skippers on the milkweeds in May and June, and I > saw none today. I usually can find a few at the end of May or early June = -- > such as Sachem, Fiery, Dun, or Dion. Then again, I stayed on the entrance > road and scanned flowers from 5-25 feet away, so I could have overlooked > some. > > Let's get some much needed rain tomorrow night into early next week. > Raleigh is having its driest EVER year to this point. I think a few other > cities and towns in the Carolinas can say the same. > > Harry LeGrand > Raleigh > --0000000000002ce030065249eec0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Folks,</div><div><br></div><div>I have an important a= ddendum to MY list this morning. I ran into Bob Oberfelder at the Agro-ecol= ogy Farm, and he was photographing butterflies, though he was unfamiliar wi= th what a Checkered White looked like when I told him that I had a male ear= lier. I showed him the photo and told him that Checkered Whites have more d= ark markings than does the Cabbage White, which he certainly knows, as it i= s one of the more often seen butterflies at the farm fields.</div><div><br>= </div><div>An hour ago he sent me a photo (actually=C2=A0two similar ones) = and asked me to confirm that he photographed one, at a different place alon= g Mid-Pines later this morning than where I had one.=C2=A0 <u>Yes,</u> he d= id, but his was a heavily marked FEMALE that had her abdomen=C2=A0curled up= to a plant -- it was ovipositing on a pepperweed (Lepidium), to confirm th= at this genus is a -- and maybe THE ONLY -- hostplant for Checkered Whites = there. It remains to be seen if I can have him place this valuable photo on= line somewhere, but it is always valuable for scientific reasons to have ph= oto documentation of butterflies ovipositing=C2=A0on hostplants, even where= they are moderately well known.</div><div><br></div><div>Harry LeGrand</di= v></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir=3D"lt= r" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Wed, May 20, 2026 at 12:17=E2=80=AFPM Harry LeGr= and <<a href=3D"mailto:<hlegrandjr...>"><hlegrandjr...></a>>= ; wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px= 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div di= r=3D"ltr"><div>The heat wave and drought continues everywhere, but the milk= weed plantings at the Agro-Ecology Farm along Mid-Pines Road are in full bl= oom; tons of bright=C2=A0orange (Butterfly Milkweed) and dull pink/purple (= Common Milkweed), along with yellows of poor-nectar Coreopsis of some exoti= c species.=C2=A0 Nearly all of the butterflies were here, but I added a few= roadside ones elsewhere along the dusty road --including one goodie.</div>= <div><br></div><div>Pipevine Swallowtail=C2=A0 1=C2=A0 male=C2=A0 seemingly= a long way from any hostplants</div><div>E. Tiger Swallowtail=C2=A0 7</div= ><div>Spicebush Swallowtail=C2=A0 3</div><div>Sleepy Orange=C2=A0 =C2=A01</= div><div>Clouded Sulphur=C2=A0 1=C2=A0 could have been more</div><div>Orang= e Sulphur=C2=A0 8=C2=A0 at least, most rather worn</div><div>CHECKERED WHIT= E=C2=A0 1=C2=A0 male, thankfully stopped to nectar along Mid-Pines; lots of= pepperweed (Lepidium=C2=A0sp.) nearby; I see one about every 2 years here<= /div><div>=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0<a href=3D"https://www.inaturalist.org/observ= ations/363379913" originalSrc=3D"https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/3= 63379913" target=3D"_blank">https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/363379= 913</a></div><div>Cabbage White=C2=A0 8=C2=A0 =C2=A0several seen perched, b= ut most non-stop in flight; flies higher and faster than Checkered</div><di= v>Gray Hairstreak=C2=A0 1=C2=A0 fresh</div><div>E. Tailed-Blue=C2=A0 1</div= ><div>Monarch=C2=A0 5 (the main reason for the milkweed plantings)</div><di= v>Variegated Fritillary=C2=A0 15</div><div>American Lady=C2=A0 4</div><div>= PAINTED LADY=C2=A0 1=C2=A0 quickly eluded me in the plantings; my first sin= ce 2024</div><div>Common Buckeye=C2=A0 1=C2=A0 normally many more</div><div= >Silver-spotted Skipper=C2=A0 1</div><div><br></div><div>I typically see ve= ry few skippers on the milkweeds in May and June, and I saw none today. I u= sually can find a few at the end of May or early June -- such as Sachem, Fi= ery, Dun, or Dion. Then again, I stayed on the entrance road and scanned fl= owers from 5-25 feet away, so I could have overlooked some.</div><div><br><= /div><div>Let's get some much needed rain tomorrow night into early nex= t week. Raleigh is having its driest EVER year to this point. I think a few= other cities and towns in the Carolinas can say the same.</div><div><br></= div><div>Harry LeGrand</div><div>Raleigh</div></div> </blockquote></div> --0000000000002ce030065249eec0-- |
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