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| List: Carolina-Leps Date: Sun, 5 Jul 2026 22:12:46 -0400 From: Clyde Sorenson (via carolinaleps Mailing List) <carolinaleps...> Subject: Re: Raulston Arboretum butterflies, Wake Co., NC -- July 5 |
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--000000000000173c710655e7d067 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Drought stressed host plants often disadvantage chewing herbivores while favoring insects with piercing-sucking mouthparts. I've noticed paucity of butterflies all summer long at my place, and the moth numbers and diversity are way down. Oddly, tobacco budworms and hornworms have been abundant in some of our test plots! Seems like fireflies have been hurt by the drought as well. Clyde Sorenson Clayton and Raleigh. On Sun, Jul 5, 2026 at 12:58=E2=80=AFPM John Connors <carolinaleps...>= > wrote: > This heat and drought has been tough on the butterflies and butterfliers. > I've run my Pollard count at Durant Nature Preserve in Raleigh on three > occasions since early June: 6/9, 6/24 and this morning.- with a grand tot= al > of 23 butterflies observed of 12 species. Pitiful compared to the last tw= o > years, and worrisome. Nobody has removed host plants there, though by the > looks of it, some are drought-stressed. > > Really do have to wonder what these species do in severe drought? Do they > die off or enter some type of diapause. If and when the rains come maybe > we'll get a clue. > > John Connors > Raleigh > > On Sun, Jul 5, 2026 at 12:32=E2=80=AFPM Harry LeGrand <carolinaleps@duke.= edu> > wrote: > >> Folks, >> >> Thankfully, on the weekends the arboretum opens at 8:00 am instead of >> 9:00 am on weekdays. As today's forecast in Raleigh was again sunny and = a >> high of about 100 degrees again, I decided to meet with Lori Arent at th= e >> arboretum in western Raleigh at 8:30 this morning. Of course, late June = and >> most of July is the doldrum around much of the Piedmont; most of the gra= ss >> skippers are between broods, as are some true butterflies. And, with the >> horrible drought all year long here, we were there as much to get exerci= se >> as we were expecting to see much. (It is currently 96 in Raleigh as I t= ype >> this!!). Please, PLEASE rain this afternoon or this evening! Ditto for = the >> next few days! >> >> Here is our wimpy list: >> >> Pipevine Swallowtail *18* the planted non-native pipevines at the >> garden are obviously "producing" plenty of swallowtails >> E. Tiger Swallowtail 4 >> Cabbage White 3 but NO sulphurs/yellows today >> Gray Hairstreak 2 >> Silver-spotted Skipper 12 >> COMMON SOOTYWING 1 a brief ID glimpse; a few do occur here, but usuall= y >> missed; always a nice find >> Common Checkered-Skipper 3 >> Horace's Duskywing 10 this species is getting to be quite ubiquitous i= n >> much of the Carolinas in recent years >> Fiery Skipper 8 >> Sachem *3* a surprise; I think all males, rather worn; getting less >> common in Wake County >> EUFALA SKIPPER 1 regular here later in July into October, but good to >> see one this early >> >> A "whopping" 11 species in close to 2 hours >> >> Note the complete lack of ANY brushfoots -- no Variegated Fritillaries, >> Common Buckeyes, American Ladies, Pearl Crescents, etc. All of these >> species oviposit on herbaceous plants. Have they died off locally owing = to >> drought? Did the eggs or larvae not survive owing to the drought? Have = the >> arboretum staff removed the hostplants? Don't know, but even in July I >> seldom miss some of these and other true butterflies in July. >> >> Harry LeGrand >> Raleigh >> >> >> >> --000000000000173c710655e7d067 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Drought stressed host plants often disadvantage chewi= ng herbivores while favoring insects with piercing-sucking mouthparts. I= 9;ve noticed paucity=C2=A0of butterflies all summer long at my place, and t= he moth numbers and diversity are way down.=C2=A0</div><div><br></div><div>= Oddly, tobacco budworms and hornworms have been abundant in some of our tes= t plots!</div><div><br></div><div>Seems like fireflies have been hurt by th= e drought as well.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Clyde Sorenson</= div><div>Clayton and Raleigh.=C2=A0</div></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quot= e gmail_quote_container"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Sun, Jul = 5, 2026 at 12:58=E2=80=AFPM John Connors <<a href=3D"mailto:carolinaleps= @duke.edu"><carolinaleps...></a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class= =3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rg= b(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr">This heat and drought has= been tough on the butterflies and butterfliers. I've run my Pollard co= unt at Durant Nature Preserve in Raleigh on three occasions since early Jun= e: 6/9, 6/24 and this morning.- with a grand total of 23 butterflies observ= ed of 12 species. Pitiful compared to the last two years, and worrisome. No= body has removed host=C2=A0plants there, though by the looks of it, some ar= e drought-stressed.=C2=A0<div><br></div><div>Really do have to wonder what = these species do in severe drought? Do they die off or enter some type of d= iapause.=C2=A0If and when the rains come maybe we'll get a clue.</div><= div><br><div>John Connors</div><div>Raleigh</div></div></div><br><div class= =3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Sun, Jul 5, 2026 = at 12:32=E2=80=AFPM Harry LeGrand <<a href=3D"mailto:<carolinaleps...>= du" target=3D"_blank"><carolinaleps...></a>> wrote:<br></div><blockq= uote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1p= x solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Folks,</di= v><div><br></div><div>Thankfully, on the weekends the arboretum opens at 8:= 00 am instead of 9:00 am on weekdays. As today's forecast in Raleigh wa= s again sunny and a high of about 100 degrees again, I decided to meet with= Lori Arent at the arboretum=C2=A0in western Raleigh at 8:30 this morning. = Of course, late June and most of July is the doldrum around much of the Pie= dmont; most of the grass skippers are between broods, as are some true butt= erflies. And, with the horrible drought all year long here, we were there a= s much to get exercise as we were expecting to see much.=C2=A0 (It is curre= ntly 96 in Raleigh as I type this!!).=C2=A0 Please, PLEASE rain this aftern= oon or this evening! Ditto for the next few days!</div><div><br></div><div>= Here is our wimpy list:</div><div><br></div><div>Pipevine Swallowtail=C2=A0= <b>18</b>=C2=A0 the planted non-native pipevines at the garden are obvious= ly "producing" plenty of swallowtails</div><div>E. Tiger Swallowt= ail=C2=A0 4=C2=A0</div><div>Cabbage White=C2=A0 3=C2=A0 =C2=A0but NO sulphu= rs/yellows today</div><div>Gray Hairstreak=C2=A0 2=C2=A0 =C2=A0</div><div>S= ilver-spotted=C2=A0Skipper=C2=A0 12</div><div>COMMON SOOTYWING=C2=A0 1=C2= =A0 a brief=C2=A0ID glimpse; a few do occur here, but usually missed; alway= s a nice find</div><div>Common Checkered-Skipper=C2=A0 3</div><div>Horace&#= 39;s Duskywing=C2=A0 10=C2=A0 this species is getting to be quite ubiquitou= s in much of the Carolinas in recent years</div><div>Fiery Skipper=C2=A0 8<= /div><div>Sachem=C2=A0 <b>3</b>=C2=A0 a surprise; I think all males, rather= worn; getting less common in Wake County</div><div>EUFALA=C2=A0SKIPPER=C2= =A0 1=C2=A0 =C2=A0regular here later in July into October, but good to see = one this early</div><div><br></div><div>A "whopping" 11 species i= n close to 2 hours</div><div><br></div><div>Note the complete lack of ANY b= rushfoots -- no Variegated Fritillaries, Common Buckeyes, American Ladies, = Pearl Crescents, etc.=C2=A0 All of these species oviposit on herbaceous pla= nts. Have they died off locally owing to drought? Did the eggs or larvae no= t survive owing to the drought?=C2=A0 Have the arboretum staff removed the = hostplants?=C2=A0 Don't know, but even in July I seldom miss some of th= ese and other true butterflies in July.</div><div><br></div><div>Harry LeGr= and</div><div>Raleigh</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div></d= iv> </blockquote></div> </blockquote></div> --000000000000173c710655e7d067-- |
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