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| List: Carolina-Leps Date: Tue, 18 Aug 2026 15:27:29 -0400 From: Harry LeGrand (via carolinaleps Mailing List) <carolinaleps...> Subject: Butterflies at a brief stop at a Raleigh, NC "parking lot" -- August 18, 2026 |
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--000000000000c0fbe90659574715 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Folks, The large grassy field along Edwards Mill Road just south of the Bandwidth complex (in Wake County) is State-owned and used now essentially for parking during the NC State Fair for about 12 days in the latter half of October. In the last couple of years,we have found Southern Skipperlings in this field and along a narrow strip of lawn near the Schenck Forest entrance. I stopped by this field from about 1:05-1:30, just before grabbing lunch nearby. Lori Arent had found 4 Checkered Whites here last Friday, for the Wake County butterfly count, a first time being found there, but there have been a few records just to the east at the Prairie Ridge Ecostation, which is closed this entire year for lab classroom construction. So, I was hoping to see Checkered White, Southern Skipperling, and also Orange Sulphur, which is rather scarce now in the county but I have seen here a few times in the past. Just as soon as I parked at the NW corner, I saw a white butterfly on a dense stand of blooming verbena (*Verbena brasiliensis*). Checkered White male -- check! I quickly saw another. The Fiery Skippers were buzzing all over the verbenas, but I could not find a Sachem. There were no Skipperlings nectaring there -- flowers probably a bit high off the ground -- so I walked into the field to check out large clumps of Bitterweed/Sneezeweed (*Helenium amarum*). I did see one Southern Skipperling on this plant -- check! I saw a few yellow butterflies in the open field, and indeed they were Orange Sulphurs -- check! Here is my list -- quite a ton of butterflies in such a "wasteland"; temps were in the upper 80s with partly cloudy skies. I should mention that the Skipperlings here prefer to nectar on White Clover, but this second drought (essentially no rain since Aug. 2) has fried these flowers, and only a few were in bloom. Sleepy Orange 4 Orange Sulphur 3 Checkered White 3, maybe 4 no Cabbage Whites E.Tailed-Blue 1 Variegated Fritillary 5 Common Buckeye 30 Common Checkered-Skipper 3 Fiery Skipper 80+ Southern Skipperling 2 one was seen in a crabgrass patch Harry LeGrand Raleigh --000000000000c0fbe90659574715 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Folks,</div><div><br></div><div>The large grassy=C2= =A0field=C2=A0along Edwards Mill Road just south of the Bandwidth complex (= in Wake County) is State-owned and used now essentially for parking during = the NC State Fair for about 12 days in the latter half of October. In the l= ast couple of years,we have found Southern Skipperlings in this field and a= long a narrow strip of lawn near the Schenck Forest entrance.=C2=A0 I stopp= ed by this field from about 1:05-1:30, just before grabbing lunch nearby. L= ori Arent had found 4 Checkered Whites here last Friday, for the Wake Count= y butterfly count, a first time being found there, but there have been a fe= w records just to the east at the Prairie Ridge Ecostation, which is closed= this entire year for lab classroom construction. So, I was hoping to see C= heckered White, Southern Skipperling, and also Orange Sulphur, which is rat= her scarce now in the county but I have seen here a few times in the past.<= /div><div><br></div><div>Just as soon as I parked at the NW corner, I saw a= white butterfly on a dense stand of blooming verbena (<i>Verbena brasilien= sis</i>). Checkered White male -- check! I quickly saw another. The Fiery S= kippers were buzzing all over=C2=A0the verbenas, but I could not find a Sac= hem. There were no Skipperlings nectaring there -- flowers probably a bit h= igh off the ground -- so I walked into the field to check out large clumps = of Bitterweed/Sneezeweed (<i>Helenium amarum</i>). I did see one Southern S= kipperling on this plant -- check! I saw a few yellow butterflies in the op= en=C2=A0field, and indeed they were Orange Sulphurs -- check!=C2=A0=C2=A0</= div><div><br></div><div>Here is my list -- quite a ton of butterflies in su= ch a "wasteland"; temps were in the upper 80s with partly cloudy = skies. I should mention that the Skipperlings here prefer to nectar on Whit= e Clover, but this second drought (essentially no rain since Aug. 2) has fr= ied these flowers, and only a few were in bloom.</div><div><br></div><div>S= leepy Orange=C2=A0 4</div><div>Orange Sulphur=C2=A0 3</div><div>Checkered W= hite=C2=A0 3, maybe 4=C2=A0 =C2=A0no Cabbage Whites</div><div>E.Tailed-Blue= =C2=A0 1</div><div>Variegated Fritillary=C2=A0 5</div><div>Common Buckeye= =C2=A0 30</div><div>Common Checkered-Skipper=C2=A0 3</div><div>Fiery Skippe= r 80+</div><div>Southern Skipperling=C2=A0 2=C2=A0 =C2=A0one was seen in a = crabgrass patch</div><div><br></div><div>Harry LeGrand</div><div>Raleigh</d= iv></div> --000000000000c0fbe90659574715-- |
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