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| List: Carolina-Leps Date: Sun, 6 Sep 2026 13:11:55 -0400 From: Ryan Chaffee (via carolinaleps Mailing List) <carolinaleps...> Subject: Re: Butterflies at the NC State Fair parking area in west Raleigh, Wake Co., NC -- Sept. 6 |
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--000000000000efba98065ad399ea Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi Harry and all, Yup, most of the ETBs were from the Schenck Forest route, only a couple down by the retention pond, and none in the field. I also saw 2 of the Sootywings on the verbena along the edge of the field and one closer to the NC State pasture. Great to see the number of Checkered Whites, though I was also wondering about how few Skipperlings there were. Best, Ryan Chaffee Cary, NC On Sun, Sep 6, 2026 at 1:00=E2=80=AFPM Harry LeGrand <carolinaleps...>= > wrote: > Folks, > > Ryan Chaffee covered some of this area on Sept. 3, after his Schenck > Forest butterfly survey was over. I walked much of the fair parking groun= ds > today from about 930-1015, under PC, warm, and humid skies. This area and > almost all of the city of Raleigh have missed all of the rain that has > blanketed most of NC for the past 2 days, and is still bone dry with litt= le > in bloom; barely any rain since August 2. Severe drought in this tiny are= a > of NC, despite what the Drought Monitor says! The Bitterweed/Sneezeweed > seems all devoid of nectar now, despite flowers remaining. The White > Clovers are dead or dying, and just about the only thing in bloom there > with nectar is the *Kummerowia* (the mat-forming Korean/Japanese Clover), > with its tiny white and purple flowers. Here is what I found: > > dark swallowtail 1 > Sleepy Orange 20 > Orange Sulphur 2 > pale yellow sulphur 1 only in flight, so either a Clouded or an albino > Orange > CHECKERED WHITE 8 only 1 female; males not sitting at all > Monarch 2 > Variegated Fritillary 12 > Common Buckeye 25 > Common Checkered-Skipper 10 > Fiery Skipper 35 > SOUTHERN SKIPPERLING 3 low; should have seen more; only at *Kummerowia* > > Ryan had 3 Common Sootywings, maybe at the field; I have never seen the > species there, despite the ruderal habitat. I don't see Pigweeds, etc., > there. And I cannot find E. Tailed-Blues any more there, as the 2026 > droughts have nearly wiped them out. He had double-digits, but I suspect > most at Schenck, where I do see it frequently. In 2024 and 2025, we saw > quite a few ETB's in the region, but we were not in a drought. In fact, I > have seen far fewer ETB's in central NC this year than usual, and they al= so > seem to be "missing" at Raulston Arboretum this year. > > Harry LeGrand > Raleigh > --000000000000efba98065ad399ea Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"auto">Hi Harry and all,</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div d= ir=3D"auto">Yup, most of the ETBs were from the Schenck Forest route, only = a couple down by the retention pond, and none in the field.=C2=A0I also saw= 2 of the Sootywings on the verbena along the edge of the field and one clo= ser to the NC State pasture.</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"a= uto">Great to see the number of Checkered Whites, though I was also wonderi= ng about how few Skipperlings there were.</div><div dir=3D"auto"><br></div>= <div dir=3D"auto">Best,</div><div dir=3D"auto">Ryan Chaffee</div><div dir= =3D"auto">Cary, NC</div><div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote gmail_quote_cont= ainer"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Sun, Sep 6, 2026 at 1:00=E2= =80=AFPM Harry LeGrand <<a href=3D"mailto:<carolinaleps...>">carolin= <aleps...></a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" st= yle=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padd= ing-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Folks,</div><div><br></div><div>Ryan Ch= affee covered some of this area on Sept. 3, after his Schenck Forest butter= fly survey was over. I walked much of the fair parking grounds today from a= bout 930-1015, under PC, warm, and humid skies. This area and almost all of= the city of Raleigh have missed all of the rain that has blanketed most of= NC for the past 2 days, and is still bone dry with little in bloom; barely= any rain since August 2. Severe drought in this tiny area of NC, despite w= hat the Drought Monitor says! The Bitterweed/Sneezeweed seems all devoid of= nectar now, despite flowers remaining. The White Clovers are dead or dying= , and just about the only thing in bloom there with nectar is the <i>Kummer= owia</i> (the mat-forming Korean/Japanese Clover), with its tiny white and = purple flowers. Here is what I found:</div><div><br></div><div>dark swallow= tail=C2=A0 1</div><div>Sleepy Orange=C2=A0 20</div><div>Orange Sulphur=C2= =A0 2</div><div>=C2=A0 pale yellow sulphur 1 only in flight, so either a Cl= ouded or an albino Orange</div><div>CHECKERED WHITE 8=C2=A0 only 1 female; = males not sitting at all</div><div>Monarch=C2=A0 2</div><div>Variegated Fri= tillary=C2=A0 12</div><div>Common Buckeye=C2=A0 25</div><div>Common Checker= ed-Skipper=C2=A0 10</div><div>Fiery Skipper 35</div><div>SOUTHERN SKIPPERLI= NG=C2=A0 3=C2=A0 low; should have seen more; only at <i>Kummerowia</i></div= ><div><br></div><div>Ryan had 3 Common Sootywings, maybe at the field; I ha= ve never seen the species there,=C2=A0despite the ruderal habitat. I don= 9;t see Pigweeds, etc., there.=C2=A0 And I cannot find E. Tailed-Blues any = more there, as the 2026 droughts have nearly wiped them out. He had double-= digits, but=C2=A0I suspect most at Schenck, where I do see it frequently. I= n 2024 and 2025, we saw quite a few ETB's=C2=A0in the region, but we we= re not in a drought. In fact, I have seen far fewer ETB's=C2=A0in centr= al NC this year than usual, and they also seem to be "missing" at= Raulston Arboretum this year.</div></div><div dir=3D"ltr"><div><br></div><= div>Harry LeGrand</div><div>Raleigh</div></div> </blockquote></div></div> --000000000000efba98065ad399ea-- |
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