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List: Carolina-Leps
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 2026 12:51:50 -0400
From: Jeff Pippen (via carolinaleps Mailing List) <carolinaleps...>
Subject: Pender County, NC 9/28 butterflies


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Butterfliers,

On Monday (9/28), Ava Mackay-Smith and I drove down to Pender County for =
the day to take advantage of perfect butterfly weather and good =
butterfly activity. We were not disappointed! We tallied a state record =
high 71 Little Metalmarks =E2=80=94 unlike many uncommon to rare species =
of coastal plain butterflies, they are having a very good year! Overall =
diversity was good with 24 species and over 2600 individuals. Several =
of the longleaf pine savannas had been recently (1-2 years ago) burned =
so they were looking quite healthy from an ecological standpoint.

Also, while Ocola Skippers have been slow or absent to wander north in =
good numbers in our state this year, we did finally find quite a few! =
Gulf Fritillaries and Long-tailed Skippers, however, are still =
presenting in very low numbers. But the number of Common Buckeye =
caterpillars we saw was in the thousands, and we tallied nearly a =
thousand adults over the course of the 8 plus hours we were there!

Many thanks to Ava for compiling the species list and number. Here are =
the totals.

Palamedes Swallowtail 138
Cloudless Sulphur 625
Sleepy Orange 115
Gray Hairstreak 26
Great Purple Hairstreak 1
Red-banded Hairstreak 56
Eastern Tailed-Blue 19
Little Metalmark 71
Monarch 11
Gulf Fritillary 2
Variegated Fritillary 15
Pearl Crescent 174
American Lady 2
Common Buckeye 946
Silver-spotted Skipper 5
Horace's Duskywing 2
Common Checkered-Skipper 4
Clouded Skipper 144
Swarthy Skipper 4
Fiery Skipper 64
Southern Broken-dash 1
Whirlabout 13
Dion Skipper 13
Yehl Skipper 3
Ocola Skipper 148

Good Butterflying,
Jeff
--
Jeffrey S. Pippen
Mebane, NC
Research Specialist, Georgetown University
Director, Carolinas Butterfly Monitoring Program =
<https://www.jeffpippen.com/butterflies/carolinasbmp/carbmp-protocols.htm>=
| N. Am. Butterfly Monitoring Network =
<https://www.thebutterflynetwork.org/> | Jeff=E2=80=99s Nature Pages =
<https://www.jeffpippen.com/>

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<html aria-label=3D"message body"><head><meta http-equiv=3D"content-type" =
content=3D"text/html; charset=3Dutf-8"></head><body =
style=3D"overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
line-break: after-white-space;">Butterfliers,<div><br></div><div>On =
Monday (9/28), Ava Mackay-Smith and I drove down to Pender County for =
the day to take advantage of perfect butterfly weather and good =
butterfly activity. &nbsp;We were not disappointed! We tallied a state =
record high 71 <b>Little Metalmarks</b> =E2=80=94 unlike many uncommon =
to rare species of coastal plain butterflies, they are having a very =
good year! &nbsp;Overall diversity was good with 24 species and over =
2600 individuals. &nbsp;Several of the longleaf pine savannas had been =
recently (1-2 years ago) burned so they were looking quite healthy from =
an ecological standpoint.</div><div><br></div><div>Also, while <b>Ocola =
Skippers</b> have been slow or absent to wander north in good numbers in =
our state this year, we did finally find quite a few! &nbsp;Gulf =
Fritillaries and Long-tailed Skippers, however, are still presenting in =
very low numbers. &nbsp;But the number of <b>Common Buckeye</b> =
caterpillars we saw was in the thousands, and we tallied nearly a =
thousand adults over the course of the 8 plus hours we were =
there!</div><div><br></div><div>Many thanks to Ava for compiling the =
species list and number. &nbsp;Here are the =
totals.</div><div><br></div><div><google-sheets-html-origin><table =
xmlns=3D"http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" cellspacing=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0"=
dir=3D"ltr" border=3D"1" data-sheets-root=3D"1" data-sheets-baot=3D"1" =
style=3D"table-layout: fixed; font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; =
width: 0px; border-collapse: collapse; border: medium;"><colgroup><col =
width=3D"211"><col width=3D"63"></colgroup><tbody><tr style=3D"height: =
21px;"><td style=3D"border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: =
hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Palamedes =
Swallowtail</td><td style=3D"border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); =
overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; text-align: =
center;">138</td></tr><tr style=3D"height: 21px;"><td style=3D"border: =
1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; =
vertical-align: bottom;">Cloudless Sulphur</td><td style=3D"border: 1px =
solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; =
vertical-align: bottom; text-align: center;">625</td></tr><tr =
style=3D"height: 21px;"><td style=3D"border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, =
204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: =
bottom;">Sleepy Orange</td><td style=3D"border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, =
204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; =
text-align: center;">115</td></tr><tr style=3D"height: 21px;"><td =
style=3D"border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; =
padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Gray Hairstreak</td><td =
style=3D"border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; =
padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; text-align: =
center;">26</td></tr><tr style=3D"height: 21px;"><td style=3D"border: =
1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; =
vertical-align: bottom;">Great Purple Hairstreak</td><td style=3D"border: =
1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; =
vertical-align: bottom; text-align: center;">1</td></tr><tr =
style=3D"height: 21px;"><td style=3D"border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, =
204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: =
bottom;">Red-banded Hairstreak</td><td style=3D"border: 1px solid =
rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: =
bottom; text-align: center;">56</td></tr><tr style=3D"height: 21px;"><td =
style=3D"border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; =
padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Eastern Tailed-Blue</td><td =
style=3D"border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; =
padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; text-align: =
center;">19</td></tr><tr style=3D"height: 21px;"><td style=3D"border: =
1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; =
vertical-align: bottom;"><b>Little Metalmark</b></td><td style=3D"border: =
1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; =
vertical-align: bottom; text-align: center;"><b>71</b></td></tr><tr =
style=3D"height: 21px;"><td style=3D"border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, =
204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: =
bottom;">Monarch</td><td style=3D"border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); =
overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; text-align: =
center;">11</td></tr><tr style=3D"height: 21px;"><td style=3D"border: =
1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; =
vertical-align: bottom;">Gulf Fritillary</td><td style=3D"border: 1px =
solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; =
vertical-align: bottom; text-align: center;">2</td></tr><tr =
style=3D"height: 21px;"><td style=3D"border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, =
204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: =
bottom;">Variegated Fritillary</td><td style=3D"border: 1px solid =
rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: =
bottom; text-align: center;">15</td></tr><tr style=3D"height: 21px;"><td =
style=3D"border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; =
padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Pearl Crescent</td><td =
style=3D"border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; =
padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; text-align: =
center;">174</td></tr><tr style=3D"height: 21px;"><td style=3D"border: =
1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; =
vertical-align: bottom;">American Lady</td><td style=3D"border: 1px =
solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; =
vertical-align: bottom; text-align: center;">2</td></tr><tr =
style=3D"height: 21px;"><td style=3D"border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, =
204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: =
bottom;"><b>Common Buckeye</b></td><td style=3D"border: 1px solid =
rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: =
bottom; text-align: center;"><b>946</b></td></tr><tr style=3D"height: =
21px;"><td style=3D"border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: =
hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Silver-spotted =
Skipper</td><td style=3D"border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: =
hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; text-align: =
center;">5</td></tr><tr style=3D"height: 21px;"><td style=3D"border: 1px =
solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; =
vertical-align: bottom;">Horace's Duskywing</td><td style=3D"border: 1px =
solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; =
vertical-align: bottom; text-align: center;">2</td></tr><tr =
style=3D"height: 21px;"><td style=3D"border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, =
204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: =
bottom;">Common Checkered-Skipper</td><td style=3D"border: 1px solid =
rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: =
bottom; text-align: center;">4</td></tr><tr style=3D"height: 21px;"><td =
style=3D"border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; =
padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Clouded Skipper</td><td =
style=3D"border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; =
padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; text-align: =
center;">144</td></tr><tr style=3D"height: 21px;"><td style=3D"border: =
1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; =
vertical-align: bottom;">Swarthy Skipper</td><td style=3D"border: 1px =
solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; =
vertical-align: bottom; text-align: center;">4</td></tr><tr =
style=3D"height: 21px;"><td style=3D"border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, =
204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Fiery =
Skipper</td><td style=3D"border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: =
hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; text-align: =
center;">64</td></tr><tr style=3D"height: 21px;"><td style=3D"border: =
1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; =
vertical-align: bottom;">Southern Broken-dash</td><td style=3D"border: =
1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; =
vertical-align: bottom; text-align: center;">1</td></tr><tr =
style=3D"height: 21px;"><td style=3D"border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, =
204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: =
bottom;">Whirlabout</td><td style=3D"border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, =
204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; =
text-align: center;">13</td></tr><tr style=3D"height: 21px;"><td =
style=3D"border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; =
padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;">Dion Skipper</td><td =
style=3D"border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; =
padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; text-align: =
center;">13</td></tr><tr style=3D"height: 21px;"><td style=3D"border: =
1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; =
vertical-align: bottom;">Yehl Skipper</td><td style=3D"border: 1px solid =
rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: =
bottom; text-align: center;">3</td></tr><tr style=3D"height: 21px;"><td =
style=3D"border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; =
padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom;"><b>Ocola Skipper</b></td><td =
style=3D"border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); overflow: hidden; =
padding: 2px 3px; vertical-align: bottom; text-align: =
center;"><b>148</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br></google-sheets-html-orig=
in></div><div><google-sheets-html-origin>Good =
Butterflying,</google-sheets-html-origin></div><div><google-sheets-html-or=
igin>Jeff</google-sheets-html-origin></div><div>
<meta charset=3D"UTF-8"><div dir=3D"auto" style=3D"caret-color: rgb(0, =
0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; =
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after-white-space;"><div dir=3D"auto" style=3D"caret-color: rgb(0, 0, =
0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; =
text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; =
word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: =
none; overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: =
after-white-space;"><div dir=3D"auto" style=3D"caret-color: rgb(0, 0, =
0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; =
text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; =
word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: =
none; overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: =
after-white-space;"><div dir=3D"auto" style=3D"caret-color: rgb(0, 0, =
0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; =
text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; =
word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: =
none; overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: =
after-white-space;"><div dir=3D"auto" style=3D"caret-color: rgb(0, 0, =
0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; =
text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; =
word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: =
none; overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: =
after-white-space;"><div dir=3D"auto" style=3D"caret-color: rgb(0, 0, =
0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; =
text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; =
word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: =
none; overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: =
after-white-space;"><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: =
normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; =
white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; =
overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: =
after-white-space;"><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: =
normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; =
white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; =
overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: =
after-white-space;"><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); letter-spacing: =
normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; =
white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; =
overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: =
after-white-space;"><div>--</div><div>Jeffrey S. =
Pippen</div><div>Mebane, NC</div><div>Research Specialist, Georgetown =
University</div><div>Director,&nbsp;<a =
href=3D"https://www.jeffpippen.com/butterflies/carolinasbmp/carbmp-protoco=
ls.htm">Carolinas Butterfly Monitoring Program</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;| =
&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href=3D"https://www.thebutterflynetwork.org/">N. Am. =
Butterfly Monitoring Network</a>&nbsp; &nbsp;| &nbsp;&nbsp;<a =
href=3D"https://www.jeffpippen.com/">Jeff=E2=80=99s Nature =
Pages</a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div=
></div>
</div>
<br></body></html>=

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