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| List: Carolina-Leps Date: Sat, 17 Oct 2026 16:26:40 -0400 From: Harry LeGrand (via carolinaleps Mailing List) <carolinaleps...> Subject: Re: No Gulf Fritillaries in Richmond County, NC |
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--000000000000e10d00065e0f19d6 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I was skunked on Gulf Fritillary also in the Raleigh/Triangle area, plus a few trips to the Sandhills and one trip to the Uwharries this summer and fall. Normally, I would have seen 1-5 in Raleigh in most summers/falls, not to mention maybe 1-2 in the Sandhills as well. Also I was lacking Long-tailed Skipper for the year, and often seeing 1-5 in Raleigh in a normal summer fall, I decided to visit the southern NC coast Thursday and Friday. As you saw from my results on carolinaleps yesterday, Gulf Frits were VERY common as usual in Brunswick and New Hanover, and at least I had around 5 Long-taileds each day. However, they don't seem to have dispersed inland much in 2026, and it is getting late!! But, in my 30+ years of butterflying in NC, I THINK this has been the WORST one ever for the collective number of rare southern species in NC. There were finally a few adult Brazilian Skipper reports, about 3 and I believe only in the Nags Head to Duck area of Dare County. For the first time in 10 or more years, I think NC has failed to turn up a single Queen; there was one single White Peacock photo report near the coast; no Tropical Checkered-Skippers; and sadly, no Zebra Longwing, etc. We even had a few Cassius Blues last year! Obviously, our lack of such species, as well as a similar scarcity of these in coastal SC, including I think a near lack of Great Southern Whites, lack or scarcity of Ceraunus and Cassius blues, etc -- must relate to poor conditions in Florida and coastal Georgia for "producing" adults to immigrate northward. Drought, record heat, etc., I suspect, but I'd have to defer to SC observers and those farther south to know what the issues were. Harry LeGrand Raleigh On Sat, Oct 17, 2026 at 4:09=E2=80=AFPM Will Stuart <carolinaleps...>= wrote: > I visited the NC Sandhills Game Land on 10/16/2026 with the primary > purpose of looking for a Gulf Fritillary as I expected the Carphephorus > bellidifolius to be near peak bloom in several compartments burned in > 2026. The Carphephorus did not disappoint. I admired masses of purple > blossoms often surrounded by handsome clumps of Wiregrass. The frequency > and density of nectaring Monarchs was as high as I have seen in the last > half-dozen years. I did not do a complete species count. There were ver= y > few skippers. > > Monarch 50 Nectaring on Carphephorus > Painted Lady 3 All on Carphephorus > American Lady 2 > Gulf Fritillary 0 > > I have not seen a Gulf Fritillary in the sandhills in 2026 despite > frequent visits. I understand the very dry conditions of 2026 have > suppressed the populations of resident butterfly populations but given th= at > our Gulf Fritillary is primarily(?) migratory it seems remarkable to be a= t > zero for a species that is a fairly common visitor in most years. > > Will Stuart > Matthews, NC > --000000000000e10d00065e0f19d6 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr"><div>I was skunked on Gulf Fritillary also in the Raleigh/= Triangle area, plus a few trips to the Sandhills and one trip to the Uwharr= ies=C2=A0this summer and fall. Normally, I would have seen 1-5 in Raleigh i= n most summers/falls, not to mention maybe 1-2 in the Sandhills as well. Al= so I was lacking Long-tailed Skipper for the year, and often seeing 1-5 in = Raleigh in a normal summer fall, I decided to visit the southern=C2=A0NC co= ast Thursday and Friday. As you saw from my results on=C2=A0carolinaleps ye= sterday, Gulf Frits were VERY common as usual in Brunswick and New Hanover,= and at least I had around 5 Long-taileds each day. However, they don't= seem to have dispersed inland much in 2026, and it is getting late!!</div>= <div><br></div><div>But, in my 30+ years of butterflying in NC, I THINK thi= s has been the WORST one ever for the collective number of rare southern sp= ecies in NC. There were finally a few adult Brazilian Skipper reports, abou= t 3 and I believe only in the Nags Head to Duck area of Dare County. For th= e first time in 10 or more years, I think NC has failed to turn up a single= Queen; there was one single White Peacock photo report near the coast; no = Tropical Checkered-Skippers; and sadly, no Zebra Longwing, etc. We even had= a few Cassius Blues last year!=C2=A0</div><div><br></div><div>Obviously, o= ur lack of such species, as well as a similar scarcity of these in coastal = SC, including I think a near lack of Great Southern Whites, lack or scarcit= y of Ceraunus and Cassius blues, etc -- must relate to poor conditions in F= lorida and coastal Georgia for "producing" adults to immigrate no= rthward. Drought, record heat, etc., I suspect, but I'd have to defer t= o SC observers and those farther south to know what the issues were.</div><= div><br></div><div>Harry LeGrand</div><div>Raleigh</div></div><br><div clas= s=3D"gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_att= r">On Sat, Oct 17, 2026 at 4:09=E2=80=AFPM Will Stuart <<a href=3D"mailt= o:<carolinaleps...>"><carolinaleps...></a>> wrote:<br></div><blo= ckquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left= :1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div class=3D"msg-45624092546= 10201530"> <div dir=3D"ltr"> <div style=3D"font-family:Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Grande,sans-serif;font= -size:11pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)"> I visited the NC Sandhills Game Land on 10/16/2026 with the primary purpose= of looking for a Gulf Fritillary as I expected the Carphephorus bellidifol= ius to be near peak bloom in several compartments burned in 2026.=C2=A0 The= Carphephorus did not disappoint. I admired masses of purple blossoms often surrounded by handsome clumps of Wiregrass= .=C2=A0 The frequency and density of nectaring Monarchs was as high as I ha= ve seen in the last half-dozen years.=C2=A0 I did not do a complete species= count.=C2=A0 There were very few skippers.</div> <div style=3D"font-family:Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Grande,sans-serif;font= -size:11pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)"> <br> </div> <div style=3D"font-family:Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Grande,sans-serif;font= -size:11pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)"> Monarch=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 50=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0Nect= aring on Carphephorus</div> <div style=3D"font-family:Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Grande,sans-serif;font= -size:11pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)"> Painted Lady=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 3=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0All on Carphep= horus</div> <div style=3D"font-family:Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Grande,sans-serif;font= -size:11pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)"> American Lady=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A02</div> <div style=3D"font-family:Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Grande,sans-serif;font= -size:11pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)"> Gulf Fritillary=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 0=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0</div> <div style=3D"font-family:Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Grande,sans-serif;font= -size:11pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)"> <br> </div> <div style=3D"font-family:Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Grande,sans-serif;font= -size:11pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)"> I have not seen a Gulf Fritillary in the sandhills in 2026 despite frequent= visits.=C2=A0 I understand the very dry conditions of 2026 have suppressed= the populations of resident butterfly populations but given that our Gulf = Fritillary is primarily(?) migratory it seems remarkable to be at zero for a species that is a fairly common vi= sitor in most years.</div> <div style=3D"font-family:Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Grande,sans-serif;font= -size:11pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)"> <br> </div> <div id=3D"m_-4562409254610201530Signature"> <div style=3D"font-family:Calibri,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt= ;color:rgb(0,0,0)"> Will Stuart</div> <div style=3D"font-family:Calibri,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:12pt= ;color:rgb(0,0,0)"> Matthews, NC</div> </div> </div> </div></blockquote></div> --000000000000e10d00065e0f19d6-- |
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