 |
 |
 |
 |
| List: Carolina-Leps Date: Sat, 17 Oct 2026 18:33:32 -0400 From: Parker Backstrom (via carolinaleps Mailing List) <carolinaleps...> Subject: Re: No Gulf Fritillaries in Richmond County, NC |
||||
--0000000000009c9f05065e10df01 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable For what it's worth, I photographed a Brazilian Skipper in my yard in Chatham County, NC on October 6 (reported to Jeff P.). Parker Backstrom Bear Creek On Sat, Oct 17, 2026, 5:53=E2=80=AFPM Harry LeGrand <carolinaleps...>= wrote: > Pete -- out your way, they come in via Tennessee (river valley corridors) > or northern GA, not inland from the NC Piedmont. It is a phenomenon where > the southern NC Mountains get Gulf Frits often earlier and in greater > numbers than folks even in the NC Sandhills do. It can at times be seen > with Little Yellow, the very scarce stray Dainty Sulphur, and maybe 1-2 > other migrants. > > Harry > > On Sat, Oct 17, 2026 at 5:19=E2=80=AFPM Pete Dixon <pete555eliot...>= m> wrote: > >> There are plenty of Gulf Frits in Hot Springs this year. >> >> On Sat, Oct 17, 2026 at 4:28=E2=80=AFPM Harry LeGrand <carolinaleps@duke= .edu> >> wrote: >> >>> I was skunked on Gulf Fritillary also in the Raleigh/Triangle area, plu= s >>> 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 a= nd >>> Friday. As you saw from my results on carolinaleps yesterday, Gulf Frit= s >>> 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 disper= sed >>> 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 firs= t >>> time in 10 or more years, I think NC has failed to turn up a single Que= en; >>> there was one single White Peacock photo report near the coast; no Trop= ical >>> Checkered-Skippers; and sadly, no Zebra Longwing, etc. We even had a fe= w >>> 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 rel= ate >>> to poor conditions in Florida and coastal Georgia for "producing" adult= s to >>> immigrate northward. Drought, record heat, etc., I suspect, but I'd hav= e to >>> defer to SC observers and those farther south to know what the issues w= ere. >>> >>> Harry LeGrand >>> Raleigh >>> >>> On Sat, Oct 17, 2026 at 4:09=E2=80=AFPM Will Stuart <carolinaleps@duke.= edu> >>> 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 Carphephoru= s >>>> 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 freque= ncy >>>> and density of nectaring Monarchs was as high as I have seen in the la= st >>>> half-dozen years. I did not do a complete species count. There were = very >>>> 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= that >>>> our Gulf Fritillary is primarily(?) migratory it seems remarkable to b= e at >>>> zero for a species that is a fairly common visitor in most years. >>>> >>>> Will Stuart >>>> Matthews, NC >>>> >>> --0000000000009c9f05065e10df01 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"auto">For what it's worth, I photographed a Brazilian Skipp= er in my yard in Chatham County, NC on October 6 (reported to Jeff P.).<div= dir=3D"auto"><br></div><div dir=3D"auto">Parker Backstrom</div><div dir=3D= "auto">Bear Creek</div></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote gmail_quote_cont= ainer"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Sat, Oct 17, 2026, 5:53=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:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div = dir=3D"ltr"><div>Pete -- out your way, they come in via Tennessee (river va= lley=C2=A0corridors) or=C2=A0northern GA, not inland from the NC Piedmont. = It is a phenomenon where the southern NC Mountains=C2=A0get Gulf Frits ofte= n earlier and in greater numbers than folks even in the NC Sandhills do. It= can at times be seen with Little Yellow, the very scarce stray Dainty Sulp= hur, and maybe 1-2 other migrants.</div><div><br></div><div>Harry</div></di= v><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On S= at, Oct 17, 2026 at 5:19=E2=80=AFPM Pete Dixon <<a href=3D"mailto:pete55= <5eliot...>" target=3D"_blank" rel=3D"noreferrer"><pete555eliot...>= om</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margi= n:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex= "><div dir=3D"ltr">There are plenty of Gulf Frits in Hot Springs this year.= </div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">= On Sat, Oct 17, 2026 at 4:28=E2=80=AFPM Harry LeGrand <<a href=3D"mailto= :<carolinaleps...>" target=3D"_blank" rel=3D"noreferrer">carolinaleps@d= uke.edu</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"= margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-lef= t:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div>I was skunked on Gulf Fritillary also in the R= aleigh/Triangle area, plus a few trips to the Sandhills and one trip to the= Uwharries=C2=A0this summer and fall. Normally, I would have seen 1-5 in Ra= leigh in most summers/falls, not to mention maybe 1-2 in the Sandhills as w= ell. 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=C2= =A0NC coast Thursday and Friday. As you saw from my results on=C2=A0carolin= aleps 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 d= on'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 T= HINK this has been the WORST one ever for the collective number of rare sou= thern species in NC. There were finally a few adult Brazilian Skipper repor= ts, 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 co= ast; 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>Obvi= ously, 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 conditi= ons in Florida and coastal Georgia for "producing" adults to immi= grate 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= .</div><div><br></div><div>Harry LeGrand</div><div>Raleigh</div></div><br><= div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Sat, Oct= 17, 2026 at 4:09=E2=80=AFPM Will Stuart <<a href=3D"mailto:carolinaleps= @duke.edu" target=3D"_blank" rel=3D"noreferrer"><carolinaleps...></a>&g= t; wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0p= x 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div> <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_-3558291805325132847m_6974070340055348392m_1009286839260747698= 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> </blockquote></div> </blockquote></div> </blockquote></div> --0000000000009c9f05065e10df01-- |
||||