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| List: Carolina-Leps Date: Sun, 18 Oct 2026 09:34:03 -0400 From: Doug Allen (via carolinaleps Mailing List) <carolinaleps...> Subject: Re: No Gulf Fritillaries in Richmond County, NC |
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--00000000000013d0e8065e1d7461 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Here 9 miles south of the NC border in upstate SC we have had very few Gulf Fritillaries, no Long-tailed Skippers, and very few Ocola Skippers so far this autumn. They are usually common to abundant here this time of year. Cloudless Sulphurs are abundant like most years. Clouded Skipper is abundant, the most we've ever seen. Monarchs are still coming through. Sachems and Fiery Skipper are common, but remain down from their high numbers a few years ago. Doug Allen Inman, SC On Sat, Oct 17, 2026 at 4:27=E2=80=AFPM Harry LeGrand <carolinaleps...>= u> wrote: > 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, n= ot > 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 ha= d > around 5 Long-taileds each day. However, they don't seem to have disperse= d > 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 Tropic= al > 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 relat= e > 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 wer= e. > > Harry LeGrand > Raleigh > > On Sat, Oct 17, 2026 at 4:09=E2=80=AFPM Will Stuart <carolinaleps...>= u> 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 frequenc= y >> 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 ve= ry >> 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 t= hat >> our Gulf Fritillary is primarily(?) migratory it seems remarkable to be = at >> zero for a species that is a fairly common visitor in most years. >> >> Will Stuart >> Matthews, NC >> > --00000000000013d0e8065e1d7461 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr">Here 9 miles south of the NC border in upstate SC we have = had very few Gulf Fritillaries, no Long-tailed Skippers, and very few Ocola= Skippers so far this autumn.=C2=A0 They are usually=C2=A0common to abundan= t here this time of year.=C2=A0 Cloudless Sulphurs are abundant like most y= ears.=C2=A0 Clouded Skipper is abundant, the most we've ever seen.=C2= =A0 Monarchs are still coming through.=C2=A0 Sachems and Fiery Skipper are = common, but remain down from their high numbers a few years ago.<div>Doug A= llen</div><div>Inman, SC</div></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote gmail_quo= te_container"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Sat, Oct 17, 2026 at= 4:27=E2=80=AFPM Harry LeGrand <<a href=3D"mailto:<carolinaleps...>"= ><carolinaleps...></a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_q= uote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,2= 04);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div>I was skunked on Gulf Fritillar= y also in the Raleigh/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 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, an= d often seeing 1-5 in Raleigh in a normal summer fall, I decided to visit t= he southern=C2=A0NC coast Thursday and Friday. As you saw from my results o= n=C2=A0carolinaleps yesterday, Gulf Frits were VERY common as usual in Brun= swick and New Hanover, and at least I had around 5 Long-taileds each day. H= owever, they don't seem to have dispersed inland much in 2026, and it i= s getting late!!</div><div><br></div><div>But, in my 30+ years of butterfly= ing in NC, I THINK this has been the WORST one ever for the collective numb= er 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 fail= ed to turn up a single Queen; there was one single White Peacock photo repo= rt near the coast; no Tropical Checkered-Skippers; and sadly, no Zebra Long= wing, etc. We even had a few Cassius Blues last year!=C2=A0</div><div><br><= /div><div>Obviously, our lack of such species, as well as a similar scarcit= y of these in coastal SC, including I think a near lack of Great Southern W= hites, lack or scarcity of Ceraunus and Cassius blues, etc -- must relate t= o 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 t= he issues were.</div><div><br></div><div>Harry LeGrand</div><div>Raleigh</d= iv></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><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...>" target=3D"_blank"><carolinaleps...></a>> wr= ote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 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 Gran= de",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 Gran= de",sans-serif;font-size:11pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)"> <br> </div> <div style=3D"font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode","Lucida Gran= de",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 Gran= de",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 Gran= de",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 Gran= de",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 Gran= de",sans-serif;font-size:11pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)"> <br> </div> <div style=3D"font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode","Lucida Gran= de",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 Gran= de",sans-serif;font-size:11pt;color:rgb(0,0,0)"> <br> </div> <div id=3D"m_6289376297477404357m_-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> --00000000000013d0e8065e1d7461-- |
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