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| List: Carolina-Leps Date: Mon, 4 Sep 2023 19:58:42 -0400 From: Harry LeGrand (via carolinaleps Mailing List) <carolinaleps...> Subject: Croatan National Forest, NC, butterflies -- Sept. 3 |
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--000000000000cb947f0604914a85 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT Yesterday, I joined Lori Arent and Lori White in covering a few key areas in Croatan NF, where we had held butterfly counts in late August,for many years in the past. Sadly, enough flood events from hurricanes and spring freezes after very warm late winters have decimated the butterfly fauna in the last roughly 8-10 years, especially the skipper numbers. On a perfect butterflying day -- hottish with full sun and little wind or humidity -- we did reasonably well, at one site starting in Carteret County and the second in Craven. We were expecting some flattening of vegetation from the heavy rains of Tropical Storm Idalia on Thursday, but no damage was seen; it looked reasonably normal to me. And, the second site contained thousands of blooming *Liatris spicata*, but there were stunningly few skipper users. Where are they? Here is the list, first Carteret and second Craven: Black Swallowtail -, 2 females Palamedes Swallowtail 50, 150 E. Tiger Swallowtail -, 1 Little Yellow 2, 2 Sleepy Orange 25, 6 Cloudless Sulphur 15, 40 Red-banded Hairstreak 3, 6 Gray Hairstreak -, 2 Summer Azure -, 2 LITTLE METALMARK 6, - Monarch -, 3 Viceroy -, 3 Red Admiral -, 1 Common Buckeye 8, 25 Pearl Crescent 1, 4 Carolina Satyr -, 12 all along margins of mixed pine-hardwood flatwoods and drier swamps INTRICATE SATYR 1, - Rich swamp ecotone; slow-flying, relatively large and tame Georgia Satyr 4, *35 *underfoot at the Craven stop Common Wood-Nymph 1, 1 Southern Cloudywing 1, 1 Silver-spotted Skipper -, 3 Byssus Skipper 1, - Expected many more Fiery Skipper -, 1 Southern Broken-dash -, 1 YEHL SKIPPER -, 1 fresh male; typically missed on counts, maybe too early then [Twin-spot Skipper -, - a complete shock to miss this one. Finished the second brood already?] CAROLINA ROADSIDE-SKIPPER -, 1 Whew!! Late in the day nectaring on a fleabane. Used to be common, at least in August. Probably at the end of the third brood Swarthy Skipper -, 6 Eufala Skipper -, 1 Clouded Skipper 1, 2 Southern Skipperling 1, - a bit of a surprise Ocola Skipper -. 15 Least Skipper -, 1 32 species Harry LeGrand Raleigh --000000000000cb947f0604914a85 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Yesterday,</div><div><br></div><div>I joined Lori Are= nt and Lori White in covering a few key areas in Croatan NF, where we had h= eld butterfly counts in late August,for many years in the past.=C2=A0 Sadly= , enough flood events from hurricanes and spring freezes after very warm la= te winters have decimated the butterfly fauna in the last roughly 8-10 year= s, especially the skipper numbers.</div><div><br></div><div>On a perfect bu= tterflying day -- hottish with full sun and little wind or humidity -- we d= id reasonably well, at one site starting in Carteret County and the second = in Craven.=C2=A0 We were expecting some flattening of vegetation from the h= eavy rains of Tropical Storm Idalia on Thursday, but no damage was seen; it= looked reasonably normal to me.=C2=A0 And, the second site contained thous= ands of blooming <i>Liatris spicata</i>, but there were stunningly few skip= per users.=C2=A0 Where are they?</div><div><br></div><div>Here is the list,= first Carteret and second Craven:</div><div><br></div><div>Black Swallowta= il=C2=A0 -, 2=C2=A0 females</div><div>Palamedes Swallowtail=C2=A0 50, 150</= div><div>E. Tiger Swallowtail=C2=A0 -, 1</div><div>Little Yellow=C2=A0 2, 2= </div><div>Sleepy Orange=C2=A0 25, 6</div><div>Cloudless Sulphur=C2=A0 15, = 40</div><div>Red-banded Hairstreak 3, 6</div><div>Gray Hairstreak=C2=A0 -, = 2</div><div>Summer Azure=C2=A0 -, 2</div><div>LITTLE METALMARK=C2=A0 6, -</= div><div>Monarch=C2=A0 -, 3</div><div>Viceroy=C2=A0 -, 3</div><div>Red Admi= ral=C2=A0 -, 1</div><div>Common Buckeye=C2=A0 8, 25</div><div>Pearl Crescen= t=C2=A0 1, 4</div><div>Carolina Satyr=C2=A0 -, 12=C2=A0 all along margins o= f mixed pine-hardwood flatwoods and drier swamps<br></div><div>INTRICATE=C2= =A0 SATYR=C2=A0 1, -=C2=A0 Rich swamp ecotone; slow-flying, relatively larg= e and tame</div><div>Georgia Satyr 4, <b>35=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 </b>und= erfoot at the Craven stop</div><div>Common Wood-Nymph=C2=A0 1, 1</div><div>= Southern Cloudywing=C2=A0 1, 1</div><div>Silver-spotted Skipper=C2=A0 -, 3<= /div><div>Byssus Skipper=C2=A0 1, -=C2=A0 Expected many more</div><div>Fier= y Skipper=C2=A0 -, 1</div><div>Southern Broken-dash=C2=A0 -, 1<br></div><di= v>YEHL SKIPPER=C2=A0 -, 1=C2=A0=C2=A0 fresh male; typically missed on count= s, maybe too early then</div><div>[Twin-spot Skipper=C2=A0 -, -=C2=A0=C2=A0= =C2=A0 a complete shock to miss this one. Finished the second brood already= ?]</div><div>CAROLINA ROADSIDE-SKIPPER=C2=A0 -, 1=C2=A0 Whew!! Late in the = day nectaring on a fleabane.=C2=A0 Used to be common, at least in August.= =C2=A0 Probably at the end of the third brood</div><div>Swarthy Skipper=C2= =A0 -, 6</div><div>Eufala Skipper=C2=A0 -, 1</div><div>Clouded Skipper=C2= =A0 1, 2</div><div>Southern Skipperling=C2=A0 1, -=C2=A0 a bit of a surpris= e</div><div>Ocola Skipper=C2=A0 -. 15</div><div>Least Skipper=C2=A0 -, 1</d= iv><div><br></div><div>32 species</div><div><br></div><div>Harry LeGrand</d= iv><div>Raleigh<br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>= <br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div> --000000000000cb947f0604914a85-- |
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