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| List: Carolina-Leps Date: Fri, 6 Sep 2024 20:14:32 -0400 From: Harry LeGrand (via carolinaleps Mailing List) <carolinaleps...> Subject: NC Sandhills butterflies -- Sept. 6 |
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--00000000000023034906217c6982 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT I now understand why Will Stuart has seemingly "white flagged" his NC Sandhills trips for a bit this summer and early fall -- there just aren't many butterflies there. I think the severe drought from about mid-June to mid-July greatly impacted the butterfly fauna, especially the skippers. I hit several places in the Sandhills Game Land -- in Scotland County mainly, especially the Block C (I think it is), the large southern one that is generally neglected by biologists except me. In fact, though the NC Wildlife Resources Commission has done a good job of burning, including a few large areas burned this late spring or early summer, there just aren't grass skippers around right now. Instead, there were day-flying moths all over the *Vernonia angustifolia* instead of grass skippers!! What's with that? Moths and grasshoppers were everywhere I went -- these insects certainly were not as impacted by drought as butterflies. Thankfully, we folks from the Triangle know well enough to stop by the Sandhills Horticultural Gardens in Southern Pines before or after our game land visit to make sure we see plenty of butterflies!! Here is my rather bland list (other than for the garden) -- Moore first (all in the gardens unless otherwise mentioned), Richmond (mainly the near-butterfly-less fish hatchery), and lastly Scotland. [The weather was sunny to p.c. and mild to warm -- fine for butterflying]: Spicebush Swallowtail 6, 5, 25 Palamedes Swallowtail 5, 5, 20 E. Tiger Swallowtail 2, -, 2 Little Yellow -, -, 7 Sleepy Orange -, -, 3 Cloudless Sulphur 1, 1, 12 Gray Hairstreak -, -, 1 Monarch 4, -, 1 Variegated Fritillary -, -, 25 all over the drop zone American Lady 1, -, 1 Common Buckeye -, -, 20 mainly at the drop zone Pearl Crescent -, 1, - had the fish hatchery all to itself Long-tailed Skipper 2, -, - my FOY finally, on lantana Silver-spotted Skipper 5, -, 1 Zarucco Duskywing -, -, 3 Fiery Skipper 15, -, 2 Little Glassywing -, 1, - Drowning Creek area. Rather scarce in the Sandhills Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper 1, -, - Drowning Creek area, on Moore side of the bridges; usual site Clouded Skipper 3, 2, 1 Ocola Skipper 1, -, - The burned areas SHOULD have a great bloom of *Carphephorus bellidifolius* in a few weeks; I saw a lot of it in bud right now. Hopefully the skippers will be on them. As we Sandhills folks know, the skippers prefer pink, purple, or blue flowers and mostly avoid the abundant white and yellow flowers. I was constantly looking around the burned areas looking for pink and purple, amid the seas of the many dozens of white and yellow flowered composite species in bloom right now. (A great time now for botanizing in these burned areas.) Harry LeGrand Raleigh --00000000000023034906217c6982 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr"><div>I now understand why Will Stuart has seemingly "= white flagged" his NC Sandhills trips for a bit this summer and early = fall -- there just aren't many butterflies there.=C2=A0 I think the sev= ere drought from about mid-June to mid-July greatly impacted the butterfly = fauna, especially the skippers.=C2=A0 I hit several places in the Sandhills= Game Land -- in Scotland County mainly, especially the Block C (I think it= is), the large southern one that is generally neglected by biologists exce= pt me.=C2=A0 In fact, though the NC Wildlife Resources Commission has done = a good job of burning, including a few large areas burned this late spring = or early summer, there just aren't grass skippers around right now.=C2= =A0 Instead, there were day-flying moths all over the <i>Vernonia angustifo= lia</i> instead of grass skippers!!=C2=A0 What's with that?=C2=A0 Moths= and grasshoppers were everywhere I went -- these insects certainly were no= t as impacted by drought as butterflies.=C2=A0 Thankfully, we folks from th= e Triangle know well enough to stop by the Sandhills Horticultural Gardens = in Southern Pines before or after our game land visit to make sure we see p= lenty of butterflies!!=C2=A0 Here is my rather bland list (other than for t= he garden) -- Moore first (all in the gardens unless otherwise mentioned), = Richmond (mainly the near-butterfly-less fish hatchery), and lastly Scotlan= d.=C2=A0 [The weather was sunny to p.c. and mild to warm -- fine for butter= flying]:</div><div><br></div><div>Spicebush Swallowtail=C2=A0 6, 5, 25</div= ><div>Palamedes Swallowtail=C2=A0 5, 5, 20</div><div>E. Tiger Swallowtail= =C2=A0 2, -, 2</div><div>Little Yellow=C2=A0 -, -, 7</div><div>Sleepy Orang= e=C2=A0 -, -, 3</div><div>Cloudless Sulphur=C2=A0 1, 1, 12</div><div>Gray H= airstreak=C2=A0 -, -, 1</div><div>Monarch=C2=A0 4, -, 1</div><div>Variegate= d Fritillary=C2=A0 -, -, 25=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 all over the drop zone</div><= div>American Lady=C2=A0 1, -, 1</div><div>Common Buckeye -, -, 20=C2=A0=C2= =A0 mainly at the drop zone</div><div>Pearl Crescent=C2=A0 -, 1, -=C2=A0=C2= =A0=C2=A0 had the fish hatchery all to itself</div><div>Long-tailed Skipper= =C2=A0 2, -, -=C2=A0=C2=A0 my FOY finally, on lantana<br></div><div>Silver-= spotted Skipper=C2=A0 5, -, 1</div><div>Zarucco Duskywing=C2=A0 -, -, 3</di= v><div>Fiery Skipper=C2=A0 15, -, 2</div><div>Little Glassywing=C2=A0 -, 1,= -=C2=A0=C2=A0 Drowning Creek area.=C2=A0 Rather scarce in the Sandhills</d= iv><div>Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper=C2=A0 1, -, -=C2=A0=C2=A0=C2=A0 Drowni= ng Creek area, on Moore side of the bridges; usual site</div><div>Clouded S= kipper=C2=A0=C2=A0 3, 2, 1</div><div>Ocola Skipper=C2=A0 1, -, -</div><div>= <br></div><div>The burned areas SHOULD have a great bloom of <i>Carphephoru= s bellidifolius</i> in a few weeks; I saw a lot of it in bud right now.=C2= =A0 Hopefully the skippers will be on them.=C2=A0 As we Sandhills folks kno= w, the skippers prefer pink, purple, or blue flowers and mostly avoid the a= bundant white and yellow flowers. I was constantly looking around the burne= d areas looking for pink and purple, amid the seas of the many dozens of wh= ite and yellow flowered composite species in bloom right now.=C2=A0 (A grea= t time now for botanizing in these burned areas.)<br></div><div><br></div><= div>Harry LeGrand</div><div>Raleigh<br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div>= <div><br></div><div><br></div></div> --00000000000023034906217c6982-- |
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