Butterfies American
Volume 26: Number 4 Winter 2018
Fritillaries at Lassen National Park
NABA’s Member Meeting in Talahassee
My Big Life
NABA News and Notes
Print or Digital? — You Decide
Many NABA members enjoy receiving print copies of American Butterfies and of Butterfy Gardener. Other members prefer to receive their copies in digital form. Moving forward, those members with a regular membership will choose one form of publication delivery — either print or digital. Those members with family, copper and other supporting memberships may continue to receive both print and digital versions, although these members can also choose to receive only print, or only digital, if they so desire.
Free Trial Membership For Counters
NABA is offering free trial memberships to people who have not previously been NABA members, if they help NABA monitor butterfies by entering data into the Recent Sightings page and/or participate in the NABA Butterfy Count program. The free, trial membership includes access to digital versions of NABA publications as well as access to NABAChat and other NABA programs. So, invite your friends, family and neighbors to participate in Recent Sightings and/or the Counts, helping to monitor and conserve butterfies throughout North America — they will be rewarded with a free, trial membership.
NABA’s Butterfy Gardening
Guide
Butterfy Gardening: The North American Butterfy Association Guide, authored by Jane Hurwitz, editor of NABA’s Butterfy Gardener, has just been published by Princeton University Press.
Estate Planning
We’d like to ask those NABA members who have planned estates, to consider including NABA and the National Butterfy Center in their plans. This will allow you to continue to help butterfies and conservation.
Amazon Smile
Please smile if you use Amazon to purchase anything! If you do, Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price, at no cost to you, to NABA. Simply go to smile.amazon.com and follow instructions, choosing North American Butterfy Association as your charity.
NABA Art Contest
Artists interested in entering the 2019 NABA Art Contest should submit digital images of original two-dimensional color “paintings,” in any medium. The digital fle name should include the artist’s name, should be from two to fve MB, and should be sent to naba@naba.org. Higher resolution images will be requested, if needed. If realistic, the painting should depict species found in Mexico, the United States or Canada. In your cover letter, please indicate the dimensions of the original work, give a description of the medium of the work, and provide a release granting to NABA the right to copy and publish the image. Please include a telephone number and email address where you can be reached. Submissions need to be received not later than June 1, 2019. Winning artist will receive a prize of $500, 2nd place winner will receive $125 and winners and honorable mentions will have their works published in color in the Fall 2019 issue of American Butterfies. All decisions of the judges are fnal.
Social Media
You can now follow NABA activities on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest (and also by talking with actual people!).
Matching Donations
Those of you who generously contribute donations to NABA and work at a large corporation may be able to double your contribution. Many corporations have matching gift programs. Check with your human resource or public relations dept.
Front Cover: Food for Thought: NABA Members Meeting in Tallahassee. Top photo of a Regal Jumping Spider that had captured a Gulf Fritillary by Wade Wander. Sept. 18, 2018. Liberty Co., FL. Bottom photo, of some of the attendees (many more unherded) by Adam J. Skowronski. See page 16 for an article about the meeting.
The North American Butterfy Association, Inc. (NABA), a non-proft organization, was formed to promote public enjoyment and conservation of butterfies. Membership in NABA is open to all those who share our purpose.
President: Jeffrey Glassberg Vice-president: James Springer Secrty./Treasurer
Ann James Directors: Jeffrey Glassberg
Fred Heath
Yvonne Homeyer
Ann James
Dennis Olle
Robert Robbins
James Springer
Patricia Sutton Scientifc Advisory Board
Nat Holland
Naomi Pierce
Robert Robbins
Ron Rutowski
John Shuey
Ernest Williams
American Butterfies
Volume 26: Number 4
Winter 2018
2 Thanks by Jeffrey Glassberg
4 Go Get Set On Your Marks: Greater Fritillaries Part 4, Lassen Volcanic National Park and Vicinity by Jeffrey Glassberg
14 Finding Fritillaries in Lassen National Park by Rob Santry
16 Tales from Tallahassee: The 13th Biennial NABA Members Meeting by Jane Hurwitz, David Harder, Erin Diehm and Sharon Wander
26 You Are What You Eat
27 Cloudless Sulphur on Maryland Senna in Georgia. by Meredith Mays
30 My Big Life by Jeffrey Glassberg
40 Hot Seens by Mike Reese
48 Contributors Inside Back Cover Readers Write
American Butterfies (ISSN 1087-450X) is published quarterly by the North American Butterfy Association, Inc. (NABA), 4 Delaware Rd., Morristown, NJ 07960; tel. 973285-0907; fax 973-285-0936; web site, www.naba.org. Copyright © 2018 by North American Butterfy Association, Inc. All rights reserved. The statements of contributors do not necessarily represent the views or beliefs of NABA and NABA does not warrant or endorse products or services of advertisers.
Editor, Jeffrey Glassberg
Editorial Assistance, Matthew Scott and Sharon Wander
Please send address changes (allow 6-8 weeks for correction) to: NABA, 4 Delaware Rd., Morristown, NJ 07960; or email to naba@naba.org
Thanks for 2018
Well, it’s definitely that time of year again. Thanksgiving has just fown by and we have so many people to thank!
The NABABoard continues to help steer our growing activities. While all the Board members play a vital role, I want to single out NABAvice-president, Jim Springer who has really stepped up his involvement with NABA. Without Jim’s operational expertise, rather than fying, NABA might be swimming with the fshes.
Jane Hurwitz continues to do a great job as editor of Butterfy Gardener, now helped by associate editor MaryAnn Borge. Thanks to both of you for helpingAmerican gardeners create habitats for butterfies.
At the NABAoffce, Mike Cerbone ably works to drag NABA, kicking and screaming, into the digital age while offce manager Laura Bianco brings warmth to her interactions with members as office manager and as chapter liaison. Thanks to you both!
Thanks to Mike Reese for monitoring the NABARecent Sightings website and database. Special thanks to all of the folks at NABA’s National Butterfy Center, who, exceptionally led by Executive Director Marianna Wright, have performed wonders during diffcult times. Staff includes Max Munoz, Luciano Guerra, Stephanie Lopez, Nestor Gonzalez, Marcelo Saavedra, Fortunata Ramirez,Adriana Glick, Teresa Garcia and Patricia Rubio. Thanks as well to the lawyers at Debevoise and Plimpton who have been representing NABApro bono in its lawsuit challenging the federal taking of its land.
Thanks to the many, many offcers and volunteers of the NABAchapters throughout the U.S. Your efforts are of great importance in moving forward NABA’s mission and are much appreciated. We all want to especially thank the members of the Tallahassee chapter, who did a terrifc job hosting the NABA Members Meeting in September (see article on page 16).
2 American Butterfies, Winter 2018
Thanks as well to Rick Cech and Peter Post who helped judge this year’s photo contest.
Thanks also to Ralph Fylstra, NABA’s long-time, pro bono accountant.
American Butterfies depends entirely upon the generosity of authors and photographers who contribute their work free of charge.
For their year 2018 articles, we thank Mike Cerbone, Linda Cooper, Erin Diehm, Don Dubois, Jane Hurwitz, Susan Finkbeiner, Mary Ann Friedman, Dean Jue, Susan Kolterman, Sara Lewis, Alida Madero, Meredith Mays, Mike Reese, Lucy Sada, Rob Santry, Curtis Serviss, Sharon Wander, and Harry Zirlin.
I’m not sure how many of us would read American Butterfies if it didn’t have great color photos. So thanks to all the photographers who donated the use of their photos to NABA, including the authors listed above and Heinz Albers, David Amadio, Brett Badeaux, William Beck, Bob Behrstock, Andy Birkey, Rick Borchelt, Bill Bouton, Cynthia Bridge, Ray Bruun, John Christensen, JoAnna Clayton, Brandon Cramphorn, Abbie Dufreen, Nancy Eickman, Joan Fox, Steve Glynn, Amy Grimm, Luciano Guerra, Dan Hardy, Ron Hedden, John Hendrickson, Susan Hendgeveld, Sonia Hill, Dennis Holmes, Eric Hunt, Bart Jones, Sally Jue, Venice Kelly, John Kemner, John Lampkin, Joanne Langabee, Jennifer Lankin, Ian Lawson, Mike Lewinski, Craig Lipski, Brian Lloyd, Jim Lloyd, Mary Lea McNulty, Tom Murray, NASA, Andrew Neild, Kristie Nelson, Matt Orsie, Ed Perry IV, Beth Polvino, Terry Priest, Mike Rickard, Rebecca Riel, John Rosford, Eric Runquist, Jane Ruffn, Holly Salvato, Rob Santry, Alan Schmierer, Radim Schreiber, Laurie Sheppard, Ron Smith, Wanda Smith, Jim Springer, Susan Taylor, Allan Trently, Wade Wander, Christina Wappl, Ken Wilson, and Ron Wolf.
For the Love of Butterfies
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Go Get Set On Your Marks:
Greater Fritillaries, part 4. Lassen Volcanic National Park & Vicinity
by Jeffrey Glassberg
Great Spangled and Coronis Fritillaries
this installment focuses on far northern California, specifcally Lassen Volcanic National Park and the surrounding area. Here, you may fnd seven species of greater fritillaries (shown on these two pages), a number of which present identifcation diffculties.
1. July 13, 2013. East of Spencer Meadow, Plumas Co., CA.
2. July 18, 2009. 5 miles east of Adin, Modoc Co., CA.
3. July 9, 2017. Blue Lake Canyon, Lassen NP, Shasta Co., CA.
4. June 5, 2016. Tehama Co., CA.
5. July 25, 2017. Above Sulphur Works, Lassen NP, Shasta Co., CA.
6. July 4, 2010. Lake McCumber, Shasta Co., CA.
7. June 8, 2013. Bear Creek Rd., near Ponderosa, Shasta Co., CA.
We’ll start with two species that are relatively easy to recognize. Both of these species average larger than the other species here, and both, but especially Great Spangled, have a wide, cream-colored submarginal band that is less “muddy” than the other species. Great Spangleds have an amber eye, while Coronis has the usual blue-gray eye. Great Spangleds have a dark HW disk below [A] (photos 2, 8 and 10), with females darker than males, while Coronis has a pale brown disk [A] (photos 3 and 9). Great Spangleds have reduced HW pale spots, while Coronis has the largest and
Rob Santry
Dennis Holmes
A view of Lassen Peak and Juniper Lake from Mt. Harkness. July 5, 2018.
Great Spangled Coronis
Female. Aug. 3, 2013. Drakesbad Meadow, Lassen NP
July 9, 2017. Blue Lake Canyon, Lassen NP Male. July 20, 2013.
Great Spangled and Coronis Fritillaries
brightest silvered spots. Coronis also has the most prominent, wide white band at the base of the leading edge of the HW below. The undersides of male and female Coronis Fritillaries are fairly similar, however female Great Spangleds have the HW disk below much darker brown than do males. Both sexes of Great Spangleds prefer lush meadows.
Dennis Holmes Dennis
Great Spangled Coronis
Female. Aug. 3, 2013. Drakesbad Meadow, Lassen NP
Male. July 20, 2008. Drakesbad Meadow, Lassen NP
Female. July 17, 2014. Near Brokeof Meadows, Shasta Co., CA
Male. May 26, 2014. Near Lake Annie, Modoc Co., CA
Susan Taylor
Rob Santry
Dennis Holmes
Dennis Holmes
Rob Santry
Hydaspe Zerene
Rob Santry
Rob Santry
Ray Bruun
Hydaspe, Zerene and Atlantis Fritillaries (see pages 10-11 for text)
Hydaspe
15. July 13, 2013. East of Spencer Meadow, Plumas Co., CA.
17. June 21, 2009. Shingletown, Shasta Co., CA.
19. July 3, 2010. Near Manton, Tehama Co., CA.
Zerene
16. July 4, 2010. Lake McCumber, Shasta Co., CA.
18. July 4, 2010. Near Viola, Shasta Co., CA.
20. June 22, 2013. 8.7 miles east of Mineral, Tehama Co., CA.
Atlantis
21. June 8, 2013. Bear Creek Rd., near Pondosa, Shasta Co., CA.
22. June 17, 2012. Near Pondosa, Siskiyou Co., CA.
23. Aug. 7, 2011. Badger Flat, Lassen Volcanic NP, Shasta Co., CA.
Dennis Holmes
Rob Santry
Ray
Bruun
Hydaspe Zerene
Hydaspe, Zerene and Atlantis Fritillaries
All three of these species have HW undersides that appear reddish/purplish and can be quite confusing.
Zerenes are the easiest. They usually are more purplish than are other species (photos 16 & 18) but sometimes are similar to Hydaspe and Atlantis. Probably the best way to recognize them is by the very fat marginal pale spots [E] (photo 16) on the underside of the HW. Also, unlike similar Hydaspe and Atlantis Fritillaries, the base of the HW leading edge is whitish, not orange [D] (photo 16).
Hydaspes can be separated from Zerenes by their wider HW marginal spots [E] (photo 15) and their orange base of the costal margin [D] (photo 17). Hydaspes usually have a ground color on the HW below that is more brick red than the ground color on Zerenes and Atlantis. On Hydaspes, the veins through the submarginal region on the HW below appear to be black [F] (photo 15) while on Atlantis, these veins are not black [F] (photo 21).
Atlantis Fritillaries are, in the greater Lassen area, the least common of these three. The HW marginal spots [E] (photo 21) are wider than on Zerene and, unlike Hydaspe, the veins through the submarginal region on the HW below do not appear to be black [F] (photo 21).
Dennis Holmes Rob
Ray Bruun
Ken Wilson
Hydaspe, Zerene and Atlantis Fritillaries
Hydaspe
24. Male. June 28, 2009. High Bridge Camp, Plumas Co., CA.
26. Female. Aug. 1, 2014. Gumboot Lake, Siskiyou Co., CA.
Zerene
25. Male. July 16, 2011. near Viola, Shasta Co., CA.
27. Female. July 17, 2016. Near Viola, Shasta Co., CA.
Atlantis
28. Male. June 17, 2012. Near Pondosa, Siskiyou Co., CA.
Also perhaps useful, is the angle of a black bar near the middle of the HW leading edge [C] (photo 21). On Atlantis, this bar is close to perpendicular to the HW leading edge while on Hydaspes (photo 15) and Zerenes (photo 16) this black bar appear to slant outward. Lastly, the FW spot labeled [B] (photo 21) is usually larger on Atlantis than on either Hydaspe or Zerene.
On the upperside it appears that male Atlantis have a paler marginal area [H] (photo 28) than do Hydaspe or Zerene (photos 24 and 25).
Pages 12-13
Great Basin and Callippe Fritillaries
Great Basin
29. July 25, 2017. Just above Sulphur Works, Lassen NP, Shasta Co., CA.
31. June 20, 2013. Lost Creek, n. of Lassen NP, Shasta Co., CA.
33. Aug. 14, 2005. Summit Lake, Lassen NP, Shasta Co., CA.
35. Female, July 12, 2009. Near the top of Mt. Harkness, Lassen NP, Shasta Co., CA.
37. Male. July 17, 2012. Lost Creek, north Lassen NP, Shasta Co., CA.
Callippe
30. June 4, 2016. Paynes Creek, Tehama Co., CA.
32. June 4, 2016. Paynes Creek, Tehama Co., CA.
34. July 1, 2011. Ramshorn Campground, Lassen Co., CA.
36. Female, June 26, 2014. south of Mt. Shasta, Siskiyou Co., CA.
38. Male. June 4, 2016. Paynes Creek, Tehama Co., CA.
Dennis Holmes
Dennis Holmes
Rob Santry
Dennis Holmes
Great Basin Callippe
Great Basin and Callippe Fritillaries
Great Basin Fritillaries are usually the most common greater fritillary in and around Lassen National Park and they’re also usually the smallest. Below, they usually have the palest HW disk — only Coronis, which are much larger, are as pale. Also below, the FW costal margin is cream-colored, not orange [D] (photo 29).
Callippes in the Lassen area come in two favors. On the west side of Lassen NP there
is a brown-disked population (photos 30 & 32) that is darker than Great Basin and have orange FW costal margins [D] (photo 30). They can be confused with Atlantis but are generally more chocolate brown and have a spot [G] (photo 30) that is usually small and indistinct where Atlantis usually has a more prominent spot (photo 22).
On the east side of Lassen NP, Callippes are green tinged and unlike any other area greater fritillaries (photo 34).
Above, Great Basin’s, and especially Callippes, have the pale HW postmedian spots showing through the wing [I] (photo 36).
Rob Santry Dennis Holmes
Some Thoughts About Finding Fritillaries in Lassen National Park
by Rob Santry
The strategy for fnding fritillaries in Lassen Volcanic Park is simple. Go to where the fritillaries are! Let me explain. California State Highway 89 bisects the park down the middle in a north-south direction. So, there are two entrances on the highway. A North Entrance at Manzanita Lake, and a South Entrance about 15 miles east of the town of Mineral. Both entrances will be closed in winter and will not open until the snow is plowed off of the highway. Many years this is not until the Forth of July weekend! That is why the NABA Yearly Butterfy Count is not until July!
So, to fnd fritillaries before the park service opens the highway, it is best to butterfy lower elevations at the edges of the park. One great spot is the old resort located in Drakesbad (Great Spangled colony) at the end of the Warner Valley and just inside the south park boundary. To get to Drakesbad, one must drive to the town of Chester (east of Mineral) and take the Warner Valley Road to the meadows around Drakesbad. While driving through the Warner Valley, one only needs to look for mint patches. Safely park your car off of the side of the road and walk over to the mint. Voila! You will see many frits. Repeat the process as many times as you want all the way to Drakesbad. Good places along the way are the campground access roads in the High Bridge Campground area.
After driving further, there is a fork in the road. The Warner Valley Road is to the right. Before you continue, you can turn left and (working mint patches) drive to the Domingo
Springs Campground. There is usually a lot of mint right at the campground entrance. Work that. Then double back to the fork and turn left, continuing up the Warner Valley to Drakesbad. Just a few hundred feet before the resort buildings is a trailhead parking lot. Park there and walk into the big meadow and you will see some rather large fritillaries patrolling and nectaring. These are Great Spangled Fritillaries. By now you should have seen Coronis, Hydaspe, Zerene, and Great Basin Fritillaries. It is not uncommon to get all fve if your timing is right.
Another tactic is to drive from the Redding side to the north Entrance area, but to go past the entrance about four miles to the Lost Creek area. You will see a sign for Snowmobile Park on the north side of the road. That means you are there. Start by turning right (south), and work mint patches along Lost Creek. Double back and cross the highway and work mint patches all the way through Bunchgrass Valley. Some of my best fritillary pictures were taken here.
After State Highway 89 (through the park), is open, drive through the park, stopping at all the geothermal area parking lots and work mint patches. Since the upper reaches of the park are now open. A hike uphill on the Brokeoff Mountain trail is usually crowded — with fritillaries, that is. This trail is actually located just south of the South entrance to the park. But it has some elevation to it, so I’d wait until July.
Special thanks to Dennis Holmes, Ray Bruun and Rob Santry for providing so many photos for the ID article, and to Rob Santry for the foregoing! [JG]
Lipstick Skipper
Red Banner
Tales from Tallahassee: The 13th Biennial NABA Members Meeting
Part 1. Butterfy Sauna
by Jane Hurwitz
Prior to this past September, I’d been to three NABA Biennial Members’ Meetings, always attending with a friend as my traveling companion. This year our schedules could not be synched, and I attended solo. No offense to my usual roomie (sorry, Anne!), but I think this recent meeting was the most interesting and fun of all the meetings I have attended. To be fair to past meetings, I always feel that the dessert I just ate was the best dessert ever.
The night before the frst feld trips, we were welcomed to Tallahassee and treated to a slide show titled “An Introduction to Central Florida Panhandle Butterfies” by Dean and Sally Jue, who are both members of the NABA Hairstreak Chapter which hosted the meeting. Kicking off the meeting with an overview of what butterfies might be seen was an inspired choice and many people were referencing the information on my feld trip the next day as we tried to parse out the various (and numerous) skippers. The Hairstreak chapter’s goal is “to promote the enjoyment and conservation of free-fying butterfies,” but I’d suggest
that the fnely organized meeting did even more to promote the enjoyment of free-fying butterfiers!
All of the feld trips were top-notch, but my trip to Torreya State Park and Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve left me with a deep appreciation of the uniqueness found in the Florida Panhandle. The day started with a visit to the Preserve, which is maintained by The Nature Conservancy, where we walked the sandhill habitat through stands of Longleaf Pines and peered into the steep ravines. The Longleaf Pine forest is one of the most endangered ecosystems in the United States and we were privileged to have a Nature Conservancy guide accompany our feld trip to answer questions and explain the management of the tract. The target species for this location, Dotted Skipper, was not seen during the meeting, but not for lack of trying.
Later in the day, the feld trip walked through Torreya State Park where we were warned about Copperhead snakes and easily found the
Left: Many NABA members actively seek snakes. It is for this reason that many nature preserves post signs.
Above: ‘Seminole’ Texas Crescents have a fairly limited range. Both photos, Sept. 17. Torreya State Park.
namesake Torreya tree. Lace-winged Roadside Skippers were seen, as were ‘Seminole’ Texan Crescents. As we walked a path cut through the woods, Red-spotted Purples were seen regularly, much to the delight of many. Butterfying with people from disparate locations (people from 22 states and one foreign country attended the meeting) means that one person’s common butterfy is a “lifer” for another.
The weather was challenging throughout the meeting. Sauna-like temperatures and humidity prevailed, with an occasional rainstorm adding to the humidity. Great for butterfies, not always so great for humans tromping around after them in the sun. Despite the risk of heatstroke, the weather played a part in the collegiality of the meeting. Slower walking with a pause here and there to try to catch a breeze made time for conversation,
which, of course, centered on butterfies. All in all, I was left wondering: Why not have these enjoyable and invigorating meetings every year?
Part 2. A Leader Speaks
by David Harder
The most vivid memory I have from the trips that I led to the Spring Creek Unit of Big Bend WMA is of the overwhelming number of butterfies along the southern-most section of Mule Wallow Spur. This 1.5 mile-long, singlelane track through hydric hammock (swamp) had unbroken walls of white fowers on both sides. Most butterfies were nectaring on three plants: Romerillo, (Spanish needles) up to
Jane Hurwitz (2)
about chest-high, Snow Squarestem head-high or better, and White Crownbeard (frostweed) as much as nine feet tall. Those not feeding were hovering above the mass of fowers, or chasing each other, or just traveling along the road. Upon frst viewing the spectacle, attendees exclaimed “This is amazing!” or “I didn’t know Florida had places like this!” or simply “Wow!”.
We saw the entire size-range of southeastern species there, from Eastern Tiger and Palamedes Swallowtails down to Least Skippers and Eastern Pygmy-Blues. There were lots of Cloudless Sulphurs and Sleepy Oranges, plus one Great Southern White that seemed to be in a great hurry. It just barreled straight through. Zebra Heliconians didn’t stop much either, but other colorful nymphalids, large and small, did. Gulf Fritillaries, Pearl Crescents, White Peacocks, and Queens were abundant. Only a few Monarchs, but large numbers don’t usually arrive until late October. One attendee even managed to look away from the fowers long enough to spot a Tawny Emperor perched well above the nectaring throngs. Gray Hairstreaks sat atop many of the plants and Great Purple Hairstreaks were seen on both days.
And of course there were skippers. Lots of skippers! There were the expected hordes of Long-tailed Skippers, which all had to be checked in our (ultimately futile) search for Dorantes Longtail, and Ocola Skippers, which had to be sorted through to fnd the other dark grass-skippers. Abundant Horace’s and Zarucco Duskywings weren’t unusual either. We had extra incentive to pay attention to them as Funereal Duskywing, a western stray, had been seen along this stretch the previous week (on the annual Big Bend WMA fall count). Unusual, but expected after that count, were scores of Byssus Skippers. Their extreme variability prompted many discussions and corrections. Plenty of nonOcola, dark grass skippers, were in fact found. Clouded Skippers, Northern and Southern
Although common, Gray Hairstreaks never cease to fascinate. Sept. 17, 2018. Spring Creek Unit, Big Bend WMA, Taylor Co., FL.
Broken-Dashes, Little Glassywings, plus Dun, Twin-spot, and Salt Marsh Skippers were no surprise there. Nor, given all the sawgrass in the vicinity, were the much larger Palatka Skippers. However, it was a surprise to see several big orange Palmetto Skippers in that habitat. They usually stay in open fatwoods or nectar out in the sandhills.
The Monday trip began at Mule Wallow Spur; the Tuesday trip, done in the opposite direction, ended there. The frst trip thus started off with a bang, and we had ample time since we spent all morning along that stretch. For the second trip, it was the grand fnale. It certainly fnished that trip on a high note, but we felt a bit rushed. I don’t know which was better. One thing I can say for sure; it isn’t easy to get people to leave when they are photographing their frst Great Purple Hairstreak as it pirouettes atop a White Crownbeard, in good light, just so we could get back to the hotel by 5 PM (we didn’t).
The other outstanding areas were the edges of the sandhills at the northern end of Mule
Swallowtails were stars of the show. Here, four species are visible in on photo, clockwise from left, Palamedes, Eastern Tiger, Pipevine and Spicebush. Sept. 17, 2018. Spring Creek Unit, Big Bend WMA, Taylor Co., FL.
Wallow Spur and along most of Swamp Spur, plus the pine fatwoods at the northern end of Swamp Spur. The small pink fowers of elephantsfoot were the big draw in the former. The pink blooms of much taller Dense Blazing Star were the main attraction in the latter. More Palmetto Skippers were in both habitats (where they belonged). We had to be a bit careful to distinguish more distant ones from the many Delaware Skippers there. Our only Zebra Swallowtail, the Southern Dogfaces, and most of the Barred Yellows were in the sandhills. The Ceraunus Blues and most of the Little Metalmarks were found there too. These species came at the cost of sand spurs painfully removed from socks and shoelaces. The fatwoods, and marshy spots along Spring Creek Road near the northern entrance, also produced Georgia Satyrs. Some of them even sat still occasionally! You can’t ask for more than that.
On Wednesday I led a trip to Ochlockonee River WMA. This trip started slowly. There were lots of Spanish Needles in the pipeline cut through the swamp, but they mostly were in the shade when we got there. Patience was rewarded, however. Butterfies gradually came out, at frst just to bask on leaves, then to feed and/or chase rivals. Whirlabouts were the only grass-skippers early on; later, others appeared, including a couple of cooperative male Zabulons. Eventually we accumulated a nice assortment of species. None were rare ones, but some lifers were seen. It was, for instance, one attendee’s last chance to get a Byssus Skipper. Swallowtails were common, and we had several Southern Dogfaces and Red-spotted Purples. Where the east-west pipeline cut met the north-south powerline cut, we found the site’s frst ever Dainty Sulphur. It posed for an extended photo-shoot.
Brian Lloyd (2)
After lunch, we walked the southern end of River Road. It too runs through the swamp. We immediately found the frst Painted Lady of the year for Leon County, and added two Zebra Heliconians. We found good numbers of Gulf Fritillaries, Common Buckeyes, Pearl Crescents, Carolina Satyrs, Long-tailed Skippers, and Tropical Checkered-Skippers. In all, Ochlockonee River produced a good representative sample of our local butterfies.
To cap-off the day, we made a quick trip to the east side of town for Brazilian Skipper. We easily found 2-3 where they had been seen reliably since July. One last lifer!
Above left: One of only two Dainty Sulphurs seen during the meeting. Sept. 19, 2018. Ochlockonee River WMA, Leon Co., FL.
Above: A White Peacock poses for the crowd. Sept. 17, 2018. Spring Creek Unit, Big Bend WMA, Taylor Co., FL.
Part 3. First-timer
by Erin Diehm
This year was my frst NABA biennial meeting, and it was such a wonderful experience. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and hope others did, too.
Well in advance of the meeting, we received regular email updates on
accommodations, box lunch choices, the commemorative shirt, and most impressively the choice among nine different feld trips. The descriptions were helpful and the website easy to use. Ready for three days of butterfy bliss!
Day 0. After a smooth fight and an easy trip to the hotel, the frst stop was afternoon registration. Our volunteer hosts were ready with smiling faces to check us in (thank you!). Back issues of American Butterfies and a gorgeous poster of Florida butterfies were also available for the taking.
In the evening, we gathered for an
Brian Lloyd
Palmetto Skippers love blazing stars!
Sept. 17, 2018. Apalachicola National Forest, Liberty Co., FL.
Dotted Skipper, I saw for the frst time ever a Long-tailed Skipper, and indeed its tail is long. We saw many other species, including Palamedes and Tiger Swallowtails.
Then we went on to the state park for box lunches and relaxing banter in the shade of the picnic pavilion, followed by a hike among the trees. This part of Florida is rich in skippers and we were not disappointed. We used our binoculars to view several different species, including Dun, Long-tailed, Northern BrokenDash, Little Glassywing, Lacewing RoadsideSkipper, and Yehl Skippers. The pace was relaxed and we had ample time to view the different butterfies. Everyone was generous with their knowledge, pointing out features to look for (a yellow face, an orange body, etc.). As we exited the park we stopped a few times to look for more species, including Redspotted Purple, Carolina Satyr, Sleepy Orange, and ‘Seminole’ Texan Crescent, to name just a few.
informative presentation by Dean and Sally Jue. Thanks to the extensive preparation of the local organizers, they were able to introduce us to the butterfies we should expect to see over the next three days. The photographs of the different species were stunning, and I especially appreciated the tips for how to distinguish the 90+ species presented.
Day 1. The morning activities began at 8am with talks by Jane Hurwitz (butterfy gardening) or Brian Lloyd (photography). Then grab our box lunch, fnd our group and off we go, carpooling to our chosen day trip. What fun!
I had chosen the Torreya State Park excursion. First, we stopped at Nature Conservancy’s Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve. While on the lookout for the
Back at the hotel, we were treated to a social hour with a yummy BBQ dinner, followed by another enlightening presentation. Dr. Bruce Means shared his passion for the uniqueness of the Florida panhandle — one of fve biodiversity hotspots in North America. His photos illustrated a vast and remarkable range of plants and animals. The evening lectures combined with day trips really helped me understand, at a kind of visceral level, the richness of this part of our world.
Day 2. The morning routine is set now: meet at 8am, grab a box lunch, and break into carpools. I personally am very interested in habitat restoration, and so chose the trip to Calhoun Meadows — 25 acres of former dairy land converted into a vast, inspiring pollinator garden. The drive went quickly, full of enjoyable conversation. It’s so fun to meet NABA enthusiasts from other parts of the country. At Calhoun Meadows, Travis and Karen MacClendon graciously welcomed us into their home, with their friend playing a tune on the recorder, setting the mood perfectly.
If you don’t love Gulf Fritillaries, you probably aren’t a butterfier. Sept. 14, 2018. Pre-meeting trip to Ralph E. Simmons State Forest, Nassau Co., FL.
We toured the property at a leisurely pace, starting with small plots near the home, then moving out to vast open meadows. We saw a wide variety of species, at least 20, by my count. Most memorable were Red-banded Hairstreak and Tropical Checkered-Skipper (both the female, and the male whose body was quite hairy and remarkably blue). Also memorable were the felds full of buckeye caterpillars swaying in the breeze on their host plant.
After an air conditioned lunch at the house, we headed out again, stopping frst in the barn, which was outftted with a wellstocked herbarium, and a large one-way window that looks out onto a lush shady area where birds congregate. No visit to Calhoun
Meadows would be complete without a walk in the labyrinth mown into a feld. I’m not sure how much we meditated, but we did get to see a lot of insects and plants along the way.
The evening presentations on Day 2 were an important update from the National Butterfy Center, and a very engaging talk by Dr. Anurag Agrawal on the history, biology, and prospects of Monarchs and milkweed.
Day 3. My choice for this day was a tour of Bradwell Bay Wilderness Area. We drove the perimeter road, stopping frequently to get out and walk along the roadside, on the lookout for several kinds of skippers — Palmetto, Dion (look for a pale ray), and Berry’s (pale veins, rare). Success! The butterfies co-
A group of New Jersey butterfiers explores Longleaf Pine habitat at the TNC’s Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve. Sept. 18, 2018. Liberty Co., FL.
operated, giving us time to observe them with binoculars while our guides graciously described distinguishing features. It’s another sunny hot day and we are surrounded by a picturesque landscape — tall Longleaf Pines, spaced widely with sun shining down onto the blanket of saw palmetto. It feels expansive, almost like being in a movie.
Across the different sites we saw several swallowtails; Black, Eastern Tiger, Spicebush and Zebra. For our fnal box lunch we drove to a shady spot — sitting with the windows down and doors open. It’s warm but pleasant. Everyone is generous with their knowledge, patient and kind, making it easy to ask questions and learn. The fnal six species I noted are Viceroy, Barred Yellow, Swarthy Skipper (very small, down in the grass), Little Yellow, Sleepy Orange and, last but not least, a female Horace’s Duskywing. What fun!
Back at the hotel we gather for a brief wrap-up session. Groups report species seen and especially those of note — including Great Purple Hairstreak, Brazilian Skipper, and Salt Marsh Skipper.
And so ends my frst-ever NABA biennial meeting. It was an extraordinary experience. Expertly run, friendly, educational, supportive and fun. Thank you to NABA and all the volunteers for organizing such a special event.
Part 4. A State Visit
by Sharon Wander
After a summer of exceptionally oppressive weather at home, the contingent of 14 New Jersey chapter members barely blinked at the fall heat and humidity of the Florida Panhandle. Marveling at literally thousands of gorgeously fashing Gulf Fritillaries — or even just one of that life Palmetto Skipper that some of us trekked south to see — made all the Gatorade-quaffng worthwhile. The 9 of us who came early for the Friday pre-meeting
We’re pretty sure that this Regal Jumping Spider is saying “Mom, I know you told me to avoid fast foods, but Gulf Frits are so tasty!” Sept. 18, 2018. Liberty Co., FL.
trip exploring Ralph E. Simmonds State Forest near Jacksonville enjoyed fnding many nonNJ species, including Zebra and Palamedes Swallowtails, Southern Dogface and Barred Yellow, Phaon Crescent, Southern Pearlyeye, Zarucco Duskywing, and Lace-winged and Dusky Roadside-Skippers. We then spent Saturday a little farther west at the JulingtonDurbin Preserve and Jennings State Forest, where fowers of Blazing-star and Coastal Plain Chaffhead were the biggest nectar draws. We saw our frst Palmetto and Palatka Skippers of the trip (lifers for just about everybody), and a Dotted Skipper, a species not found during the meeting feld trips.
On Sunday we lit out for Tallahassee, stopping along the way at Osceola National Forest. At a quite modest patch of Romerillo (Spanish Needles) in the opening around a railroad crossing we tallied at least 30 butterfy species, including Aaron’s Skipper, another species not
recorded elsewhere. For us, this was the best spot on the whole trip for Zebra Swallowtail, with 3 or 4 constantly nectaring and giving us great looks, rather than just zooming by as they so often do. The number and diversity of butterfies here had us thinking that this must be the only fower patch for miles around!
Reaching Tallahassee with plenty of daylight left, we decided to visit the Elinor Klapps-Phipps City Park, one of the meeting feld trips that none of us had signed up for. We added American Snout and Tawny Emperor to our trip list — nothing really exciting — but somehow we missed Golden Banded-Skipper, which later put in its only appearance of the meeting here.
Then on to the “offcial” meeting feld trips, that got us deeper into the Panhandle’s wonderful biodiversity. The leaders were knowledgeable, friendly and helpful beyond expectations; the participants were fun, funny, and a pleasure to be with. Both the leaders
and the more knowledgeable participants, including many from NJ, showed incredible patience and generosity of spirit in helping everyone “get on” the target butterfy. Finding some species on our own — such as that Yehl Skipper — was a particular thrill. On the Monday feld trip to the Sumatra and Hickory Landing sections of Apalachicola National Forest, we were treated to Little Metalmarks and Berry’s Skippers (to name the lifers), a wonderful variety of grass-skippers, roadside Georgia Satyrs (no need to trek into a Pine Barrens bog), and spectacular pitcherplants and Pine Lilies. Seeing roadside stands of Spanish Needles covered with butterfies and other pollinators, we began to appreciate what a hugely attractive nectar source it is — unlike NJ’s dozen or so yellow-rayed species in the same genus. The silvery drops sparkling from the hordes of nectaring Gulf Fritillaries remain etched in the mind. Those who went to Bradwell Bay saw an impressive Black Swallowtail show in association with its native Water Cowbane hostplant there — mating adults, cats, a newly-emerged adult by its chrysalis, nectaring adults, and one in the clutches of a Green Lynx Spider — virtually the entire life cycle at one spot! Those who went to Spring Creek with Great Purple Hairstreak on their wish list were happily rewarded.
Tuesday’s trip to the TNC Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve showed us how the Preserve management is attempting to recreate the fre regime of a Longleaf Pine forest (and we peered into a “steephead” ravine), and this was the only place we (or anybody) found a Dainty Sulphur. Although at nearby Torreya State Park we did get to see Torreya taxifolia, a highly endangered tree endemic to the environs of the Apalachicola River in the Panhandle, it was considerably more exciting when some of us also got up close and personal with a water moccasin! Butterfy highlights here were the numerous Lacewinged Roadside-Skippers and the beautiful ‘Seminole’ Texan Crescent.
The programs greatly exceeded expectations. The introduction to the Panhandle butterfies we were expecting to see was most helpful. Brian Lloyd’s talk on digital photography and Jane Hurwitz’s on butterfy gardening were both loaded with useful information, and Bruce Means’ survey of the amazing biodiversity of the Panhandle made one want to commit to many more visits to the area. Anurag Agrawal’s presentation skills, speaking style, humor, and the depth of information about Monarchs and Milkweed — a topic we probably all thought we knew thoroughly — made for a riveting program.
Those New Jerseyans who made the postmeeting journey to the “hydric hammocks” of the Tide Swamp unit of Big Bend WMA for Dukes’ Skipper were rewarded by a lone individual (found by hard-working leader Dean Jue). Others made our own way to the Hickory Mounds Unit of Big Bend, truly to be impressed by the sheer number of butterfies on the Spanish Needles and Clustered Bushmint that lined the roadways, by the Pickerelweed fowers attended by dozens of Palamedes Swallowtails, and by the sweeping Gulf-edge saltmarsh that so resembles that of, say, Brigantine — until you notice the palm trees. This was the only place that our group saw ‘Sweadner’s’ Juniper Hairstreak, White Peacock, Monarch, Queen, Saltmarsh Skipper, and (yay!) Least Skipper.
Our thanks to all who worked so hard to make the Tallahassee meeting such an enjoyable and enlightening event for everyone!
Hurricane Michael was not yet a gleam in the Weather Channel’s eye as New Jersey’s NABA members left behind the dazzling abundance and diversity of butterfies that grace Florida’s Panhandle. It is heartbreaking to think of the devastation wreaked only two weeks later on people’s lives there, and on the habitats and creatures we so enjoyed. We can only hope that the resilience of both people and Nature brings eventual recovery to all.
You Are What You Eat
Photodocumentation of Caterpillar Foodplants
We have initiated a project to document the caterpillar foodplants of North American butterfies. For those who would like to participate in this photodocumentation, here are instructions:
Find an egg or a caterpillar (or a group of eggs or caterpillars) on a single plant in the “wild” (this includes gardens). The plant does not need to be native to the area — we want to document all plants used by North American butterfies.
Follow this particular egg or caterpillar (or group of eggs or caterpillars) through to adulthood, with the following documentation.
1. Photograph the actual individual plant on which the egg or caterpillar was found, showing any key features needed for the identifcation of the plant.
2. Photograph the egg or caterpillar.
3. Either leave the egg or caterpillar on the original plant, perhaps sleeving the plant
it is on with netting, allowing the caterpillar to develop in the wild, or remove the egg or caterpillar to your home and feed it only the same species of plant on which it was found.
4. Photograph later instars of the caterpillar.
5. Photograph the resulting chrysalis.
6. Photograph the adult after it emerges from the chrysalis.
7. If the egg or caterpillar was relocated for raising, release the adult back into the wild at the spot where you found it.
We would like to document each plant species used by each North American butterfy species, for each state or province.
In addition to appearing in American Butterfies, the results of this project will be posted to the NABA website. Please send any butterfy species/plant species/state or province trio that is not already posted to naba@naba. org.
Opposite page
Cloudless Sulphurs are able to use a variety of legumes as caterpillar foodplants. One of the most widespread and frequently used is Partridge Pea. However, other related plants, including Maryland Senna, also provide garden-worthy food for these beautiful caterpillars.
A golden Cloudless Sulphur caterpillar on a Maryland Senna fower. Sept. 12, 2015. DeKalb Co., GA.
Cloudless Sulphur
by Meredith Mays
on Maryland Senna (Senna marilandica)(legume family) in DeKalb County, Georgia
In late summer, I see Cloudless Sulphurs in my home garden fairly regularly. Their bright yellow coloring is always cheerful, and I thought they should be welcomed to the garden. I purchased Maryland Senna from a mail order nursery and planted it in the garden. I was very pleased to fnd two lovely yellow Cloudless Sulphur caterpillars hiding in the yellow blossoms in late summer 2015. I originally thought to leave them on the plant, but after a couple of days one
of the caterpillars disappeared, likely to birds or other predators. The remaining adult was installed in the caterpillar condo and I continued to feed it senna. It quickly moved to the ceiling of the condo and went into chrysalis. It was in chrysalis just over a week, and then, after the adult eclosed, it was released back into the garden.
Meredith Mays
Top: One of the two caterpillars eating the senna. Sept. 16.
Bottom left: One of the caterpillars begins to pupate. Sept. 18.
Bottom right: The fully formed chrysalis. Sept. 20.
The adult emerged on Oct. 6 and was released into the garden
Above: A drawing of the approximate range of Cloudless Sulphurs. Turquoise indicates one brood, purple two broods, orange, three or more broods. Cherry spots indicate that strays have occurred there. (drawing modifed from A Swift Guide to Butterfies of North America).
Above: The approximate range of Maryland Senna, based upon county occurrence data from the Biota of North America Program. This might be a useful plant for your garden if you live within the range shown.
Jeffrey Glassberg (2)
Meredith Mays (4)
My Big Life: Prologue
In recent years, my goal each day was to make my wife as happy and comfortable as possible. After her death, in July 2017, and subsequent to a long period of grieving (which continues), I decided that I needed to get out of the house.
Although I’ve been enjoying butterfies for a very long time, I never really tried to maximize the number of species that I’ve seen. Following a trip to Alaska that Jim Springer and I took in 2016 (American Butterfies 24:3/4), I realized that I had seen and photographed almost all of the butterfy species resident in the United States.
I count 755 species of butterfies on the NABA Checklist. I have taken, in the U.S., identifable photos of 630 of these species (unfortunately, my photos of Pearly-gray Hairstreak were lost, so I currently only have photos of 629 species). I would venture to say that no one person has, nor will be able to obtain, photographs, taken in the U.S., of all 755 species (and the new ones that occur each year) because more than 150 of the species are strays, many of these species almost never appear in the U.S., with a fair number of them known from a single record, sometimes from more than 100 years ago.
However, I would consider only 586 species to be resident, i.e., present throughout the year each year, and another 11 species to be regular immigrants that occur in the U.S. at least every two or three years (for example, Elf). Of these 597 species (586 + 11), I currently have identifable photos of 576 species, that is, I’m missing photos of 21 species. Those species and where they mainly are found are:
by Jeffrey Glassberg
Ozark Swallowtail Missouri
Green Marble Alaska
Confusing Scrub-Hairstreak west Texas
Red-spotted Hairstreak Hawaii
Lesser Grass-Blue Hawaii
Astarte Fritillary Alaska
Cryptic Fritillary Alaska
Elf Arizona
Kamehameha Lady Hawaii
Taiga Alpine Alaska
Early Arctic Alaska
Outis Skipper TX-OK
Meridian Duskywing Arizona
Scarce Streaky-Skipper west Texas
Mexican Sootywing New Mexico
Chisos Skipperling West Texas
Banana Skipper Hawaii
Orange-headed Roadside-Sk. New Mexico
Coahuila Giant-Skipper west Texas
Ursus Giant-Skipper AZ-West TX
Manfreda Giant-Skipper south Texas
I’ve actually seen some of these species, such as Red-spotted Hairstreak, Kamehameha Lady and Meridian Duskywing, but wasn’t able to obtain an identifable photo. My plan is to try to see as many of these species as I can over the next few years. When I mentioned this to some people, they suggested that I share my feld experiences with other NABA members and, in turn, ask NABA members to pledge a donation to NABA for each species seen and photographed. Along the way, we’ll learn something about each, or at least some, of these species. Since this sounded like a good idea — here we go!
May I Be in Texas
Actually, I began the quest this year, literally with a bang! In May, I few to the Dallas, Texas area to look for Outis Skipper. I was joined at the Gus Engeling WMA in Anderson County by Nick Grishin, who had seen Outis Skipper at this location in the past. In the event, no Outis Skippers made an appearance, but a number of Oak Hairstreaks were welcome sights. Not only did I whiff on Outis Skipper, driving back to my hotel in a torrential downpour on US 75, the driver to my left lost control of his pickup truck, struck the center divider and then kicked back across
This page: Trouble with Cars. My rental car, slightly the worse for wear. May 3, 2018. Dallas, TX.
Opposite page: One of 12 Oak Hairstreaks seen at Gus Engeling WMA in Anderson Co., TX on May 3, 2018.
Jeffrey Glassberg (2)
the road in front of me. I slammed on the brakes and steered right and had almost come to a complete stop without hitting the truck, when a second pickup truck slammed into me. All three vehicles were towed off the road. Amazingly, no was hurt.
From Dallas, I few into the Odessa/ Midland airport and drove to Big Bend National Park, looking for Confusing ScrubHairstreak, Chisos Banded-Skipper, Scarce Streaky-Skipper, and Chisos Skipperling. The area around Odessa/Midland was perhaps the bleakest landscape I’ve ever seen, not helped by the thousands of oil well seesaws. After I made it to Big Bend, I did manage to fnd and photograph a few very worn Chisos BandedSkippers in Green Gulch, but couldn’t fnd any of the other target species. I’m pretty sure that I was too late for Confusing Scrub-Hairstreak (the population here was recently described as a separate species — Big Bend scrubhairstreak — and it probably will prove to be best to treat it that way) because the Texas False Agave hostplants were pretty much dried up. Still, Big Bend is always breathtakingly beautiful and I did get to see Sandia and Poling’s Hairstreaks, species that I’ve seldom seen.
Top left: Sandia Hairstreak. May 7, 2018. Chisos Basin, Big Bend NP, TX.
Above: Texas False Agave. May 6, 2018. Rio Grande overlook, Big Bend NP, TX.
Top: Perhaps you want to bring the population of the city of Tightwad to 70. June 7, 2018. Tightwad, Henry Co., MO.
Middle: A false alarm Black Swallowtail. June 9, 2018. Lost Valley Fish Hatchery, Benton Co., MO.
Above: The motto of the Tightwad Bank appears to be: We never have time for you! June 7, 2018. Tightwad, Henry Co., MO.
Left bottom: A Bell’s RoadsideSkipper near the northern edge of its range. June 6, 2018. Harry S. Truman State Park, Benton Co., TX.
Overleaf, pg. 34, Main photo: A view of Green Gulch in Big Bend NP. May 6, 2018. Big Bend NP, TX. Inset: Chisos Banded-Skipper. May 6, 2018. Green Gulch, Big Bend NP, TX.
Page 35: A view of the landscape near Boquillas. May 5, 2018. Big Bend NP, TX.
Jeffrey Glassberg (5)
Jeffrey Glassberg (3)
I Don’t Miss Missouri in June
In early June I few to Kansas City, Missouri looking for Ozark Swallowtail. The species was described in 1973 by Richard Heitzman who collected the type specimen along highway UU — the entry road to Harry S. Truman State Park — on June 10, 1973. So far as I can tell, the last publicly verifed sighting of this species was on June 25, 1986, at the same location. However, in 2012, NABA member Rick Borchelt, found and photographed caterpillars that were likely of this species, along the Western Wallfower trail within Harry Truman State Park.
Driving from Kansas City to Truman State Park, I stopped in the city of Peculiar, Missouri, but didn’t fnd it to be particularly unusual or strange. I cannot report that residents of the city felt the same way about me and my search for Ozark Swallowtail.
One of the joys of searching for butterfies throughout the United States, or the world, is the unexpected, interesting things that one sees and learns. As I came closer to Truman State Park, I came upon the city of Tightwad — population 69. As you might well imagine, such a bustling community needs a bank, and there is one here — the Tightwad Bank. Given that the business of banks is to lend money, one might think that it would not be unexpected that the Tightwad Bank was permanently closed for business, but it was interesting none-the-less.
I arrived at Truman State Park in the middle of the afternoon. The area around the park headquarters was jumping with butterfies, mainly on dogbane but also on some milkweed and clover. I saw Great Spangled Fritillaries, many cloudywings and many grass-skippers. The most unusual was a probable Bell’s Roadside-Skipper (it was very, very worn), near the northern edge of its range. Also good to fnd was a Common Roadside-Skipper and the frst midwestern Byssus Skippers that I’d seen in many years.
Over the next few days, I traversed the Western Wallfower trail about 15 times. The closest that I got to a “black” swallowtail were
You Can Join the Team and the Fun While Providing Incentives to Meet the Challenge!
Send a note to NABA, 4 Delaware Rd., Morristown, NJ 07960, or an email to naba@naba.org; providing your contact information and how much you pledge to donate to NABA for each species seen (remember, only 21 are possible).
a rapidly fying Pipevine Swallowtail and a Red-spotted Purple. So, I was pretty excited when I found a “black” swallowtail on June 9th about two miles from the type locality, but the butterfy turned out to be an actual Black Swallowtail. Consolation prizes for taking the trip were large numbers of male Regal Fritillaries, at Painted Prairie Preserve, and loads of Bald Eagles.
Late July in Southeastern Arizona
In late July, I traveled to southeastern Arizona, where there potentially were three target species — Elf, Valeriana Skipper and Ursine Giant-Skipper. I did manage to fnd one of them, Valeriana Skipper, seeing and photographing three or four individuals south of Patagonia. That was pretty exiciting! Elissa Roadside-Skippers were having a banner year, but Elf and Ursus Giant-Skippers were nowhere to be found.
Last Call for Swallowtails
Daunted, I still returned to Missouri in late August to again look for Ozark Swallowtail. Unfortunately, the trip was pretty much a repeat of the June tale, sans Regals. And, like the frst trip, I did see a Black Swallowtail, but knew enough not to get excited.
To Be Continued in May, 2019
Top: Regal Fritillary males had just emerged and were abundant, fying low over the grasses, looking for females. June 10, 2018. Pettis Co., MO.
Bottom: Harry S. Truman State Park has a large population of Bald Eagles. This one, being young, hasn’t yet gone bald. Sept. 1, 2018. Harry Truman SP, Benton Co., MO.
Jeffrey Glassberg (2)
Top. A view from Peña Blanca Lake. The author did find a Valeriana Skipper, in the vicinity, but no Elfs nor Ursine Giant-Skippers. July 27, 2018. Santa Cruz Co., AZ.
Bottom left: Valeriana Skipper, one of only two lifers for the year! July 26, 2018. South of Patagonia, Santa Cruz Co., AZ on San Rafael Valley Road.
Bottom right: Carus Skipper. July 26, 2018. South of Patagonia, Santa Cruz Co., AZ on Harshaw Creek Road.
Patagonia, AZ, with its aging population and remote location, often has medical emergencies.
John Kemner
Top: July 26, 2018. Patagonia, AZ. Bottom: July 27, 2018. Patagonia, AZ.
Jeffrey Glassberg (5)
Fall 2018 Hot
Seens
August butterfies in Eastern North American included a Giant Swallowtail, seen in Salem, Washington Co., NY by Ron Hedden on Aug. 2; a White Admiral reported by Michael Diederich at Chappaqua Mountain Road, Chappaqua, NY, also on Aug. 2, his frst in Westchester County. An August 4 submission by John Christensen from a prairie near Ann Arbor, Washtenaw Co., MI of 16 species, included fve Pipevine Swallowtails, a species near the northern limit of their range but that appear regularly here. 28 species were seen on August 7 by Bo Zaremba in Great Dismal Swamp NWR, Suffolk Co., VA including Creole Pearly-eye, Carolina Roadside-Skipper, Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper, and Great Purple Hairstreak. Renee Davis saw her frst of the year Giant Swallowtail on August 9 on Stump Pond Road, Sullivan Co., NY. On Aug. 11, Mary Bush photographed a Palamedes Swallowtail in her yard in York Co., VA, slightly north of its normal range. On August 12 William G. Haley, Jr. got a lifer Brazilian Skipper in Chattanooga, Hamilton Co., TN. Mike Reese, on August 15, photographed a Giant Swallowtail at Green Bay Botanical Garden, Green Bay, WI, rare this far north in the eastern part of the state and only the second Brown County record.
Other August butterfy sightings included a Zebra Heliconian reported by Scott Dueweke in Emerald Isle – Dunes, Carteret Co., NC on August 17; Nils Helstrom on August 18 reported an Ocola Skipper, rare this far north and a lifer butterfy for him, in Wayne, Passaic Co., NJ; a Brazilian Skipper, a frst for her garden, reported on August 19 by Jill Gorman in Gwinnett Co., GA; and Harry Zirlin saw four Harvesters on August 25 at the train station in Scarsdale, Westchester Co.,
by Michael Reese
Top
Yellow Angled-Sulphurs are very rare strays anywhere in the U.S. This individual was photographed in Lower Carr Canyon, Cochise Co., AZ on Aug. 3.
May 3. Greenwood State Forest, Allegany Co., MD.
Bottom
Atalas seem to be edging northward. A population seems to be established in Melbourne, Brevard County, Florida. A look at the photo, taken on Aug. 22, shows why we’re all glad that they are!
Aug. 22, Indiatlantic, Brevard Co., FL.
Ed Perry IV
NY. Andy Birkey, in Bunker Hills Regional Park, Anoka Co., MN reported 11 species including 30+ Leonard’s Skippers, a species of special concern in Minnesota, and 40+ Dainty Sulphurs on August 27; Joanne Langabee, on August 28, saw 20 species including a Funereal Duskywing, a new species for the garden, and a rare visitor to Nebraska at Lauritzen Gardens, Omaha, Douglas Co., NE; on August 29, Allen Belden saw 25 species, the most species he has seen in eight years of record keeping in James River Park (42nd Street to Lee Bridge), Richmond, VA; and, on August 30, Douglas Buege observed only 20 total butterfies at Olbrich Botanical Garden, Madison, Dane Co., WI but one was a Horace’s Duskywing, only the seventh WI sighting since 2000 and a Funereal Duskywing, only the 22nd sighting ever in WI. Queens apparently moved northward with reports from Jennifer Lankin from Buchanan Co., MO on Aug. 28. On Sept. 1, Queens were reported by Chris and John Warmbrodt from Franklin Co., MO and from an unnamed observer from St. Louis Co., MO.
September butterfies of interest in the East included a Queen, reported on September 2 by Jill Homcy in DeKorte Park, Lyndhurst, Bergen Co., NJ — origin uncertain; a Brazilian Skipper seen by Meredith Mays on September 8 in her home garden in Dekalb Co., GA; 13 species, including an Ocola Skipper, 1 mile west of US route 1 on Mason/ Dixon-MD/PA line, PA reported by Denis C. Quinn on September 16; and an unusual sighting report on September 16 by Judith Huf who observed three Monarchs and a Common Buckeye while waiting for a plane at Washington National Airport, VA. Other September butterfy sightings of note included a September 17 report by Jay Watson of a Cloudless Sulphur, a rare species in Wisconsin with only nine sightings in the last fve years, at Point Beach State Forest, Two Rivers, Manitowoc Co., WI; a Bordered Patch on September 20 reported by Joanne Langabee from her back yard in Bellevue, Douglas
Brazilian Skippers had an explosive year in the East with more individuals reported northward than in many, many years.
Top left
One of the few Brazilian Skippers ever seen in New Jersey, this individual was at the Rutgers Display Gardens, Middlesex County on Aug. 23.
Top right
The transparent Brazilian Skipper caterpillars are eerie. This one was at College Park, Prince George’s Co., MD on Aug. 31.
Middle Left
This stunning Black Checkerspot was photographed on Aug. 12 on Oracle Control Rd., Pima Co., AZ.
Middle Right
A number of Queens appeared out of place. This one was in Buchanan Co., MO on Aug. 28.
Third row right
Malachites are always fun! This one was north of its normal range, at Fort De Soto Park, Pinellas Co., FL on Nov. 5.
Bottom Right
Barred Sulphurs from Cuba look somewhat diferent from Florida individuals. This individual, photographed in Long Key State Park, Monroe Co., FL, appears to be one from Cuba.
William Beck
Jennifer Lankin
Jim Springer
Rick Borchelt
Amy Grimm
Ron Smith
Co., NE; 32 species including six Brazilian Skippers and two Great Southern Whites seen at Norfolk Botanical Garden, Suffolk Co., VA on September 21 by David L. Amadio; and, on September 22, Allen Belden reported a Brazilian Skipper, his frst ever sighting in the Richmond area, in a Forest Hill Park area yard, Richmond City Co., VA. On September 23, Todd Eiben saw 15 species including a lifer Funereal Duskywing, a rare species in Ohio, in Euclid Creek Reservation, Wildwood Park, Cuyahoga Co., OH; on September 24 Joanne Langabee saw 23 species including 304 Monarchs and eight Bordered Patches, a rare stray species frst seen in the gardens last year, in Lauritzen Gardens, Douglas Co., NE; a lifer Viceroy seen on September 26 by Silvester Williams in Centennial Park, Ellicott City, Howard Co., MD; and a September 27 sighting by Ellen Honeycutt of a Zebra Heliconian in her garden in Canton, Cherokee CO., GA.
October butterfy highlights in the east included an October 3 report from Jeffrey Rabkin of 270 Monarchs migrating along the beach in Rockaway Beach, Queens Co., NY; A Brazilian Skipper on Oct. 3 in Cape May Co., NJ, reported by Beth Polvino; a report of 18 species including 45 Monarchs on October 6 by Mark Adams from Jones Mill, Clark, & Shifetts Mill roads, Albemarie Co., VA; and a White M Hairstreak, rare in this location, seen by Rich Kelly in William Cullen Bryant Preserve, Nassau Co., NY on October 7. On October 8 Sally Isacco reported four species including an Ocola Skipper, rare here, in Mentor Marsh State Natural Preserve-Wake Robin, Lake CO., OH; also on Oct. 8, a Painted Lady was reported by Mike Reese from the Mariners Trail, Two Rivers/ Manitowoc, WI. This was only the seventh Painted Lady seen in the state this year, which is interesting because Painted Ladies were the most abundant butterfy in the state last year. A Brazilian Skipper caterpillar, was seen on Oct 9 at Hopewell Pool, Columbia, Howard County, MD by Jim Wilkinson; while
Giant Swallowtails continue to expand their range.
Top
Mike Reese found a number of interesting Giant Swallowtails this summer. One, on Aug. 15, was at the Green Bay Botanical Garden, Green Bay, Brown Co., WI and was unusual that far northeast. Another, shown here, was in a more normal range, but more attractive.
Aug. 4, 2018. Avoca Wildlife Area, Iowa Co., WI.
Bottom
On August 2, this Giant Swallowtail was seen way north of the normal range for the species, 3 miles northeast of Salem, in Washington Co., NY, near the Vermont border.
Mike Reese
Ron Hedden
another Brazilian Skipper was seen on Oct. 28,by Kathy Beza Richardson at Dutch Gap Conservation Area Chesterfeld Co., VA.
Other interesting butterfy sightings included an October 19 report by Curtis A. Lehman in Forest Hills, Allegheny Co., PA of six species including Monarchs after a nighttime temperature of 31 degrees and a heavy frost; Babs and Loren Padelford, following two days of strong southerly breezes, saw a Goatweed Leafwing in their backyard in Bellevue, Sarpy Co., NE on October 22, the last sighting they had of this species in Nebraska was 30 years ago; on October 23 Joanne Langabee also saw a Goatweed Leafwing in Lauritzen Gardens, Douglas Co., NE, the Goatweed Leafwing was the frst for the garden and the ffth new species for the year; David L. Amadio observed in the Lititz business district, Lancaster Co., PA fve species, including an American Snout on Sweet Alyssum in a storefront windowbox; and, on October 28, Bart Jones, in the Ghost River State Natural Area and WMA, Fayette Co., TN, reported 13 species including Carolina Satyr and Ocola Skipper.
Western
Western butterfies of note included a Yellow Angled-Sulphur, only the second yard record, observed on August 3 by Robert A. Behrstock at the Behrstock/LeMay residence, Hereford, Cochise Co., AZ; on August 3 William D. Beck observed 32 species including Valeriana Skipper, Sheep Skipper, and Pahaska Skipper along Ruby Road, near Arivaca and Pena Blanca Lakes, Santa Cruz Co., AZ; 21 species were reported on August 4 by Dennis Holmes, including Edith’s Copper, Blue Copper, Lilacbordered Copper, and Sooty Hairstreak along FR 20 west of Mt Ashland over to Dutchman’s Peak, Jackson CO., OR; and 28 species including Dull Firetip, Drusius Cloudywing, Nais Metalmark, Large Roadside-Skipper, and Moon-marked Skipper were observed on August 11 by William D. Beck in the Santa Catalina mountains, Santa Cruz Co., AZ.
Other western butterfies of note included an August 17 report by David H. Bartholomew in Long Ridge Open Space Preserve, San Mateo, Co., CA of an Unsilvered Fritillary, the target species for the trip; 15 species, including 82 Green Commas, were seen by Venice Kelly on August 30 in James Peak Wilderness East Portal, Gilpin Co., CO at over 9000 ft in elevation; Barbara Peck, on September 13, reported a very fresh Juba Skipper at the Wyntour Nursery in Redding near the city border of Anderson, Shasta Co., CA, a very unusual location for this skipper; and a Milbert’s Tortoiseshell seen on October 27 by Jeanette Klodzen at Twin Lake Pass (Big Cottonwood Canyon), Davis Co., UT, just shy of the 9960 ft. pass on a sunny day with a high of near 50 degrees.
Florida
Florida butterfy sightings of note included a report by Ron Smith of 21 species on August 19 including the frst record of a Malachite at Fort De Soto State Park and the frst in Pinellas Co. for some time; on August 22 Edward Perry IV observed abundant Atalas along Highway 1-92 in Melbourne, beachside in the town of Indialantic, Brevard Co., a far northern location for this species; an aberrant Gulf Fritillary photographed on August 25 by Gina Sousa in Palm Beach Co.; and 10 species including superabundant White Peacocks reported on September 8 by Mark and Holly Salvato at Green Cay Nature Center and Wetlands, Boynton Beach.
Other Florida sightings included an NABA Conference feld trip reported by Linda Cooper and led by Brian Lloyd and Eric Shaw on September 17 to Spring Creek Unit part of Big Bend WMA of 49 species including 150 Cloudless Sulphurs, 400 Gulf Fritillaries, and 150 Long-tailed Skippers; a report by Edward Perry IV, from September 28, of 41 species including three of the target species — Dion Skipper — at Jennings Forest WMA, Clay Co.; an October 3 sighting by Ron Smith of 18 species including many, well worn, Long-
tailed Skippers passing through Fort De Soto Park, Pinellas Co.; and an October 7 report from Linda Cooper and eight others on the “bullied by skippers” feld trip to Bull Creek WMA, Osceola CO., of 46 species including 26 species of skippers.
Texas
Texas butterfy sightings of note, all from Hidalgo Co., include a Mexican Longtail, a very rare stray, seen August 16 by John Rosford at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park; an October 11 submission from Daniel Jones of 29 species including three species of white-skippers, two Erichson’s WhiteSkippers, 10 Laviana White-Skippers, and one Turk’s-cap White-Skipper from his backyard in Progreso; and several pre-Texas Butterfy Festival scouting trips by Linda Cooper, Steve Moore and Barbara Volkle. Highlights of the scouting trips included Guava Skippers at Estero Llano Grande State Park on October 29 and a White Angled-Sulphur at the Hidalgo Pumphouse on October 31.
Whether you see an unusual butterfly, an early or late sighting of a common species, or have a complete list of the species you have seen, we would appreciate hearing from you. Please send your butterfly sightings to sightings@naba.org. Those who record your sightings to the Butterflies I’ve Seen website can just click on “email trip” and send it to the address given above. Your sightings will go into the larger database and will also be available for others to see on the Recent Sightings web page.
Top
One of the very few Mexicoan Longtails ever seen in the United States. Aug. 18, 2018. Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park, Hidalgo Co., TX.
Middle
Valeriana Skipper. July 24, 2018. Ruby Rd., Santa Cruz Co., AZ.
Bottom
One of more than 30 Leonard’s Skippers seen in Bunker Hills Regional Park, Anoka Co., MN Aug. 27, 2018.
John Rosford
William Beck
Andy Birkey
Contributors
Erin Diehm holds degrees in Chemistry and Slavic Languages and Linguistics. She has always felt a deep connection with the natural world and is now working in her community to help promote habitat for insects and birds. She is grateful to the active butterfy community in the San Francisco Bay area who organize ‘gateway’ activities like butterfy counts, and help promote butterfy gardening in our area. Although she is relatively new to formal aspects of butterfying, she and her husband (who is enthusiastically ‘on the team’) have planted a yard full of caterpillar host plants, and are astounded by the number of butterfies and birds that visit regularly in our densely populated metropolitan area. Plant it and they will come!
Jeffrey Glassberg is a director and president of NABA. Jeff has followed butterfies since he was 5 years old living on Long Island, New York. He detoured to take an undergraduate degree in civil engineering and a Ph.D. in molecular genetics, then worked at Stanford University and Rockefeller University. In 1981 he invented DNA fngerprinting and co-founded a biotechnology company (Lifecodes) that commercialized this technique. Jeff is a past-president of Xerces Society, the author of the ‘Butterfies through Binoculars’ feld guide series, the editor of the ‘through Binoculars’ series (including Caterpillars, Dragonfies and Wildfowers) and the author of A Swift Guide to the Butterfies of Mexico and Central America and of A Swift Guide to Butterfies of North America. He graduated from the Columbia
University School of Law in 1993 and is a member of the New York bar. He is an adjunct professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Rice University.
David Harder’s feld experience began in upstate New York when he took up birding at age 10. He did behavioral genetic research at Florida State University for more than 20 years. He began butterfying two decades ago and has done numerous butterfy surveys at dozens of sites in northern Florida for a regional database. He is currently vicepresident of NABA’s Hairstreak Chapter, compiler for the Tallahassee and Big Bend WMA counts, and often leads butterfy and dragonfy walks in the area.
Jane Hurwitz is editor of NABA’s Butterfy Gardener magazine. She is also the author of Butterfy Gardening: The North American Butterfy Association Guide and of numerous nonfction works for young adults.
Meredith Mays lives in Atlanta, Georgia and has worked as in house counsel for AT&T for many years. In her spare time, she enjoys butterfly gardening, butterfly related outdoor activities, and spending time with her husband, daughters and Scottish terriers.
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Readers Write
Is it Frosted or Iced?
I appreciated the article by Dean Jue regarding the Frosted Elfn survey in East Texas in the latest issue of American Butterfies. In Northwest Ohio we are fortunate enough to have Frosted Elfns. It is an Ohio Endangered Species and I would like to try to conduct a similar survey here following the protocol described in the article, providing information to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. I have a question regarding the subspecies (Callophrys irus hadros). What is different about this subspecies in comparison to the Frosted Elfn of Northwest Ohio? Why is it considered a subspecies?
Jan Dixon, Perrysburg, OH
Most serious biologists don’t think that the concept of subspecies is very useful. Subspecies are often described based upon someone saying “oh, the ones from place A have buffy spots while the one from place B have white spots.” In many cases, genetic variation within a species doesn’t track with named subspecies. However, in the instant case, Frosted Elfns in Texas do look recognizably different and there appears to be a signifcant geographic gap between the TX/OK/AR population and other Frosted Elfns. Ed.
Contributors continued
environmental consultant who investigates wetlands and does surveys for threatened and endangered species. She has long been an active New Jersey naturalist, interested in birds, herptiles, plants, and of course, butterfies. Sharon is the immediate past president of the New Jersey Butterfy Club chapter of NABA, and frequently leads feld trips and presents programs for the club and for outside organizations. She is the former editor of the annual NABA Butterfy Count Report, and served on the state committee that evaluated the status of New Jersey butterfies in 2013. She and Wade and have compiled the Springdale, NJ, Fourth of July count since 1992, and are especially proud of their Fredon Township, NJ, butterfy garden, which has attracted a state-record 84 species to date.
Mike Reese updates the NABA Recent Sightings web pages. He enjoys photographing wild fowers, birds, dragonfies, and, of course, butterfies. He is an educator in Wautoma, Wisconsin and has been recording and documenting the butterfies that are found there for over 15 years. He also maintains a website on the Butterfies of Wisconsin.
Sharon Wander joined NABA in its earliest days. After earning a B.A. in English and enjoying a brief career as an editor and copywriter, she escaped her cubicle and returned to college for her doctorate in Ecology, studying the breeding biology of ovenbirds. Along with her husband, Wade, she is a self-employed (but trying to retire) Contributors (continued
Rob Santry has been a butterfy enthusiast for many years and has focused on butterfy photography since retiring as the Geographic Information Systems Manager for the City of Redding, California in 2010. He specializes in the butterfy fauna of his home state of California. His pictures have been included in butterfy feld guides, books, magazines, scientifc papers, regional newsletters and a childrens coloring book. He participates in many of the various NABA counts in the Northern California area. Expect to see Rob on some of California’s mountaintops, desert washes, volcanoes, or riparian areas with camera in hand.
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