Today's outing

[JH]

Bill Yule and I were out and about today in the Madison and Killingworth areas looking for a bunch of things, but since this is a butterfly list, that's what I'll post.  I think the best find was an Eyed Brown, a harder to find butterfly than the similar-looking Appalachian Brown.  It landed by my tire while we were surveying a pond for d-flies.  A Hickory Hairstreak was a good find, too.  Both were in Madison.  

We noticed that every single Gypsy Moth larva we came across was dead.  Many of the males were observed flying around.  It appears that while there was a big hatch of them this year, many in the area of Madison and Killingworth will not be able to bring a new generation into the world.

We also noticed a lot of butterflies that were stunted in growth.  Possibly a result of this drought?


Other spp seen today:

Madison: Black Swallowtail (1), Spicebush Swallowtail (3), Clouded Sulphur (2), HICKORY HAIRSTREAK (1), EYED BROWN (1)

Killingworth: Spicebush Swallowtail (2), Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (1), Cabbage White (a bunch), Orange Sulphur (2), Eastern Tailed Blue (2), Great Spangled Fritillary ( 3), Pearl Crescent (12+/-), Eastern Comma (1), American Lady (2), Red Admiral (2), Viceroy (1), Common Wood Nymph (1), Silver-spotted Skipper (2), Least Skipper (6+/-), Dun Skipper (5+/-)

Bill's yard in Guilford added a Mulberrywing and Tawny-edge Skipper to the day's list.  He also had one of my favorite moths, the Maple Spanworm hanging on his house from the night before.  This is the earliest I've ever seen them!  A real beauty - looks like an autumn maple leaf!

   
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John Himmelman
Killingworth, CT USA
jhimmel at connix.com
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Visit my websites at:
http://booksandnature.homestead.com/booksandnature.html
www.ctamphibians.com
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