Hamden Butterflies

Grkovich, Alex agrkovich at tmpeng.com
Fri Apr 23 09:01:55 EDT 2004


I have an observation to offer on this...

It is apparent that the spring flight of the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
(Papilio [or Pterouras] glaucus glaucus) is just beginning in southern New
England. (I myself have seen them in Meriden, CT during the last week of
April through about the 3rd to 4th week of May)...Now, the spring flight of
this species will last about 6 weeks...with ragged specimens lingering until
about the first week of June at the latest...

Now, last June 2nd, I observed many and collected a single very fresh male
"Tiger" in open oak woodlands at Cross River, Westchester Co., NY; this
locale is of course not to far away from southern CT...This butterfly I have
identified as an Appalachian Tiger (P. appalachiensis), based upon its
phenotypic resemblance to male "Appys" that I have taken in southeastern
West Virginia, in upland wooded habitats during Memorial Day Weekend in
2002...In eastern and central Massachusetts (and also in southern VT and
NH), a big flight of "Tigers" (Appys) also begins right around June 1st,
usually a couple days prior...

I would suggest that this early June brood of "Tigers" in southern New
England and southern New York cannot be the progeny of the spring flight of
glaucus; it also cannot be the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail (P.
canadensis)...while they do bear a superficial resemblance to canadensis
(superficial ONLY, I will emphasize), they are obviously NOT
canadensis...(at least not from Mass. southward)...

Also, in eastern Mass., I have observed that this "early June" flight
continues well into July...and I have also observed what appears to be
second sequence of larger, heavier adults during the 3rd and 4th weeks of
July...in addition to this, what appears to be further Eastern Tiger
Swallowtail itself, seems to have a second flight beginning in eastern Mass.
in late July through August...This are very similar to authentic and very
large glaucus which one will encounter much further south, except for the
obvious fact that they are quite a bit smaller...

So then, the questions are these: What is the early June flight...is it Appy
itself (P. appalachiensis) or is it a northern subspecies of appalachiensis?
And what is the significance of this "second sequence" later July "flight"
(if any)? But one would think that there is some significance, because it is
apparently too late to be the same thing as whatever flies from early June,
and my voucher specimens clearly suggest that it is NOT glaucus...

Not meaning to intentional stir the pot, but observations on the various
broods of "Tigers" that fly in southern New England are needed...because to
me, anyway, they just don't "add up" clearly...

Also, hopefully we will have a good weaterh season this year...this will
help with such observations...

Alex   

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Andrew Brand [SMTP:biobrand at comcast.net]
> Sent:	Thursday, April 22, 2004 8:10 PM
> To:	ctleps-l at lists.yale.edu
> Subject:	Hamden Butterflies
> 
> Had my first Tiger Swallowtail today at Broken Arrow Nursery in Hamden.
> Also, on April 21 I saw a Clouded Sulphur and two American Ladies at the
> same location.
> Andy Brand
> 
> 
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