Just over the border...Hessels?

[Wagner, David]

I reckon that the species may be on the wing as many as ten days earlier than this scheduled event.  The 22nd would be peak flight or even a bit past peak.  But more importantly, one is apt to have best luck seeing Hessel’s on especially warm days (because the butterflies nectar and puddle more).  Who knows what the weather will be like on the 22nd of May, 2011.  Those of you with interest and flexibility might want to plan visit around the weather….

I haven’t seen many Hessel’s but most of mine have come in morning about 10:00 AM (puddling or at Vaccinium flowers); think late afternoons (around 4 PM) are supposed to be good too (esp. on warm days).   On especially warm days (near or above 90 F), the adults nectar throughout the day.

Good quest (and good questing)!

From: owner-ctleps-l at lists.yale.edu [mailto:owner-ctleps-l at lists.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Joe Stichter
Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2011 9:30 AM
To: ctleps-l at lists.yale.edu
Subject: Re: Just over the border...Hessels?


----- Forwarded Message -----
From: "Sharon Stichter" <sharonstichter2 at comcast.net>
To: "MassLep" <MassLep at googlegroups.com>
Cc: mariaaa at aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2011 9:18:05 AM
Subject: Re: [MassLep] CT List info...Hessels?

Roger Pease, a student of Remington at Yale, discovered Hessel's Hairstreak
in the Wilbraham Bog in 1982. His account of how he discovered it can be
read in the Fall 2005 (No. 25) issue of the MBC journal Massachusetts
Butterflies, available at
http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabambc/back-issues.asp  .

Roger reports taking specimens and depositing them in the Yale Peabody
Museum, but a search of the museum's on-line catalog does not turn up these
specimens.  The only Yale Massachusetts specimens are 3 from Dover; and the
only Harvard MCZ specimens are those from Westwood taken by William D.
Winter in the 1980s. The Mass. Natural Heritage database does not include a
report from Wilbraham or anywhere else in the Connecticut River valley. The
NHESP database, the MAS Atlas data, and the Mass Butterfly Club sight
records 1992-present show Hessel's Hairstreak only from eastern and
southeastern Massachusetts locations.

Thus, the 1982 report from Wilbraham really does need confirmation, and it
is good news that the local Conservation Commission is organising a "hunt"
for it. Anyone who can attend and help with identification should try to do
so!

Sharon Stichter
www.butterfliesofmassachusetts.net



-----Forwarded Message-----
>From: mariaaa at aol.com
>Sent: May 10, 2011 10:22 PM
>To: ctleps-l at lists.yale.edu
>Subject: Just over the border...Hessels?
>
>
> Greetings CT Leps folks!  I as a long-time (but silent!) member of this
> list-serv, I am sending along the announcement about an upcoming 'hunt'
> for Hessel's Hairstreak in a very unique (and threatened) habitat that is
> just over the border from Enfield...it is a large, inland Atlantic White
> Cedar swamp in Wilbraham, Mass.  The state officially documented this
> species there in, I believe, the 1960s.  But it hasn't been verified since
> (and believe me, there have not been many people out there looking for
> it!).  There is lots yet to be seen (and documented) there, but the
> Wilbraham Conservation Committee is (finally!) organizing a "Hunt for
> Hessel's", to be held on Sunday, May 22nd, 2pm.  I have attached the
> 'press release' regarding this.  The hike will begin at the McDonald
> Preserve (North Trail Head)--here's a link to info about the site:
> http://wilbrahamma.virtualtownhall.net/pages/Wilbrahamma_BComm/OS-Links/Alton.htm
>
>Feel free to contact me with questions, or more info about the site...but
>unfortunately I cannot be there that day.  Rob Anderson (contact info in
>attached doc) would be a good person to contact because he is organizing
>this event (and I believe he's on the committee).  Also, PLEASE fwd this on
>to others who might be up for this event.  MANY thanks!
>
>Maria Aliberti Lubertazzi, Ph.D.
>
>
>
>

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