East Haddam Summer Butterfly Count - 7/04

[Clay Taylor]

Hi All -

    Please forgive me if you get another version of this on Leps-L, but I wanted to do a Conn.-specific version.

    The weather was pretty poor for butterflying on July 4th, but I had such an outstanding group of volunteers show up at Haddam Meadows State Park that we decided to soldier on, anyway.   The skies were overcast for most of the day, early morning showers kept the vegetation wet, and the butterflies were reluctant to show themselves.  Afternoon conditions improved, with glimpses of sunshine, but choice locations had already been covered, with others yet to visit.   Hey, they can't all be sunny and calm days, right?

    My thanks to Andy Brand, Lenny Brown, Greg Hanisek, Hank Golet, Ted Hendrickson, Tom Harrington, Sue Craig, Sue Farnsworth, Rich Chyinski, David Bingham, Anthony Zemba, Bethany (whose last name I forgot to write down!), Diane Price, Jonathan Taylor, and Grace Taylor.

    Anyway, by the end of the day, 42 species (ties 2nd highest species total) and 1278 individuals (second highest ever) were seen.   No new species were added to the list.  There have been 13 previous counts with good data and competent participant skills (I have omitted a few years when we were pretty shaky)

Key to this listing:
species name (# of years species has been recorded) - 2001 total - notes of interest [current / old record high]

Black Swallowtail (10) -1 
E. Tiger Swallowtail (13) - 15
Spicebush Swallowtail(11) - 11 -second highest total [12]
Cabbage White(12) - 13 - low
Clouded Sulphur(12) - 53 
Orange Sulphur (12) - 41 
American Copper (11) - 77 
Bog Copper (12) - 75 - third highest [238]
Coral Hairstreak (9) - 10 - New High
Edward's H. (6) - 10 - New High
Banded H. (4) - 3 
Striped H. (7) - 9 - New High
Eastern Tailed-Blue (13) - 57 
Summer Azure (7) - 2 
Variegated Fritillary (4) - 1 
Great-Spangled F. (13) - 198 - New High [109]
Meadow F. (4) - 7 - New High
Pearl Crescent (11) - 6
Baltimore Checkerspot (5) - 1
Question Mark (6) - 6 - New High
Eastern Comma (6) - 2
American Lady (12) - 19 - second highest [20]
Red Admiral (12) - 42 - New High [23]
Red-spotted Purple (5) - 4
Northern Pearly-Eye (3) - 1
Appalachian Brown (11) - 19 - New High [10]
Little Wood Satyr (12) - 157 - New HIGH [44!]
Common Wood-Nymph (5) - 168 - New HIGH [31!]
Monarch (12) - 3 - LOW [ 62]
Silver-Spotted Skipper (13) - 33
Hoary Edge (7) - 5
Southern Cloudywing (8) - 20
Least Skipper (10) - 29 - third highest [39]
European Sk. (11) - 5
Peck's Sk. (6) - 2
Crossline Sk. (8) - 6 - New High
Northern Broken-Dash (7) - 8
Little Glassywing (11) - 47 - New High [33]
Delaware Sk. (10) - 90 - New High [61]
Mulberry Wing (5) - 1
Black Dash (4) - 2
Dun Skipper (9) - 18

    In summary, the woods species did well (especially Satyr and Wood-Nymph), skipper numbers were fair to good, and late-lingering species were few.   Notable misses of species recorded on at least 6 previous counts were Mourning Cloak (seen 7/03 and 7/05), Viceroy, and Long Dash.

Can't wait for 2002!

Clay Taylor
Moodus, CT
ctaylor at worldnet.att.net

And finally, the photo of the day - Appalachian Brown at Haddam Meadows S.P. - 7/04/2001


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