Giants

Grkovich, Alex agrkovich at tmpeng.com
Sun Aug 7 13:14:27 EDT 2011


Peary,

One of the factors that can cause this sort of phenomenon is a large eruption of specimens further south...This can cause  significant numbers of specimens to emigrate (move out) of the region (i.e. further north) in search of larval hosts which  may have become inundated by the "explosion" of specimens within the normal range of the species...Giants had been noted to be on the move north either last year and/or the year before (in 2009). So the occurrence of so many adults in southwestern New England this season was not so unpredictable.

The real question is whether these new populaitons in SW New England are going to persist. They often persist for a couple to a few seasons and then are killed off by an excessively harsh winter or by the following explosion of predators and parasites...

Hopefully P. cresphontes is here to stay in W CT and SW MA and E NY State...Time will tell...

Alex
________________________________________
From: owner-ctleps-l at lists.yale.edu [owner-ctleps-l at lists.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Peary Stafford [pstaff at pipeline.com]
Sent: Sunday, August 07, 2011 9:31 AM
To: CTLEPS-L at lists.yale.edu
Subject: Giants

        BK and I went to Canaan this weekend as well and found 8 Giants in
various places, some in rather worn condition and some looking
absolutely pristine, like they had just eclosed.  I must admit that
the whole process leaves me a bit mystified.
        How do these irruptions occur?  Is there some set of climatic
conditions that push some individuals North who miraculously find
each other, mate, and produce a new second brood?  That might explain
the large numbers that are flying in rather disparate parts of CT
right now, but does seem a little far-fetched.  Does anyone know if
there is a similar irruption in other parts of New England?
        I'd be fascinated if someone could point me to any work that's been
done on this type of phenomenon.  We had a similar irruption of
Milbert's Tortoiseshell at Steep Rock a number of years back that
left me wondering as well.
Peary

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