[Ctleps-l] Southern immigrant butterflies in CT

[hpazures at aol.com]

Hi Lenny:

Not sure the recent storms (June 29) could account for butterflies up your way so quickly (July 3).  I have an alternate explanation.  In northern Virginia, we had NO winter by northern standards this year.  Sure, the trees were bare for the most part but I recall few nights below freezing except during that cold snap in March where we had several nights just below freezing.  Many flowerbeds in the Washington D.C. area remained in bloom throughout the entire winter.  Asters were the most hardy.  Rather remarkable.  This mild winter led to many butterflies emerging a full month early this year - down here as well as up your way.  Everything got a head start.  We had a good emergence of Sleepy Oranges this March that overwintered (adult stage) in larger numbers than normal, so you might see these up your way.  Has anyone gone over to Avondale Preserve in Westerly, R.I. where Sleepy Oranges were found two years in a row (no doubt an overwintering colony)?

Also, Cloudless Sulphurs were seen here in March.  You might watch for Cloudless Sulphurs up in Connecticut already.  I took a trip up to Gettysburg National Battlefield on July 1 and counted well in excess of 150 Cloudless Sulphurs and 50+ Sleepy Oranges around the visitor center.  In past years, you'd be lucky to just see one of these in Gettysburg in summer.  The park seeded several acres around the visitor center with various native wildflowers and now there are thousands of Cassia and Sennae plants, supporting a thriving colony of Cloudless and Sleepy Sulphurs (and Little Yellow).  Population pressure may push all these bugs up your way very shortly.

Harry

-----Original Message-----
From: Epmanshell <Epmanshell at aol.com>
To: Emmayct <Emmayct at cs.com>
Cc: ctleps-l <ctleps-l at mailman.yale.edu>
Sent: Tue, Jul 3, 2012 8:01 am
Subject: Re: [Ctleps-l] Southern immigrant butterflies in CT


Cloudless Sulphur, Variegated Fritillary and Common Buckeye, three southern immigrants, have all appeared in the state in June.
 
Fiery Skipper was reported in MA on Saturday, 6/30.
 
It looks like 2012 will be a good year for southern immigrants in CT.
 
I speculate that the recent storms in the southeastern US may have broken the drought in that part of the country, resulting in a butterfly population boom that is leading to these southern immigrants making their north.
 
Lenny Brown
Wallingford
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

In a message dated 7/2/2012 9:25:36 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, Emmayct at cs.com writes:
Wow, Cloudless in June..great to hear these observations.

Maryann
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