White M Hairstreak
Steve Walter
swalter15 at verizon.net
Wed Mar 14 10:58:44 EDT 2012
It’s worth mentioning that Hook Mountain is a bit unusual regarding flight periods. Dun Skipper is doubled brooded here. I recall records in the second week of June and in September. One year, there was a Cobweb Skipper seen I believe April 23. Must be something about the exposed summit heating things up (it’s closer to the sun, ha ha). I suppose if I went up there around April 6, there might be more early White M records. But the records I have would be skewed toward later April because that is time I’m usually up there for extended periods of time (being there for Broad-winged Hawk migration).
I guess I’ll be facing the same situation with moths – are they really out earlier or is it because I’m looking earlier? Probably a combination. I blacklighted at Muttontown Preserve (Nassau co.) last night, which I believe is the earliest that I’ve done so on Long Island. I’ve done it as early as March 14 in the past, but usually it’s 10-14 days later that there’s an opportunity. Actually, last year there was a warm day in February that I went out, but only one moth came in (so it shouldn’t count). Some of the moths last night were Bent-line Carpet (Orthonama centristrigosia) (my previous early date is March 28), Speckled Green Fruitworm Moth (Orthosia hibiscus) (March 16), Eupithecia matheri (March 30), and Green Cloverworm Moth (Hypena scabra). My early spring date on the latter was March 16, which may not mean anything as I have records of this in January. I’m not sure what to make of the fact that only two Eupsilia sallow individuals came to bait. I usually get numerous individuals at the beginning of the season.
Steve Walter
From: owner-ctleps-l at lists.yale.edu [mailto:owner-ctleps-l at lists.yale.edu] On Behalf Of wripenn at aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2012 10:44 PM
To: lawrence.gall at yale.edu
Cc: swalter15 at verizon.net; ctleps-l at lists.yale.edu
Subject: Re: White M Hairstreak
Larry,
Thanks for compiling this interesting list of YPM vouchers. Steve's extremely early m-album got me thinking. The early date for this species in Pennsylvania is April 6th. Over a 39-year period of record keeping, I've tallied 6 individuals on this date, but none earlier. Thus this date serves as a pretty good marker for the first-appearance of this species in our state in spring. In the current atypical year, our floral phenology is about a 3-4 weeks ahead of standard spring. Using that as a guide, conceivably, an m-album could start flying in Pennsylvania between March 9-16th. There are probably only a few teneral males out there in the whole state. The trouble is finding them. Virtually impossible! This is why Steve's finding is so remarkable. He was in the right spot at the right time ... and the back story is he knew what he was seeing.
David
-----Original Message-----
From: Gall, Lawrence < <mailto:lawrence.gall at yale.edu> lawrence.gall at yale.edu>
To: Steve Walter < <mailto:swalter15 at verizon.net> swalter15 at verizon.net>; 'Butterfly Posting' < <mailto:ctleps-l at lists.yale.edu> ctleps-l at lists.yale.edu>
Sent: Tue, Mar 13, 2012 10:08 am
Subject: RE: White M Hairstreak
Steve, that is shockingly early for a White M (Parrhasius m-album) in the tri-state area! For kicks & giggles & comparison, here is a fast/dirty synopsis of specimens with fairly full collecting information from the Peabody Museum, sorted by date. If this White M is any indication, hang onto your hats for wackiness this year. Best, Larry
State
County
Year
Month
Day
Florida
Lee County
1960
2
15
Florida
Lee County
1960
2
27
Florida
Duval County
1970
3
6
Florida
Escambia County
1961
3
Florida
Orange County
1938
4
4
Florida
Orange County
1937
4
13
Illinois
Jersey County
1943
4
18
Florida
Bradford County
1979
4
19
Connecticut
New Haven County
1985
4
21
Florida
Orange County
1937
4
24
Florida
Orange County
1937
4
26
Florida
Orange County
1937
4
27
Florida
Orange County
1937
5
3
Florida
Orange County
1937
5
4
Georgia
Richmond County
1945
5
8
Connecticut
Fairfield County
1999
5
11
Connecticut
Fairfield County
1999
5
11
South Carolina
Dorchester County
1919
5
12
Connecticut
New London County
1999
5
13
Rhode Island
Washington County
1990
5
14
Connecticut
New Haven County
1987
5
15
Connecticut
Hartford County
1999
5
19
Connecticut
New Haven County
1955
5
20
Connecticut
New London County
1997
5
24
Connecticut
New London County
1998
5
24
Florida
Orange County
1937
5
27
Florida
Orange County
1937
5
28
Connecticut
New Haven County
1998
5
Florida
Duval County
1980
6
2
Florida
Dade County
1934
6
15
New Jersey
Ocean County
1981
6
27
Florida
Putnam County
1968
6
29
New Jersey
Ocean County
1980
7
7
Connecticut
Hartford County
1999
7
25
Connecticut
Hartford County
1999
7
28
Florida
Lake County
1979
7
29
New York
Rockland County
1953
8
2
Connecticut
New Haven County
1998
8
4
New Jersey
Bergen County
1985
8
9
Ohio
Hamilton County
1941
8
16
Connecticut
New Haven County
1996
8
19
Connecticut
New Haven County
1998
8
20
Connecticut
New Haven County
1952
8
21
Connecticut
New Haven County
1989
8
25
Connecticut
New Haven County
1998
8
28
Connecticut
New Haven County
1995
8
30
Maryland
Caroline County
1982
9
3
Connecticut
New Haven County
1995
9
3
Connecticut
New Haven County
1997
9
4
Connecticut
New Haven County
1997
9
4
New Jersey
Morris County
1953
9
9
Connecticut
Windham County
1999
9
9
Connecticut
New London County
1998
9
16
Connecticut
Middlesex County
1998
9
26
Connecticut
New London County
1998
9
27
New Jersey
Cape May County
1978
9
29
Connecticut
Middlesex County
1998
9
29
Connecticut
Middlesex County
1998
9
29
Florida
Volusia County
1972
10
10
Florida
Highlands County
1957
12
17
- - -
Lawrence F. Gall, Ph.D.
Head, Computer Systems Office
Informatics Manager, Entomology
Executive Editor, Peabody Publications
Lepidoptera Section Editor, Zootaxa
Peabody Museum of Natural History
P.O. Box 208118, Yale University
New Haven, CT 06520-8118 USA
<http://www.peabody.yale.edu/> http://www.peabody.yale.edu
email: <mailto:lawrence.gall at yale.edu> lawrence.gall at yale.edu
phone: 1-203-432-9892
FAX: 1-203-432-9816
From: Steve Walter [ <mailto:swalter15 at verizon.net?> mailto:swalter15 at verizon.net]
Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2012 8:07 PM
To: 'Butterfly Posting'
Subject: White M Hairstreak
Although in New York, this is a record worth passing along. While hawk watching at the summit of Hook Mountain in Rockland county, I watched a bright blue lep fly past me. I briefly thought moth, although something like this seemed out of place in the north. I watched it land on a rock about 20 feet away. There was the unmistakable form of a hairstreak. Looking into the sun, I couldn’t see markings and it took off before I could swing around to the other side. But no doubt, this was a White M Hairstreak. This site has a history of early season White Ms, but I’m talking April. I have a record as early as April 18. But March 11 – wow!
Hook Mt. is a normally a good spot for early Mourning Cloaks, but there was only a brief appearance of a pair. One other lep flying around landed in front of me and appeared to be a Clover Looper Moth – quite early for that, too. I think it’s going to be an interesting spring.
Steve Walter
Bayside, NY
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