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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