[Ctleps-l] Mansfield Hollow 5-18
Raymond Simpson
raymond.simpson at yale.edu
Sun May 18 21:54:24 EDT 2014
I went over to check out this location as it seems to be a good area for
spring leps and is mentioned consistently each year.
It definitely was an interesting area, with beaver ponds scattered among
dry barrens-like habitat. Some of it was very similar to the NJ Pine
Barrens. Too bad that bearberry couldn't be established and a Hoary Elfin
colony introduced. With the dam there and the airport right adjacent, it
seems to be an area that is safe from development. The forest is a
interesting mix of dry barrens areas with pine/oak and also some rich
deciduous areas near the ponds.
My list is similar to the person who went Saturday
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail - 1
Cabbage White - 1
Frosted Elfin - 7
Eastern Pine Elfin - 8
Eastern Tailed Blue - 10
American Copper - 6
Azure sp. - 3
American Lady - 3 (2 very worn)
Mourning Cloak - 1 (very worn)
Pearl Crescent - 8+ (all near the pond)
Cobweb Skipper - 20+ (very common and nectaring on low bushes)
Dusted Skipper - 2 (fresh males)
Juvenal's Duskywing - 30+ (most common species)
Sleepy Duskywing - 1 (male)
The Frosted males were very boldly patterned compared to the NJ ones. I
found some near Baptisiae, but also a female sitting on the Lupinus
perennis. I did not see any eggs on it though. I beat through the woods
and crossed a beaver damn and found another barren area further in and
found a very large patch of lupine but no elfins. The majority of the
Elfins were scattered around at nectar or sitting on bare ground. They
were quick to fly up into the woods when flushed.
The azures are large cobalt blue ones that look like the NJ Celastrina
idella with a pure white underside and bright blue HW (unlike neglecta's
whitish dusting). They almost look like Appalachians with heavier
spotting. The other observers have them as the "Cherry Gall" Azure which
seems correct given the hosts present. The ones I saw were either on the
dirt road mineralizing and one was flying around an flowering tree in
proximity to a cherry tree. The tent caterpillars make it easy to ID
cherries, and my light sheets will be bombarded by Malacosoma at some point
I'm sure.
Odonates were out in force for the first time:
Springtime Darner - 15+
Green Darner - 3
Stream Cruiser - 6+
Lancet Clubtail - 15+
Dot-tailed Whiteface - 1
Chalk-fronted Corporal - 3
Clubtail sp. - 1 black and yellow large species not known
Small Ode sp. - a bunch of small ones with black base color and yellow
markings
Medium Ode sp. - a baskettail-like specimen with patchs at the base of each
wing and an orangish wash on the dark body
Only Cicindela was a C. sexguttata.. I would be interested if anyone has
seen C. patruela here.
Good stuff!
Ray Simpson
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