Southern strays

[Chris J. Durden]

The same pattern is present in my own records for Central Texas (single
observer over 32 years). *P. ocola* has been joined by both *P. hecebola*
and *P. sylvicola* in the last ten years. *U. proteus* is now expected
rather than a remarkable stray. *Astraptes f. azul* has recurred several
years in a row at the same site. And there have been many more changes of
this nature. Yes I think this is due to a warming trend. A similar
northward range expansion has been meticulously documented by the Texas
Parks and Wildlife Department for the delicious whitewing dove.
  We have more strays than we did 30 years ago, more strays have become
periodic colonists, and more periodic colonists have become permanent
residents. This I attribute to milder winters. Needless to say such warming
trends have happened before. 12,500 years ago we had conditions similar to
the Nebraska Sand Hills or Kiev, in this region. About 6,000 years ago we
had palmetto swamps in the river bottoms from here to the coast. About
4,000 years ago we appear to have had some creosote bush desert local
habitats in this area. ........Chris Durden

At 02:56  5/11/00 -0400, you wrote:
>Only a decade ago, the Long-tailed and Ocola Skippers were considered 
>extremely rare to accidental in New Jersey, but now they are merely rare 
>in southern NJ and rarer in central NJ. But a late Sept trip to Cape 
>May, NJ would be disappointing if one or both were not encountered. 
>
>Are these status changes reflective of climate change. The number of 
>observers may have increased.  The number of butterfly gardens which 
>concentrate such strays may have increased. 
>
>M Gochfeld
>
>  


 
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