Queens in Washington, DC

[Hilton, Rob]

Alex,

Somehow I had it in my head that the Queen was fairly sedentary.  Their
close relative the Plain Tiger Danaus chrysippus (?) in the Old World is
irruptive/dispersive so I don't see why this species shouldn't be,
unless competition from the Monarch keeps them away from the north or
their northward movements are obscured by their larger more obvious
congener.....

but who knows?  I'll keep my eyes out this weekend, and even try to
visit the same golf course and the arboretum nearby.  I always look at
the large, conspicuous non-skipper/non-satyr butterflies where ever I
go.  

RH

-----Original Message-----
From: Grkovich, Alex [mailto:agrkovich at tmpeng.com]
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2001 8:17 AM
To: 'Ron Gatrelle'; Hilton, Rob; Leps-l
Subject: RE: Queens in Washington, DC


That the Queen is a butterfly subjected to migrating tendencies is well
noted. I saw numerous specimens migrating (I came to this conclusion
because
every specimen I saw, about a dozen, was observed flying steadily in a
west
or southwestery direction) in eastern Arizona last December. Two
specimens
have recently been found in southern Michigan.  So there is no reason to
doubt that the species could be found near Washington DC.

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Ron Gatrelle [SMTP:gatrelle at tils-ttr.org]
> Sent:	Thursday, August 30, 2001 3:07 AM
> To:	rhilton at CSA.com; Leps-l
> Subject:	Re: Queens in Washington, DC
> 
> Queens are an annual thing here in coastal SC. They show up fairly
early
> and may actually breed here on the islands some years. I am writing
this
> to
> let those in the northeast know that Queens don't have to go all the
way
> from Florida to get to where you are. John Burns did a paper on this
many
> years ago in the Lep. Soc. but I can't seem to locate it.
> Ron
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Hilton, Rob" <rhilton at CSA.com>
> To: <LEPS-L at lists.yale.edu>
> Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2001 3:54 PM
> Subject: Queens in Washington, DC
> 
> 
> > On Monday, August 27, while assisting on a marsh bird survey along
the
> > Anacostia River in northeast Washington, DC, I saw a female Queen
> > (Danaus gilippus) at near point blank range at around 1:13 pm.  I
first
> > noticed the butterfly when it was about 2 feet from my right knee at
a
> > spot along the edge of the river, at the Langston Golf Course.  The
> > butterfly came closer, perhaps 8 inches from my knee, before finally
> > drifting away into binocular range.  It made several stops at
various
> > Polygonum flowers.  For two months earlier this summer I had been a
> > volunteer docent at the Wings of Fancy Butterfly Show at Brookside
> > Gardens, Wheaton, Maryland, where there were from one half to three
> > dozen Queens on each of my visits.  I became quite familiar with the
> > appearence of the species as a result.
> >
> > Its behavior was the same as the several Monarchs we saw along the
edge
> > of the river: flying slowly downriver with frequent stops at
Polygonum
> > and other flowers.  It was in view for 4 or 5 minutes before it
> > disappeared behind a bunch of Polygonum.  It was a fresh, bright,
intact
> > butterfly.
> >
> > This sighting was a complete surprise to me!  I know about the one
> > sighted ?this month in New Jersey, as I see the LEPS-L list at an
> > archive site, but I never expected to see one myself.  But even more
> > surprising was the sighting of a (another?  the same??) female Queen
at
> > the National Arboretum on Saturday, August 25, posted on the
> > Virginia/Maryland/Delaware 'bugs' list.  The Arboretum is less than
a
> > mile upriver from the spot where I saw my Queen.  I understand that
> > there have been still other sightings in the northeast this summer,
so
> > something seems to be going on.
> >
> > Newly resubscribed to the LEPS-L list and on "nomail".
> >
> > Rob Hilton
> > rhilton at csa.com
> > Silver Spring, Md.
> >
> >
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> 
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