Field report

[Ron Gatrelle]

How can so much work be so much fun? Monday Feb.26 I drove a little over
350 miles hitting several locations in a wide loop from SC to GA and back.
Beautiful day with little wind, and in low 70's.

1) With only two excptions, everything I saw or caught was freshly emerged.
2) Nothing was found in any numbers. Although E. nicippe was encountered
frequently as sporadic singletons at almost every stop.
3) I visited three predetermined locations. Otherwise, I just stopped and
checked about a third of the blooming wild Plum thickets I happened upon.

Species list.

Celastrina idella  (Holly area in Allendale Co. SC.)
C. probably ladon (Several in Burke Co. GA. Larger than idella and no Ilex
in
                                 sight. The area was open fields and pine.)
Parrhasius m-album (It really likes white sweet smelling flowers. Plum in
                                     spring and Privet in early summer,
white clover.)
Atlides halesus (Big black triangles really stand out on the plum.)
Incisalia niphon
Libytheana bachmannii (This and nicippe were the most numerous species.
                                         Still very few seen and most as
just two or three
                                         flitting about river banks.)
Pterourus glaucus (scarce, just coming out.)
Eurema nicippe
P. rapae (only 1, which was somewhat of a surprise as it can be numerous in
                cultivated rural areas.)
Polygonia interrogantionis (several, in three river bottom areas.)
P. comma  (1 on wet roadway.)
Vanessa virginiensis (On plums)
Megathymus yucae (Tents on host, Burke Co.)
Erynnis juvenalis
Epargyreus clarus

As expected, due to the cold winter here the season is either on time or a
little late. It has been early to very early the last couple of years. I'll
try this again next week and see what's new.

Ron



 
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