WV and VA leps 7-4, 7-5

Randy Emmitt birdcr at concentric.net
Sat Jul 7 13:23:05 EDT 2001


Folks,

I had a blast driving in the WV mountains the past three days! Actually 
before I got there I was covered up in hairstreaks in VA on highway 33 just 
before the WV state line. I managed to get photos of at least 15 species, 
including 6 new species for my collection. The new ones were all lifers, 
they included Pink-edged Sulphur, Bog Copper (male and female), Atlantis 
Fritillary, Harris` Checkerspot (worn female with eggs), European Skipper 
and  Long Dash. Also I`m fairly certain I might have had a Indian Skipper 
perched on a rock at the top of Spruce Knob the photo will tell. And I had 
a odd flying male crescent, that could have been a Northern Crescent it was 
in perfect habitat for the species yet it seemed too small to be one, until 
I get the photos I`ll just call it a crescent species.

I had a lot of people help we with places to go including some long time 
experts that I`m sure would be more comfortable with Latin names so I`m 
using both names on my list. I`ll also be placing the photos on a web page 
at my www.rlephoto.com web site with a more elaborate report when the 
slides are back.

Noted these abbreviations  P for photograph and x2, x3 means 2 or 3 
different individuals photographed
.
Here`s the first list:
Rockingham County, VA first 7-4 a early morning check of the top half of 
highway 33 before entering WV then on 7-6 a shorter check between 5:30 and 6 pm

0       2       Pipevine Swallowtail, Battus philenor (fresh)
0       1       Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio glaucus (badly worn)
0       3       Cabbage White, Pieris rapae
0       4       Orange Sulphur, Colias eurytheme
27      60+     Banded Hairstreak, Satryium calanus  (Px3)(types)
3       3       Hickory Hairstreak, Satyrium caryaevorum (Px2, Px2 photos 
might confirm)
0       4       Striped Hairstreak, Satyrium liparops (P)(one worn the rest 
fresh)
1       0       Eastern Tailed-Blue, Everes comyntas
2       5       Great Spangled Fritillary, Speyeria cybele
1       1       American Lady, Vanessa virginiensis
0       5       Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta
35      30      Silver-spotted Skipper, Epargyreus clarus
1       0       Horace's Duskywing, Erynnis horatius


Next Pendleton County WV on 7-4 along highway 33 and the forest road 112 up 
to Spruce Knob. Then Randolph County WV Spruce Knob Lake and forest road 1 
and creek road 29 back to Harmon on highway 33. The weather proved 
difficult most of the day with clouds and small showers. I hit one small 
field loaded with skippers  on creek road 29.

10      14      Pipevine Swallowtail, Battus philenor
1       0       Spicebush Swallowtail ,Papilio troilus
1       2       Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio glaucus (badly worn)
15      10      Cabbage White, Pieris rapae
7       3       Clouded Sulphur, Colias philodice
4       1       Orange Sulphur, Colias eurytheme
8       4       Pink-edged Sulphur, Colias interior (Px3, P)
8       4       Colias species (fly bys)
11      0       Banded Hairstreak, Satryium calanus
3       0       Hickory Hairstreak, Satyrium caryaevorum (Px2, photos might 
confirm)
4       2       Eastern Tailed-Blue, Everes comyntas
2       4       'Summer' Spring Azure, Celastrina ladon neglecta
9       6       Great Spangled Fritillary, Speyeria cybele
3       1       Aphrodite Fritillary, Speyeris aphrodite
5       2       Atlantis Fritillary Speyeria atlantis
12      3       Speyeria species (wouldn`t settle down)
2       0       Meadow Fritillary, Boloria bellona (P)
0       1       Harris' Checkerspot, Chlosyne harrisii (P) with eggs very worn
2       0       Eastern Comma, Polygonia comma
2       1       Mourning Cloak, Nymphalis antiopa (20 cats on top Spruce Knob)
1       0       American Lady, Vanessa virginiensis
6       6       Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta
2       1       Red-spotted Purple, Limenitis arthemis astyanax
4       0       Common Wood-Nymph, Cercyonis pegala
60      15      Silver-spotted Skipper, Epargyreus clarus
1       0       Wild Indigo Duskywing, Erynnis baptisiae
125+    375+    European Skipper, Thymelicus lineola (Px6, Px3) everywhere!
1?      0       Indian Skipper, Hesperia sassacus (photo to confirm)
0       35      Peck's Skipper, Polites peckius (Px4) very fresh!
0       2       Tawny-edged Skipper, Polites themistocles
0       2       Crossline Skipper, Polites origenes (photos of mated pair)
20      45      Long Dash, Polites mystic (Px4, Px2)
6       3       Northern Broken-Dash, Wallengrenia egeremet
6       5       Little Glassywing, Pompeius verna
0       6       Hobomok Skipper, Poanes hobomok (Px3 both sexes)
0       8       Zabulon Skipper, Poanes zabulon
0       4       Dun Skipper, Euphyes vestris


On 7-5, I stayed in Elkins and started looking in a crown vetch 
patch  along  highway 55-28 along the river past Seneca Rocks. I checked a 
quarry near Smoke Hole Caverns then drove up towards Dolly Sods in Grant 
County, WV. Then did Dolly Sods in Tucker County and back in Grant County 
on forest road 75, then north on 42-93 I found a big patch of thistle 
loaded with Red Admirals.

Grant County WV then Tucker County WV (7-5)


11      1       Pipevine Swallowtail, Battus philenor
1       0       Zebra Swallowtail, Eurytides marcellus (quarry road)
1       0       Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio glaucus (badly worn)
16      6       Cabbage White, Pieris rapae
5       5       Clouded Sulphur, Colias philodice
3       2       Orange Sulphur, Colias eurytheme
0       11      Pink-edged Sulphur, Colias interior (Px2)
0       12      Colias species
2       0       Eastern Tailed-Blue, Everes comyntas
2       0       'Summer' Spring Azure, Celastrina ladon neglecta
17      4       Great Spangled Fritillary, Speyeria cybele
2       5       Atlantis Fritillary Speyeria atlantis (Px3)
4       0       Speyeria species (Px2 on milkweed)
7       0       Meadow Fritillary, Boloria bellona (Px2)
1?      0       Phyciodes  species (Crescent photos will tell)
3       0       Eastern Comma, Polygonia comma
4       0       American Lady, Vanessa virginiensis
41      10      Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta (Px6 on thistle)
100     3       Silver-spotted Skipper, Epargyreus clarus
1       0       Thorybes  species (very worn, looked like Confused 
Cloudywing, but too worn for and ID)
4       0       Wild Indigo Duskywing, Erynnis baptisiae (Px2)
46      32      European Skipper, Thymelicus lineola  (-,Px1)
0       2       Peck's Skipper, Polites peckius
0       4       Long Dash, Polites mystic
11      0       Northern Broken-Dash, Wallengrenia egeremet (p)
13      2       Little Glassywing, Pompeius verna
0       1       Hobomok Skipper, Poanes hobomok
1       0       Dun Skipper, Euphyes vestris


7-6 Crainsville Swamp Preston County WV, I spent the morning in Oakdale and 
in front of my motel The Board Room I photographed 2 fawns eating in the 
empty lot. Then headed for Crainsville, got lost twice and arrived just 
after 9AM and ran into 2 butterfliers from MD James and Tori.  Satyed at 
the swamp till 12:30pm and then checked a large flat rock with seepage on 
the way out.

3       Cabbage White, Pieris rapae
4       Colias  species
7       Bog Copper Lycaena epixanthe (Px4 males and 1 female)
2       Great Spangled Fritillary, Speyeria cybele
4       Speyeria species (P on mtn laurel)
1       Question Mark Polygonia interrogationis
12      Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta
25      European Skipper, Thymelicus lineola
1       Northern Broken-Dash, Wallengrenia egeremet
2       Dun Skipper, Euphyes vestris

I also managed photos of 2 new odes for my collection Cordulegaster 
bilineata, Brown Spiketail in Pendleton County, WV on the way to Spruce 
Knob and Leucorrhinia  intacta, Dot-tailed Whiteface at Crainsville in 
Preston County, WV on the board walk.

Thanks again to all that helped with this trip!



Randy Emmitt
Rougemont, NC












 
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