7th Lakehurst, NJ 4JC
Michael Gochfeld
gochfeld at eohsi.rutgers.edu
Sun Jul 15 19:31:21 EDT 2001
June 30, 2001. The count is centered approximately at Lakehurst, NJ
(Ocean County, NJ) It has a mixture of Pine Barrens, abandoned and
active cranberry bogs, old fields, farm fields, and forest edges. A
large part of it is a military base, which has, among others things, a
monument to the Hindenberg crash site.
One of the best old fields was depleted by a golf course, but using the
State's Endangered species act, people were able to limit the golf
course to 18 holes instead of the originally planned 36 holes. The
remainder of the site is in pretty good shape.
Here are the results of the 7th annual "fourth of July count". All
parties concurred that butterfly activity was low and slow. Several
species at the lowest or second lowest counts. Partly it reflects the
season. The late morning was unbearably hot (mid-90's) and butterfly
activity seemed to be depressed (as were the counters).
Some of the counts which will seem low reflect the fact that this is
largely a pine barrens area where some common species are unexplicably
uncommon. Other low counts reflect the seasonality in general (the
timing of the count in relation to phenology), and some low counts
reflect the peculiar phenology of 2001.
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Papilio polyxenes Black Swallowtail 0 usually missed
Papilio glaucus Eastern Tiger Swallowtail 1 typically scarce
Papilio troilus Spicebush Swallowtail 6 typical numbers
Pieris rapae Cabbage White 22 2nd lowest
Colias philodice Clouded Sulphur 2 typical
Colias eurytheme Orange Sulphur 29 typical
Lycaena phlaeas American Copper 62 2nd lowest
Lycaena epixanthe Bog Copper 21 2nd lowest
Satyrium titus Coral Hairstreak 8 lowest
Satyrium calanus Banded Hairstreak 11 2nd lowest
Satyrium liparops Striped Hairstreak 2 2nd lowest
Satyrium favonius Northern/Southern or Oak Hairstreak 0 (only 1x)
Parrhasius m-album White M Hairstreak 0 (only 1x)
Strymon melinus Gray Hairstreak 1 typically scarce
Calycopis cecrops Red-banded Hairstreak 0 usually missed
Everes comyntas Eastern Tailed Blue 77 2nd highest
Celastrina neglecta Summer Azure 8 2nd highest
Euptoieta claudia Variegated Fritillary 2 usually scarce,
these were very worn.
Speyeria cybele Great Spangled Fritillary 1 usually scarce
Boloria selene Silver-bordered Fritillary 0 (gone? phenology?)
Probably the July brood hadn't emerged yet.
Phyciodes tharos Pearl Crescent 34 2nd highest
Polygonia interogationis Question Mark 1 often missed
Polygonia comma Eastern Comma 0 usually missed
Nymphalis antiopia Mourning Cloak 1 usually scarce
Vanessa virginiensis American Lady 17 pretty typical
Vanessa cardui Painted Lady 0 usually missed, but
most other NJ counts seem to have found it
Vanessa atalanta Red Admiral 4 typical numbers, but
low considering the large numbers present in southern and
northern NJ in July.
Junonia coenia Common Buckeye 1 typically scarce
Limenitis arthemis Red-spotted Purple 2 2nd highest
Limenitis archippus Viceroy 0 only 1x
Satyrodes appalachia Appalachian Brown 2 typical
Neonympha areolata Georgia Satyr 19 2nd highest
Megisto cymela Little Wood Satyr 27 typical
Cercyonis pegala Common Wood-Nymph 112 2nd highest
Danaus plexippus Monarch 3 (lowest count,and
these were very very fresh)
Epargyreus clarus Silver-spotted Skipper 6 lowest count
Achalarus lyciades Hoary Edge 1 (1 reliable plant)
Each year we find 1-3 individuals on a single partially shaded
Milkweed plant. Sometimes they are the only ones found.
Thorybes bathyllus Southern Cloudywing 0 seen on 3 prior
counts with a high of 38.
Thorybes pylades Northern Cloudywing 4 highest
Erynnis horatius Horace's Duskywing 1 usually missed
Pholisora catullus Common Sootywing 1 only once before
Nastra lherminier Swarthy Skipper 14 second highest
Ancyloxphya numitor Least Skipper 1 usually 0 or 1
Thymelicus lineola European Skipper 1 usually 0 or 1, but
once had 23. This species is usually "gone" by the 3rd week of
June.
Hesperia attalus Dotted Skipper 5 typical numbers.
Polites peckius Peck's Skipper 0 usually 0 or 1
Polites themistocles Tawny-edged Skipper 4 typical
Polites origenes Crossline Skipper 7 typical
Wallengrenia egeremet Northern Broken Dash 1 only once before
This species seems not to be common in the Pine Barrens and we
tend to miss the July brood in most years.
Pompeius verna Little Glassywing 7 medium
Atalopedes campestris Sachem 0 irruptive, Sachems
arrived in central NJ about July 10th.
Atrytone logan Delaware Skipper 5 2nd highest
Poanes massasoit Mulberry Wing 0 usually 0 to 2
Poanes zabulon Zabulon Skipper 0 (only 1x)
Euphyes conspicua Black Dash 0 only 1x
Euphyes bimacula Two-spotted Skipper 4 2nd highest. A bog
species.
Euphyes vestris Dun Skipper 5 2nd highest
Amblyscirtes vialis Common Roadside Skipper 0 (only 1x, a very late,
worn individual in 2000)
TOTAL SPECIES 43 in 2001 was second highest species count
TOTAL INDIVIDUALS 543 in 2001 was second lowest count
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