Nectar and kingi

[Ron Gatrelle]

Scott Hartley emailed me and asked what the plants are that King's
Hairstreak nectars on.  This is a very good question and worth sharing the
answer with the leps public.

It is usual for us to find any given species at any given location on
primarily one or two nectar plants. We then tend to look for this same
nectar plant in other locations as The Key to finding more populations of a
given species. This is good but it leaves us short. If we do not know what
other nectar resources are utilized we will go (drive) right past many
existing populations of a species.

Like the vast majority of hairstreaks, kingi will come to the utilizable
nectar sources that are available in any given local area. While "a" nectar
source must be available for a colony of kingi to exist, the primary factor
that draws it to colonize an area is the abundance/presence of the larval
host in young to mid sized plants and the overall appropriateness of the
habitat (this was addressed in my previous post).  In the mountain  region,
Flame Azalea is reported as a larval host also.

In the lower coastal areas kingi flies earlier than in the mountains (by up
to two months). In southeast NC it will begin its flight season about May
20. (In south GA and Fl about May 5.) Earlier specimens are best looked for
where escaped Privet is still in bloom. There is another Ligustrum that has
dark thick leaves that is commonly used as an ornamental shrub which
strongly attracts kingi. In semi urban settings these are good plants to
search for all hairstreaks including kingi. There used to be a long
Ligustrum hedge along the Dorchester Road boundary of the Charleston Air
Base. There were subdivisions on the opposite side of the street. This
fragrant hedge would draw hairstreaks from relatively far away - including
an occasional kingi.  The Ligustrum hedge between the Naval Weapons Station
golf course and the adjacent base housing also drew in hairstreaks by the
scores including favonius, calanus, and liparops - no kingi there. The
Ligustrum hedge behind the late R.B. Dominick's leps building (Wedge
Plantation) drew in everything from Problema bulenta to A. halesus.  Privet
around rural homes was a good area for finding hairstreaks in Liberty Co.
Florida - inc. kingi.

Also in Florida, Saw Palmetto is a passion with hairstreaks, inc. kingi. I
have not looked for hairstreaks on this in SC as it is easier to find them
in more accessable habitats. It is very likely that kingi and other
hairstreaks can be found at Sabal minor in coastal NC.

Melilotus alba (White Sweet Clover) is another nectar source to which
kingi, calanus, liparops, favonius, etc. all show a strong addiction to. M.
officinalis (Yellow Sweet Clover) is not as strong an attractant as alba
but I have found kingi at this also.

We have already mentioned New Jersey, Sourwood and Chinquapin. Two things
strike me about these nectar sources. All have tiny flowers and (except
New Jersey Tea) are extremely fragrant (almost sickeningly when abundant).
Another bush that draws hairstreaks avidly is Sparkleberry - I have found
kingi only at this in Aiken State Park because this is the only thing in
bloom in the colonies breeding area. Since I usually find S. calanus,
liparops, and caryaevorum in the NC mountain region visiting a couple of
umbelous flowering bushy plants - that I can never remember what they
are -(Heracleum? Aralia?) I assume kingi would come to this readily also.
The kingi I found in n. Georgia were all on leaves chasing each other at a
tight switch-back on a Jeep trail.

I have personally never found kingi on Sourwood. And for a very good
reason. That tree does not occur in the South Carolina lower coastal plain!
Let us not forget that where Sourwood occurs in most of the Piedmont that
King's larval host does NOT occur there. So within South Carloina Sourwood
occurs in only about 30% of kingi's range - and 0% where I live and find it
as a common species.  This is a good example of how personal experience is
just that - personal. (I first found kingi in 1968 nr. Cantonment, Escambia
Co. Fl.)

We lock ourselves, and those who follow us, into little experiential boxes
of falsehood or half truths when things get restricted to what one person
thinks or how one group/faction sees things. There is a lot of info out
here on Lepidoptera. It is too bad that we have become factionalized and
thus factually (informationally) isolated. This only hinders science,
shortchanges ourselves, and hurts the butterflies we all are enthused about
and wanting to help. We can not help without -accurate and complete-
information. This is not a time to be dumbing-down ourselves relative to
species biology, taxonomy and ecology.

I hope this post is added to by others who have their own personal kingi
(and other hairstreak) nectar source information to share.

Ron




 
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