Fwd: Re: Red Admiral Migrations?

[Chris J. Durden]

>Date: Mon, 04 Jun 2001 23:22:58 -0500
>To: toddredhead at hotmail.com
>From: "Chris J. Durden" <drdn at mail.utexas.edu>
>Subject: Re: Red Admiral Migrations?
>
>On a road trip from Austin TX to Mt Tremblant Quebec, a concentration of 
>*V. atalanta* was encountered 25 May between Syracuse NY and Watertown NY 
>between Lake Ontario and the Adirondacks. About three were in view at all 
>times at a road stop and on the highway, all with direct northward flight. 
>Numbers were not apparent south of Syracuse, nor north of Watertown. A 
>much denser flight was encountered of armyworm moths in northeast Texas 
>and southwest Arkansas on the way north and between Muscogee and Atoka, 
>Oklahoma on the way back.
>   *V. atalanta* were ubiquitous in all open habitats in the Laurentians 
> between Mont Laurier, Ste Agathe and Buckingham, without apparent 
> directed movement, even on the day we had sleet and snow. *V. 
> virginiensis* were almost as common. In the Mont Tremblant area there had 
> been a warm spell 2 weeks before May 25th, followed by a cool spell. This 
> was followed by a mild but rainy spell with sleet on May 3th with snow on 
> the upper slopes until afternoon on May 31. Most leaves other than ash 
> were fully out at the time.
>................Chris Durden
>
>At 12:01 AM 5/23/2001 +0000, you wrote:
>
>
>>
>>Hello,
>>
>>Regarding the Red Admiral explosion - take a look at any of your local 
>>patches of nettles.  This past weekend I found patches of nettles where 
>>almost every leaf had at least 2 or 3 larve rolled up in it.  Other years 
>>- you might find 1 larve every 3 or 4 plants.  Amazing!!
>>
>>Todd
>>From: dtderekson at aol.com (DTDerekson)
>>Reply-To: dtderekson at aol.com
>>To: <mailto:leps-l at lists.yale.edu>leps-l at lists.yale.edu
>>Subject: Red Admiral Migrations?
>>Date: 21 May 2001 21:49:56 GMT
>>Hi all! I experienced something here in Allegheny Country PA this weekend 
>>that
>>I never have before. I've seen large gatherings of Red Admirals once before,
>>hundreds nectaring on Dame's Rocket some number of years ago. But this 
>>weekend
>>they were everywhere, flying furiously and not stopping to nectar. I drove
>>about 50 miles and back (for other reasons) and these little goomers were
>>everywhere along the highway, zipping furiously along. It felt like a 
>>reverse
>>Monarch migration....
>>When I saw the huge batch of Red Admirals before when the population 
>>exploded,
>>they seemed to be resident. They hung around and squabbled, fought, etc. I
>>found it odd that this should be the first year I actually noticed a 
>>migration
>>of sorts.
>>Do these critters actually migrate and is it just that this year there are
>>sufficient numbers for me to notice or...???
>>I don't know if it might be connected or not, but also this year I have an
>>amazing explosion in my American Painted Lady colony on my Pearly 
>>Everlasting.
>>Most years I get a few dozen caterpillars that the wasps and hornets 
>>ultimately
>>eat. This year I have literally hundreds on a 3 foot by 4 foot patch, all
>>instars and even some chrysalises, and the females are still flitting about,
>>laying eggs. Amazing and fun to watch (hopefully my patch of plants is 
>>sturdy
>>enough to hold up under their onslaught!)
>>Fun!
>>DT
>>------------------------------------------------------------



 
 ------------------------------------------------------------ 

   For subscription and related information about LEPS-L visit:

   http://www.peabody.yale.edu/other/lepsl