May NC mtn records

[Ron Gatrelle]

I made another 22hr marathon trip (6hr drive, 10 hrs in field, 6hr return
trip) to Clay Co., North Carolina yesterday (May 14). I found Chlosyne
gorgone about a half mile, and 200 ft higher, from the first find. This is
the first true Appalachian Mountains record for a colony of C. gorgone. The
two areas in upstate SC. are at 800' and 1600' - the first being in
Piedmont habitat. The three areas in north Georgia are at around only
2000'.  The one record for W VA was for a single specimen found in 1878.
More on this will be in the next issue of the TILS News.

I also found a freshly emerged male Atrytonopsis hianna - its wings were
barely "dry". This is a confirmation that hianna breeds in the NC mountain
region. This is the first Clay Co. record for this species. I do not know
the elevation for the three or four other NC "mountain" region records.
This one is at 3500ft. and may well be the highest. Here is a combined list
of species found on the three one day trips May 4,10,14 to Clay County
North Carolina. 3300 to 4000 ft.

1)   Pterourus glaucus
2)      "            species
3)      "            troilus
4)   Battus philenor
5)   Papilio p. asterius (1F,14th)

6)   Phoebus s. eubule (very worn male,14th)
7)   Pieris rapae
8)       "      virginiensis
9)   Anthocharis m. annickae
10) Colias eurytheme

11) Celastrina ladon (2 worn, late)
12)        "          neglecta (many)
13)        "          neglectamajor (1, early)
14) Everes comyntas
15) Glauchpsyche lygdamus
16) Feniscea tarquinius
17) Parrhasius m-album (1M, 14th)
18) Deciduphagus h. henrici (1M, 14th)
        very worn top of knob at 4000'

19) Chlosyne i. nycteis
20)     "            gorgone ssp  (at 3400' & 3600')
21) Phyciodes batesii maconensis (3 sites)
        1male at each site just coming out.
22)        "       tharos
23) Vanessa virginiensis
24)      "         atalanta
25) Junonia coenia
26) Limenitis a. astyanax
27) Nymphalis antiopa
28) Poyngonia interrogationis
29)         "            comma
30) Euptoieta claudia
31) Hermeuptychia sosybius

32) Amblyscirtes vialis
33)         "              hegon
34) Erynnis juvenalis
35)     "        icelus
36)     "        brizo
37) Epargyreus clarus
38) Atrytonposis hianna (3380')
39) Polites origines

RG


 
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