Not so rare skipper

[Ron Gatrelle]

Problema bulenta (Rare Skipper) is not rare - especially from the
perspective that the word rare is used by Federal and State agencies.
These agencies use the word as synonymous with threatened or endangered.
This butterfly was originally discovered by John Abbot on the GA/SC coast
vis. of Savannah. It was described in 1834.  From the time of its discovery
to 1925 no specimens were known and some began to think that the species
did not even exist.  It 1925 specimens were discovered by Frank Jones in
North Carolina.  It was given the common name Rare Skipper.

Here are the facts.  The skipper is known from scattered colonies from New
Jersey through Georgia along the Atlantic coast.  Over the decades more
people have been interested in butterflies than in skippers.  So most were
not looking for this.  Over this same time very very few lepidopterists
have lived in coastal GA, SC, or NC.  The natural marsh/swamp habitat of
this skipper is very inhospitable to humans - so that even those few who
were looking for skippers had no physical way to get out among this one.
There has thus been an elusion created that this is a very scarce insect.

While found only sporadically in the northern part of its range, this
species is abundant in many areas along the southeastern coast.  The
southeastern coastal region is the true home of this skipper.  The best way
to find it is by boat.  Other than that, one has to rely on those few areas
where a road has been built into its habitat.  The Savannah River National
Wildlife Refuge in Jasper County, SC is one such place for those who want a
sure fire sighting of this (first brood is best).

My most interesting encounter with the species was many years ago in the
Santee River Delta area.  The late R. B. Dominick (Moths of North America
founder) would collect occasional specimens of this near his lawn chair in
the back yard of his plantation (The Wedge) which was located on the edge
of this delta.  So the species was known to be there.  One year the highway
dept did some road work at the north end of Hwy 17 as it crossed over into
Georgetown Co. from Charleston Co.   There also just happened to be some
minor dredging in that area near the bridge.  The day I came onto this
scene it was also at low tide.  All of these factors had created a "path"
into the swamp with clearing of brush and temporary "bridges" over a couple
creeks to get equipment in.  Once into the area I found bulenta by the
hundreds.  Within a couple years the area was inaccessible again.   There
are many undiscovered pockets of this species along the SC/GA coast.  The
colonies in the major southeastern river delta areas are massive in size
and population numbers.

Ron Gatrelle


 
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