NC mountains

Ron Gatrelle gatrelle at tils-ttr.org
Thu Oct 4 01:48:49 EDT 2001


On Oct 2 I made what was likely my last trip to Clay Co., NC to survey the
butterflies and skippers in the serpentine barrens area there.

P. glaucus (E. Tiger) 1 very worn black female.
B. Philenor (Pipevine)  Still in fresh condition but only 4 seen. Of course
this is just in a small area, which means that thousands are still flying
all across the Carolinas.

E. nicippe (Sleepy Orange) Sporatic, fresh to worn.
P. s. eubule  (Cloudless)  2 males.
C. philodice (Clouded)  There were many of these and mostly all fresh. I
observed them all along Hwy. 64 also and at another location in Macon
County mentioned below.  So there was a huge brood peaking at this time.  I
caught most of the females I saw of this an eurytheme.  All the eurytheme
females were yellow except for one which was a light cream. All of the
philodice females were white except two (24 total).
C. eurytheme  (Orange) Not many of these but fresh.
P. rapae  2

E. comyntas (E. Tailed Blue)  Still common but numbers way down.

J. coenia (C. Buckeye)  4
V. cardui (Painted Lady) 1
N. antiopa (Mourning Cloak) Several and fresh.  Most I have seen of these
there all year.
Polygonia - 1 which did not hang around to be determined.
S. cybele (Great Spangled Frit)  a few very worn females.
E. claudia  (Variegated) a few fresh to worn.
P. tharos (Pearl Crescent)  only a few - sporatic.
D. Plexippus  (Monarch)  4 Just hanging around not headed anywhere.
C. p. carolina  (Carolina Wood Nymph)  1 very worn female

P. communis  (Checkered Skipper) several - fresh and mostly females.
E. clarus (Silver-spotted)  1 rag  !!!!!
L. accius (Clouded)  a few in good condition still.
A. numitor  (Least)  1
N. lherminier (Swathy) couple -  probably a lot more than seen as these are
easy to miss when just resting on the grass.

Late in the day I stopped for an hour (4:30 to 5:30) at the Tessentee Farm
area in Macon County NC. This is just a couple miles from the GA line.  The
old farm is now owned by the Forest Service. This site is in bad condition
and needs a lot of work to return it to its former and potential natural
state.  However, it has a lot of possibilities if managed properly.  I
found the following all in the low marsh area. Some of these same species
were then found going up the hill (off path) to the top of the ridge.

C. philodice - several with white female dominant.
C. eurytheme - 2 males and 4 yellow females
P. s. eubule -  2 males
P. rapae -  4

S. cybele - 3 very worn females gathered at one still blooming thistle.
P. tharos  - couple (I wasn't paying much attention for these.  Actually, I
stopped here in hopes of finding a late female Speyeria idalia (Regal
Frit.).  I think this river valley system may still have this species
about.
D. plexippus - 2 nectarting
L. archippus  - 1 fairly fresh male patroling the road.

E. comyntas - several
Celastrina -  I really wanted to net this one but it eluded me. I was
surprised to see this male so late in the year.  But not as surprised as
with...
P.  m-album (White M hairstreak) 1 male just sitting down in the grass in
the middle of the road.  Had it not flashed the blue upper side as I
approached I would have stepped on it.
S. melinus (Gray Hairstreak). 2
(Note: This entire area is loaded with Carya (Hickory). It should
definitely be checked for Satyrium caryaevorum (Hickory Haristreak) at the
appropriate time.)

P. communis - several, again mostly fresh females.
A. numitor - 1
E. clarus - 2 worn
A. campestris huron (Sachem) many of these and mostly fresh.  I checked all
these out pretty good as I was hoping to find Hesperia leonardus among them
on the asters.

Ron


 
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