18th field report

[Ron Gatrelle]

In some ways the last week seems like an eternity and yet it has been just
8 days.  I was in the North Carolina mountains Tuesday the 18. Alone in the
field it seemed nothing had changed  - if that could only be true.

I may make only one or two more trips to the Forest Service study site this
year in Clay County.  It had been three weeks since my last visit, which
was a least a week longer than wanted.

Three interesting observations then the species list.
1)  A somewhat worn female Cercyonis pegala carolina was observe nectaring
at Asters.  At first I though it had just landed on one near me. But it
proceeded to flit (fly would be a wrong descriptive term for this species)
to 4 successive flower heads.  I do not recall ever seeing an subspecies of
pegala visiting flowers before.  Anyone else?

2)  I observed a male Polites peckius repeatedly trying to copulate with a
female Euphyes vestris metacomet.  I eventually lost track of these two.
The male followed her around for the 4-5 minutes I was able to keep track
of them.

3)  I probably observed in excess of 50 Monarchs in Clay County.  These
were all very fresh and visiting flowers (mostly Goldenrods and Asters).
They looked to be an emerging brood.  This was at three sites in a three
mile stretch along one road and associated clearings and roadway ditches.

(Names in brief.  Clay Co. NC  3100' to 3500')

philenor  (Pipevine)   2
troilus     (Spicebush)  1
galucus    (E. Tiger)  2 worn black females

rapae        (Cabbage)  4
Colias       (     ?    )    1 white female
nicippe   (Sleepy)  2
lisa         (Little Yellow) 1
eubule     (Cloudless )   2 females one "white"

cecrops    (Red-banded)  2
melinus     (Gray)   2
comyntas    (E. Tailed)   dozens

nigrior     (Gulf Frit.) 3
claudia        (Variegated)  2
cybele         (Great Spangled)  many - mostly females and worn.
cullasaja       (Cullasaja Frit.)  less than 10 - all females
diana             3 females
tharos          (Pearl )  several
Phyciodes    (Northern ?)   odd ones vouchered (large with orange tipped
antennae)
Polygonia     (  ?   )  1 fly by
coenia          (Buckeye)  several
plexippus        (Monarch)  50+
sosybius       (Carolina)  1
C. p. carolina   (Carolina or Appalachian Wood Nymph)  2 females

clarus          (Silver-spotted)  many
horatius      1 male
lherminier    (Swathy)   a few
accius        (Clouded) a few
phyleus       (Fiery)   a few
peckius     several
origines     (Crossline)  several
campestris huron  (Sachem)  1male
metacomet     (Dun)  2
ocola     2

33 taxa


 
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