18th field report

[Mark Walker]

Ron asked about nectaring pegala.  The western ssp. can be found at nectar
often, although they are usually encountered flopping about in the shady
underbrush.  Just a few weeks ago, while lepping in Northern California and
Oregon, I enjoyed dozens of pegala sharing the Rabbitbrush with multiple
Speyeria species.

Mark Walker.
Currently back in Richland, WA.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ron Gatrelle [mailto:gatrelle at tils-ttr.org]
> Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2001 10:11 PM
> To: Carolina Leps; Leps-l
> Subject: 18th field report
> 
> 
> 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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