Carolina Sun and Moon

[The Walkers]

Warning:  there is personal content here, along with some anecdotes from the
field.

As Ron mentioned previously, I recently had the good fortune to visit South
Carolina on business and I immediately arranged to stay over to hook up with
Mr. Gatrelle.  I first began corresponding with Ron back in 2000 after he
joined the ongoing discussions on LEPS-L.  Over the years we've had various
sorts of interactions, including joint participation on the ever-colorful
Miami Blue Butterfly Restoration Project.  Until last weekend, we had never
had the opportunity to meet in person.  In fact, on one particular MBBRP
field trip to the Florida Keys I was challenged by NABA president Jeff
Glassberg to defend Ron's character, the legitimacy of TILS, and even the
legitimacy of Ron's purported profession.  Though I was quick to provide
positive testimony for TILS (for which I had first hand experience), I had
to admit that my interactions with Ron had so far only been superficial and
that I had not yet had the opportunity to meet him.

Well, now I won't have to make any such caveats.  On Saturday, October 9,
2004, I arranged to meet Ron halfway between my hotel in Columbia, S.C. and
his home in Goose Creek, S.C.  I had no idea what to expect as I merged off
the Interstate, which is a sad commentary on the severe limitations of email
correspondence.  What I found waiting for me was somewhat of a surprise,
even though my friend Harry Pavulaan had indicated some time ago that Ron
and I had many similar characteristics.

Actually, it was kind of scary how similar we are.  It has something to do
with the boyish energy that spills out constantly and haphazardly.  Many
lepidopterists have similar energy, but I was perhaps a bit surprised at how
genuine Ron is and how his behavior is void of any hidden purpose or agenda.
 I never got the feeling that Ron was conniving or manipulating.  We engaged
in no backstabbing or gossiping.  Another surprise (sorry Ron) is that Ron
is very down-to-earth, non-assuming, and NOT an overt egotist.  I found him
humble, willing to listen as much as lecture, and in acceptance of the fact
that he is not in possession of all the answers.  Sometimes email can be
deceiving.

So far in all my years of meeting fellow lepidopterists in the field, I have
met very, very few that I found untenable.  This leads me to believe that
all of the dung-flinging that goes on among butterfly scientists is mostly
unwarranted and avoidable.  For example, my interactions with John Calhoun
have always been pleasant, helpful, and informational, and I sincerely hope
to meet him in the field some day as well.  Likewise, Andy Warren and I will
certainly hook up, and I'm still trying to get back together with Jon Pelham
from Washington State.  Personally, I can get along with just about anyone
that isn't overly anal or too engrossed in personal agenda.  For the record,
in person I found Ron Gatrelle overwhelmingly innocent on both counts.

As for South Carolina butterflying in October, I was not disappointed. 
Though the Carolina sun was mostly in hiding, the fall-flying butterflies in
the piedmont were active.  On Saturday we drove to various disturbed areas
near Pinewood in Sumter and Clarendon counties, and found a good diversity
of species on the wing.  I was particularly interested in Hesperia meskei, a
distinctive late-flying eastern skipper that is well entrenched across the
Carolinas.  Ron did a good job of finding it, though the nectar sources that
provided the best chances were few and far between.  

We had good fellowship, a nice dinner, drove to Goose Creek under the
Carolina crescent moon (what's up with that anyway - and why isn't there a
Phyciodes called Carolina Crescent?), and wrapped up by spending many hours
going over his very impressive reference collection.  With virtually every
distinguishable entity represented, it is quite straightforward to identify
new specimens as well as visualize the phenotypic differences.  No wonder
Ron is so quick to find uniqueness across populations.  Forget the books -
he's got the best field guide I've ever seen - all in mounted specimens. 
Now whether the variations are representing species, ssp., or forms is
someone else's problem.  I just simply enjoy being able to visualize them
clearly.  You can readily do that with the specimens in Ron's collection.

On Sunday Ron was where he should be - shepherding his flock at their local
church in Goose Creek.  Yes, Ron is really a pastor, and he really puts that
responsibility before his God-given passion for butterflies.

On Sunday, I was where I shouldn't be - running form blood-thirsty
mosquitoes through the boggy forest at Westvaco (near Jacksonboro, S.C.).  I
was there to seek Enodia portlandia, and I was not disappointed.  I did,
however, sustain a most unpleasant number of welts as I unwillingly shared
my blood with the butterflies' vengeful cousins.  I am convinced that there
is some relevance to the notion of karma, and that it is particularly
observable whenever you make the conscious choice of taking invertebrate
life. You take, but not without giving, as the animal kingdom finds a way of
balancing the equation.  The way I see it, however, the equation is heavily
out of balance and way in favor of the bugs.  If there is indeed justice
before death, then I should be enjoying many years of unopposed bug hunting.
 Yikes, what am I saying!  I'd better keep looking over my shoulder for that
proverbial lightning bolt!

Sumter Co

Pieris rapae (Cabbage White)
Eurema lisa (Little Yellow)
Nathalis iole (Dainty Sulphur)
Eurema nicippe (Sleepy Orange)
Everes comyntas (Eastern Tailed Blue)
Hesperia mesei (Meske's Skipper)
Lerema accius (Clouded Skipper)
Lerodea eufala (Eufala Skipper)
Capaeodes minima (Southern Skipperling)

Clarendon County

Pieris rapae (Cabbage White)
Phoebis sennae (Cloudless Sulphur)
Eurema lisa (Little Yellow)
Eurema nicippe (Sleepy Orange)
Nathalis iole (Dainty Sulphur)
Strymon melinus (Gray Hairstreak)
Everes comyntas (Eastern Tailed Blue)
Libytheana carinenta (American Snout)
Agraulis vanillae (Gulf Fritillary)
Euptoieta claudia (Variegated Fritillary)
Phyciodes tharos (Pearl Crescentspot)
Vanessa cardui (Painted Lady) 
Junonia coenia (Buckeye)
Hermeuptychia sosybius (Carolina Satyr)
Danaus gilippus (Monarch)
Epargyreus clarus (Silver Spotted Skipper)
Urbanus proteus (Long-tailed Skipper)
Pyrgus communis (Checkered Skipper)
Pyrgus albescens ?(White Checkered Skipper)
Lerema accius (Clouded Skipper)
Capaeodes minima (Southern Skipperling)
Hylephila phyleus (Fiery Skipper)
Euphyes vestris ? (Dun Skipper)
Lerodea eufala (Eufala Skipper)

Colleton County

Phoebis sennae (Cloudless Sulphur)
Phyciodes tharos (Pearl Crescentspot)
Phyciodes texana (Texan Crescent)
Hermeuptychia sosybius (Carolina Satyr)
Cyllopsis gemma (Gemmed Satyr)
Enodia portlandia (Southern Pearly Eye)
Lerema accius (Clouded Skipper)

Mark Walker.


-------Original Message-------
 
From: Ron Gatrelle
Date: 10/13/04 15:07:07
To: TILS talk
Subject: [leps-talk] Meeting M. Walker
 
Mark Walker and I met for the first time (a lifer record for us both) this
past Saturday and seemed to have a mutually good time.  He wanted to find
Hesperia meskei and I said that SC is the meskei capitol of the world - but
I seldom collect in SC and didn't know of a "hot spot" so we'd just have to
do a lot of driving till we found a likely spot.   To make things more
difficult it was 100% cloudy all day.  But no wind or rain.
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