Look close: it’s a harvester caterpillar consuming wooly aphids at Chestnut Branch Park, Gloucester County, 8-16-12. Photo by Dave Amadio
It’s hard to keep up with our observers tracking down exciting sightings on various fronts. We have our first reported sighting of a harvester caterpillar this year (above), and new counties for both harvester and checkered white.
Dave Amadio reports:
Took this afternoon off [8-16-12] and headed for Chestnut Branch Park. After a while, I was joined by Sandra Keller & Bill Grant. We conservatively counted 29 individuals (actually 30 counting a caterpillar). Never imaginied that I would witness such a thriving colony of harvesters. This was a life butterfly for Sandra. If that wasn’t special enough, Bill showed us an image of a female checkered white that he observed before our paths crossed. He found it nectaring in the small butterfly garden at Chestnut Branch. now we have checkered whites in two counties [Salem and Gloucester]. [And] I heard that Chris Herz picked up Harvester in Camden County also today. WOW! what an afternoon.
Yes, indeed — quite a day. Here’s Chris Herz’s note about her find of harvesters in Camden Co:
Found two harvesters at Saddlers Woods, Haddon Twp., Camden County, at 4:40 pm today, Aug. 16. Saw them flying before even seeing some wooly aphids. There are not nearly as many aphids here as at the Chestnut Branch Park location.
Keep at it, everyone!