This gray hairstreak was photographed by Jack Miller at Heislerville, CUM, on 11-16-15. Is that the last we will see of the species in 2015…or is another still possible?
Were we spoiled by November’s unseasonably warm weather in South Jersey — with so many daily temperatures of 60+? We recorded 23 species for the month: black swallowtail, spicebush swallowtail, cabbage white, clouded sulphur, orange sulphur, cloudless sulphur, eastern tailed-blue, gray hairstreak, American copper, pearl crescent, variegated fritilllary, question mark, eastern comma, mourning cloak, American lady, painted lady, common buckeye, red admiral, monarch, common checkered skipper, fiery skipper, sachem, and Ocola skipper.
Which species are possible in South Jersey in the 12th month of the year?
Over our seven years of logging, 2008-2014, we have recorded fourteen species flying in December, although none has made it every year. In fact, in 2010 winter freeze set in early and we did not log a single butterfly of any species that December.
Most years, however, we have found at least a few species.
Late Dates for fourteen species recorded in December, 2008-2014
Orange sulphur seems the most reliable late flyer — with December records for all years except 2010 and a latest-ever date of 12-31-11.
Orange sulphur at Woodcock Lane, CMY, photo’d by Harvey Tomlinson on 11-16-15.
The next-most reliable species are common buckeye, red admiral, American lady, and monarch which have each appeared in five of our seven Decembers.
Our most recent photo of common buckeye is this one by Chris Herz at Riverwinds GLO on 11-27-15. It’s been an excellent year for the species and we have recorded it five of our seven Decembers. Can we make it six for eight in December 2015?
Clouded sulphur has flown in four Decembers; painted lady and cloudless sulphur in three; and mourning cloak and cabbage white in two.
Cloudless sulphur at Glades Refuge CUM, photo’d by Brian Johnson on 11-16-15. We have found this species flying in three Decembers over the years.
At the moment this painted lady, photo’d by Beth Polvino in her garden in North Cape May on 11-21-15, is our last record for the species in 2015. Will we see another this year?
We have recorded four species just one December each: question mark (12-18-12), variegated fritillary (12-4-09), fiery skipper (12-5-11), and sachem (12-4-11).
Sachem is another species that made its last recorded appearance in South Jersey this year (so far) in Beth Polvino’s garden (on 11-28-15). We have had a dozen reports of sachems over the last two weeks, however. Is a December sachem in the offing?
Which species not yet recorded in any of our Decembers is the most-possible-next addition to our all-time list? It may be . . . .
Eastern comma. Chip Krilowicz photographed this one on 11-30-11 at Palmyra Cove, BUR — our log’s latest-ever record.
Dave Amadio photographed this comma just last week, 11-26-15, at Wheelabrator Refuge in GLO. (Update 12-5-15: See below — Dave found us a December comma!)
Sightings Report for November 26, 2015
Commas over-winter in the adult stage and sometimes fly on warm days in winter. We have one February record and many March records.
More of stretch, but perhaps still possible, is one species we did not record this November: American snout. Snouts also over-winter as adults (some years even as far north as New York City, according to Cech & Tudor’s Butterflies of the East Coast), and we have found individuals three times in the last week of November since 2008. We also have one January record (at Belleplain State Forest on 1-20-13 by Chase Cammorata) and three February records (all in 2012 by Will Kerling and Jim Dowdell at Beaver Dam and Cape Island Creek, CMY).
Keep exploring, everyone, especially if the days turn warm again.
And please let us all know what you find.
Jack Connor
12-5-15 Update: Dave Amadio found us our first-ever December comma. See his report and photo from Wheelabrator Refuge here: