Full-Year Compilation for 2016

This dusted skipper found and photo’d by Jack Miller on 5-18-16 near Shaw’s Mill Road, CUM, was our FOY for 2016.

Jack Miller has done it again. Following up on his compilation for 2015, here is his full-year compilation of species, reports, and individuals as posted on our Sightings Log, January-December, 2016.  He worked on this through the fall (while he was also working on the 2015 compilation) and completed it in the first couple of days in the New Year.

Thank you, JM!

Here’s his report:

About the 2016 Compilation:

In 2016, the log recorded 91 species for 78,133 butterflies in 3184 reports.  In simple terms, this means there will not be a recount despite the likelihood that some mistakes have been made while compiling this massive amount of data.  Please report any significant errors you might discover.

There were 13 species that recorded new FOY’s and 25 species that either tied or set new LOY’s.  Three species — gray hairstreak, viceroy, and southern cloudywing — set both new FOY’s and new LOY’s.

This compilation does not include reports designated as “species” such as “anglewing species” or “azure species.”

Thousands of butterflies were left out of the compilation as there was no uniform way to include the approximately 150 reports of “C, A or S” (common, abundant, or superabundant).  Due to this, a few species like cabbage white, orange sulphur, eastern-tailed blue, buckeye, sachem, and broad-winged skipper are under-reported by many thousands, especially during their peak times of appearance.  On the other hand, some species are significantly over-reported.  It appears that there are three main factors  that can create a situation for over-reporting:

1) some species may only be found in one or a few places and the same bugs get counted numerous times over a short flight period (notably little yellow, sleepy orange, bronze copper, hoary elfin, meadow fritillary, mulberry wing, and Dion skipper);

2) some species appear in reporters’ gardens and the same bug gets reported many times over the course of its stay (notably Hayhurst’s scallopwing, banded hairstreak, painted lady, red-spotted purple, and tawny emperor);

3) lastly, some species may be found in a spot that is especially frequented by enthusiasts who are logging (notably Appalachian brown, Peck’s skipper, and northern broken-dash).

This compilation does not necessarily pretend to present “good” science, although much valuable information is present that in the hands of researchers could be of much value.  The article “Climate-driven Changes in Northeastern US Butterfly Communities” by Breed, Stichter and Crone states the following: Natural history observations by amateurs have the potential to document the distribution and abundance of species in places where systematically collected monitoring data do not exist.

Please enjoy this compilation and let it be an inspiration to stimulate thinking, questioning, and an urge to get outside.

Jack Miller

• pipevine swallowtail: Extreme dates  6/13- 9/25.   Total reports/individuals: 6/8.  ATL, SAL, CMY in June- Sept.
• zebra swallowtail: No reports.
• black swallowtail: Extreme dates  4/14- 10/30.  Total reports/individuals: 406/911.  Peak count: 8/31- 35 Forsythe ATL.
• giant swallowtail: Extreme dates   8/14- 8/19.  Total reports/individuals:   2/2.  GLO and CAM.
• tiger swallowtail: Extreme dates  3/31– 10/6 (NEW FOY). Total reports/individuals: 814/1770.  Peak count:  7/20-35 at Beaver Swamp CMY.
• spicebush swallowtail: Extreme dates   4/17- 10/8.  Total reports/individuals: 750/2186.  Peak counts:  319/1126 in August.  8/29- 50 at MacNamara WMA CMY; 9/6- 47 at MacNamara WMA.
• Palamedes swallowtail: No reports.
• checkered white: Extreme dates  6/14– 10/29 (NEW FOY).  Total reports/individuals: 14/108.  One report from each of SAL and CMY, all the rest from CUM.  Peak count:  7/21- 67 CUM.
• cabbage white: Extreme dates  3/9- 11/28.  Total reports/individuals:   1804/10,415.   Peak count:  7/16- 1020 at Palmyra Cove BUR.
• falcate orangetip: Extreme dates  3/28- 5/12.   Total reports/individuals:   73/213.  Only second time in log history recorded in March (found in 9 locations between 3/31 and 4/1).
• clouded sulphur: Extreme dates  1/3 – 12/22 (NEW FOY).  Total reports/individuals:  245/459.  Reported in all months but February.
• orange Sulphur: Extreme dates: 1/2 – 12/31 (TIES LOY).  Total reports/individuals: 982/3925.  The log’s longest current streak at 21 months.  Tied LOY for second consecutive year.
• cloudless sulphur: Extreme dates:  7/22- 12/1. Total reports/individuals:  452/1531.  77/184 in 2015.  Ever present throughout SJ after July.  Peak count:  10/3 -39 at CM St Park.
• little yellow: Extreme dates  8/3- 11/11 (NEW LOY) .   Total reports/individuals:  56/461.  Big year for little yellow!  1 report from each of CAM, CUM, and ATL; all others from CMY. Peak count:  8/11- 29 and 10/3- 27 at Cape May ST PK, and 9/4-35 Freidrieckstadt Ave Woodbine CMY.
• sleepy orange: Extreme dates 8/18- 12/1 (NEW LOY).  Total reports/individuals:  10/18.  All reports from 2 occurrences at Dix WMA CUM except for 12/1 report from Wheelabrator GLO.
• harvester: Extreme dates  5/10- 9/4 (new FOY).  Total reports/individuals:   6/9.  Three new BUR sites.
• American copper: Extreme dates 4/8- 11/2.  Total reports/individuals: 171/570. Peak count:   8/22-46 at Nabb Rd CUM.
• bronze copper: Extreme dates 5/23- 11/3.  Total reports/individuals: 26/125.  Except for two CUM reports, all reports from SAL.  Peak counts:  7/10-17 and 7/16-21 SAL.
• bog copper: Extreme dates  6/6- 6/26.  Total reports/individuals: 8/108.  Five sites in BUR, OCN, CMY, and ATL.
• coral hairstreak: Extreme dates 6/13- 7/14 (NEW LOY).  Total reports/individuals: 29/111.  Reported in all but CAM.  Peak count:  6/26-18 at Riverwinds GLO.
• Edwards hairstreak: Extreme dates-   6/26.   Total reports/individuals: 1/1. Lone individual in ATL.  Hesstown powerlines were clear-cut during the 2015-16 winter.
• banded hairstreak: Extreme dates  6/7- 7/24.  Total reports/individuals: 45/99.  Peak count: From June 20 to July 24, 34/82 from one CMY garden with an individual peak of 3 on numerous occasions.
• striped hairstreak: Extreme dates  6/25- 7/27. Total reports/individuals: 9/20.  Found in OCN, BUR, and CMY (15/20).  Peak count:   7/4-5 near Lizard Tail CMY.
• oak hairstreak: No reports.
• brown elfin: Extreme dates  3/31- 5/23. Total reports/individuals: 30/90.  Seen in CAM, BUR, CMY, OCN and CUM. Peak count:  4/25-20 near Estell Manor Rd CUM.
• hoary elfin: Extreme dates  4/14- 5/20. Total reports/individuals:  8/76. Only in Warren Grove.
• frosted elfin: Extreme dates 3/31-6/4. Total reports/individuals:  15/78. Only in CMY.  Our only 4 month elfin 2016. Peak count:  5/8-24 at Lizard Tail CMY.
• Henry’s elfin: Extreme dates  3/17- 5/26 (ties LOY).  Total reports/individuals: 92/420.    Peak count:  4/1- 43 at Glassboro Woods GLO.
• pine elfin: Extreme dates 3/24- 5/25. Total reports/individuals:  53/95.  Peak count:  4/22-18 at Rt 555 in CUM.
• juniper hairstreak: Extreme dates  4/13- 8/11. Total reports/individuals:  34/68.  Reported in April, July and Aug.
• Hessel’s hairstreak: Extreme dates  4/25- 5/12.  Total reports/individuals: 5/8.  Three sites.  Only 2013 logged fewer.
• white-m hairstreak: Extreme dates  3/31- 11/8. Total reports/individuals:  55/86. Peak count:   9/25- 10 at Estell Manor ATL.  Reported in March, April, July, August, September, October, and November.
• gray hairstreak: Extreme dates  3/23-11/19 (NEW FOY) (NEW LOY). Total reports/individuals: 463/1032.    Peak count:  9/22- 64 at Lizard Tail CMY.  169/589 in September.  Broke FOY for second consecutive year.
• red-banded hairstreak: Extreme dates 4/21- 11/13 (TIES LOY).  Total reports/individuals: 358/860.    Peak count:  8/29-51 at MacNamara CMY.
• eastern tailed-blue: Extreme dates 3/17- 11/16 (NEW FOY) . Total reports/individuals: 982/3511.   Peak count:  8/22- 183 at Nabb Rd CUM.
• blueberry azure: Extreme dates  1/10-4/25 (NEW FOY). Total reports/individuals: 93/982.   Peak count:  3/18-81 at Black Run Pres. BUR.
• holly azure: Extreme dates 4/1- 5/25. Total reports/individuals: 65/551.  Peak count:  5/8- 44 at Lizard Tail CMY.
• Edward’s azure: No reports.
• summer azure: Extreme dates 5/20- 10/19. Total reports/individuals: 255/375.  71/77 in July demonstrates the low density of this species in SJ.

• American snout: Extreme dates 2/29- 11/30 (NEW LOY). Total reports/individuals: 101/191. 22/26 in 2015.   Reported every month but January and December.  Peak count:  9/10 – 13 at Back Neck Rd CUM.
• Gulf fritillary: No reports.
• variegated fritillary: Extreme dates 4/26- 12/1. Total reports/individuals:  415/982. 106/385 in 2015.  Peak count: 7/10 – 21 SAL.  Second year in a row with December reports.
• great spangled fritillary: Extreme dates 6/7– 8/11 (NEW FOY) . Total reports/individuals: 10/24.  Found in BUR, ATL, SAL, GLO, OCN. Peak count:  8/11- 6 at Burden Hill Preserve SAL.
• meadow fritillary: Extreme dates 6/4– 9/12 (NEW FOY).  Total reports/individuals: 12/31.  Only SAL.  Peak count:  7/10-8 at Supawna SAL.  Second consecutive year with new FOY.
• pearl crescent: Extreme dates 4/15- 11/18. Total reports/individuals: 654/2610. Peak count: 149/749 in September.
• question mark: Extreme dates 2/28- 11/27. Total reports/individuals: 178/287. 47/70 in 2015.  May (32 reports) and September (58 reports) best months.
• eastern comma: Extreme dates 2/21- 11/24. Total reports/individuals:  181/323.  84/198 in 2015.  Second year in a row reported in December.  Over 160 individuals reported from two spots: Palmyra Cove and Wheelabrator.
• mourning cloak: Extreme dates 2/1- 10/11. Total reports/individuals: 146/231.  Peak count:  3/8- 15 at Belleplain SF CMY.
• American lady: Extreme dates 3/23- 11/19. Total reports/individuals: 694/1601. Peak count:   5/8- 47 at Lizard Tail CMY.
• painted lady:  Extreme dates 5/9-11/17. Total reports/individuals: 24/27. All reports but 2 from CMY (1 CUM, 1 ATL).
• red admiral: Extreme dates 1/9- 12/2. Total reports/individuals: 486/993.  Reported every month but February (and was reported on 3/1!).
• common buckeye: Extreme dates 1/2- 12/3 (NEW FOY). Total reports/individuals:  10/84/8426.  Peak count: 303/3923 in October.
• red-spotted purple: Extreme dates 5/18- 10/29. Total reports/individuals:  366/791. Peak count:  8/31- 42 at CMY site.  252/452 August individuals from one CMY site.
• viceroy: Extreme dates 4/21-10/29 (NEW FOY; NEW LOY) . Total reports/individuals: 81/175. Peak count:  9/17-15 at Palmyra Cove BUR.  32/89 in September.
• hackberry emperor: Extreme dates 6/13-9/15. Total reports/individuals: 42/74.   Peak count:  8/19-8 at Wheelabrator GLO.   29/57 in August.
• tawny emperor: Extreme dates 7/8-9/15. Total reports/individuals: 37/95.  Only CMY.  From 7/14- 9/13, 21/71 from one CMY private garden.  All but 6 individuals in private gardens.
• Appalachian brown: Extreme dates 6/4- 9/15 (NEW LOY). Total reports/individuals: 57/408.  Peak count:  8/11- 113 SAL.   Although widespread, the huge bulk of these were from Lizard Tail CMY, a private garden CMY, and Burden Hill SAL.
• Georgia satyr: Extreme dates 6/18- 9/2 (NEW LOY).  Total reports/individuals: 4/90. All 4 reports from undesignated BUR site.
• little wood satyr: Extreme dates 5/18- 8/8. Total reports/individuals: 104/479.
• common wood nymph: Extreme dates 6/25- 10/6 (NEW LOY. Total reports/individuals: 141/267.  Peak count:   7/3- 39 at Rancocas St PK BUR.
• Monarch: Extreme dates 1/3- 12/7. Total reports/individuals: 898/3553. In 2015, 412/21 96.  Peak count:  10/3- 263 CM ST PK.

• long-tailed skipper: Extreme dates 9/12- 11/3 (TIES LOY). Total reports/individuals: 49/65. 4/4 in 2015. Reports from all but GLO, OCN and SAL.
• silver-spotted skipper: Extreme dates 4/1- 11/2 (NEW LOY). Total reports/individuals: 698/2206.  Peak count:  8/20-  85 CUM.
• Hoary edge: No reports.
• southern cloudywing: Extreme dates 4/26- 9/13 (NEW FOY) (NEW LOY). Total reports/individuals: 39/125.  Peak count:  8/12 – Middle Twnshp bike path.  In August, 51/60 specimens from Middle Twnshp bike path CMY.
• northern cloudywing: Extreme dates 4/17– 7/2 (NEW FOY). Total reports/individuals: 14/23.  Only in CMY, CUM, BUR, and ATL.
• Hayhurst’s scallopwing: Extreme dates 5/25- 9/22. Total reports/individuals: 31/62.  Peak counts:  7/13- 13 and 8/7- 16 at Dix WMA CUM.  First 13/19 reports recorded from private CMY garden.
• sleepy duskywing: Extreme dates 4/13- 5/19. Total reports/individuals: 16/77. Peak count:   4/20- 40 at unnamed rd n. and w. of Estell Manor Rd CUM.
• Juvenal’s duskywing: Extreme dates 3/30- 5/25. Total reports/individuals: 123/672.  Peak count:  4/20- 200 Peaslee WMA CMY.
• Horace’s duskywing: Extreme dates 4/22- 10/13. Total reports/individuals: 224/447. Peak count:  7/13- 29 CMY.  135/326 in July.
• wild indigo duskywing: Extreme dates 4/17- 9/26. Total reports/individuals: 67/170.  Peak count:  9/17-29 at Palmyra Cove BUR.  Peaked in mid-September, but then quickly vanished.
• common checkered skipper: Extreme dates 5/8- 11/8. Total reports/individuals: 109/320.  Peak count:  9/12- 47 SAL.
• common sootywing: Extreme dates 5/9- 9/23 (NEW LOY). Total reports/individuals: 73/150.  Peak count:  5/26- 10 at Middle Township bike path CMY.  Second consecutive year with new LOY.
• swarthy skipper: Extreme dates 6/2-10/30 (NEW LOY). Total reports/individuals: 63/107.   38/73 in August.
• clouded skipper: No reports.
• least skipper: Extreme dates 5/20-10/30. Total reports/individuals: 268/827.  Numerous 20+ reports from Palmyra Cove BUR.
• European skipper: Extreme dates 6/5-6/19. Total reports/individuals: 7/82.  Peak count:  6/10 – 34 Buckshutem rd CUM.  Reports from CUM, 5; SAL, 1; and ATL, 1.
• fiery skipper: Extreme dates 7/11- 11/19. Total reports/individuals: 197/491.   68/192 in 2015.  Peak count:  10/3- 15 at Triangle Garden CM Point CMY.
• Leonard’s skipper: no reports.
• cobweb skipper: Extreme dates 4/21-5/14. Total reports/individuals:  6/8.  Only in OCN and CMY.
• dotted skipper: Extreme dates 6/15- 7/10. Total reports/individuals: 3/9.  Only from Colliers Mills OCN.
• Peck’s skipper: Extreme dates 5/8- 10/19. Total reports/individuals: 268/934.   Peak count:  9/12- 107 at Silver Lake Rd SAL.  No CMY reports.  Many reports from Estell Manor ATL.
• tawny-edged skipper: Extreme dates 5/24- 10/14. Total reports/individuals: 87/206.   43/79 in August.
• crossline skipper: Extreme dates 5/30- 9/20. Total reports/individuals: 70/111.  Peak count:  8/22- 10 from Middle Township bike path CMY.
• northern broken-dash; Extreme dates 6/10- 9/12 (NEW LOY). Total reports/individuals: 83/246.  11/103 of July’s 60/174 from Estell Manor ATL.
• [southern broken-dash: Photos from 7/26/16 (Forsythe ATL) strongly suggest this species, according to several out-of-state experts.  It would be a new species for the state of New Jersey.  At least two other photos – from 7/27/17 in Cape May Courthouse CMY and 7/29/16 (Estell Manor ATL) also are at least suggestive of this species.  At the moment this should probably be considered a hypothetical species in our area – and all observers should be on the lookout for suspiciously red broken-dashes next summer.  For more details see the blog for August 1, 2016:  “Southern Broken Dash: A Species To Look For?”]
• little glassywing: Extreme dates 6/1- 9/8. Total reports/individuals: 83/230.
• sachem: Extreme dates 4/24- 12/3 Total reports/individuals:  (1087/10,597)   Reported in December for only the second time in log’s history.
• Arogos skipper: No reports.
• Delaware skipper: Extreme dates 6/9- 7/23 Total reports/individuals: (37/66)  Peak count:  8/6- 11 at Turkey Pt area CUM.
• rare skipper: Extreme dates 7/1-8/1. Total reports/individuals: 44/121.  Peak count:   7/10 – 28 near Salem City SAL.  Reports from CMY, 34; SAL, 8; and CUM, 1.
• mulberry wing: Extreme dates 6/23- 7/17 Total reports/individuals:  13/161.  From 2008- 2013, only near Head of River which divides CMY and ATL.  Added 3 locations in 2016 (2 CMY, 1 CUM).  Spreading?
• Hobomok skipper: no reports this year, but the species has now been added to our overall list, retrospectively, on the basis of photographs taken by John Maxwell at Rancocas Nature Center on May 15, 2010.  See the blog for more details:  “A New Species For South Jersey,” December 2, 2016.
• zabulon skipper: Extreme dates 5/12- 10/21 (NEW LOY) (341-958) Peak counst:  6/18- 23; 7/31- 27, both at Palmyra Cove BUR.
• Aaron’s skipper: Extreme dates 6/3-10/6 (NEW LOY). Total reports/individuals: 107/478. Peak count:  6/7-200 at Heislerville CUM. Last 38/46 reports (not individuals) from private gardens.
• broad-winged skipper: Extreme dates 6/18- 9/17 Total reports/individuals: (328/3574)  Peak count:  7/23- 240 at CMY site.  186/2467 in August.
• dion skipper: Extreme dates 7/14-8/20.  (NEW LOY).  Total reports/individuals:  21/171.  Only CMY and CUM (1 report).  Peak count:  8/1 – 30.  8 reports (highest count = 30) from Lizard Tail accounted for 130 individuals.
• black dash: no reports.
• two-spotted skipper: Extreme dates 6/30 (NEW LOY)  Total reports/individuals: 1/3.   One report from BUR.
• dun skipper: Extreme dates  6/4- 10/18 (NEW LOY) Total reports/individuals: 132/255.
• dusted skipper: Extreme dates 5/18- 6/2 (TIES LOY) Total reports/individuals: 8/11.  Typical two-week flight period again.
• common roadside skipper: no reports.
• Brazilian skipper: no reports.
• salt marsh skipper: Extreme dates 6/9- 10/17 (TIES LOY). Total reports/individuals: 176- 1346.  Peak count:  7/13- 270 at Crest Haven Cemetery CMY.
• Ocola skipper: Extreme dates 8/27- 11/8 210/528.  Total reports/individuals: 68/253 in 2015.  Peak count:  10/18- 21 at Pavilion Circle CMY.
  

  One of the most extraordinary finds of our nine years of logging: coral and juniper hairstreaks mating — photo’d by Steve Glynn near Newfield, CUM, on July 11. What a find!