Two Remaining SJ NABA Counts To Go

Posted on June 22, 2012 by connorj

Aaron’s skipper nectaring on vetch during the Cumberland County NABA Count on 6-20-12.

Two NABA counts were conducted successfully this week (despite the less-than-ideal heat index): Belleplain and Cumberland.

Congratulations to organizers Teresa Knipper and Pat Sutton and to all participants, including the several intrepid butterflyers who completed both counts, back-to-back.

We have two other NABA counts in South Jersey still to come. The last will be the Cape May Count on Tuesday, July 24.

But first, next up, next week, is the northernmost of South Jersey’s four NABA counts, the Galloway Count organized by Jamie Cromartie.

This count’s center is near the Stockton College campus and the area covered extends eastward to Port Republic, Leeds Point, Motts Creek, and much of the auto-tour (and the uplands) at Forsythe NWR; northward it extends to the Mullica River up to Lower Bank and all of Egg Harbor City; west of the count center it includes areas around the A.C. Airport, all of the Atlantic Cape Community College campus, and a long section of the Atlantic County Bike Trail. The habitats to be explored are very varied, and several of South Jersey’s most sought-after species, including pipevine swallowtail, Edward’s hairstreak, and rare skipper (a regular) have been found in past years.

The count begins at the Arts & Sciences Circle on College Drive, Stockton Campus, at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 30. The rain date is Sunday, July 1.

Come join us! You can contact organizer Jamie Cromartie at JamieDOTCromartieATStocktonDOTedu

The general how-to info from Pat Sutton (at the post below) still applies, of course. Here it is again, in shortened form:

THE WAY THE COUNTS WORK

(1) All are WELCOME! Share this with a friend.

(2) WHAT TO BRING: binoculars and a butterfly field guide (if you own one), lots of liquids & snacks, bug spray, sunscreen, visor/hat, long-sleeve shirt (since mosquitoes, biting flies, biting gnats, and ticks can all be problematic in South Jersey), wear sensible clothes for tromping through wildflower meadows, & consider wearing cheap “tube socks” that you’ll toss at day’s end.

(3) A $ 3 NABA fee will be collected from each participant. If you would like a copy of the 2012 NABA Count Report, including 500+ counts done all over the USA, Canada, & some in Mexico (due out spring 2013), bring an additional $7 if you are a NABA member ($11 for nonmembers).

(4) If you know folks with butterfly-friendly gardens in one of the count circles, why not call them now and get permission to cover their garden the day of the count . . . or maybe they’d like to cover it for the count? “GARDEN WATCHER (GW)” are very welcome to participate in these counts. If you’re new to the count and not sure if your garden or another butterfly-friendly garden you know is in one of the count circles, contact the respective compiler NOW to find out.

We hope to see some of you there!

In the meantime, enjoy those cooler low-90s/high-80s temperatures we have been promised, and keep exploring!

Some inspiration here:

Cynthia Allen scored an amazing combination in her garden in Cape May Courthouse on 6-21-12, finding and photo’ing both oak hairstreak and rare skipper on the same day! (The skipper is a new species for our log in 2012. One individual was also found on the Belleplain NABA Count.)

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Mid-June SJBF Happenings

Posted on June 17, 2012 by connorj

This Edward’s hairstreak (and two others) at the Hesstown power lines, photo’d by Will Kerling on 6-16-12, means we have found all five South Jersey Satyrium species in June.

Hey, South Jersey Butterflyers, lots of action lately — and apparently more on the way. See our log for all reports, but some highlights:

–> Thanks to Will Kerling and Cynthia Allen, we have added our fifth Satyrium, S. edwardsii, to our year count (and also added mulberry wing, our thirtieth skipper).

–> Thanks to organizers Pat Sutton and Teresa Knipper, we have two NABA Counts upcoming this week (details at the note below).

–> And, we may also be able to tune into a deja vu invasion of red admirals, thanks to the reports from Chris Herz, Mike Russell, and Sandra Keller yesterday.

Red admirals on Queen-Anne’s lace at Dream Park, near the Commodore Barry Bridge, photo’d by Sandra Keller, 6-16-12.

Chris Herz and Mike Russell were driving west toward the Commodore Barry Bridge yesterday morning. Chris reports,

There were hundreds [of admirals] around the approach to the [bridge]. We first noticed them around 10:35 in the morning as we were driving on Rte. 322 [headed toward the bridge]. They were flying across the road, then as we turned on the approach road to the Bridge and were slowing, we noticed them flying and perched in the road, on the shoulder, and even in the tollbooth lane. Mike called Sandra Keller and then Dave Amadio (who was at Lakehurst). Sandra was able to check out some areas nearby. Truly amazing! Mike and I estimated a 1000 in that short distance. It felt like a similar experience to the massive flight back in May.

Sandra drove to the bridge area immediately, reaching it about 11 a.m. and later reported:

Well, I tried for a pic conveying a sense of the numbers. Didn’t work! The most in one spot for me was probably that parking area for fishing along Floodgates, with a 100 or so – and am probably under-counting. I drove slowly by and they all came up off the mud! There was another 70 or 80 at the propane storage facility – on the gravel on the road edge. I was enjoying the snout at the end of the road, then followed a red admiral over the end of the dike and wow – more admirals on the rocks there! They weren’t moving like a month ago, feeding mainly today. Dream Park to the south of the bridge had a lot, but not really concentrated. There’s a dirt road that runs the perimeter of the place. That was good, as was Rt. 130, [but] then I went east – inland – via Centertown Road. Riverwinds did not have many at all. And none in my yard when I got home.

So, as of Sunday morning 8 a.m., 6-17-12, the phenomenon observed by Chris, Mike, & Sandra may have been a local one — or it may have been the first signal of a surge the rest of us will see shortly over a much wider area. In the past we have had big summer flights following earlier big spring flights.

Stay alert, everyone!

jc

Posted in Lycaenids, Migration, Nymphalids | Comments Off on Mid-June SJBF Happenings

Three NABA Counts Coming Up

Posted on June 13, 2012 by connorj

Black swallowtail caterpillar on fennel in the rain in Goshen, photo’d by Will Kerling, 6-12-12. (Yes, larvae can be included on your NABA survey.)

Three South Jersey NABA counts will be held in the next few weeks, and Pat Sutton has supplied all the details you need to know to join in:

TO: Past Participants & Newcomers to the South Jersey Butterfly Counts
FROM Count Compilers:

Teresa Knipper – Belleplain, NJ, Count – Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Pat Sutton – Cumberland County, NJ, Count – Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Michael O’Brien – Cape May, NJ, Count – Tuesday, July 24, 2012

RE: SOUTH JERSEY Butterfly Counts in their 21st YEAR — 2012 Dates & Details

These counts are sponsored by the North American Butterfly Association (part of the 38th annual 4th of July Butterfly Count).

Hope you can join us again or for the first time. There is different contact information for each count, so read the following information carefully. For any of these counts, be sure to tell the compiler if you are comfortable with a territory of your own (i.e., you can identify most butterflies that you see) or if you wish to be teamed with someone who has greater knowledge and/or experience. GARDEN WATCHERS are very welcome to participate in these counts. If your garden (or a friend’s) is included in one of the count circles, be sure to interact with the count compiler and tally butterflies in the garden on count day! Compilers appreciate hearing from counters well in advance, so coverage can be carefully planned.

MARK YOUR 2012 CALENDARS:

___ Tues., June 19, 2012: Belleplain, NJ, Butterfly Count

This count has tallied between 38-52 species. Center = 2 miles sw of the town of Belleplain or 1/2 mile west of junction of Routes 347 and 679 (Mosslander Road). Count circle is partly in Cape May County and partly in Cumberland County and includes: CMBO’s Center in Goshen, Jakes Landing, Dennisville, Woodbine, Belleplain State Forest, western end of Tuckahoe River along Weatherby Road, abandoned cranberry bogs, s. corner of Peaslee WMA, e. corner of Bevan WMA, Port Elizabeth, Delaware Bay salt marshes between Dennis Creek and Bivalve/Port Norris, and the Maurice River from East Point to Laurel Lake. A spread sheet is attached for this count, showing its 20-year history.

There will be a compilation get together (with dinner provided) at Teresa Knipper’s home in Cape May following the count on Tuesday evening, beginning @ 5:30-6:00 p.m.

Contact Teresa Knipper (count coordinator)

E-mail at PhoebistessATaolDOTcom

___ Wed., June 20, 2012: Cumberland Co., NJ, Butterfly Count

This count has tallied between 31-51 species. Center = Cedarville, NJ. Count circle includes extensive salt marshes along the Delaware Bay from Hansey Creek and Dividing Creek/Maple Avenue/Turkey Point west to Sea Breeze, Bear Swamp, Natural Lands Trust fields, Bevan WMA, Union Lake WMA and western Millville, Newport Landing, Nantuxent WMA, Dix WMA, and Cohansey River from near Greenwich to Bridgeton. A spread sheet is attached for this count, showing its 20-year history.

There will be a compilation get together (with dinner provided) around 6:30 p.m. at Pat & Clay Sutton’s home in Goshen with Pizza, salad, and good company following the count on Wednesday evening.

Contact Pat Sutton (count coordinator)

via e-mail at patclaysuttonATcomcastDOTnet.

___ Tues., July 24, 2012: Cape May, NJ, Butterfly Count

This count normally tallies between @ 39-48 species. Center = Rio Grande, NJ. Count circle includes: Cape May Point, Higbee Beach WMA, Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge, Cape Island Creek Preserve, Villas WMA, Cape May NWR fields along Delaware Bayshore, beachfront communities on Delaware Bay north to Reeds Beach, Delaware Bay and Atlantic Coast saltmarsh upland edge, electric power right-of-ways, many weedy roadsides, and private backyard habitat gardens.

Contact Michael O’Brien (count coordinator)

Email at tsweetATcomcastDOTnet.

Coral hairstreaks mating on milkweed, photo’d by Dave Amadio at Riverwinds in West Deptford, 6-10-12. This seems a species we can hope to find on all three counts coming up, especially the first two next week.

—————————————————————————-

THE WAY THE COUNTS WORK

(1) All are WELCOME! Share this with a friend.

(2) WHAT TO BRING: binoculars, Glassberg’s field guide Butterflies Through Binoculars: The East (excellent photos & range maps) and/or Brock & Kaufman’s Kaufman Focus Guide: Butterflies of North America, lunch, lots of liquids & snacks, bug spray, sunscreen, visor/hat, long-sleeve shirt (since mosquitoes, biting flies, biting gnats, and ticks can all be problematic in South Jersey), wear sensible clothes for tromping through wildflower meadows, & consider wearing cheap “tube socks” that you’ll toss at day’s end. Come with a full tank of gas (especially for the Cumberland Count as there are very few gas stations in parts of that count circle)! If you own a copy, also bring Butterflies of the East Coast, an Observer’s Guide, by Rick Cech and Guy Tudor (Princeton University Press, 2005); it’s a great reference for habitat, host plant, id, range, etc.

(3) A $ 3 NABA fee will be collected from each participant (including Garden Watchers). If you would like a copy of the 2012 NABA Count Report, including 500+ counts done all over the USA, Canada, & some in Mexico (due out spring 2013), bring an additional $7 if you are a NABA member ($11 for nonmembers). Please have exact change.

(4) If you know folks with butterfly-friendly gardens in one of the count circles, why not call them now and get permission to cover their garden the day of the count . . . or maybe they’d like to cover it for the count. “GARDEN WATCHER (GW)” are very welcome to participate in these counts. If you’re new to the count and not sure if your garden or another butterfly-friendly garden you know is in one of the count circles, contact the respective compiler NOW to find out.

(5) If you plan to attend the two back-to-back counts (June 19-20), reasonable accommodations are available in the Millville/Vineland area in Cumberland County (Country Inn Millville, Best Western Millville, Red Carpet Inn Millville) and at the Hyland Motor Inn in Cape May County (38 E. Mechanic St., Cape May Court House, NJ 08210 – right next to the Garden State Parkway and just south of Exit 10 / Stone Harbor-Cape May Court House Exit; 609-465-7305 or 609-465-5748; http://www.hylandmotorinn.com ).

Let’s hope for GREAT BUTTERFLY WEATHER!!! See you in June & July!

Teresa, Pat, and Michael

Dotted skipper on pine barren sandwort at Colliers Mills WMA, photo’d by Jim Springer, 6-10-12. Can any of our NABA counts find this challenging species?

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A hairstreak emerges

Posted on June 10, 2012 by connorj

One of three lycaenid caterpillars on white oak, 5-17-12, Stockton campus, Atlantic Co.

Turning over leaves of a white oak tree (Quercus alba) on Stockton’s campus on 5-17-12, I came upon three caterpillars that looked like possible lycaenids, so I brought two home to show Jesse and with the hope that we might be able to raise them.

David Wright kindly responded to our plea for help with the ID:

“These photos are definitely lycaenid larvae. They look more like hairstreaks than blues or coppers. Hard to tell which species without [having them] close at hand and a magnifying lens. If they were truly feeding on white oak (not just on a wanderlust looking for pupation site), then they could be m-album [white-m], calanus [banded], or favonius [oak/northern].”

We put them in a big plastic pretzel jar in our sun room, covered the top with cloth mesh, and fed them fresh white oak leaves from our backyard each day for the next week or so. They ate avidly, it seemed (lots of frass and munched leaves).

Both fed on white oak in captivity for the next week.

On 5-24-12 one went into a stage David noted was that of pre-pupal larva, when the caterpillar “takes the posture and loses color.” The second individual continued to feed on oak leaves for two more days, then followed into its pre-pupal stage.

Pre-pupal stage, individual #2 on the right, 5-26-12.

Individual #1 moved into full pupal state on 5-27 and individual #2 followed two days later. (Both ejected their final frass beforehand, just visible to the left in the photo here).

The pupal state.

And then, for the next ten days+, the suspense built: which species did we have?

We took them along in our back seat (in their jar) for a trip to New England, worried that if we left them behind, they might emerge while we were gone.

Yesterday (23 days after capture; 12 days after beginning pupation), individual #2 emerged to reveal its identity:

An oak hairstreak, Satyrium favonius, about an hour into adulthood, on June 9th, enjoying its first sugar meal, a mix of water and blue agave nectar. It sipped for a few minutes and then — quick as a wink — zipped off in first flight from our back porch.

The other individual has not yet emerged, but we are still hopeful — and seeing any oak hairstreaks in South Jersey is a treat. Last year none were reported to our log. They may be having a (relatively) good year in 2012, however, as we have three other reports of the species already this month.

Anyone interested in raising caterpillars might want to take a look at Todd Stout’s Raising Caterpillars.org, recommended by David Wagner, author of Caterpillars of Eastern North America:

Todd Stout’s Raising Butterflies.org

Keep exploring, everyone!

jc

PS: Finally, any readers who would like to see still more photos of our hairstreak sequence from caterpillar to adult can go to:

More photos of oak hairstreak caterpillar and pupae

Posted in Eggs, Cats, Chrysalids, Host Plants, Lycaenids | Comments Off on A hairstreak emerges

May Compilation (& a little bit of June)

Posted on June 6, 2012 by connorj

Don Freiday found and photo’d this Appalachian brown at Peaslee WMA on May 20.

We had yet another excellent month of butterflying in May, 2012. Thirty-seven observers contributed a total of 1820 reports noting the presence of 63 species during the month. By May 31, we had found 65 species for the year in NJ’s southern counties.

You can click on the NABA Codes & Notes tab on our log for an updated compilation of all species reported so far this year, but here are some highlights.

FOY reports in May:

cloudless sulphur, 5-26-12
little yellow, 5-6-12

viceroy, 5-11-12
Appalachian brown, 5-20-12
little wood-satyr, 5-8-12
common wood nymph, 5-18-12

northern cloudywing, 5-11-12
southern cloudywing, 5-12-11
Hayhurst’s scallopwing, 5-14-12
common checkered skipper, 5-18-12

swarthy skipper, 5-23-12
crossline skipper, 5-13-12
tawny-edged skipper, 5-16-12
little glassywing, 5-20-12
Delaware skipper, 5-31-12
Aaron’s skipper, 5-15-12
dun skipper 5-19-12
saltmarsh skipper 5-29-12

The two species seen earlier this year but not in May were both lycaenids: blueberry azure and white-m hairstreak. The first apparently reached its late date in April (the first species to do so); we should see the white-m again in its usually much more numerous later-season broods.

Apparent late dates for the year (species that will probably not fly again in 2012):

falcate orangetip, 5-6-12
brown elfin, 5-12-12
Henry’s elfin, 5-13-12
eastern pine elfin, 5-19-12
Hessel’s hairstreak, 5-20-12? [2nd brood possible?]
blueberry azure, 4-15-12
holly azure, 5-25-12
hoary elfin, 5-6-12
sleepy duskywing, 5-10-12
Juvenal’s duskywing, 5-20-12?
cobweb skipper, 5-20-12
dusted skipper, 5-12-12

Other Notes:

We had only two records of clouded sulphur in May. Are we overlooking this hard-to-ID/lookalike species, or is it having a down year? Or both?

Meanwhile, cloudless sulphur seems ready to “recover” from last year’s amazingly poor showing (ten records all year in 2011). We have three reports already for a species that is not usually seen until July and is generally most numerous in late summer.

Eastern comma continues to be scarce this year (although some of the anglewing, sp. reports may have been commas, of course). We collected only three certain reports of the species (totaling four individuals) in April and only four reports (totaling five individuals) in May.

Red-banded hairstreak apparently continues its population boom in our area: 95 reports in May, totaling an estimated 1683 individuals.

Once again, gray hairstreak all but disappeared between its spring and summer broods – with a single observation for the month on May 17 in Cape May County (W. Kerling).

We have had only a single report of southern cloudywing this year so far — on May 12 at Bevan WMA in Cumberland County (B. Grant).

Two nymphalids and a skipper joined the cloudless sulphur in the second half of May to add to our long list of FOYs that have appeared more than two weeks early (a pattern we have seen throughout the year): common wood nymph on May 18, Appalachian brown on May 20, and little glassywing on May 20.

Meanwhile, here comes June:

The new month has already brought us five lycaenids and one skipper new for 2012.

bog copper, 6-3-12
coral hairstreak, 6-3-12
banded hairstreak, 6-5-12
striped hairstreak, 6-2-12
northern/oak hairstreak, 6-1-12
broad-winged skipper, 6-4-12

Our contributing observers in May 2012:

Cynthia Allen, Dave Amadio, Pat Amadio, Sylvia Armstrong, Denise Bittle, Jesse Connor, Jack Connor, Mike Crewe, Rhea Doherty, Jim Dowdell, Don Freiday, Sam Galick, Jon Gelhaus, Bill Grant, Jean Gutsmuth, Chris Herz, Karen Johnson, Sandra Keller, Will Kerling, Chip Krilowicz, Tony Leukering, David Lord, Stephen Mason, Michael O’Brien, Bridget O’Connor, Patrick O’Connor, Tom Reed, Mike Russell, Jim Springer, Clay Sutton, Pat Sutton, Chris Tonkinson, Chris Williams, Paula Williams, Jessica Wainwright, and Shawn Wainwright.

Thanks to each of you, and if I missed someone, please let me know.

Keep exploring and reporting, everyone!
jc

Posted in First Emergences, Late Dates, Looking At Our Data | Comments Off on May Compilation (& a little bit of June)

Satyrium Time

Posted on June 5, 2012 by connorj

The first Satyrium of 2012 was this freshly-emerged oak hairstreak (S. favonius) that Dave Amadio found in his garden in West Deptford on June 1. This species and Edward’s are generally the most difficult members of the genus to find in our area.

Among other reasons that early June to mid-July makes for exciting butterflying in southern NJ is that it’s the “now or never” period for Satyrium hairstreaks.

We have five members of the genus to chase and often none is a “gimme.” Their average frequency as recorded on our log from from 2008-2011:

Banded hairstreak, S. calanus, ~16 reports/year
Coral hairstreak, S. titus, ~11 reports/year
Striped hairstreak, S. liparops, ~9 reports/year
Edward’s hairstreak, S. edwardsii, ~3 reports/year
Oak [= northern] hairstreak, S. favonius, ~2 reports/year.

Averages don’t quite capture the challenge, however. As experienced butterflyers know, this group’s numbers vary widely from year to year. In 2008 all Satyrium were very scarce throughout New Jersey, and we had only eight reports for our area: 4 reports of banded, 2 of coral, 1 Edwards, and 1 oak. We didn’t find a single striped hairstreak in all of South Jersey that year. Last year, the best for the group over our log’s short existence, we totaled 71 Satyrium reports: 33 reports of banded (98 individuals), 16 reports of coral (62 individuals), 14 of striped (but only 16 individuals), and 8 reports of Edward’s (our total of 20 individuals may have been inflated by some repeats in the limited sites of this species).

We had not a single report for oak hairstreak last year, so Dave A’s find (photo above) on such an early date seems a good omen.

(For early/late dates of the Satryium — and all species — go to
Early & Late Dates, 2009-11)

Of course, Satyrium hairstreaks are only one small component of the June/July pageant of butterflies and other insects, so there’s lots else to look for.

You could find yourself admiring a freshly-emerged, second-brood gray hairstreak, like this one photographed by Will Kerling at Lizard Tail Swamp Preserve on June 2.

Or you might find yourself face-to-face with a tiger beetle as Will K did, same place and date as above.

Keep exploring, everyone!

jc

Posted in Looking At Our Data, Lycaenids | Comments Off on Satyrium Time

A Five-Year Perspective on Our Extraordinary Season

Posted on May 30, 2012 by connorj

A swarthy skipper, photo’d by Will Kerling at Lizard Tail Swamp Preserve, on May 23, still another new record early date for our five years of logging.

With the recent additions of swarthy skipper and cloudless sulphur we reached 63 species for the year the other day and so have now recorded approximately two-thirds of all species that we are likely to see this year. I thought it would be a good time for a look-back at the year so far, especially the pattern of early emergences we have witnessed.

How many species emerged early? Which species have been farthest ahead of their previous patterns? And how early have the emergences of all species been “on average”?

Click on the link below for a quick spreadsheet overview of the FOY (= first of year) dates for all 104 species we have recorded in our five years of logging, 2008-2012. Green = earliest date we have recorded in those years; yellow = second-earliest; and blue = latest FOY of the five years.

Charting Five Years of FOYs, 2008-2012

If you ignore all the green in the 2012 column for a moment, you will see that each of the previous years gave us a mix of early, late, and in-between emergers. In 2008, for example, three of the pierids (clouded, orange, and cloudless) emerged early, but two others (cabbage white and falcate orange-tip) emerged relatively late, as did several lycaenids, including brown elfin, Henry’s elfin, and holly azure. The majority of species, as majorities generally do, appeared on dates we might think of as average. Last year, 2011, several lycaenids were early (Henry’s elfin, gray hairstreak, red-banded hairstreak, and others) while some in that same group (juniper, white-m, and summer azure) flew for the first time later than in other years. Again, most species appeared on what seem average FOY dates.

Of course, that’s the typical sequence experienced butterflyers have come to expect most years: some species fly ahead of their expected flight times, others first appear behind their usual schedule, and the rest give us FOY dates between the extremes.

Not this year, though.

The green in the left-hand column tells the story. Of the 63 species so far recorded in southern NJ in 2012, 50(!) emerged earlier than we saw them in any of the previous four years.

Furthermore, 8 of the remaining 15 species are in yellow, as they emerged on the second-earliest date for 2008-12.

That leaves only 5 of 63 species that seem to qualify as “average emergers”: clouded sulphur (April 7), question mark (Feb 22), painted lady (April 17), and the two cloudywings — southern (May 11) and northern (May 12). The last species is the only one of the group earning blue as a late emerger, but that seems simply a result of the tight schedule that species apparently follows (early FOY date = May 5; late FOY = May 11) and our small sample size.

In truth: not a single one of the 63 butterfly species recorded so far in southern NJ has emerged on a date we can call genuinely late.

Hayhurst scallopwings photo’d by Dave Amadio is his garden on May 26. The FOY for the species came on May 14, tying our previous record early date.

To sum up, then: the vast majority of butterflies (50/63 = 79+%) have flown on a date earlier than any other we have recorded in our five years; most of the rest have also emerged early (on the second earliest date of our five years of data), and that makes our total of early flyers 58 of 63 species, 92+% of all that we have seen so far.

That seems a record that will be hard to match in future years…. unless global climate change is coming at us even faster and stronger than most scientists predict.

Ok, which species deserves the award for emerging farthest ahead of schedule?

A pure day-by-day count would seem to make the American snout of Feb 1 (earliest previous date = 5/2/10) the winner, with a close second place going to the common buckeye of Jan 29 (earliest previous record = 4/11/11).

However, both those species overwintered as adults (apparently), so we may want to give the award of “farthest ahead of schedule” to the sachem. This is a true “emerger” — eclosing from its chrysalis and flying for the first time in spring (or at least so we think?). Will Kerling found and photo’d a sachem on March 27, nearly six weeks earlier than the previous earliest FOY (5/2/10). Furthermore, he and other observers had eighteen subsequent observations of sachems at various spots, totaling 96 individuals, all before we reached May 2, that earliest previous FOY!

This is still another example that sachem is a species on the rise in southern NJ — emerging earlier, increasing in numbers, flying ever longer into the fall (up to Dec 4 in 2011). Something is happening with that little, nondescript butterfly. Does anyone have an explanation?

I realize I have been carrying on too long here and few readers will reach this point in this post. And that’s good. Because at this point I have to confess that finding how far ahead our butterflies have been “on average” involves math that is beyond my 6th grade abilities. For an accurate calculation, we would first have to determine the average emergence date for the previous four years, then count the days from that date to the date of emergence this year for each species, and finally average those differences for all 63 species. (If there’s a simpler or better way to do it, please let me know.)

As long as everyone promises to keep it a secret from my high school math teachers (whichever among those noble, patient folks are still walking this Earth), I am going to rely on the eyeball method. It looks to me that the average time-ahead seems to be one or two weeks or perhaps ten to fifteen days. Some species (the three species above, for example) were far ahead of that, and others are ahead less (or not all for the five “average emergers”). If anyone would be willing to do a more careful analysis, please add a comment below or send me an email. I will happily update this post and give you full credit. In the meantime, however, let’s call the average one to two weeks ahead of schedule, very approximately.

Ok, one last point and then I’ll end this:

“Observer bias” contributes as a factor in FOY data, it should be noted. We have more observers out in the field each year and the excitement of the early emergences this year seemed to push more of us out into the field, where we probably stayed a little longer and looked a little harder than in past years. The more of us out looking, the more we find, so our group as a whole will inevitably discover new early records. But that factor can’t explain this year’s startling pattern. The explosion of early emergers this year is significant and unlikely to be repeated soon. The warm winter and other factors have given South Jersey butterflyers an extraordinary spring that we will remember for a long time.

Keep exploring, everyone!

jc

Question mark caterpillar photo’d by Cynthia Allen in her garden on May 22. The first brood of question mark was one of only five species not to appear earlier than its usual schedule.

Holly azure ovipositing on inkberry holly on May 21 on a Stockton College path. The next question: how late will our early flyers continue this year? What will our late date pattern look like?

Posted in First Emergences, Looking At Our Data | Comments Off on A Five-Year Perspective on Our Extraordinary Season

Summary & Notes for 2011

Posted on May 24, 2012 by connorj

This bronze copper, photo’d at Mannington Marsh on July 2, 2011 by Dave Amadio, was one of the ninety-three species recorded in NJ’s southern eight counties in 2011 by our one hundred+ participating observers.

South Jersey Butterflyers & interested others,

Click on the link at the bottom of this page for a summary of all reports for 2011, our fourth year of logging.

The table is in pdf format so it will load quickly. Hit the plus sign to enlarge for easier viewing.

The table is sorted in taxonomic order (using the NABA codes) and by date.

Report = a line entry on our log of one or more adult butterflies. (In other words, one observer’s entry noting three sachems in the garden on one date = a single report.)

The number of reports has been given its own column because it seems a more accurate way of assessing seasonality and abundance (and year-to-year variations) than the number of individuals tallied (e.g. three sachems in the example above). Counting/estimating individuals involves more subjectivity on the part of observers than noting the presence of a species. Also, occasional large clusters of butterflies — and even small, active groups — can be difficult to census. The total number of individuals tallied is reported in the notes column for almost all species, generally as part of the comment, for readers interested in those data.

Most other comments in the notes column are intended to highlight abundance and/or seasonality — and possible patterns we can look for in future observations. Corrections or alternate interpretations would be very much welcome as would other corrections, suggestions, or additions to this report.

I’d be happy to send an Excel copy of this table to anyone interested. Email me: nacotejackATgmailDOTcom.

Thanks to all who contributed data in 2011! We had more than one hundred named participants: Cindy Ahern, Cynthia Allen, Wendy Allen, Rebecca Almond, Dave Amadio, Pat Amadio Steve Bauer, Denise Bittle, Lynne Breslow, Marc Breslow, Joanna Burger, Allen Bush, Connie Campanella, Catherine Busch, Rich Cech, Jesse Connor, Jack Connor, Ellen Creveling, Megan Crewe, Mike Crewe, Glen Davis, April Dinwiddle, Rea Doherty, Jim Dowdell, Alana Edwards, Vince Elia, Barbara Farnsworth, Mike Flemming, Kathy Flynn, Amy Gaberlein, Sam Galick, Mark Garland, Jon Gelhaus, Doug Gochfeld, Michael Gochfeld, Barbara Golla, Rebecca Gracey, Ashley Green, Jean Gutsmuth, Chris Hajduk, Chris Herz, Bert Hixon, Kathy Horn, Roger Horn, Brian Johnson, Karen Johnson, Sandra Keller, Will Kerling, Chris Kisiel, Teresa Kniper, Chip Krilowicz, Kathleen Lapergola, John Lawrence, Tony Leukering, Karl Lukens, Angele Marzi, Stephen Mason, Katie Montagnaro, John Morey, Patti Murray, Damon Noe, Michael O’Brien, Emelia Oleson, Keith Parker, Don Parlee, Fred Pfeifer, Michael Pollock, Patti Reed, Tom Reed, Eric Reuter, Lauren Richard, Melissa Roach, Bret Roberts, Steve Rodan, Patty Rourke, Mike Russell,Bill Schuhl, Edie Schuhl, Dale Schweitzer, Lee Schwinne, Barb Sendelbach, Lloyd Shaw, Raymond Simpson, Jim Springer, Pat Sutton, Clay Sutton, Harvey Tomlinson, Chris Tonkinson, Guy Tudor, Jessica Wainwright, Shawn Wainwright, Sharon Wander, Wade Wander, Billy Weber, George Weymouth, Susan Wheeler, Steve Whitford, Scott Whittle, Paula Williams, Chris Williams, David Wright, and Louise Zemaitis.

Please keep exploring and recording, everyone! Our log gets more valuable every year.

Jack Connor

Summary & Notes for 2011

Posted in Looking At Our Data | Comments Off on Summary & Notes for 2011

Calling All Caterpillar Chasers

Posted on May 21, 2012 by connorj

American lady caterpillar in its nest on Gnaphalium in U.U. meadow in Galloway 5-22-12

Caterpillar chasers, unite! Anyone interested in studying the earlier life stages of butterflies can have some fun right now checking out the host plants of the three species involved in the big flight of late April/early May. Eggs and caterpillars of at least two of the species — question mark on hackberry and American lady on everlasting (Gnaphalium, sp) — seem relatively easy to find.

In the meadow of the UU congregation property in Galloway, where Jesse Connor saw American ladies ovipositing during several of the big flight days, nearly every specimen of everlasting (probably G. obtusifolium) seems to have at least one larval nest of an American lady cat. Look for plants that seem to have malformed flower heads. The caterpillars weave their nests out of the plant hairs. Peel them open and you will see the caterpillars inside.

Some larvae look like they only recently broke from their eggs, 5-19-12.

Others are a little older.

Some look like they are almost ready to pupate. (Photo from 5-22-12).

Larval nest in background, 5-19-12.

Here’s one with the unopened flower blossoms just visible extending beyond larval nest, 5-22-12.

Anyone with hackberries in the backyard or nearby should also have good luck looking for question mark cats, some of them now nearly large enough to pupate.

Question mark cat on hackberry (above nipple gall), Jesse Connor’s garden, 5-18-12.

Has anyone had any luck looking for red admiral eggs or larvae? If so, please post your finds on our log and send in some photos if you are willing to share.

Keep at it, everyone!

jc

Posted in Eggs, Cats, Chrysalids, Host Plants, Nymphalids | Comments Off on Calling All Caterpillar Chasers

Uh-oh — Look-Alike Skippers On The Wing

Posted on May 20, 2012 by connorj

Two photos by Will Kerling at Lizard Tail Swamp Preserve in the past week of two close look-alike skippers. According to Will, and confirmed by David Wright, one is a crossline skipper, the other a tawny-edged.

Which is which, do you think? Comments invited:

Posted in ID Challenges & Tips, Skippers | Comments Off on Uh-oh — Look-Alike Skippers On The Wing