South Jersey Butterfly B/Log

A New Butterfly For South Jersey

Posted on December 2, 2016 by connorj

A Poanes skipper photo’d one May day a few years ago by John Maxwell at Rancocas Nature Center. Looks like a zabulon perched in that familiar, territorial style….or does it?

Exciting news! We can add a 106th butterfly to our list of documented species since our log began in 2008: Hobomok skipper, Poanes hobomok, found and photo’d by John Maxwell at Rancocas Nature Center on May 15, 2010.

The sighting emerged in retrospect, thanks to Steve Mason who came upon John’s photograph on Bug Guide and contacted him.

It’s a first for our project and may be the first report ever for the state of that species on the Coastal Plain. Gochfeld and Burger in their Butterflies of New Jersey (1997) list no records for the Coastal Plain in their compendium of records from various sources; and until the report emerged this November, Jim Springer’s map on North Jersey NABA’s New Jersey Butterflies website showed all our southern counties blank for Hobomok.

Jim quickly updated the map to include Maxwell’s Burlington County record:

Hobomok Skipper Records on North Jersey NABA’s New Jersey Butterflies Site

There may be records somewhere not so easily available, of course, but even if so, Hobomok skipper is, at best, very rare in southern NJ.

John Maxwell remembers the find:

“We were at the Rancocas Nature Center for a weekend program, I think a tree ID class led by Karl Anderson. The center maintains the meadow out in the woods and mows sections once in a while to keep it from growing over back to woods. That’s where I found the skipper — just sitting there for at least a minute on a young sweetgum a few feet off the ground. I’m not sure if it was sunning itself or if [it had taken up] a territorial viewpoint. The sweetgum trees sprout along the path (one of the reasons the meadow needs to be cut back regularly). This one was surrounded by ‘Panic Grass’ which is very common there.”

Hobomok’s closest look-alike in our area is zabulon skipper, whose males also like to perch on leaves in the sun.

Remember to take closer looks at those zabs next May, everyone!

Thanks to John Maxwell for passing along these and other photos of his find.

Posted in Looking At Our Data, Skippers | 2 Comments

2015 Full-Year Compilation: Cold Start, Hot End

Posted on October 17, 2016 by connorj

This gray hairstreak, photographed by Jack Miller at Heislerville, CUM, on 11-16-15 established a new latest-ever date for our log. Could we possibly find another this December?

This gray hairstreak, photographed by Jack Miller at Heislerville, CUM, on 11-16 established a latest-ever record for our Project’s log. It was one of twelve latest-ever records found in 2015.

Jack Miller took on the much-harder-than-it-looks task of compiling our records for the full year of 2015. Thanks to his many hours of work we now have two new spreadsheets documenting that interesting year.

This one focuses in detail on 2015 by itself. All compilation and notes are by Jack Miller:

South Jersey Butterfly Project 2015

This one incorporates the new 2015 data into our records for all previous years of our Project’s log:

Early & Late Dates, 2008-2015

As evident on both spreadsheets, our 8th year of logging started cold and ended hot.

Cold start: We did not find our first butterfly until March 9 (a mourning cloak found by Chris Tonkinson and Will Kerling in CMY). Even more tellingly, for the first time in eight years of logging, we did not establish a single record early date for any species at all.

Hot end: At the other end of the year, butterflies were still flying in numbers well into November and some into December — including a couple of species still active on December 31 (and beyond New Year’s Day into January, 2016). December 2015 was the warmest December documented in NJ, going back to records in the 1800s, and January continued with warmer than average temperatures until about the middle of the month.

Here’s a post from Dave Amadio detailing the December finds:

A December To Remember

Here’s one by Will Kerling discussing our January records over the years, including 2016:

The Butterflies of January

Finally, go to this Page for a discussion of the difficulty of assessing January records (early? late?):

Early & Late Dates…and problem of January Records

Keep exploring and recording, everyone, and if you enjoy having this 2015 compilation of data available, send you kudos to Jack Miller!

Jack Connor

Posted in Compilations, Early Dates, Late Dates, Looking At Our Data | 3 Comments

Plants & Pollinators Talk Friday October 14 in Cape May

Posted on October 13, 2016 by connorj

SJ Butterflyers:

Like Pat Sutton (see below), I heard Jennifer Bulava (one of our most active contributor/observers) give this superb presentation last April at the Southeast Chapter of the Native Plant Society of NJ.

You will learn lots about butterflies (and other pollinators), if you can make it. Go if you can!

Pat Sutton’s GARDENING GANG

October 13, 2016

Hi Gang,

I heard Jennifer Bulava speak at the Native Plant Society of NJ’s Southeast Chapter meeting in Atlantic County in early April and learned so much! Tomorrow night she will be presenting here in Cape May County at the Cape May County Library in Cape May Court House. Details follow:

Secret World of Plants and Pollinators

by Jennifer Bulava

Friday, October 14, 2016

6:00-7:00 p.m.

WHERE: Cape May County Library

in dowstairs Storytime Room

30 West Mechanic Street

Cape May Court House, NJ 08210

For additional information call the library at 609-463-6386

or visit the library’s online Calendar

There’s no fee, just come!

Jennifer Bulava’s presentation will focus on the incredible ways in which plants communicate with animals. Flowers are not pretty colors and pleasant smells for us – it’s all about the pollinators. Discover amazing strategies of plants, the colors that pollinators see, and ways in which both plants and animals can help or deceive each other. Did you know that a bee’s eye view is extremely different from what we see, and from what a bird sees? Participants will find that taking a much closer look at flowers can open up an entire hidden world that is more complex and fascinating than one ever imagined

Jennifer Bulava is a Park Naturalist for the Burlington County Park System. Jennifer is responsible for planning and conducting nature programs and all other aspects of environmental education for the public within the County Parks System. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resource Management with a specialization in Conservation and Ecology from Cook College, Rutgers University.

I’m planning to attend. See you there?

Pat

As always, be sure to check Pat and Clay Sutton’s websiteregularly to learn of programs & workshops & garden tours I’m teaching and leading and to read my recent posts about the natural world!

Happy Gardening,

Pat Sutton

Pat Sutton’s GARDENING GANG

See what’s happening on our social sites

Posted in Events | Comments Off

Ninety-One Species So Far

Posted on September 19, 2016 by connorj

Claire Campbell found this long-tailed skipper, our 90th species, in her garden in Marlton, BUR, on September 12.. We have had half a dozen reports since, all in CMY.

Claire Campbell found this long-tailed skipper, our 91st species, in her garden in Marlton, BUR, on September 12. We have had half a dozen reports since, all in CMY.

Will Kerling has very kindly compiled our list of all species reported to our log so far this year in South Jersey. Here’s his report. Thank you, Will!

As of September 19, I think that we have the 91 species for the year (the minimum). Over our log’s existence we have found between 90 and 95 species a year.

The 56 true butterflies are as follows:

Swallowtails = Pipevine, Black, Eastern, Spicebush and Giant Swallowtails

Whites = Checkered and Cabbage White plus Falcate Orangetip

Sulphurs = Clouded, Orange and Cloudless Sulphurs plus Sleepy Orange and Little Yellow

Harvester = Harvester

Coppers = American, Bronze, and Bog Coppers

Hairstreaks = Red-banded, Hessel’s, Coral, Edwards’, Banded, Striped, Juniper, White M, and Gray Hairstreaks

Elfins = Brown, Hoary, Henry’s, Eastern Pine, and Frosted Elfins

Blues = Blueberry, Holly and Summer Azures plus Eastern Tailed-Blue

Snouts = American Snout

Fritillaries = Variegated, Great Spangled, and Meadow Frits

Brush-footed Butterflies = Pearl Crescent, QM, Eastern Comma, Mourning Cloak, American and Painted Ladies, Red Admiral, and Common Buckeye

Admirals and Relatives = Red-spotted Purple and Viceroy

Emperors = Hackberry and Tawny Emperors

Satyrs = Appalachian Brown, Georgia Satyr, Little Wood-Satyr and Common Wood-Nymph

Danaus species = Monarch

The Skippers’ two groups include 11 species of Spread-winged Skippers and 24 species of Grass Skippers, as follows:

Spread-wing Skippers = Long-tailed Skipper, Silver-spotted Skipper, Southern and Northern Cloudywings, Hayhurst’s Scallopwing, Sleepy, Juvenal’s, Horace’s, and Wild Indigo Duskywings, Common Checkered-Skipper and Common Sootywing.

Grass Skippers = Zabulon, Salt Marsh, Aaron’s, Rare, Dotted, Swarthy, Least, European, Fiery, Cobweb, Peck’s, Tawny-edged, Crossline Skippers, Northern Broken-dash, Little Glassywing, Sachem, Delaware Skipper, Mulberry Wing, Broad-winged, Dion, Two-spotted, Dun, Dusted and Ocola Skippers.

Totals:

56 True Butterflies

11 Spread-winged Skippers

24 Grass Skippers

91 species in total, as of 9-19-16 – Great!!!

Potential New Ones for 2016: Clouded Skipper, Brazilian Skipper, Gulf Fritillary, Palamedes Swallowtail, Eufala Skipper and other great ones

It is very difficult to find a new one now — as per usual.

Best,
Will

With this report and photo by Tom Bailey in Palmyra, BUR, Ocola skipper, our 89th specie, has now been recorded in 5 of our 8 counties: GLO, CUM, CAM. CMY, and BUR.

Ocola skipper was our 90th species in 2016. Tom Bailey photo’d this one in Palmyra Cove Nature Park, BUR, on September 17 — adding a new county to this year’s list for the species. It has now been recorded in 5 of our 8 counties in 2016: GLO, CUM, CAM. CMY, and BUR.

Update: Soon after sending along his report, Will found an Ocola skipper in Atlantic County: Estell Manor, 9-18-16. So we now need to find Ocolas in just SAL and OCN to complete a sweep of all eight counties for the year.

Posted in Compilations, Looking At Our Data, Lycaenids, Milkweed Butterflies, Nymphalids, Pierids, Skippers, Swallowtails | Comments Off

August 2016 Compilation

Posted on September 4, 2016 by connorj

August 2016 was a good month for red-spotted purples in South Jersey, and Dave Amadio found one showing signs of the white band more often seen in its close relative, the white admiral.

August 2016 was a good month for red-spotted purples in South Jersey, and Dave Amadio found one in his garden in West Deptford, GLO, showing signs of the white band more often seen in its close relative, the white admiral.

August 2016 seemed a good month for butterflies and butterfly observers in South Jersey, despite the heat and general lack of rain. We compiled our highest total of reports this year (460+) and observers (40), and we documented 64 species flying during the month, including several rarities.

This month’s contributors

Forty observers contributed to the log during the month, our best total of the year so far. Thanks to each of you — and a special welcome and thanks to our newest participants (listed in bold).

Cynthia Allen
Dolores Amesbury
Jesse Amesbury
Dave Amadio
Pat Amadio
Tom Bailey
Jennifer Bulava
Claire Campbell
Arnold Clemenson
Chris Clemenson
Jesse Connor
Jack Connor
Ward Dasey
Michael Drake
Steve Glynn
Jean Gutsmuth
Mike Hannisian
Chris Herz
Kathy Horn
Brian Johnson
Sandra Keller
Will Kerling
Teresa Knipper
Meredith Koenig
Chip Krilowicz
M. Lee
Jack Miller
Shoshana Osofsky
John Patterson
Katherine Patterson
Beth Polvino
Clay Sutton
Pat Sutton
Jon Sutton
Mike Russell
Michael Stanton
Harvey Tomlinson
Donna Van Horn
Matt Webster
C. Wyluda

Reported in August

Sixty-four species were reported during the month, including four species new for 2016 — giant swallowtail, little yellow, sleepy orange, and Ocola skipper (italicized with dates of first report).

pipevine swallowtail
eastern tiger swallowtail
black swallowtail
spicebush swallowtail
giant swallowtail 8-14-16
checkered white
cabbage white
orange sulphur
clouded sulphur
cloudless sulphur
little yellow 8-3-16
sleepy orange 8-18-16
harvester
American copper
bronze copper
juniper hairstreak
white-m hairstreak
gray hairstreak
red-banded hairstreak
eastern tailed-blue
summer azure
American snout
variegated fritillary
great spangled fritillary
pearl crescent
question mark
eastern comma
American lady
red admiral
common buckeye
red-spotted purple
viceroy
tawny emperor
hackberry emperor
Appalachian brown
Georgia satyr
little wood-satyr
common wood-nymph
monarch
silver-spotted skipper
southern cloudywing
Hayhurst’s scallopwing
Horace’s duskywing
wild indigo duskywing
common checkered-skipper
common sootywing
least skipper
fiery skipper
Peck’s skipper
swarthy skipper
tawny-edged skipper
northern broken dash
crossline skipper
little glassywing
sachem
Delaware skipper
rare skipper
zabulon skipper
Aaron’s skipper
broad-winged skipper
dion skipper
dun skipper
salt marsh skipper
Ocola skipper (8/27/16)

Reported in July, but not in August

Six or seven species (depending on whether we count southern broken-dash) apparently ended their 2016 flights in July. Two others – meadow fritillary and mourning cloak – seem between broods at the moment, with no reports in August but re-emergence expected in September.

coral hairstreak (last report July 14)
banded hairstreak (July 24)
striped hairstreak (July 27)
meadow fritillary (most recent July 16; more to come, we can hope)
mourning cloak (most recent July 4; more to come, almost certainly)
northern cloudywing (July 2)
dotted skipper (July 10)
southern broken-dash? (July 26)
mulberry wing (July 17)

(Update: while I drafted this post, Dave Amadio found our first September meadow fritillary — on 9-2-16.)

Follow-up on Southern Broken-dash:

At least two or three observers searched through old photos for overlooked/mis-ID’d/possible southern broken- dash photos from past years without success. Anyone with photos of northern broken-dash from previous years — or even this year — might want to browse the collection. Any of those NBDs looking a little redder than you might expect? You could make a wonderful discovery.

I wrote to some NABA count compilers in Maryland and Delaware asking their sense of the status of southern broken-dash in their local areas. The first to reply was Rick Cheicante who compiles the Harford County (MD) count — in and around Bel Air, northwest of Baltimore.

Here’s Rick’s comment about the species:

“Southern Broken-Dash (SBD) — Much rarer [than Northern Broken-dash] and very uncommon up to just a few years ago on the coastal plain of both the eastern and western MD shores. However, more recently, there seems to be much greater observation of SBD in southern MD, MD’s eastern shore and along the lower edge of the piedmont. Furthermore, some of the sighting numbers are hitting double-digits. My suspicion is this is the next species undergoing a northernly range expansion, following, in my opinion, what Red-banded Hairstreak and Fiery Skipper have done over the last couple of decades. I do have a Harford County record in late July from a few years ago, and was present for the first record in Kent County in the time frame a few years prior to that.

“I saw the pics on the blog, and I think everything you are reporting and/or suggesting are spot on. The pics of SBD look like classic SBD to me. The ventral ground colors are as written – SBD orange/brown with the different fringes. NBD brown with similar fringes. That said, I have seen many SBD in the Carolinas, FL and TX where fringe color difference was not at all obvious (or just not different). That is very confusing, but the ventral base color is always what you would expect it to be.”

Discovery of the Month?

We had a number of wonderful finds in August — some detailed in the Photo Gallery below — but perhaps the most exciting of all was Brian Johnson’s discovery of a second brood of Georgia satyrs flying during the month.

Most sources list New Jersey’s race of Georgia satyrs as a single-brooded population that flies June-July (e.g. Shapiro [1966], Glassberg [1999], and Cech & Tudor [2005]). The only reference I can find to a second brood in NJ is in Gochfeld and Burger Butterflies of New Jersey [1997] where the authors note, “Usually one brood late June to mid-July at Lakehurst, but two broods reported (June and August) at Fort Dix (Schweitzer). The geographic pattern and ecologic correlates of this variation remain to be investigated.” The reference is to New Jersey’s best-known professional lepidopterist Dale Schweitzer, of course. It seems that this second brood at Fort Dix was reported by Schweitzer in 1987.

Do any readers of this blog know of any other information of a second brood of this rarity in New Jersey?

Looking Ahead

September is a good month to appreciate butterfly migration in South Jersey, going in two directions.

Southbound Regulars:

Monarchs are apparently doing OK (not great). Can we hope for a good migration flight for them? Common buckeyes may be building for a big push. Variegated fritillaries, anglewings, and red admirals could also become more numerous near “staging” spots along our shorelines in the next five or six weeks, from SAL or CUM west to CMY.

And how about painted ladies? Can they magically appear on migration southward in a year when so far we have only two reports of the species (both solo individuals)?

Northbound Wanderers:

Cloudless sulphurs are having a good year already and they sometimes peak in September as more and more cross northward into NJ, so that should be fun to look for over the next 30 days. We have had several reports of ovipositing by them (and some photos of eggs — see below.) Keep your eyes out for cats, everyone!

Little yellows have been found in numbers in CMY Co since July — with just a single sighting in ATL and an amazing find of one in Sussex County on July 22 (on the North Jersey Butterfly Log.) Can we hope for more of these “wrong-way” migrants moving north?

We have had two reports of sleepy orange — at one site, Dix WMA in CUM, but at least three different individuals. It would be exciting to have a few more of this irregular southern stray discovered.

Fiery skippers have been recorded in South Jersey so far only in two counties at diametrically-opposite corners of our area: CMY (with multiple sightings) and BUR (three reports). Can we fill in some of the blanks in between over the next few weeks?

So far we have had only a single Ocola skipper report — in Mantua, GLO (see photo below). Meanwhile, North Jersey has recorded four! If their migration goes at it usually does, we should find at least a few more.

Finally, we can always be on the lookout for September or October surprises — long-tailed skipper? Brazilian skipper? Something even farther over the charts??

Keep exploring and reporting, everyone!

Jack Connor

Our rare skipper reports spanned exactly one month, from July 1 to August 1, when Tom Bailey found this one at in Elsinboro, SAL.

Our rare skipper reports spanned exactly one month, from July 1 to August 1, when Tom Bailey found this one on 8/1/16 in Elsinboro, SAL.

Dolores Amesbury documented a black swallowtail cat going into metamorphosis in her garden in Cape May Courthouse from 8/4/16 to 8/5/16.

Here’s the cat above approximately 24 hours later.

We had a number of reports of both emperors in August, including this tawny emperor photo’d by Beth Polvino in her garden in North Cape May on 8/12/16.

Chris Herz photo’d this spicebush swallowtail late-instar cat in her garden in Audubon, CAM, on 8/13/16.

A hackberry emperor rode on this young field tripper’s hat and arm for 45 minutes on a walk led by Jennifer Bulava on 8/15/16 at Boundary Creek, BUR.

It's been a good year for American snout and Jesse Connor found this snout caterpillar on hackberry in her garden on 8/19/16.

It’s been a good year for American snout and Jesse Connor found this snout caterpillar on hackberry in her garden in Port Republic, ATL, on 8/19/16.

One of the three sleepy oranges found so far, all at DIX WMA and photo'd by Steve Glynn on 8/20/16 (and 8/18/16).

One of the three sleepy oranges found so far, all at DIX WMA in CUM and photo’d by Steve Glynn on 8/20/16 (and 8/18/16).

Steve also managed to find and photo a Hayhurst’s scallopwing cat at Dix WMA on 8/20/16.

Chip Krilowicz photo’d this eastern tiger swallowtail at Newton Lake Park, CAM, on 8/20/16.

A cloudless sulphur egg on sensitive pea photo’d by Will Kerling at Estell Manor, ATL, on 8/21/16. Be on the lookout for caterpillars, everyone — or even better a chrysalid!

Pat & Clay Sutton drew double-digit numbers of both red-spotted purples (here on 8/23/16) and Appalachian browns to “gooey” fruit dishes in their garden in Goshen throughout the month.

Brian Johnson found second-brood Georgia satyrs flying at a bog in BUR on 8-25-16. Most sources consider NJ’s population of this rarity to be single-brooded, flying in June-July.

Will Kerling found this early-instar spicebush swallowtail caterpillar on the Middle Township Bike Path, CMY, on 8/26/16.

Our only Ocola skipper recorded so far this year is this one found by Dave Amadio at Chestnut Branch, Mantua, GLO, on 8/27/16.

Jack Miller photo’d this male black swallowtail in his garden in Petersburg, CMY, on 8/31/16.

Delaware skippers may fly into September (which they do not always do). Claire Campbell photo'd this one in her garden on the last day of August.

Delaware skippers may fly into September (which they do not always do in South Jersey). Claire Campbell photo’d this one in her garden in Marlton, BUR, on the last day of August.

This little yellow found and photo'd by Harvey Tomlinson at Forsythe NWR, ATL, is one of only two reported in NJ north of Cape May County in 2016 so far.

This little yellow found and photo’d by Harvey Tomlinson on 8/31/16 at Forsythe NWR, ATL, is one of only two reported in NJ north of Cape May County in 2016 so far.

Posted in Compilations, First Emergences, Migration | 1 Comment

July Compilation

Posted on August 11, 2016 by connorj

A lovely summer-form questionmark photo'd by Will Kerling at Highs Beach on July 1, the first of many reported throughout the month.

A lovely summer-form question-mark photo’d by Will Kerling at Highs Beach (CMY) on July 1.

Let me start with a shout-out to Jack Miller who compiled observers and species for the month and also helped select the photos for this month’s gallery. Thank you, JM!

Twenty-eight observers contributed to the log in July 2016:

Cynthia Allen
Dolores Amesbury
Jesse Amesbury
Dave Amadio
Tom Bailey
Jennifer Bulava
Claire Campbell
Nancy Chambers
Jesse Connor
Jack Connor
Steve Glynn
Jean Gutsmuth
Mike Hannisian
Chris Herz
Brian Johnson
Sandra Keller
Will Kerling
Teresa Knipper
Chip Krilowicz
Jack Miller
Beth Polvino
Barb Sendelbach
Clay Sutton
Pat Sutton
Harvey Tomlinson
Chris Tonkinson
Donna Van Horn
Matt Webster

Thanks to each of you!

Depending on how you count the new name in brackets below, we collected reports of 67 or 68 species in July. (FOYs are italicized with dates of first report.)

pipevine swallowtail
eastern tiger swallowtail
black swallowtail
spicebush swallowtail
checkered white
cabbage white
orange sulphur
clouded sulphur
cloudless sulphur 7/22/17
harvester
American copper
bronze copper
coral hairstreak
banded hairstreak
striped hairstreak
juniper hairstreak
white-m hairstreak
gray hairstreak
red-banded hairstreak
eastern tailed-blue
summer azure
American snout
variegated fritillary
great spangled fritillary
meadow fritillary
pearl crescent
question mark
eastern comma
mourning cloak
American lady
red admiral
common buckeye
red-spotted purple
viceroy
tawny emperor 7/8/16
hackberry emperor
Appalachian brown
little wood-satyr
common wood-nymph
monarch
silver-spotted skipper
northern cloudywing
southern cloudywing
Hayhurst’s scallopwing
Horace’s duskywing
wild indigo duskywing
common checkered-skipper
common sootywing
least skipper
fiery skipper 7/11/16
dotted skipper
Peck’s skipper
swarthy skipper
tawny-edged skipper
[southern broken-dash, 7/26/16]
northern broken dash
crossline skipper
sachem
little glassywing
Delaware skipper
mulberry wing
rare skipper 7/1/16
zabulon skipper
Aaron’s skipper
broad-winged skipper
dion skipper 7/14/16
dun skipper
salt marsh skipper

Seven single-brooded species apparently ended their flights for 2016 in June (not reported in July):

bog copper
Edwards’ hairstreak
frosted elfin
Georgia satyr
European skipper
two-dotted skipper
dusted skipper

Obvious Second Broods:

Identifying the emergence of a new brood is often difficult, because the gap between broods can be brief or even non-existent. However, at least three species made no-question-about-it second brood flights in July, long after their first broods had ended:

juniper hairstreak (re-emerged 7/17; previously last reported 4/22)
white-m hairstreak (re-emerged 7/15; previously last reported 4/17)
wild indigo duskywing (re-emerged 7/4; previously last reported 5/27)

Ups & Downs:

As we have seen each year of our log, butterfly populations do not move in tight synchrony: a good year for some species can be a bad year for others.

2016 has been a good year for several species, including American snout, dion skipper, northern broken-dash, and others.

At the opposite end of the spectrum some species seem to be struggling. Perhaps the most obvious absence is painted lady. It’s a notoriously cyclic species and this year is clearly a down year for it, at least so far. We have recorded just two individuals: one photo’d in Atlantic County (Estell Manor area, ATL) by Will Kerling on May 9 and the other found by Clay Sutton in the Sutton garden in Goshen (CMY) on June 27.

Finally [drum-roll here] how do we count ….

Southern broken-dash? This and another photo by Harvey Tomlinson (see previous post) suggest NJ has been invaded by a species new to the state’s all-time list.

Harvey’s photos of his find at Forsythe NWR on July 26 have generated lots of commentary.

Virtually all veteran observers and other authorities who have emailed me have supported Harvey’s original call, although some underscored that the ID cannot be absolutely certain without a specimen.

As noted in the previous post, David Wright responded to the two photos with “Mighty suspicious of southern broken-dash.”

Michael Gochfeld, co-author of the indispensable Butterflies of New Jersey, replied, “Harvey’s photo is impressive. Has anyone seen an NBD that bright? Or to turn it around: if that photo were taken in Virginia, how would you have identified it? When I was a BAMONA editor, I would probably have listed it as a tentative NJ record.”

Rick Borchelt, website master of the wonderful blog, The Lep Log, which monitors butterfly reports from our southern neighbors from Delaware to Virginia, emailed, “Yes, that is a very typical W. otho. As you see more of these, you’ll see they’re just much brighter orange — especially the antennae — than [northern broken-dash]… We are seeing them [southern b.d] across the region right now.”

Very few of our log participants collect butterflies (and some are adamantly opposed to the practice), so it might be a while before the species can be documented as a new species for the state of New Jersey with a specimen. In the meantime, perhaps the best way for “netless” butterflyers to try confirm its presence in our area is to find more broken-dashes that look suspiciously red. We might find reddish/two-tone-margined broken-dashes in the field over the next month — or by doing a review of photographs from past years.

Harvey’s shots have opened our eyes to the possibility of this hard-to-ID species flying on the NJ Coastal Plain. Could it have already been here hidden by the variety of its closest relative?

At the moment the leading candidate photo of a second southern broken-dash is the one taken by Dolores Amesbury in her garden, Cape May Courthouse on July 27 (see previous post). Dave Amadio emailed, “Harvey’s images really look good for W.otho. Dolores Amesbury’s image is pretty convincing as well.” (I’ve added in the gallery below a different one of Dorothy’s photos of a male broken-dash in her garden, from July 21. Taking a close look is worth the exercise, I think. What would you call it?)

Keep chasing and shooting, everyone!

— Jack Connor

Mating common wood nymphs, photo’d by Tom Bailey at Rancocas State Park, BUR, on July 3.

Spicebush swallowtails were widely reported in July. This beauty was photo’d by Jennifer Bulava on July 3 in Lummis Ponds Preserve, CUM.

We now have reports of great spangled fritillary in four counties in 2016: Salem, Cumberland, Ocean, and here for Glocuester — photo’d by Chris Herz at Wheelabrator on July 4.

Monarchs moved from scarce earlier in the year to relatively common in July and we collected multiple records of eggs and cats including this early instar photo’d by Pat Sutton in her garden in Goshen on July 8.

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

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

Barbara Sandelbach documented what will probably be our last dotted skipper for 2016 -- at Colliers Mills, OCN, on July 10.

Barbara Sendelbach found one last dotted skipper for 2016 — at Colliers Mills, OCN, on July 10.

Harvey Tomlinson documented our FOY fiery skipper in his garden, CMY, on July 11.

An unusual puddling gathering of cabbage whites found by Chip Krilowicz at Palmyra Cove, BUR, on July 14.

Eight of our ten reports of bronze copper came from Salem County (two from CUM), including this beauty wonderfully photographed by Dave Amadio on July 16.

Eight of our ten reports of bronze copper came from Salem County (others from CUM), including this beauty wonderfully photographed by Dave Amadio on July 16.

Common buckeyes were reported widely, including this one photo'd by Mike Hannisian in Cape May. We have no reports of the rosa form so far this year, however.

Common buckeyes were reported widely, including this one photo’d by Mike Hannisian in Cape May on July 20. We have no reports of the rosa form so far this year, however.

Puddling tigers (with one spicebush) at Beaver Swamp WMA (CMY) photo’d by Jack Miller on July 20.

After being so hard to find in their first brood, juniper hairstreaks appeared in multiple sites in July, including this one photo’d by Beth Polvino near the Old Seafood Market on Rt 47 in CMY on July 21.

Claire Campbell documented a third site for harvester in Burlington Count in 2016 with this find at Pemberton Rail Trail on July 21.

A broken dash, sp? Dolores Amesbury photo'd this skipper in her garden in CMCH on July 21. Is it the expected norther b-d? Or do you detect some puzzling reddish tones?

Dolores Amesbury photo’d this skipper in her garden in CMCH on July 21. What’s your call?

Broad-winged skippers nectaring on buttonbush at Paper Mill Pond, CMY, photo’d by Teresa Knipper on July 25.

Jesse Amesbury spotted this variegated fritillary way out on sand at Holgate, OCN, apparently already on migration on July 26.

Can you see it? Jesse Amesbury spotted this variegated fritillary way out on the sand at Holgate, OCN, apparently already on migration on July 26.

Cynthia Allen found a late striped hairstreak (our final Satyrium for 2016?) in her garden in Cape May Courthouse on July 27.

We had more than a dozen reports of Appalachian browns, including this one photo’d by Brian Johnson near Weatherby Road, CMY, on July 30.

Hayhurst's scallopwing were found widely in CMY, but we had only a single report from outside that county. Steve Glynn documented 13 at Dix WMA in CUM on July 31, including this male.

Hayhurst’s scallopwings were found widely in CMY, but we had only a single report from outside that county. Steve Glynn documented 13 at Dix WMA in CUM on July 31, including this male.

Posted in Compilations, First Emergences, ID Challenges & Tips, Looking At Our Data, Skippers | Comments Off

Southern Broken Dash: A Species To Look For?

Posted on August 1, 2016 by connorj

A broken-dash photo’d by Harvey Tomlinson on July 26 at Forsythe NWR, ATL. Note the different colors of fringes: gray on FW, buff on HW, exactly as described in Cech & Tudor as a possible ID tip for southern broken dash. Also, the wings look reddish. Could this be W. otho?

[Originally posted 8-1-16. Scroll to the end for an update as of 8-2-16 and a new photo from Harvey Tomlinson].

Is southern broken dash, Wallengrenia otho, possible in our area?

And if so, can we identify it?

Both Harvey Tomlinson and Will Kerling have recently photographed individual broken- dashes that — at a minimum — give us something to puzzle over.

Will Kerling was puzzled by the upperside (dorsal) of this broken-dash he photo'd on July 19 and 20th at Estelle Manor, ATL. It seems to lack the pattern usually seen on male nbd's.

Will Kerling was puzzled by the upperside (dorsal) of this male broken-dash he photo’d on July 19 and 20th at Estelle Manor, ATL. Note the hints of red on both FW and HW.

Here's Harvey's Brigantine individual from above, showing a pattern more typical of northern b-d.

Here’s Harvey’s Forsythe individual from above, also a male, but showing a dorsal side more brown than Will’s individual — suggestive of a northern broken-dash.

Here is Will's b-d at Estelle Manor, showing a ventral pattern more typical of nbd.

Here is Will’s Estell Manor b-d, showing a ventral pattern apparently more typical of nbd.

As all sources note, the northern broken-dash is the Wallengrenia species expected in NJ. In fact, there are no records of southern broken-dash in the state, and apparently the population closest to us is in Sussex County, Delaware, the southernmost of that state’s three counties.

(For more about the species’ status in Maryland and Delaware, go to Rick Borchelt’s wonderful website, The Lep Log, especially: Lep Log: Butterfly Records for DC, Delaware, & Maryland)

I haven’t been able to find any notes about the species’ abundance in Delaware (common? occasional? rare?), although the absence of records elsewhere in Delaware suggest it is localized, at best.

Sussex County is closer to our shores than it might sound, however — just a dozen miles across the Delaware Bay, as the crow flies or the ferry rides. Lewes, Delaware, is its northeastern tip.

With global climate change pulling so many southern plants and animals our way, a new record for the state for southern broken-dash seems not beyond the realm of possibility.

However, the butterflyer who first finds the species in NJ will have to solve a tough ID test, especially if she or he is equipped only with camera and bins.

The most authoritative study of the two species seems to be by John M. Burns, “Wallengrenia otho and W. egeremet in Eastern North America,” published in The Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology in 1985.

(For a full pdf copy of the 48-page report go to the Smithsonian Research Library here: Smithsonian Research Online: John Burns on W. otho and W. egeremet)

Burns traces the changes in status of the broken-dashes from the 1700s to the modern day and digs deep into their morphological and ecological differences, They were first believed to be separate species (in different genera), later lumped into one (the broken-dash, W. otho) in the late 1800s, and not widely recognized as two separate species again until the 1960s, and “The air was slow to clear.”

Beginning his own studies of the two in 1963 and continuing for the next twenty years, Burns eventually collected museum records from all over the eastern and southern U.S. and examined 2500 specimens. He found that the two are easily separable only by microscopic examination of their genitalia.

Those differences are so distinct that Burns concluded, “I am confident that otho and egeremet do not interbreed. Indeed these species are distinct enough from one another — and so broadly sympatric [in the southern USA, their ranges overlap widely] that they are probably not even sisters [i.e. not descended from an immediate common ancestor].”

Those genital differences are no help those of us who like to ID our butterflies without nets or microscopes, however.

Burns does not mention the distinction seen in Harvey’s photo and noted in most contemporary field guides: southern broken-dashes often show two-toned wing margins while the northern’s fringes are uniform.

He does describe the general color differences of their wings: “Typically, the ground color of the ventral secondary is dull reddish-brown (i.e. rusty) in otho [southern] but brown in egeremet [northern].” This distinction is echoed in all contemporary field guides, e.g. Glassberg (Butterflies Though Binoculars in The East, 1999) “ground color is a rich reddish-brown.”

Burns adds some details that I have not noticed in field guides — probably because they are more obvious on spread specimens than on free-flying individuals. “The pale spots of the ventral secondary are relatively clear-cut in otho but diffuse in egeremet and they tend to ‘show through’ dorsally much more in otho than in egeremet [and also] the arc [that the spots form] is more often irregular in otho than in egeremet.” He illustrates his report with page of specimen photographs (in black and white unfortunately).

Burns emphasizes one other difference that might prove helpful to broken-dash chasers in South Jersey. Southern broken-dash is a double-brooded or triple-brooded species throughout its range. Burns’ graphs indicate northern broken-dash from Virginia north has just one brood. (Cech & Tudor write about northern, “One brood north of Philadelphia, mid-June to August, two to three in South…” The source for this Philadelphia boundary line is not clear. Burns’ bar graphs of his collected records show single broods from early June to mid-August for NJ, PA, DEL, MD, DC, and VA.)

Scrolling through recent photos on our Sightings Log, I found a couple of broken-dashes whose wings show at least hints of two-toned margins. The most intriguing might be this one:

How frequent are two-toned fringes on broken-dashes. Here's one showing that feature photo'd by Dolores Amesbury in her garden in Cape May Courthouse on July 27.

How frequent are two-toned fringes on broken-dashes? Here’s one photo’d by Dolores Amesbury in her garden in Cape May Courthouse on July 27 that hints at that feature.

However, the “rich reddish brown” seems a required field mark for a no-doubt-about-it W. otho. And to make that more difficult, “reddish” (= sbd) can shade into “brown” (= nbd) and vice versa pretty easily, it seems. I say this because as I studied Dolores’s photo I found myself unsure what to call the ground color on her butterfly. Going back and forth between her photo and the on-line photos below, however, I eventually decided I was “hoping for a rarity” instead of being objective.

Here are some images on-line from southern states that illustrate “no-doubt-about-it/textbook” sbds.

Southern broken dash (Tennessee) on Learn About Butterflies

Butterflies of North America: Several photos of sbds.

Maryland Butterflies

Here are photos and notes from North Carolina Nature showing both fresh and worn individuals and suggesting that the distinguishing the two species by sight or by photo can be extremely difficult, if not impossible, with worn individuals.

North Carolina Nature on southern broken dash

What are the take-aways here for our hypothetical future first-discoverer of a southern broken-dash in NJ?

The difference in wing fringes might be helpful, but confirming the ID will require (at minimum) coming upon a butterfly fresh enough to show the rich reddish of a “textbook” individual.

The time of year with the most promise — however small that promise is and how high the odds are stacked against you — is probably late summer, mid-August into September. As far as we know, the northern b.d. is single-brooded on the Coastal Plain of NJ (veteran observers: do you agree with that assumption?) and generally stops flying in mid-August. Our late dates for that species over the past nine years have been in mid-August with a couple of September records.

If nbds are only single-brooded in our area, they should definitely be showing wear and tear by August 15th or so, it would seem. By contrast, southern broken-dashes are just re-merging then in Maryland and Virginia, according to Burns’ bar graphs. His charts show southern broken-dashes flying in those states first from early May to early June and then again mid-August to mid- to late-September.

So (!), a fresh broken-dash spotted in late August or September should be a butterfly to study carefully and photo if possible. Two-toned fringes? Reddish ground color? Take some photos and call up your friends to come join you on the scene!

Keep exploring, everyone!

Jack Connor

Update as of 8-2-16: Harvey T has sent in another photo of the same individual at Forsythe. Seeing this second dorsal photo (below) and the first dorsal photo at the top of this post, David Wright has noted, “Mighty suspicious of southern broken dash.”

A second dorsal shot by Harvey Tomlinson of his broken dash at Forsythe. Compare with the shots at the links above and see what you think. Could we have a new state record here?

A second dorsal shot by Harvey Tomlinson of his broken dash at Forsythe. Compare with the photos at the websites above and see what you think. Could we have a new state record here?

Posted in ID Challenges & Tips, Links to Research Articles, Skippers | 2 Comments

June Compilation

Posted on July 10, 2016 by connorj

Brian Johnson found our first two-spotted skippers at a bog in BUR (and our 25th June FOY) on the last day of the month.

Brian Johnson found our first two-spotted skippers (and our 67th species for June) at a bog in BUR on the last day of the month.

As cold, wet May 2016 fell behind us, the weather turned better in early June and, for the most part, stayed that way. In fact, June 2016 seemed a butterfly-chaser’s dream month: filled with bright, pleasantly warm, and mostly dry days. Very few days were hot and humid, and rain heavy enough to trap anyone indoors fell on just three or four days. (Butterfly gardeners might note that the lack of rain made it a less-than-ideal month from their point of view.)

Of our single-brooded spring species only dusted skipper and frosted elfin lingered into June (see “Missed in June” below), but diversity for the month was excellent, nevertheless. We found 25 species new for the year and totaled 67 species for the month. That is our second-highest June in our nine years of logging. The only June with a longer list is June 2012, when we tracked down 69 species.

Other highlights:

• four of the five Satyrium hairstreaks of South Jersey (we are missing only oak hairstreak from that group);
• three rare Pine Barrens specialties: Georgia satyr, dotted skipper, and two-spotted skipper;
• several other “miss-able species”: pipevine swallowtail, checkered white, great spangled fritillary, harvester (for the second month in a row), hackberry emperor, mulberry wing, and others.

Our total for reports (336) and contributing observers (29) were also both well up from May. Keep at it, everyone!

Observers who contributed to the log in June 2016:

• Cynthia Allen
• Dolores Amesbury
• Jesse Amesbury
• Dave Amadio
• Tom Bailey
• Ahmet Baytas
• Brenda Bruton
• Jennifer Bulava
• Claire Campbell
• Jesse Connor
• Jack Connor
• Deb Dowdell
• Jim Dowdell
• Steve Glynn
• Jean Gutsmuth
• Chris Herz
• Brian Johnson
• Sandra Keller
• Will Kerling
• Chip Krilowicz
• Stephen Mason
• Jack Miller
• Beth Polvino
• Clay Sutton
• Pat Sutton
• Jim Springer
• Harvey Tomlinson
• Chris Tonkinson
• Matt Webster

Thanks to each of you!

Species reported at least once during the month:

(Those new for the year show dates of first reports)

• pipevine swallowtail 6-13-16
• eastern tiger swallowtail
• black swallowtail
• spicebush swallowtail
• checkered white 6-14-16
• cabbage white
• orange sulphur
• clouded sulphur
• harvester
• American copper
• bronze copper
• bog copper 6-6-16
• coral hairstreak 6-13-16
• Edward’s hairstreak 6-26-16
• banded hairstreak 6-7-16
• striped hairstreak 6-25-16
• frosted elfin
• gray hairstreak
• red-banded hairstreak
• eastern tailed-blue
• summer azure
• American snout
• variegated fritillary
• great spangled fritillary 6-13-16
• meadow fritillary 6-4-16
• pearl crescent
• question mark
• eastern comma
• mourning cloak
• American lady
• red admiral
• common buckeye
• red-spotted purple
• viceroy
• hackberry emperor 6-13-16
• Appalachian brown 6-4-16
• Georgia satyr 6-18-16
• little wood-satyr
• common wood-nymph 6-25-16
• monarch
• silver-spotted skipper
• northern cloudywing
• southern cloudywing
• Hayhurst’s scallopwing
• Horace’s duskywing
• common checkered-skipper
• common sootywing
• least skipper
• European skipper 6-5-16
• dotted skipper 6-15-16
• Peck’s skipper
• swarthy skipper 6-2-16
• tawny-edged skipper
• northern broken dash 6-10-16
• crossline skipper
• sachem
• little glassywing 6-1-16
• sachem
• Delaware skipper 6-9-16
• mulberry wing 6-23-16
• zabulon skipper
• Aaron’s skipper 6-3-16
• broad-winged skipper 6-18-16
• two-spotted skipper 6-30-16
• dun skipper 6-4-16
• dusted skipper
• salt marsh skipper 6-9-16

Missed in June:

Despite the good weather (or perhaps because of May’s tough weather), ten single-brooded spring species seen in May apparently did not fly into June:

• falcate orange-tip
• brown elfin
• hoary elfin
• Henry’s elfin
• eastern pine elfin
• Hessel’s hairstreak
• holly azure
• sleepy duskywing
• Juvenal’s duskywing
• cobweb skipper

Wild indigo duskywing, a three-brooded species, was also found in May but not in June. (Its second brood emerged on July 4.)

Overdue for second brood?

We had three reports of the spring brood of white-m hairstreak in April, two in GLO, one in CUM, over just four days, 4/14-4/17/16 – and have had no white-m reports since.

Similarly, juniper hairstreak seems over-due for a re-emergence. We had half a dozen reports of the species during ten days in April, 4/13-4/22/16 (in CMY, CUM, and OCN) and have had none since.

Keep an eye out, everyone!

Jack Connor

Our last dusted skipper for 2016 was documented by Steve Glynn in this lovely photo at Muddy Run SAL on June 2, 2016.

Our last dusted skipper for 2016 was documented by Steve Glynn at Muddy Run SAL on June 2, 2016.

Will Kerling documented our last frosted elfin (and the last of all single-brooded spring species) at Lizard Tail Swamp Preserve, CMY, on June 4.

Dave Amadio found our first meadow fritillary of 2016 at Supawna Meadows, SAL, on June 4.

Beth Polvino captured a spicebush swallowtail in her garden in North Cape May with this lovely shot on June 7.

Claire Campbell found our third variegated fritillary of the year -- and the first photo;d -- at Laurel Run, BUR, on June 8.

Claire Campbell found our third variegated fritillary of the year — and the first photographed — at Laurel Run, BUR, on June 8.

Dolores Amesbury found two FOY for 2016 on the same day in her CMCH garden on June 9: salt marsh skipper and this Delaware skipper.

Dave Amadio photo’d this great spangled fritillary at Medford Leas on June 13: our first log record ever for Burlington County.

Is coral hairstreak our prettiest butterfly? It certainly attracts our photographers, including Jen Bulava who captured this one at Boundary Creek, BUR, on June 14.

Is coral hairstreak the prettiest butterfly of South Jersey? It certainly attracts our photographers, including Jen Bulava who captured this one at Boundary Creek, BUR, on June 14.

Bog coppers were documented at a number of spots during the month, including these two photographed by Jim Springer at Klots Bog, OCN, on June 15.

Brian Johnson documented Georgia satyrs flying at a bog in BUR on June 18.

We had thirteen reports of Appalachian browns during the month, including this one beautifully photo’d by Tom Bailey at Medford WMA, BUR, on June 18.

Southern cloudywings were reported in several spots during the month, including this one nicely captured by Harvey Tomlinson’s camera at Lizard Tail Swamp Preserve, CMY, on June 19.

Steve Glynn found our first dotted skippers of the year at Colliers Mills, OCN, on June 20.

Pat Sutton managed this beautiful close-up of a female bog copper at Hunters Mill, ATL, on June 22.

A black swallowtail caterpillar photographed by Chip Krilowicz in his Haddonfield garden on June 24.

A silver-spotted skipper at Belleplain, CMY, photographed by Will Kerling on June 25.

Salem County is our “hot spot” for great spangled fritillary, as documented by Sandra Keller with this photo taken in Marilyn Patterson’s garden on June 25.

Chris Herz photographed this common wood-nymph at Medford Leas, BUR, on June 26, while scouting for the group field trip she led on July 2.

Posted in Compilations, First Emergences, Late Dates | Comments Off

Impromptu Field Trip to Salem County, July 10.

Posted on July 8, 2016 by connorj

A bronze copper at one of the species’ colonies in Salem County, photo’d by Steve Glynn on July 3, 2016.

Steve Glynn has kindly offered to lead a field trip this coming Sunday, July 10, to Salem County.

He will be pursuing bronze coppers, rare skippers, and other interesting bugs.

See our sightings log for Steve’s recent reports from the area.

For details about the trip you can email him at: ogcollATaolDOTcom.

Rare skipper in Salem County photo’d by Steve Glynn on July 3, 2016.

Posted in Field Trips | 1 Comment

Field Trip to Medford Leas New Date: July 2

Posted on June 22, 2016 by connorj

Little glassywing on milkweed at Riverwinds Trail, GLO, 6-17-16; photo by Chris Herz.

Chris Herz has moved up the date of her field trip one week to take advantage of milkweeds now blooming (or about to bloom) throughout South Jersey. Here’s her updated notice:

Butterfly field trip to Medford Leas

1 Medford Leas Dr., Medford, NJ

Sat. July 2nd 9:45am (note date change from 7/9!)

There are a variety of habitats here, and we will walk around the community garden, and then go to the surrounding fields. Bring close-focus binoculars, water, hat, sunscreen, bug spray, & lunch. There is a Wawa on Rte. 70 if coming from the west, where you could pick up lunch.

I recommend wearing long pants due to the possibility of ticks.

Meet at the tennis courts’ parking area next to the horticultural building. Once you turn into Medford Leas Drive — a right jughandle at traffic light — stay to your left and at the t-intersection, turn right, and then take the immediate left. Continue around until you see the horticultural building with greenhouse and just past it turn left into the parking area. The tennis courts will be straight ahead.

For detailed directions from Rt. 295 and Rt. 70 visit the Medford Leas website:http://www.medfordleas.org/contact-us/location-and-directions

Trip is cancelled if it rains. Contact me if in doubt, Chris Herz 856-534-5597 cell.

Update 6/27/16, Chris scouted the spot. Here’s what she found:

June 27 Scouting Report by Chris Herz

Posted in Field Trips | Comments Off

South Jersey Butterfly B/Log

A New Butterfly For South Jersey

2015 Full-Year Compilation: Cold Start, Hot End

Plants & Pollinators Talk Friday October 14 in Cape May

Ninety-One Species So Far

August 2016 Compilation

July Compilation

Southern Broken Dash: A Species To Look For?

June Compilation

Impromptu Field Trip to Salem County, July 10.

Field Trip to Medford Leas New Date: July 2

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