Baytown Count
Magnolia Count
Raven Butterfly Count
Big
Thicket Butterfly Count
PineyWoods
Parklands
Angelina Butterfly Count
San Jacinto Butterfly Count
Conroe Butterfly Count
Baytown Count
Here are the results
of the 2007 Baytown Butterfly Count.
A big thanks goes out to those of you who
participated!
I hope you saw
Dwayne Litteer's e-mail about all the thousands
of Monarchs that migrated through the Baytown
Nature Center last Thursday. He has pictures on
http://www.dlitteer.smugmug.com/. Some of
them are still hanging around.
Pipevine
Swallowtail - 1
Black Swallowtail -
4
Giant Swallowtail -
2
Spicebush
Swallowtail - 2
Orange Sulphur - 5
Cloudless Sulphur -
13
Large Orange Sulphur
- 1
Little Yellow - 71
Sleepy Orange - 1
Dainty Sulphur - 3
Gray Hairstreak - 2
Red-banded
Hairstreak - 2
Western Pygmy-Blue -
6
Ceraunus Blue - 1
Phaon Crescent - 6
Pearl Crescent - 2
Painted Lady - 1
Red Admiral - 3
Common Buckeye - 45
Tawny Emperor - 3
Carolina Satyr - 7
Monarch - 24
White-striped
Longtail - 5
Long-tailed Skipper
- 3
Horace's Duskywing -
2
Common
Checkered-Skipper - 11
Tropical
Checkered-Skipper - 5
Clouded Skipper - 2
Least Skipper - 6
Southern Skipperling
- 7
Fiery Skipper - 19
Whirlabout - 1
Dun Skipper - 1
Eufala Skipper - 1
Brazilian Skipper -
1
Ocola Skipper - 22
Total Species -
37 Total Individuals - 339
Sallie
Sherman
Education
Coordinator
Eddie V.
Gray Wetlands Center
Baytown,
Texas 77520
ph.
281-420-7140 fax 281-420-7142
sallie.sherman@baytown.org
Magnolia
Count
We'd already had one postponement due to weather, sooo-
With our count sandwiched between heavy rains in mid morning
and early afternoon, it would seem that only the most
dedicated or foolish would venture out in pursuit of
butterflies. Such was our band of 10 counters today--most
dedicated, that is --as we sought refuge from torrents of
rain, waded through high water at Montgomery Trace in search
of "pearly eyes" and dodged storms throughout the day. We
finally capitulated to the elements after a 2-plus inch
downpour about 2 PM. With lightning popping around us we
took our refuge and enjoyed snacks until the storm passed.
Even after such a deluge, Hugh and Diane went back out to
check one of the rain-out sites skipped due to weather and
garnered another species!
Although we did not complete all our scheduled stops due to
the weather, the results of our abbreviated count were
remarkable. It seems the butterflies have liked the recent
rainy weather and are out in impressive numbers. We
recorded a total of 50 species and over a thousand
individuals! This compares to 46 species and approximately
400 individuals last year with a full count. So in spite of
a rain-shortened event, our numbers set a new record!
A special thanks to those brave souls who sought out the
butterflies under such adverse conditions, Hugh and Diane,
David and Ednelza, John and Ana, Steve, Diane Cabiness, and
Kathy Merritt.
The results of the count are below.
|
Common Name |
Species |
Total Adults |
Immature |
Stage |
Plant used |
|
Queen |
Danaus
gilippus |
3 |
|
|
|
|
Monarch |
Danaus
plexippus |
9 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Brazilian Skipper |
Calpodes
ethlius |
|
|
|
|
|
Celia's Roadside
Skipper |
Amblyscirtes
celia |
|
|
|
|
|
Clouded Skipper |
Lereme
accius |
61 |
|
|
|
|
Common Checkered
Skipper |
Pyrgus
communis |
28 |
|
|
|
|
Common Raodside
Skipper |
Amblyscirtes
vialis |
|
|
|
|
|
Confused Cloudywing |
Thorybes
confusis |
3 |
|
|
|
|
Dun Skipper |
Euphyes
vestris |
13 |
|
|
|
|
Dusky Roadside
Skipper |
Amblyscirtes
alternata |
|
|
|
|
|
Eufala
Skipper |
Lerodea
eufala |
12 |
|
|
|
|
Fiery Skipper |
Hylephila
phyleus |
363 |
|
|
|
|
Funereal Duskywing |
Erynnis funeralis |
6 |
|
|
|
|
Hayhurst's
Scallopwing |
Staphylus hayhurstii |
|
|
|
|
|
Horace's Duskywing |
Erynnis horatius |
58 |
|
|
|
|
Julia's Skipper |
Nastra julia |
|
|
|
|
|
Lace-Winged Skipper |
Amblyscirtes
aesculapius |
|
|
|
|
|
Least Skipper |
Ancyloxpha numitor |
1 |
|
|
|
|
Little Glassywing
Skipper |
Pompeius verna |
9 |
|
|
|
|
Long-Tailed Skipper |
Urbanus proteus |
4 |
|
|
|
|
Neamathla Skipper |
Nastra neamathla |
|
|
|
|
|
Northern Broken-Dash |
Wallengrenia egeremet |
|
|
|
|
|
Northern Cloudywing |
Thorybes pylades |
8 |
|
|
|
|
Ocola Skipper |
Panoquina ocola |
4 |
|
|
|
|
Sachem |
Atalopedes campestris |
8 |
|
|
|
|
Sickle-Winged Skipper |
Achlyodes thraso |
|
|
|
|
|
Silver-Spotted
Skipper |
Epargyreus clarus |
6 |
|
|
|
|
Southern Broken-Dash |
Wallengrenia otho |
|
|
|
|
|
Southern Cloudywing |
Thorybes bathyllus |
2 |
|
|
|
|
Southern Skipperling |
Copaeodes minimus |
3 |
|
|
|
|
Swarthy Skipper |
Nastra lherminier |
|
|
|
|
|
Tropical Checkered
Skipper |
Pyrgus oileus |
34 |
|
|
|
|
Twin-Spot Skipper
|
Oligoria maculata |
|
|
|
|
|
Whirlabout |
Polites vibex |
82 |
|
|
|
|
White-Striped
Longtail |
Chioides catillus |
|
|
|
|
|
Wild Indigo Duskywing |
Erynnis baptisiae |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Black Swallowtail |
Papilio polyxenes |
17 |
6 |
caterpillar |
parsley & fennel |
|
Eastern Tiger
Swallowtail |
Papilio glaucus |
2 |
|
|
|
|
Giant Swallowtail |
Papilio cresphontes |
1 |
|
|
|
|
Palamedes Swallowtail |
Papilio palamedes |
2 |
1 |
caterpillar |
red bay |
|
Pipevine Swallowtail |
Battus philenor |
11 |
12 |
caterpillar |
A. fimbriata |
|
Spicebush Swallowtail |
Papilio troilus |
3 |
1 |
caterpillar |
spicebush |
|
Zebra Swallowtail |
Eurytides marcellus |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Checkered White |
Pontia protodice |
|
|
|
|
|
Great Southern White |
Ascia monuste |
1 |
|
|
|
|
Cloudless Sulfur |
Phoebis sennae |
21 |
5 |
caterpillar |
C. alata |
|
Dainty Sulfur |
Nathalis iole |
3 |
|
|
|
|
Large Orange Sulfur |
Phoebis agarithe |
|
|
|
|
|
Little Yellow |
Eurema lisa |
41 |
|
|
|
|
Orange Sulfur |
Colias eurytheme |
1 |
|
|
|
|
Sleepy Orange |
Eurema nicippe |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Banded Hairstreak |
Satyrium calanus |
|
|
|
|
|
Cassius Blue |
Leptotes cassius |
|
|
|
|
|
Ceraunus Blue |
Hemiargus ceraunus |
|
|
|
|
|
Dusky Blue
Groundstreak |
Calycopis isobeon |
1 |
|
|
|
|
Eastern Tailed Blue |
Everes comyntas |
|
|
|
|
|
Gray Hairstreak |
Strymon melinus |
26 |
|
|
|
|
Juniper Hairstreak |
Callophrys gryneus |
|
|
|
|
|
Marine Blue |
Leptotes marina |
|
|
|
|
|
Northern Oak
Hairstreak |
Satyrium favonius
ontario |
|
|
|
|
|
Reakirt's Blue |
Hemiargus isola |
|
|
|
|
|
Red-Banded Hairstreak |
Calycopis cecrops |
6 |
|
|
|
|
Soapberry Hairstreak |
Phaeostrymon alcestis |
|
|
|
|
|
White M Hairstreak |
Parrhasius m-album |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Snout Butterfly |
Libytheana bachmanii |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gulf Fritillary |
Agraulis vanillae |
27 |
6 |
caterpillar |
P. incarnata |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
American Lady |
Vanessa virginiensis |
7 |
|
|
|
|
Buckeye |
Junonia coenia |
19 |
|
|
|
|
Comma |
Polygonia comma |
|
|
|
|
|
Goatweed Leafwing |
Anaea andria |
3 |
2 |
caterpillar |
wooly croton |
|
Gorgone Checkerspot |
Chlosyne gorgone |
|
|
|
|
|
Hackberry Emperor |
Asterocampa celtis |
|
|
|
|
|
Painted lady |
Vanessa cardui |
|
|
|
|
|
Pearl Crescent |
Phyciodes tharos |
62 |
|
|
|
|
Phaon Crescent |
Phyciodes phaon |
55 |
|
|
|
|
Question Mark |
Polygonia
interrogationis |
3 |
|
|
|
|
Red Admiral |
Vanessa atalanta |
1 |
|
|
|
|
Red-Spotted Purple |
Limenitis astyanax |
|
|
|
|
|
Silvery Checkerspot |
Chlosyne nycteis |
|
|
|
|
|
Tawny Emperor |
Asterocampa clyton |
21 |
|
|
|
|
Texan Crescent |
Phyciodes texana |
2 |
|
|
|
|
Variegated Fritillary |
Euptoieta claudia |
10 |
|
|
|
|
Viceroy |
Limenitis archippus |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Carolina Satyr |
Hermeuptychia
sosybius |
40 |
|
|
|
|
Creole Pearly Eye |
Enodia creola |
|
|
|
|
|
Gemmed Satyr |
Callopsis gemma |
3 |
|
|
|
|
Little Wood Satyr |
Megisto cymela |
|
|
|
|
|
Southern Pearly Eye |
Enodia portlandia |
1 |
|
|
|
|
Total individuals: |
1110 |
33 |
|
|
|
Total species: |
50 |
7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dk swallowtail sp. |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total including
umidentified sp. |
1111 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Time Start: |
1000 |
|
|
|
|
|
Time Stop: |
1400 |
|
|
|
|
|
Hours: |
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
parties: |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
Party X miles walked: |
3.5 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Weather |
|
|
|
|
|
|
% time sun was
shining |
10 |
|
|
|
|
|
Temperature
|
77-82 |
|
|
|
|
|
Wind speed: |
0-10 |
|
|
|
|
|
Observers: |
10 |
|
|
|
|
As we were huddled inside while the storm waters came
pouring down, Chris said that she had seen a good size white
butterfly in the flowers before the storm started? Well,
here is its picture!
It's a Great Southern White, first time I have seen it here
and I think a first for Montgomery County. As of now it is
still here, hopefully it will hang around a while. Since
Chris saw it yesterday while we were at the Guyton gardens,
I plan to add it to our count data. This gives us an
exceptional result of 51 species with this latest
identification.
Raven Butterfly Count
Pipevine Swallowtail Battus philenor 22
Black Swallowtail Papilio polyxenes 23
Giant Swallowtail Papilio cresphontes 19
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Papilio glaucus 17
Spicebush Swallowtail Papilio troilus 4
Checkered White
Pontia protodice 2
Orange Sulphur Colias eurytheme 6
Southern Dogface Colias cesonia 1
Cloudless Sulphur Phoebis sennae 14
Little Yellow Eurema lisa 39
Sleepy Orange Eurema nicippe 17
Dainty Sulphur Nathalis iole 12
Gray Hairstreak Strymon melinus 67
Red-banded Hairstreak Calycopis cecrops 34
Dusky-blue Groundstreak Calycopis isobeon 20
Summer' Spring Azure Celastrina ladon neglecta 1
American Snout Libytheana carinenta 30
Gulf Fritillary Agraulis vanillae 18
Variegated Fritillary Euptoieta claudia 68
Silvery Checkerspot Chlosyne nycteis 41
Texan Crescent Phyciodes texana texana 2
Phaon Crescent Phyciodes phaon 9
Pearl Crescent Phyciodes tharos 59
Question Mark Polygonia interrogationis 7
American Lady Vanessa virginiensis 7
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta 1
Common Buckeye Junonia coenia 63
Red-spotted Purple Limenitis arthemis astyanax 7
Viceroy Limenitis archippus 2
Goatweed Leafwing Anaea andria 5
Hackberry Emperor Asterocampa celtis 3
Southern Pearly-eye Enodia portlandia 2
Creole Pearly-eye Enodia creola 3
Gemmed Satyr Cyllopsis gemma 2
Carolina Satyr Hermeuptychia sosybius 112
Little Wood-Satyr Megisto cymela* / viola 12
Monarch Danaus plexippus 1
Queen Danaus gilippus 1White-striped Longtail
Chioides catillus 4
Southern Cloudywing Thorybes bathyllus 2
Northern Cloudywing Thorybes pylades 1
Hayhurst's Scallopwing Staphylus hayhurstii 1
Horace's Duskywing Erynnis horatius 9
Funereal Duskywing Erynnis funeralis 5
Common Checkered-Skipper Pyrgus communis* 91
Tropical Checkered-Skipper Pyrgus oileus 42
Swarthy Skipper Nastra lherminier 3
Clouded Skipper Lerema accius 21
Southern Skipperling Copaeodes minimus 3
Fiery Skipper Hylephila phyleus 9
Whirlabout Polites vibex 3
Southern Broken-Dash Wallengrenia otho 14
Northern Broken-Dash Wallengrenia egeremet 3
Little Glassywing Pompeius verna 2
Sachem Atalopedes campestris 3
Yehl Skipper Poanes yehl 3
Dun Skipper Euphyes vestris 2
Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper Amblyscirtes aesculapius 1
Eufala Skipper Lerodea eufala 2
Checkered Skipper spp 20
Grand Total
997
Immatures
Variegated Fritillary eggs 2
Gulf Fritillary caterpillars 1
Points of Interest
Black Swallowtail ovipositing on prairie parsley
Little Yellows mating
Summer Azure ovipositing on frostweed
Pictures of Edge petting goats
Large Red Slider Turtle crossing the street
Horse Lubber Grasshopper
Great Egret flying over and leaving his mark on the world
Big Thicket
Butterfly Count
It was to be a terrific count.
Situated as it were - squarely in the center of the most
biodiverse area in the entirety of Southeast Texas – or much
of the eastern U.S., for that matter – one should expect no
less. So it was on Saturday morning, May
5, the large crew of Steve Abbey,
Jennifer Backo, Karen Cambias, Carlton Collier, Anissa
Curtis, Dan Day, Don DuBois, David Henderson, Pat Lee, Diane
Milano, Kelly Walker, and Hugh Wedgeworth were all looking
forward to scoring a triple crown – seeing three new species
never before seen on a BEST count. So despite a late start
and a later-arriving sun, our hopes remained high – and we
were not disappointed, only surprised.
First, Diane, in a vain search
for Little Metalmarks, found Twin-spot Skippers instead!
Then, disappointed in not getting to go to the Pitcher Plant
Trail for the Georgia Satyr, she instead found one in a
roadside ditch! Later it was Don’s turn as he turned up a
Mourning Cloak. The rest of the crew, divided as we were
into 3 parties, did a good job of covering the circle fairly
well. Aside from the three new additions, other highlights
included a tour of Watson Pinelands Preserve by Mrs. Watson
herself; a huge ligustrum grove replete with American
Ladies; Georgia Satyrs dancing in the sedges; and a
Swallow-tailed Kite soaring languidly over the town of
Warren.
So, despite being cut short by an
hour on each end and being teased by a very coy morning sun
and pummeled by some strong southerly winds, the crew
gathered at the Tree Restaurant in Hillister. Over
mouthwatering rib eyes and southern fried chicken, we
tallied up 342 individuals of 44 species – not a bad number
considering the circumstances, and a very good beginning for
a count that holds huge promise.
Here is what we saw…
Papilionidae
(another swallowtail sweep!)
Pipevine
Swallowtail Battus philenor 19
Zebra Swallowtail Eurytides marcellus 10
Black Swallowtail Papilio polyxenes 12
Giant Swallowtail Heraclides crestaphontes 1
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Pterourus glaucus 3
Spicebush Swallowtail Pterourus troilus 8
Palamedes Swallowtail Pterourus palamedes 24
Peiridae
Checkered White
Pontia protodice 4
Cloudless Sulphur Phoebis sennae 29
Little Yellow Eurema lisa 2
Dainty Sulphur Nathalis iole 1
Lycaenidae (a
pathetic showing!)
Gray Hairstreak
Strymon melinus 2
Nymphalidae
Gulf Fritillary
Agraulis vanillae 1
Phaon Crescent Phyciodes phaon 3
Pearl Crescent Phyciodes tharos 8
Eastern Comma Polygonia comma 1
Question Mark Polygonia interragationis 1
Mourning Cloak Nymphalis antiopa 1
American Lady Vanessa virginiensis 43
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta 1
Red-spotted Purple Limenitis arthemis astyanax 1
Goatweed Leafwing Anaea andria 3
Tawny Emperor Asterocampa clyton 1
Carolina Satyr Hermeuptychia sosybius 3
Georgia Satyr Neonympha areolata 18
Little Wood-Satyr Megisto cymela 1
Monarch Danaus plexippus 3
Hesperidae
Silver-spotted
Skipper Epargyreus clarus 2
Horace's Duskywing Erynnis horatius 67
Funereal Duskywing Erynnis funeralis 4
Common Checkered-Skipper Pyrgus communis 1
Swarthy Skipper Nastra lherminier 10
Clouded Skipper Lerema accius 3
Least Skipper Ancyloxypha numitor 1
Fiery Skipper Hylephila phyleus 5
Whirlabout Polites vibex 18
Southern Broken-Dash Wallengrenia otho 4
Northern Broken-Dash Wallengrenia egeremet 1
Little Glassywing Pompeius verna 3
Yehl Skipper Poanes yehl 1
Dion Skipper Euphyes dion 1
Dun Skipper Euphyes vestris 4
Eufala Skipper Lerodea eufala 1
Twin-spot Skipper Oligoria maculata 3
Dark Swallowtail sp. – 8
Orange Skipper sp. – 1
Caterpillars observed:
12 Spicebuah Swallowtail on
Sassafras
1 American Lady (?) on Cudweed
1 Saltmarsh Moth on pavement
Egg observed
1 Goatweed Leafwing on Croton
Odonates of interest:
Ebony Jewelwing
Lilypad Forktail
Common Whitetail
Blue Dasher
Slaty Skimmer
Great Blue Skimmer
Eastern Pondhawk
Calico Pennant
Herps of Note:
East Texas Toad
Eastern Narrow-mouthed Toad (heard)
Cottonmouth
Broad-headed Skink
Eastern Fence Lizard
Area Covered:
Northern Hardin and southern
Tyler Counties in East Texas
Big Thicket National Preserve (Turkey Creek and Hickory
Creek units)
Kirby State Forest
Watson Pinelands Preserve
Various roadsides
PineyWoods
Parklands Rocks in Redux!
The day was turning out
perfect – light winds, clear skies, and a warm ambience – a
perfect apology for the angry weather that had shut this count
down earlier in the month. So it was that despite missing
several key members to the diehard clan, six BESTers – Don,
David, Farrar, Hugh, and new NABA members David & Ada Johnson
sallied forth into a late April day full of promise… one that
did not go unfulfilled!
Despite its world-class
stature as a botanical garden, Mercer Arboretum had never before
really shone in this count – always being eclipsed by Jesse
Jones Park to the east – until this year! When we left the park
after 2 hours of butterflying, we already had well over 20
species, and two of these had never before been seen on a
Southeast Texas count! Jesse Jones put up its usual consistent
numbers, and then it was time for a break at Dave’s and Ada’s
beautiful home in Kingwood - hot dogs washed down with passion
fruit juice! While there, Ada showed off her caterpillars –
Monarchs and a single Black Swallowtail egg.
Then it was off to the
nurseries, roadsides, and riparian forests of Montgomery County.
The butterflying was a little spottier at this point – many,
many more mosquitoes than butterflies – but when we finally
ended the day at Jason & Lisa McKenzie’s Pineywoods Nursery, we
had seen 340 butterflies of 46 different
species!
The breakdown goes as
follows:
|
Pipevine Swallowtail Battus philenor - 11 |
|
Polydamas Swallowtail Battus polydamas – 1 |
|
Black
Swallowtail Papilio polyxenes - 7 |
|
Giant
Swallowtail Heraclides crestaphontes - 5 |
|
Spicebush Swallowtail Pterourus troilus - 2 |
|
|
Palamedes Swallowtail Pterourus palamedes - 7 |
|
Dark swallowtail sp. - 5
|
Orange Sulphur Colias eurytheme - 7 |
|
Cloudless Sulphur Phoebis sennae - 16 |
|
Little Yellow Eurema lisa - 1 |
|
Dainty Sulphur Nathalis iole - 11 |
|
Oak
Hairstreak Satyrium favonius ontario - 1 |
|
Banded
Hairstreak Satyrium calanus - 9 |
|
Striped Hairstreak Satyrium liparops - 3 |
|
Gray
Hairstreak Strymon melinus - 9 |
|
Dusky-blue Groundstreak Calycopis isobeon - 1 |
|
American Snout Libytheana carinenta - 35 |
|
Gulf
Fritillary Agraulis vanillae - 1 |
|
Variegated Fritillary Euptoieta claudia - 11 |
|
Texan
Crescent Phyciodes texana - 10 |
|
Pearl
Crescent Phyciodes tharos - 1 |
|
Question Mark Polygonia interragationis - 2 |
|
American Lady Vanessa virginiensis - 45 |
|
Red
Admiral Vanessa atalanta - 10 |
|
Common Buckeye Junonia coenia - 8 |
|
Viceroy Limenitis archippus - 1 |
|
Goatweed Leafwing Anaea andria - 6 |
|
Hackberry Emperor Asterocampa celtis - 2 |
|
Tawny
Emperor Asterocampa clyton - 4 |
|
Gemmed Satyr Cyllopsis gemma - 1 |
|
Carolina Satyr Hermeuptychia sosybius - 28 |
|
Little Wood-Satyr Megisto cymela - 5 |
|
Monarch Danaus plexippus - 5 |
|
White-striped Longtail Chioides catillus - 1 |
|
Northern Cloudywing Thorybes pylades - 7 |
|
Confused Cloudywing Thorybes confusis - 1 |
|
Horace's Duskywing Erynnis horatius - 1 |
|
Funereal Duskywing Erynnis funeralis - 6 |
|
Common Checkered-Skipper Pyrgus communis - 5 |
|
Clouded Skipper Lerema accius - 16 |
|
Least
Skipper Ancyloxypha numitor - 1 |
|
Fiery
Skipper Hylephila phyleus - 6 |
|
Whirlabout Polites vibex - 3 |
|
Southern Broken-Dash Wallengrenia otho - 1 |
|
Northern Broken-Dash Wallengrenia egeremet - 1 |
|
Little Glassywing Pompeius verna - 10 |
|
Dun
Skipper Euphyes vestris - 10 |
Immatures:
Polydamas Swallowtail – 30 eggs, 25 caterpillars on
Aristolochia gigantea; 1 pupa at Mercer’s butterfly shed.
Black Swallowtail – 1 egg on Ruta graveolens
Spicebush Swallowtail – 2 caterpillars, 1 each on
Sassafras albidum and Lindera benzoin
American Lady – 1 caterpillar on Gnaphalium sp.
Monarch – (not counting Ada’s indoor menagerie!) 1
caterpillar on Asclepias curassavica
Brazilian Skipper – 12 caterpillars on Thalia dealibata
Before this count, no
Satyrium hairstreak had ever been seen on a Southeast Texas
count – today, the three most common were all spotted! All were
nectaring on that dratted invasive – Privet!
While everyone is happy
to have the Satyriums on board, one can’t help but wonder what’s
happened to the Calycopis genus; NO Red-bandeds this year – down
from 146 two years ago. A harsher winter got to this litter
nester, perhaps?
All in all, a most
excellent day, with new friendships made, and new species seen.
We may have to consider keeping Pineywoods in this timeframe!
Swallowtail Sweep at Angelina
Sunday, April 1 – apparently the weather
was trying to make up for the cruel joke it had made for us the
day before, as March had made a leonine exit with over an inch
of rain, raining out the Sabine Count. The clear sky above bore
witness against the muck from yesterday’s rain, yet together
they formed the perfect conditions for lots of butterflies to be
eclosing from their cocoons, slurping up deep draughts of flower
nectar and sandy mud, and spiraling across the sky in dazzling
minuets for territory and courtship. Angelina National Forest
was alive with butterflies - and not just any butterflies, but
lots and lots of swallowtails and those gorgeous pipevine mimics
- the Red-spotted Purple!
In this far-flung count circle, David and
Ednelza Henderson were joined by stalwarts Hugh Wedgeworth and
Diane Milano as well as newcomer Anissa Curtis, in trying to put
numbers to all that we saw. Despite being delayed for two hours
due to our car being stuck in the mud, we persevered and after
eight hours, came up with these results…
Pipevine Swallowtail Battus philenor - 38
Zebra Swallowtail Eurytides marcellus - 39
Black Swallowtail Papilio polyxenes - 6
Giant Swallowtail Heraclides crestaphontes - 13
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Pterourus glaucus - 25
Spicebush Swallowtail Pterourus troilus - 34
Palamedes Swallowtail Pterourus palamedes - 2
Cloudless Sulphur Phoebis sennae - 21
Little Yellow Eurema lisa - 1
Red-banded Hairstreak Calycopis cecrops -
2
Eastern Tailed-Blue Everes comyntas - 2
American Snout Libytheana carinenta - 4
Gulf Fritillary Agraulis vanillae - 1
Pearl Crescent Phyciodes tharos - 53
Question Mark Polygonia interragationis - 1
American Lady Vanessa virginiensis - 1
Painted Lady Vanessa cardui - 1
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta - 1
Red-spotted Purple Limenitis arthemis - 33
Goatweed Leafwing Anaea andria - 18
Southern Pearly-eye Enodia portlandia - 2
Creole Pearly-eye Enodia creola - 1
Carolina Satyr Hermeuptychia sosybius - 99
Little Wood-Satyr Megisto cymela - 61
Monarch Danaus plexippus - 16
Silver-spotted Skipper Epargyreus clarus -
1
Hoary Edge Achalarus lyciades - 1
Northern Cloudywing Thorybes pylades - 18
Confused Cloudywing Thorybes confusis - 12
Juvenal's Duskywing Erynnis juvenalis - 10
Horace's Duskywing Erynnis horatius - 3
Tropical Checkered-Skipper Pyrgus oileus - 1
Clouded Skipper Lerema accius - 6
Fiery Skipper Hylephila phyleus - 1
Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper Amblyscirtes aesculapius - 4
Pepper and Salt Skipper Amblyscirtes hegon - 1
A total of 533 individuals of 36 species
were seen. In addition, one Zebra Swallowtail was observed to be
ovipositing on pawpaw (Asimina triloba). Other leps seen were an
Eight-spotted Forester, and odes of note include Ebony Jewelwing,
Common Green Darner, and various Clubtails.
Overall, a wonderful day!
David F. Henderson
President,
Butterfly Enthusiasts of Southeast Texas
(BEST-NABA)
Conroe Butterfly Count
Conroe Butterfly Count Goes Batty!
(really – it was for the Birds!)
With overcast skies all morning, the leps were refusing to wake
up last Saturday, but finally, around noon, the cloud cover
broke, the good luck serpent sighting – a monstrous Copperhead!
– was made, and the Falcates, Pipevines, Orange Sulfurs, and
Goatweeds all began to dance across roadside and through
bottomland. Five and a half hours later, the numbers were
definitely down – but the extralepidopteran sightings were
fabulous! Herewith a species breakdown and a biotic summary:
Pipevine
Swallowtail Battus philenor - 33
Black Swallowtail Papilio polyxenes - 2
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Pterourus glaucus - 1
Spicebush Swallowtail Pterourus troilus-2
Falcate
Orangetip Anthocarus midea-80
Orange Sulphur Colias eurytheme-61
Southern Dogface Colias sesonia-5
Cloudless Sulphur Phoebis sennae-24
Little Yellow Eurema lisa-1
Gray
Hairstreak Strymon melinus-3
Red-banded Hairstreak Calycopis cecrops-2
Dusky-blue Groundstreak Calycopis isobeon-1
Henry's Elfin Callophrys henrici-1
American
Snout Libytheana carinenta-1
Gulf Fritillary Agraulis vanillae-3
Variegated Fritillary Euptoieta claudia-3
Pearl Crescent Phyciodes tharos-2
Question Mark Polygonia interragationis-7
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta-4
Common Buckeye Junonia coenia-1
Goatweed Leafwing Anaea andria-26
Tawny Emperor Asterocampa clyton-1
Monarch Danaus plexippus - 8
Juvenal's
Duskywing Erynnis juvenalis - 2
Horace's Duskywing Erynnis horatius -4
Common Checkered-Skipper Pyrgus communis-27
Fiery Skipper Hylephila phyleus-7
Dark Swallowtail sp. – 7
Hairstreak sp. – 6
15-Falcate Orangetip
eggs (all on Spring Cress – Cardomine rhomboidea)
12-Variegated Fritillary eggs (all on Wild Flax –
Linum sp.)
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San Jacinto Butterfly Count
Clear skies beckoned with the promise of a
butterfly-filled day at yesterday's San Jacinto County Count.
However, the temperatures - which began in the 50's and didn't
budge past 70 all day, worked against us somewhat. Despite this,
the die-hard team of Steve Abbey, Hugh Wedgeworth, Diane Milano,
David and Ednelza Henderson, being joined later in the day by
Houston Outdoor Nature Club member Wanda Smith, tallied up over
300 individuals spread across 25 different species, but which over a third were Juvenal's
Duskywings! The Callophrys hairstreaks were also particularly
well-represented, with sightings of Henry's and Eastern Pine
Elfins and double digit-numbers of Juniper Hairstreaks.
With spring progressing at a leisurely
pace this y
