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Butterflies of Mountainside Park, Pequannock, Morris County, New Jersey

DIRECTIONS: Mountainside Park is a Morris County Park in northern Morris County. From Interstate 287 get off at exit 52A and head south on route 23. Take the first right turn after the first traffic light and keep bearing right onto West Parkway. Take West Parkway for about 0.7 mile to the first intersection with a 4-way stop. Turn right onto Mountain Avenue and go about 1.0 mile (including passing under route 287) to the dead end parking lot. Alternately, from Route 23 North in Pompton Plains, take 511 ALT to make a U-turn onto Route 23 South.

HABITAT: This is a gas pipeline cut on a slope, dominated by Little Blue Stem and Rubus in the Spring.

BUTTERFLY LIST:

Abbreviations are:
A, abundant, likely to see more than 20 individuals per visit to the right spot at the right time
C, common, likely to see 4-20 individuals per visit to the right spot at the right time
U, uncommon, likely to see 0-3 individuals per visit to the right spot at the right time
R, rare, unlikely to see any individuals even at the right spots at the right time
S, stray, vagrant, not seen most years

E, early in month
M, middle of month
L, late in month

Numbers refer to months. For example, the first species, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, is uncommon to common from late April through September.
Swallowtails Family Papilionidae
Frequency
Season
__Pipevine Swallowtail
R
5
__Black Swallowtail
U
5-9
__Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
U-C
L4-9
__Spicebush Swallowtail
U
5-9

Whites and Sulphurs Family Pieridae
Frequency
Season
__Cabbage White
U-C
4-10
__Falcate Orangetip
C
L4-5
__Clouded Sulphur
U
4-10
__Orange Sulphur
U-C
4-10
__Cloudless Sulphur
S
M8-9
__Little Yellow
S
8-9

Gossamer Wings Family Lycaenidae
Frequency
Season
__American Copper
C
5-E10
__Coral Hairstreak
U
M6-M7
__Banded Hairstreak
C
6-7
__Striped Hairstreak
U
M6-7
__Juniper Hairstreak
U
4-5,7
__White M Hairstreak
R
5-8
__Gray Hairstreak
U-C
5-9
__Red-banded Hairstreak
R
5
__Eastern Tailed-Blue
A-C
L4-9
__'Spring' Spring Azure
U
4-M5
__'Summer' Spring Azure
U
6-9

Brush-footed Butterflies Family Nymphalidae
Frequency
Season
__Great Spangled Fritillary
C
M6-M9
__Pearl Crescent
C
5-9
__Question Mark
U
5-11
__Compton Tortoiseshell
R
L3-4,6-7
__Mourning Cloak
U
M4-10
__American Lady
U
L4-E10
__Painted Lady
U
5-9
__Red Admiral
U
L4-E10
__Red-spotted Purple
U-R
6-9
__Viceroy
U-R
M5-9
__Little Wood-Satyr
C-A
L5-7
__Common Wood-Nymph
U
L6-8

Milkweed Butterflies Family Danaidae
Frequency
Season
__Monarch
U-C
6-10

Skippers Family Hesperiidae
Frequency
Season
__Silver-spotted Skipper
U-C
5-9
__Hoary Edge
U
E6-M7
__Southern Cloudywing
U
6-7
__Northern Cloudywing
C
M5-7
__Dreamy Duskywing
C
5-M6
__Juvenal's Duskywing
C-A
L4-M6
__Wild Indigo Duskywing
C
L4-9
__Swarthy Skipper
R
8-9
__Least Skipper
U
6-E9
__Cobweb Skipper
C-A
5
__Indian Skipper
C
L5-E6
__Peck's Skipper
R
6-9
__Tawny-edged Skipper
R
7-E9
__Crossline Skipper
U
M6-7
__Delaware Skipper
U
L6-7
__Hobomok Skipper
C
L5-E7
__Zabulon Skipper
U-C
L5-M9
__Dusted Skipper
U-C
L5-M6

BEST TIME AND SPOTS TO VISIT: May, especially late in the month. The slope of the hill faces south so the season for this site is further along than other sites in the area. The narrower trail on the left side of the wider gasline cut should also be covered-a climb of 200 yards or so should reward you with Falcate Orangetip in early to mid-May. This park has not yet been well-covered later in the season: a trip in July might yield the witches and perhaps some hairstreaks.

SPECIALTIES:Falcate Orangetip, Southern Cloudywing, Dusted Skipper, Indian Skipper, and Cobweb Skipper.

NOTES: No restrooms or picnic facilities are available. At the top of the first hill there are good views to the south.

13 Apr 2005 / Main New Jersey Page