The Caswell Gamelands includes a variety of habitats that support a diverse array of butterfly species. On June 2nd, the Gamelands attracted 9 butterfly enthusiasts to search for Golden-banded Skippers, a species that is rare to accidental in North Carolina, and is local and rare throughout its eastern North America range. The trip did not yield a Golden-banded Skipper, although Jim Nottke had a brief encounter with a butterfly that could have been a GBS.

Randy Emmitt and Harry LeGrand served as a guides for the trip. Randy has spent numerous hours scouting out areas in Caswell Gamelands. His experience helped make the trip a success. The group visited several different sites within the gamelands. Our first stop was a gravel road with a nice margin of wildflowers. That site yielded a Harvester. After giving members excellent views, including some brief open-winged poses, the Harvester proceeded to search for salts on Randy Emmitt's boots. He then traveled to my boots, and after awhile I was able to coax him onto my index finger for some photos. The site also gave us excellent looks at a Zebra Swallowtail. It was very fresh, with long, beautiful tails.

Later we visited a forested upland site with several small pools. Harry LeGrand described the habitat as quite unusual. There were some stunning dragonflies patrolling some of the pools, including a Bar-winged Skimmer and Twelve-spotted Skimmer. This area yielded another Harvester, which spent a long time perched on Randy Emmitt's arm. A small light gap near the gravel road attracted some butterflies, including Mourning Cloaks, Northern Pearly-eye, and Banded Hairstreaks.

Another upland site (drier, and more open, with lots of pine trees), included a nice patch of dogbane. This site yielded Eastern Pine Elfin, and lots of American Lady. Our efforts to check each American Lady were not rewarded with any sightings of a Painted Lady.

Another road margin yielded the most unusual find for the day, a Mottled Duskywing. This butterfly was very cooperative and gave excellent looks to the participants.

Our final site for the afternoon was an area where GBS were observed last year. We waited until late afternoon, because GBS become active later in the day than most other species of butterflies. The area included some nice patches of the hostplant, Hog peanut, but didn't give us any conclusive encounters with GBS. Despite not finding GBS, the trip was a success.

The trip provided other memorable experiences

·An immature Red-tailed Hawk that was mobbed (and chased!) by a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.

·A Black Rat Snake sparked a debate between Randy Emmitt and Jim Nottke about whether it was 6 feet long or 4 feet long. Jim settled the debate by catching the snake. It proved to be 5 feet long!

·Jeff Pippen's tick-killing pants.

Participants on the trip: Randy Emmitt, Harry LeGrand, Judy Murray, Jim Nottke, Jeff Pippen, Joe Poston, Roger Rittmaster, Clyde Smith, Ruth Young.

Nevertheless, we had a very successful trip, with a total of 42 species observed. The list for the day is as follows:

2 Pipevine Swallowtail
1 Zebra Swallowtail
12 Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
3 Spicebush Swallowtail
1 Cabbage White
3 Orange Sulphur
2 Sleepy Orange
2 Harvester (very tame individuals that perched on trip member's boots, hands, and arms!)
1 Coral Hairstreak
7 Banded Hairstreak
3 Eastern Pine Elfin (1 very fresh)
1 Juniper Hairstreak (very worn; no green at all!)
2 Gray Hairstreak
6 Eastern Tailed-Blue
20 Summer Azure
1 American Snout (Ruth Young saw)
31 Great Spangled Fritillary
5 Pearl Crescent
3 Question Mark
1 Eastern Comma
5 Mourning Cloak
47 American Lady
15 Red Admiral
1 Common Buckeye
4 Red-spotted Purple
4 Hackberry Emperor
5 Northern Pearly-Eye
12 Carolina Satyr
40 Little Wood-Satyr
18 Silver-spotted Skipper
38 Hoary Edge
12 Southern Cloudywing
34 Northern Cloudywing
1 Duskywing sp. (small; very worn wings, long palps, so probably a Dreamy Duskywing?)
1 Mottled Duskywing! (female)
3 Swarthy Skipper
6 Least Skipper
21 Crossline Skipper
4 Southern Broken-Dash
9 Little Glassywing
9 Zabulon Skipper
3 Dun Skipper

Randy Emmitt compiled the following list of odes that were observed during the trip:

Epiaeschna heros, Swamp Darner (12)
Gomphus exilis, Lancet Clubtail (1)
Didymops transversa, Stream Cruiser (1)
Epitheca princeps, Prince Baskettail (4)
Celithemis elisa, Calico Pennant (1)
Celithemis fasciata, Banded Pennant (6)
Erythemis simplicicollis, Eastern Pondhawk (2)
Libellula axilena, Bar-winged Skimmer (2)
Libellula cyanea, Spangled Skimmer (12)
Libellula incesta Slaty Skimmer (1 teneral)
Libellula luctuosa, Widow Skimmer (20)
Libellula lydia , Common Whitetail (20)
Libellula pulchella, Twelve-spotted Skimmer (1 male)
Libellula semifasciata, Painted Skimmer (2)
Libellula vibrans, Great Blue Skimmer (2)
Pachydiplax longipennis, Blue Dasher (8)
Perithemis tenera, Eastern Amberwing (2 males)

Also a Damselfly
Calopteryx dimidiata, Sparkling Jewelwing

Joe Poston
Salisbury NC