5th year count held. Center at 35 deg. 23 min. N, 78 deg. 48 min. W. Center at railroad bridge at Cape Fear River in Lillington. Elevation 110 to 350 ft. July 30, 2002. 8:30 am to 5:00 pm. AM clear, 100% sun. PM clear, 100% sun. Temperature 74 to 98 degrees F. Wind direction variable , 0 to 3 mi./hr. 7 observers including 2 children under 12 in 1 to 3 parties. Total party hours: 23.0 (17.0 on foot and 6.0 by car). Total party miles: 76.0 (15.0 on foot and 61.0 by car).

Observers: Brian Bockhahn, Will Cook, Patrick Hart, Paul Hart, Steven Hart, Tom Howard, Mary Stevens.

Pipevine Swallowtail 2
Zebra Swallowtail 1
Black Swallowtail 4
E. Tiger Swallowtail 43
Spicebush Swallowtail 27
Palamedes Swallowtail 4
Cabbage White 5
Cloudless Sulphur 135
Little Yellow 2
Sleepy Orange 590
Gray Hairstreak 4
E. Tailed-Blue 8
'Summer' Spring Azure 26
American Snout 5
Variegated Fritillary 1
Pearl Crescent 36
Question Mark 2
American Lady 7
Red Admiral 1
Common Buckeye 20
Red-spotted Purple 22
Viceroy 8
Hackberry Emperor 2
Tawny Emperor 1
Northern Pearly-eye 3
Appalachian Brown 1
Carolina Satyr 14
Common Wood-Nymph 2
Silver-spotted Skipper 17
Hoary Edge 1
Southern Cloudywing 6
Horace's Duskywing 13
Zarucco Duskywing 1
Common Checkered-Skipper 34
Common Sootywing 8
Swarthy Skipper 9
Clouded Skipper 2
Least Skipper 4
Southern Skipperling 8
Fiery Skipper 18
Tawny-edged Skipper 1
Whirlabout 11
Little Glassywing 2
Sachem 1
DELAWARE SKIPPER 1
Zabulon Skipper 1

Total Individuals: 1,114
Adult Species: 46
3 Black Swallowtail caterpillars were seen on Foeniculum vulgare (fennel).

Compiler comments: A very hot day! The dedication and perseverance of the participants is to be commended. May and June were very dry months, but July was very wet at this location with over 9 inches of rain recorded. Many species had new broods emerging, as many fresh individuals were noted. The individual total is a count record, exceeding the total of 1,060 individual seen in 2001. Cloudless Sulphur (135) and Sleepy Orange (590) accounted for most of the total. There is plenty of Cassia obtusifolia, a host plant for Sleepy Orange, in the count circle. On the other hand, the number of adult species seen (46) is the lowest total for this count. Delaware Skipper, seen by Will Cook and Brian Bockhahn, is new for the count and a new species for the park. This was the first time that six swallowtail species have been tallied on the count. Four Gray Hairstreaks were the only hairstreaks seen. Only 11 species of grass skippers were seen.

--
Paul C. Hart
Park Superintendent
Raven Rock State Park