Butterfliers,

 Despite 2.5 hours of a morning rain delay, we had a very successful Durham Butterfly Count yesterday (8-17-2003).  Many thanks to intrepid butterfliers Nicole Benda, Brian Bockhahn, Will Cook, Michael Durham, Bonnie Forbes, Lou Hatfield, Jill Kirkland, Janet Krakauer, Harry LeGrand, Jeff Pippen, Roger Rittmaster, and Laura Smith for their participation!

 Because of other commitments and unforeseen challenges, our normal party number of 6 was reduced to about 3.5 parties, and significantly fewer butterflying miles were covered this year.  However, we still tallied 55 species of butterflies and 2640 individuals within the 15-mile diameter count circle.

 Thanks again to Tom & Janet Krakauer, Debbie May, and Corey White for making facilities available for us at the NC Museum of Life and Science.

 Here are some bulleted highlights and points of interest from the survey:

 -- Brian Bockhahn located the first Zebra Swallowtail ever for the Durham count (usually mid-August is between broods for this species here)

 -- 4 species were missed for the first time ever on this count (Clouded Sulphur, Great Spangled Fritillary, Northern Pearly-eye, Northern Broken-Dash)

 -- Record low numbers (due in part to non-coverage of a key area) for the 5 years of this count for 7 species: Orange Sulphur, Eastern Tailed-Blue, Variegated Fritillary, Monarch, Crossline Skipper, Little Glassywing, and Zabulon Skipper.

 -- Record high numbers for the 5 years of this count for: Cabbage White, American Snout, Question Mark, American Lady, Silver-spotted Skipper, Wild Indigo Duskywing, and Fiery Skipper.

 -- Note that butterfly numbers (as do most animal populations) naturally vary considerably from year to year as part of natural cycles (e.g. due to predator/prey relationships, environmental fluctuations, etc.).  For example, last year we had record lows of Cabbage White, American Lady, and Question Mark.  This year they were in record high numbers!   While fun to note, it's important to keep in mind that this is a normal natural phenomenon.

 -- Wild Indigo Duskywings are doing well in the Duke Gardens, where their host plant (Baptisia) grows.  Duke Gardens is a great place to see lots of butterflies fairly easily nectaring on a variety of garden plants.

 -- Morning conditions were in the mid 70s, overcast, and rainy; with very little wind.  Afternoon saw temps nearing 90 deg. F., and partly sunny

 Here are the results:

Total

Species

8

Pipevine Swallowtail

1

Zebra Swallowtail

12

Black Swallowtail

218

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

53

Spicebush Swallowtail

59

Cabbage White

1

Orange Sulphur

61

Cloudless Sulphur

28

Sleepy Orange

2

Juniper Hairstreak

8

Gray Hairstreak

2

Red-banded Hairstreak

26

Eastern Tailed-Blue

15

Summer Azure

24

American Snout

10

Variegated Fritillary

2

Silvery Checkerspot

241

Pearl Crescent

75

Question Mark

12

Eastern Comma

49

American Lady

1

Painted Lady

41

Red Admiral

252

Common Buckeye

55

Red-spotted Purple

21

Viceroy

19

Hackberry Emperor

4

Tawny Emperor

1

Appalachian Brown

2

Gemmed Satyr

20

Carolina Satyr

3

Common Wood-Nymph

5

Monarch

421

Silver-spotted Skipper

8

Hoary Edge

3

Southern Cloudywing

24

Horace's Duskywing

1

Zarucco Duskywing

13

Wild Indigo Duskywing

17

Com. Checkered-Skipper

11

Common Sootywing

11

Swarthy Skipper

72

Clouded Skipper

13

Least Skipper

256

Fiery Skipper

1

Tawny-edged Skipper

5

Crossline Skipper

32

Southern Broken-Dash

13

Little Glassywing

334

Sachem

7

Delaware Skipper

9

Zabulon Skipper

1

Dion Skipper

18

Dun Skipper

38

Ocola Skipper

 

 

Non-Adults:

1

Black Swallowtail cat

 

 

55

Total Species

2640

Total Individuals