The Croatan National Forest butterfly count was held yesterday (Aug.
31), probably the latest date it has been held (typically on the last
Sunday of August). We had excellent participation (11 observers), though
I only had folks in two parties. Helping me out were Jeff Pippen, Will
Cook, Ted Gilliland, and John Lamey (all who helped out at Southport on
Aug. 30); plus John Fussell, Jack Fennell, Carol Reigle, Mike Smith and
wife (from Virginia), and Salman Abdulali. The weather was like at
Southport – sunny to partly cloudy, very warm, and humid, with a few
sprinkles in the northern portion in the afternoon. It was a successful
count, as we found the key target species, and the weather didn’t really
hamper us. Here are the results:
E. Tiger Swallowtail 11
Spicebush Swallowtail 2
Palamedes Swallowtail 173
Orange Sulphur 1
Cloudless Sulphur 178
Little Yellow 5
Sleepy Orange 33
Great Purple Hairstreak 1
Gray Hairstreak 11
Red-banded Hairstreak 83
Summer Azure 1
Little Metalmark 28 good total
Gulf Fritillary 2
Variegated Fritillary 1
Pearl Crescent 28
Common Buckeye 25
Red-spotted Purple 3
Viceroy 2
Southern Pearly-eye 3
Carolina Satyr 33
Georgia Satyr 39
Common Wood-Nymph 28
Monarch 1
Silver-spotted Skipper 6
Zarucco Duskywing 1
Common Checkered-Skipper 2
Swarthy Skipper 8
Clouded Skipper 19
Least Skipper 6
Fiery Skipper 14
Tawny-edged Skipper 43
Crossline Skipper 5
Whirlabout 9
Southern Broken-Dash 12
Northern Broken-Dash 1 rare in circle
Arogos Skipper 1 missed last year; barely hanging on in NC
Delaware Skipper 6
Byssus Skipper 35 excellent total; missed last year!
Dion Skipper 1 usually missed (count too early?)
Berry’s Skipper 9 remarkable total; 2 is previous high here
Dun Skipper 11
Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper 11 lower than usual; roadside impacts
Carolina Roadside-Skipper 17 ditto as for above
Twin-spot Skipper 77
Total – 44 species
Comments: Brushfoots and spread-winged skippers were scarce. Failure to
get a lady or Red Admiral, or a Horace’s Duskywing, were surprises. We
did get most of the target wetland skippers – Arogos, Berry’s (nine!),
Byssus, etc., and a Dion was unexpected, though it ought to be regular
if the count were held in September.
Harry LeGrand
Raleigh, NC
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