Midland Chapter — Cheraw State Park and Carolina Sandhills NWR — April 1, 2017

What a beautiful day to butterfly and some people had a four Elfin species day!  Many of us came away with at least one lifer.  It was sunny with temperatures ranging from around 59 to a high of 79.  Chris Talkington was our leader.  In attendance were: Gene Schepker, Lois Schneider, Ann Newsome, Sven Halling, Gary Carter, Leigh Anne Carter, Becky Carter, Jean Fontaine, Laura Domingo, Dennis Forsythe, Rob Gilson, Lenny Lampel, Ethan Lampel, Shawn Smolen-Morton, Will Stuart, Rob Van Epps, Kevin Metcalf, Susan Creed, Cheryl Talkington, and Dave and Marty Kastner.  Will Stuart was our hero, finding the Frosted Elfin in the morning and leading the group back to the same spot in the afternoon where we found three.

Cheraw State Park
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail   3
Spicebush Swallowtail   2
Palamedes Swallowtail   9
Black Swallowtail   1
Zebra Swallowtail   1
Sleepy Orange   1
Great Purple Hairstreak   2
Red-banded Hairstreak   1
Brown Elfin   3
Henry’s Elfin   5
Eastern Pine Elfin   1
Eastern Tailed-Blue   2
Summer Azure   2
Azure species   1
Pearl Crescent   1
American Lady   11
Common Buckeye   3
Carolina/Intricate Satyr   3
Silver-spotted Skipper   1
Zarucco Duskywing   2
Juvenal’s Duskywing   1
Duskywing species   1

Carolina Sandhills NWR
Black Swallowtail   1
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail   2
Spicebush Swallowtail   3
Palamedes Swallowtail   2
Zebra Swallowtail   1
Colias species   1   (white form)
Cloudless Sulphur   8
Sleepy Orange   3
Frosted Elfin   3   (ovipositing)
Gray Hairstreak   1
Eastern Tailed-Blue   6
Azure species   1
Variegated Fritillary   1
American Lady   2
Common Buckeye   3
Pearl Crescent   1
Red-spotted Purple   1
Juvenal’s Duskywing   3
Zarucco Duskywing   1
Duskywing species   7

Marty Kastner