Rio Grande Valley – 2016

Posted on November 15, 2016 by admin

Barry Marts and I went on our now annual November trip to the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The weather didn’t cooperate as much as we would have liked but we still managed to see many lifers. We totaled 106 species for the week. This total included 11 species of Hairstreaks / Groundstreaks and Ministreaks. We stayed in McAllen, TX and ventured as far east as the Brownsville area and as far west as Falcon Dam State Park. Some the the locations visited were the Yturria Tract of the Rio Grande NWR (west of La Hoya, TX), Bentsen State Park, NABA National Butterfy center, Resaca Del La Palma State Park, Estero Llano State Park and La Sal Del Rey “The King’s Salt” section of the Rio Grande NWR which is one of three naturally occurring salt lakes in Texas. Every year there are a few uncommon to rare species that have exceptional seasons. This year it was Marius Hairstreak. Last year it was Evans’ Skipper. I’ve included a few of the more notable photos below. Can’t wait to return this fall!

Click on any image below to enlarge

Mexican Fritillary Zebra Helliconian
Marius Hairstreak Marius Hairstreak
Lacey's Scrub-hairstreak Red-crescent Scrub-hairstreak
Clytie Ministreak White Scrub-hairstreak
Rounded Metalmark Guava Skipper
Nysa Roadside-skipper Celia's Roadside-skipper
Purple-washed Skipper Violet-banded Skipper
Olive-clouded Skipper Texas-powdered Skipper
Definite Patch Definite Patch
Southern Dogface Crimson Patch
Erichson's White-Skipper Erichson's White-Skipper
Posted in Brush-footed, Gossamer-winged, Metalmarks, Skippers, Whites and Sulphurs | Leave a comment

Fiery and Ocola Skippers

Posted on October 19, 2016 by admin

In what will probably be the last day above 80 for the next 6 months the leps were giving it all they had. Along a short stretch of our road I saw 6 Fiery Skippers, an Ocola Skipper and a Cloudless Sulphur. Thirteen species in all. Unless a Painted Lady or Long-tailed Skipper shows up soon I’m probably be done for the year (as far as new species) in WV. Other species over the last couple of days:

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Cabbage White
Clouded Sulphur
Orange Sulphur
Variegated Fritillary
Eastern Comma
American Lady
Common Buckeye
Monarch
Sachem
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Ocola Skipper in Berkeley County

Posted on October 7, 2016 by admin

Saw my first Ocola Skipper of the fall season on a neighbor’s Butterfly Bush. This is only the second time I’ve witnessed one in the state. With the slew of southern irruptive reports thus far this season I don’t think it will be the last. Still holding out for Long-tailed Skipper (which has already been seen in Jefferson county by Deb Hale) and Little Yellow. Have already seen Fiery Skipper and Cloudless Sulphur in the state this season. Hoping all of you great success as the year draws to a close.

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“Death by Skipper” trip to Florida

Posted on October 4, 2016 by admin

In hindsight going for a long weekend to south-central Florida seems like it was a good decision in light of the current developments (Hurricane Matthew) occurring in the state now. Barry Marts, Mike Smith, Tom Pendleton and I drove over 2,100 miles in a four day period and visited a few of the late season skipper habitats in hopes of scoring a few lifers. It was also a great chance to reacquaint with some of the more southern species we don’t see in our region. We joined ten other lepsters led by Linda Cooper. One day was spent spent searching various habitats in Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park about 25 miles NW of Okeechobee and the other day was at Bull Creek WMA , about 25 miles west of Melbourne. Each site is maintained for successional growth species which benefit from prescribed burns. The areas reminded me very much of the Pine Barrens area in New Jersey.
We northerners all had target species. All but Neamathla Skipper (which I found out was photographed on the first day) was seen. On the way home on Monday we stopped for a few hours at Savannah NWR SE of Hardesville, SC and found a couple cinnamon colored Palatka Skippers which was a lifer for three of us. In all we tallied 56 species, of which 30 were skippers! Notables included: Palamedes Swallowtail, Orange-barred Sulphur, Barred Yellow, Little Yellow, Phaon Crescent, White Peacock, Georgia Satyr, Long-tailed Skipper, Dorantes Longtail, Confused Cloudywing, Zurucco Duskywing, Tropical Checkered-Skipper, Three-spotted Skipper, Southern Skipperling, Dotted Skipper, Meske’s Skipper, Whirlabout, Arogos Skipper, Aaron’s Skipper (in inland fresh water habitat), Palmetto Skipper, Palatka Skipper, Monk Skipper, (FL – Loammi) Dusted Skipper, Eufala Skipper, Twin-spot Skipper and Brazilian Skipper. Some images from the trip are shown below. It was a wonderful experience and worth every mile of the drive!

Click on any image below to enlarge

Palmetto Skipper Aaron's Skipper
Loammi Skipper (FL) Dusteds in Pine Lilly
Dotted Skipper Meske's Skipper
Gulf Fritillary Arogos Skipper
Palatka Skipper Little Metalmark
Posted in Blues, Brush-footed, Duskywings, Gossamer-winged, Metalmarks, Milkweed Butterflies, Remote Trip, Satyrs, Skippers, Swallowtails, Whites and Sulphurs | Leave a comment

Late Summer Sightings in the panhandle – Long-tailed Skipper

Posted on September 20, 2016 by admin

The hot and dry Summer continues with not much rain forecast during the next week or so. It is finally beginning to cool and humidity levels are down so I took Shadow for a hike into Sleepy Creek WMA which borders our neighborhood. It was nice to still see Common Wood-Nymph and Great Spangled Fritillary on the wing.

The southern influx of species in the eastern panhandle continues with Deb Hale sending me a photo of a Long-tailed Skipper from her backyard in Harper’s Ferry. Closer to home, during the past couple of weeks I’ve seen a few Fiery Skippers and a Cloudless Sulphur.

Coming up at the end of the month a group of us are traveling down to Florida for a long weekend. It will be a “death by skipper” trip. Hope the weather cooperates. Then in November we have what is now an annual  trip planned to the lower Rio Grande Valley. Can’t wait.

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