October 2018 Sightings

Dave & Pat Amadio

Backyard butterfly garden, West Deptford
Gloucester County, NJ

Season high monarch total here. Earlier in the day, Pat photographed with her phone a Hackberry Emperor on the fruit dish. According to the early/late records this is our second latest sighting for this sp.

[Congrats to Pat on find and also on the phone documentation. Yes, this is our second latest record, and it's been quite a while since the only later one – from the AWS field trip to Palmyra Cove in BUR on 10-9-2010. Pat's find gives us only our second October record for this species. jc]

  • Black Swallowtail 1
  • Eastern Comma 1
  • Hackberry Emperor 1
  • Monarch 7

Jennifer Bulava

Long Bridge Park, Hainesport
Burlington County, NJ

2:00-3:00pm
All observations at meadow restoration area except for 1 e.t. blue and 1 monarch.

  • Cabbage White 2
  • Eastern Tailed-Blue 3
  • Variegated Fritillary 1
  • Pearl Crescent 2
  • Monarch 3
  • Sachem 2

Steven Glynn

Dix WMA Sleepy Orange Colony
Cumberland County, NJ

Did survey of the colony from the roadside and from adjacent areas within Dix.

Will continue to monitor as the month cools and the colony heads into hibernation.

Good activity, but very surprised to find that Sachems have had an apparent die off.

  • Cabbage White 9
  • Cloudless Sulphur 11
  • Sleepy Orange 27
  • White M Hairstreak 1
  • Gray Hairstreak 7
  • Eastern Tailed-Blue 8
  • Pearl Crescent Common
  • Question Mark 1
  • American Lady 4
  • Common Buckeye Abudant
  • Monarch 19
  • Ocola Skipper 2
  • Sachem 1

Beth Polvino

my yard NABA #1151 & Monarch Waystation #8318
Cape May County, NJ

A Long-tailed skipper continued along with Brazilian Skippers, all cats and chrysalis continue. Monarch and Common Buckeyes increasing daily with peak in afternoon. A wonderful, warm and sunny day with visitors from England (on a birding tour) visiting the gardens.

  • Black Swallowtail 7
  • Spicebush Swallowtail 1
  • Cabbage White 3
  • Cloudless Sulphur 1
  • Gray Hairstreak 2
  • Question Mark 2
  • American Lady 1
  • Common Buckeye 38
  • Monarch 43
  • Long-tailed Skipper 1
  • Brazilian Skipper 2
  • Ocola Skipper 5
  • Fiery Skipper 9
  • Sachem 18

Long-tailed Skipper

Chris Herz

Audubon garden
Camden County, NJ

Late afternoon. Still have all stages of Monarch cats–about 10. Three Black ST cats–2 late stage and a newly hatched one on rue. No change in Giant ST chrysalises–will they overwinter at this point?

[Gochfeld & Burger and Cech & Tudor both list the overwintering stage as pupa, so that is promising. Your GST is well out of its normal range, but it would seem there's a reasonable to good chance that your rarity will make it through to spring. Let's hope so, at least! What a development that would be! Good luck, Chris! We are rooting for you – and your cool bug. Thanks for the update. jc]

  • Black Swallowtail 0
  • Giant Swallowtail 0
  • Cabbage White 1
  • Eastern Tailed-Blue 1
  • Monarch 2

David L. Amadio

At work in Cherry Hill
Camden County, NJ

  • Cabbage White 1
  • Pearl Crescent 2
  • Monarch 1

Jack Miller and Beth Polvino

north Railroad Rio Grande
Cape May County, NJ

Mid-day; mid 70's with partial sun. The Little Yellows, the first reported from CMY this year, were not interested in posing for photos. Combining the 4 southerners from Beth's garden (long-tailed sk, fiery, ocala and Brazilian) with the little yellows and cloudless sulphurs, we totaled 6 southern species.

[These are our first little yellows since 9/15 when Sandra Keller found five in GLO. jc]

  • Orange Sulphur 1
  • Cloudless Sulphur 2
  • Little Yellow 4
  • White M Hairstreak 1
  • Gray Hairstreak 4
  • Eastern Tailed-Blue 20
  • Pearl Crescent 40
  • Common Buckeye 35
  • Viceroy 4
  • Monarch 2
  • Sachem 1

Little Yellow

White M Hairstreak

Claire Campbell

Duchess Avenue Backyard, Marlton
Burlington County, NJ

  • Cabbage White 1
  • Pearl Crescent 1
  • Monarch 3
  • Sachem 1

Jennifer Bulava

Historic Smithville Park, Eastampton
Burlington County, NJ

during official bird survey of entire park

  • Cabbage White 3
  • Common Buckeye 1
  • Red-spotted Purple 1
  • Monarch 7

Beth Polvino

my yard NABA #1151 & Monarch Waystation #8318
Cape May County, NJ

Still have all 5 cats and chrysalis. The Spicebush Swallowtail chrysalis have never eclosed so wondering if they'll be overwintering. Only a short time in garden today but found a Long-tailed skipper for third day. 4 mockingbirds working the gardens together.

  • Black Swallowtail 5
  • Spicebush Swallowtail 1
  • Cabbage White 3
  • Cloudless Sulphur 1
  • Gray Hairstreak 2
  • Question Mark 1
  • American Lady 2
  • Common Buckeye 27
  • Monarch 23
  • Long-tailed Skipper 1
  • Brazilian Skipper 1
  • Ocola Skipper 2
  • Fiery Skipper 6
  • Sachem 13

Long-tailed Skipper

Monarch

Harvey Tomlinson

My Garden - Del Haven
Cape May County, NJ

Brazilian, Fiery, Long-tailed Skipper,and Ocola by 10am
Whew!

[What a list! -jm]

  • Black Swallowtail 1
  • Cabbage White 1
  • Sulphur sp. 1
  • Gray Hairstreak 2
  • Eastern Tailed-Blue 2
  • Pearl Crescent 1
  • American Lady 3
  • Painted Lady 5
  • Common Buckeye c
  • Monarch 27
  • Long-tailed Skipper 1
  • Silver-spotted Skipper 1
  • Horace's Duskywing 4
  • Wild Indigo Duskywing 1
  • Aaron's Skipper 1
  • Brazilian Skipper 1
  • Ocola Skipper 2
  • Fiery Skipper 11
  • Sachem 15

Ocola Skipper

Long-tailed Skipper

Jennifer Bulava

Long Bridge Park, Hainesport
Burlington County, NJ

During public program, 10am-12.

  • Orange Sulphur 1
  • Eastern Tailed-Blue 3
  • Variegated Fritillary 2
  • Pearl Crescent 2
  • Monarch 7
  • Sachem 2

Claire Campbell

Duchess Avenue Backyard, Marlton
Burlington County, NJ

  • Monarch 5

Dave & Pat Amadio

Backyard butterfly garden, West Deptford
Gloucester County, NJ

Hackberry Emperor continued today. Pat captured this image as it landed on the car. She also captured 4 Eastern Commas sharing some rotting fruit .Monarchs continue to increase.

[Pat and Dave's report of a Hackberry Emperor is only our second October report for this species in the log's history. Will it stick around in this warm weather to tie or break our log's record of 10-9-2010? - jm]

  • Black Swallowtail 1
  • Cabbage White 1
  • Eastern Comma 4
  • Hackberry Emperor 1
  • Monarch 9

Hackberry Emperor

Eastern Commas

Matt Webster

My parents house, Winslow
Camden County, NJ

  • American Lady 1
  • Painted Lady 1
  • Monarch 8

Brian Johnson

Paterson property
Salem County, NJ

Walked the garden before and after mowing the trail. There was probably more Soybean looper moths than Butterflies using the garden today.

  • Cabbage White 8
  • Variegated Fritillary 1
  • Pearl Crescent 11
  • American Lady 2
  • Common Buckeye 3
  • Monarch 15
  • Silver-spotted Skipper 3
  • Common Checkered-Skipper 2
  • Ocola Skipper 1
  • Sachem 9

Jesse and Jack Connor

Our yard, Port Republic
Atlantic County, NJ

Five (and very possibly six) pipevine s'tails in our yard only time we have had more than two at once. All individuals very fresh. We could not find a certain female in the group – as they chased each other around the garden and up into the trees constantly, making photo'ing tough. Verbena drew three at once a few times. See bad photo below.

Our own pipevine plant shows no sign of cats this year, but two neighbors' gardens two blocks away hold multiple plants.

3:00-4:30 (swallowtails from ~3:15 to ~4:15). Party sunny, humid, about 80 degrees.

[Until now, we have only had reports of Pipevine from Mannington Marsh and Beth Polvino's property. Our last report in 2017 for Pipevine was from the Connor's property on October 7. - jm]

  • Pipevine Swallowtail 5
  • Cabbage White 15
  • Orange Sulphur 1
  • Cloudless Sulphur 1
  • American Copper 1
  • Gray Hairstreak 1
  • Eastern Tailed-Blue 1
  • Pearl Crescent 2
  • Common Buckeye 2
  • Monarch 1
  • Ocola Skipper 3
  • Sachem 20

Pipevine Swallowtail

Jack Miller

my yard Petersburg
Cape May County, NJ

A brief stroll around the property mid afternoon to end my day.

  • Cabbage White 7
  • Orange Sulphur 1
  • American Copper 1
  • Gray Hairstreak 1
  • Eastern Tailed-Blue 1
  • Pearl Crescent 4
  • American Lady 1
  • Common Buckeye 4
  • Monarch 3
  • Ocola Skipper 1
  • Fiery Skipper 1
  • Sachem 14

Beth Polvino

my yard NABA #1151 & Monarch Waystation #8318
Cape May County, NJ

Species #41 for year Common-checkered Skipper found by Mike Crewe when we went out to look for the front yard Brazilian skipper. 2 Brazilian Skippers eclosed today. #41 species ties my high record set last year. Hoping for a few more species. First Red Admiral since 8/24. 2 Long-tailed Skippers in the yard this AM at the same time and on the same Lantana - one had no tails and one had a single left tail. Warm, sunny with winds 8-10MPH.

  • Black Swallowtail 9
  • Spicebush Swallowtail 0
  • Cabbage White 5
  • Cloudless Sulphur 1
  • Red-banded Hairstreak 1
  • Gray Hairstreak 2
  • Pearl Crescent 1
  • Question Mark 1
  • American Lady 1
  • Red Admiral 1
  • Common Buckeye 37
  • Monarch 29
  • Long-tailed Skipper 2
  • Common Checkered-Skipper 1
  • Brazilian Skipper 3
  • Ocola Skipper 7
  • Fiery Skipper 11
  • Sachem c

common ch

Long-tailed Skipper

Long-tailed Skipper

Pat & Clay Sutton

Cape May Point (dunes and beachfront)
Cape May County, NJ

October 3rd was a day for the record books. A gentle northwest wind produced a river of migrating Monarchs and dragonflies (Black Saddlebags and Common Green Darners, with some Carolina Saddlebags – 1 in 10 of the Saddlebags). The flight was right down the Cape May Point dune line. Dune Crossovers were the best vantage point and put us in the epicenter of the flight. There thousands upon thousands upon thousands of Monarchs migrating south (and nectaring on Seaside Goldenrod), same for dragonflies. The flight was right overhead, but when scanning to enjoy the hawk migration, Monarchs were picked up high too! There were 100s and 100s and 100s of Common Buckeyes nectaring on Seaside Goldenrod in the dunes. Found a Brazilian Skipper chrysalis on a Canna in the Schuhl Garden.

[Pat, thanks for this fabulous report. It makes the heart pound! -jm]

  • Cloudless Sulphur 2
  • Common Buckeye s
  • Monarch s
  • Brazilian Skipper 0
  • Ocola Skipper 1
  • Sachem 2

Common Buckeye

Monarch

Monarchs dragonflies

Jennifer Bulava

Kinkora Trail, Mansfield Twp
Burlington County, NJ

A bioblitz for 4 hours along this trail on a perfect sunny day. Butterflies were on various asters, goldenrods, and bonesets.

  • Spicebush Swallowtail 1
  • Cabbage White 15
  • Orange Sulphur 10
  • Eastern Tailed-Blue 3
  • Pearl Crescent 10
  • Eastern Comma 1
  • American Lady 1
  • Painted Lady 1
  • Red Admiral 1
  • Common Buckeye 4
  • Monarch 4
  • Common Checkered-Skipper 5
  • Sachem 2

Sachem

Common Checkered-Skipper

Eastern Comma

painted lady

Jack Miller

Heislerville: Bay Ave
Cumberland County, NJ

12:10- 1:30. This location is spectacular in October. I only counted in one direction. Monarchs and Buckeyes were counted by 5's. Was happy not to think about counting on the return walk so that I could appreciate this place.

  • Black Swallowtail 1
  • Cabbage White 1
  • Orange Sulphur 2
  • White M Hairstreak 2
  • Gray Hairstreak 2
  • Eastern Tailed-Blue 3
  • American Snout 1
  • Pearl Crescent 1
  • American Lady 3
  • Common Buckeye 430
  • Monarch 135
  • Common Checkered-Skipper 2
  • Salt Marsh Skipper 2
  • Ocola Skipper 2
  • Fiery Skipper 2
  • Sachem 4

Monarchs

White M Hairstreak

Jack Miller

Conoco station: Mauricetown Crossway and rt 47
Cumberland County, NJ

11:35-11:55. Large patch of weeds behind gas station.

  • Cabbage White 1
  • Gray Hairstreak 12
  • Eastern Tailed-Blue 11
  • Pearl Crescent 8
  • Common Buckeye 7
  • Ocola Skipper 3
  • Fiery Skipper 2
  • Sachem 3

Jack Miller

E. Point rd
Cumberland County, NJ

1:15- 1:45. A small but wonderful weed patch.

  • Cabbage White 3
  • Orange Sulphur 1
  • Gray Hairstreak 12
  • Eastern Tailed-Blue 14
  • American Lady 1
  • Common Buckeye 5
  • Monarch 2
  • Common Checkered-Skipper 2
  • Salt Marsh Skipper 12
  • Aaron's Skipper 1
  • Ocola Skipper 12
  • Least Skipper 1
  • Fiery Skipper 1
  • Sachem 2

Salt Marsh Skipper

Aaron's Skipper

Dave & Pat Amadio

Backyard butterfly garden, West Deptford
Gloucester County, NJ

  • Cabbage White 1
  • Red Admiral 1
  • Monarch 4

Vince Elia

Cape May Point State Park
Cape May County, NJ

This year is one of the biggest incursions of Common Buckeyes I've ever seen at Cape May… the photo shows a handful of the 90 (!) Buckeyes that were on this clump of Groundsel.

I believe there are two handfuls in the photo. -jm]

  • Common Buckeye 90

Common Buckeye

Claire Campbell

Duchess Avenue Backyard, Marlton
Burlington County, NJ

  • Orange Sulphur 1
  • Monarch 4
  • Sachem 1

Jack Miller

Maurice River bridge
Cumberland County, NJ

10:30- 11:30. Sunny, breezy, mid 70's. I saw my most spectacular Checkered sk ever; its body hairs were as blue as those of a long-tailed sk. I have never seen anything like it. Sadly it "blew" away before I could get a photo.

  • Cabbage White 1
  • Gray Hairstreak 21
  • Eastern Tailed-Blue 140
  • Variegated Fritillary 1
  • Pearl Crescent 4
  • American Lady 1
  • Common Buckeye 40
  • Common Checkered-Skipper 3
  • Ocola Skipper 1
  • Least Skipper 1
  • Fiery Skipper 2
  • Sachem 5

Eastern Tailed-Blue

Common Checkered-Skipper

Jack Miller

my yard Petersburg
Cape May County, NJ

Wandered the yard around mid-day and then around 4:30 which is when the long-tailed sk was present. I had 20+ monarchs on each of my trips through the yard; Mexican sunflower was the favorite today. As the log has been showing, there are exceptional numbers of monarchs and ocolas.

  • Cabbage White 6
  • Orange Sulphur 1
  • American Copper 3
  • Gray Hairstreak 3
  • Eastern Tailed-Blue 2
  • Pearl Crescent 7
  • Painted Lady 1
  • Common Buckeye 12
  • Monarch 22
  • Long-tailed Skipper 1
  • Ocola Skipper 11
  • Least Skipper 2
  • Fiery Skipper 1
  • Tawny-edged Skipper 1
  • Sachem 14

Long-tailed Skipper

Ocola Skipper

Monarch

Dave & Pat Amadio

Backyard butterfly garden, West Deptford
Gloucester County, NJ

Pat saw the Hackberry emperor one more time. Looking more worn with each passing day. An explosion in Monarchs here. Found 17 after 5 p.m. tonight, mostly on Mexican Sunflowers. This is the highest single count here in a number of years.

  • Cabbage White 3
  • Question Mark 1
  • Eastern Comma 2
  • Red-spotted Purple 1
  • Hackberry Emperor 1
  • Monarch 17
  • Silver-spotted Skipper 1
  • Sachem 1

Hackberry Emperor

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