September 2022 Sightings

First Hackberry Emperor sightings at LL for me. Malfunctioning SD card did not allow for downloading photos.

Photos white M, Cloudless sulfur cat.

[Another good list from Higbee Beach. Many butterflies to see there this week. jc]

9:20-10:15 am.

[I believe this is our high count for buckeyes in 2022. After what seemed a slow start to the year, reports have been more frequent since mid-July or so. Good to see. jc]

A definite upward trend here for Pearl Crescents, Zabulons and Silver-spotted Skippers.

[White Ms seem hard to find in ATL. This is our first report from there since last September. jc]

Started seeing butterflies around 8am and left by 8:30, came back around 4:30 and added a few observations including the Sleepy Orange that was working its way along the tree line at the second field on the east side of Higbee. Crossline and White M were around 8am. A Red-spotted Purple survived the attack of a Great-crested Flycatcher with less forewing structure than it started with.

NW winds at 10 mph, 75-79 degrees.

[Nice list – including the first sleepy orange in CMY since last November (when Beth Polvino had one in her garden. jc]

10:20-10:50 am.

Obs. made from 3:20 to 4:20. Very dry conditions. Only one of the Commas was fresh. Spotted Lanternflies out of control here.

Spent the day watching birds and butterflies, and of course…watering.

7:30am was out on the dunes at Higbee and left by 8:20am. Northbound movement of White M’s were moving through the dunes - photo is one at first light in the dune grasses, gearing up to move out. I came back at 9am and I couldn’t find a single White M. They had all migrated, presumably off the island, even the two I had seen in the interior east fields. Lots of Gray Hairstreaks around the Point throughout the day. Fiery seem to be finally moving in down here for the fall.

NE at 15-17mph, 75 degrees. Full sun.

[A very interesting report of how quickly butterflies can come and go (perhaps most especially at the Point) – and cool photos as well. jc]

10 am to 2:15 pm. Sunny, light breeze, high of 81 degrees.

Obs. 12.45 - 12.10
Nice numbers of Least Skippers and Sachem.
A Clouded Sulphur was visiting the new Pollinator Habitat.

Sunny. 11:45-1:52. Surprisingly few butterflies.

Mating Peck's. The HE laid out spread-winged for over 10 minutes.

[With hackberry emperor, painted lady, and lots else flying, Burlington County looks like a happening spot for butterflies this first week of September. See below for Robert's 9/1 list and Tom Bailey's above from Palmyra Cove on 9/2. jc]

9:20-11:00 am

Lots of time outside today, but the pickings were still slim.

10:50 am to 3:10 pm. Partly sunny, 81 degrees when finished.

I returned to this location (previous visit Aug. 19) to check on the Harvesters and to see if I could find any caterpillars. I inspected 50 Woolly Aphid colonies on branches that were 7 feet or less from the ground and found 6 Harvester caterpillars. Another caterpillar was @15 high in an aphid colony (seen through bins). The adult Harvesters got very active towards the end of my visit when the sun emerged from the clouds. Several dogfights were observed and two females were laying eggs.

[Thank you, Tom, for the superb report. Burlington County seems the heart of Harvester Country in South Jersey. Good to see our only carnivorous species seems to be doing so well at this site. jc]

All sightings are from our woodland trails and wetlands that border the South Branch of the Rancocas Creek.

Observations: Several times this week around noon, by checking out the thistles. No ladies found in the field.

My second goal was to capture a Sulphur in flight and get a dorsal view of this BF. I can tell you, that’s quite a challenge (Two "keepers" from about 700 shots taken was the result.)

[And after meeting the challenge – lovely shots! jc]

Obs. made from 12-12:45, sunny & low 80's. Sleepy Orange at one point was nectaring on jewelweed.

Obs. made from 1-2:50, part sun and low 80's.
Ample amounts of roadside nectar but not the number of butterflies one would expect here.

Obs. made from 3-4:35. mostly cloudy and mid 80's. Roadside observations. Always a challenge along this fairly busy road. Butterflies repeatedly flushed by passing cars. Previously mowed stands of dogbane now blooming again. Likely would have found more here without the cloud cover during my visit. Found at least 4 Meadow Frits plus one captured by an unidentified predator. One of the others also fell victim to a predator while I was there. Farm fields extremely dry along Featherbed. Normally these fields would be loaded with sulphurs.

[Good to have this report of one of our most troubled species. Thank you, Dave. jc]

2:15 to 3:15 pm. Sunny, hot & humid. 86 degrees. Very dry at this site.

12:15 to 2 pm. Sunny, hot & humid.

Decided to take one last walk in Wharton for the season. Very dry, like most of South Jersey.

[Good to see at least one GA satyr flying still, despite this year's tough drought. jc]

Partly sunny at 82 degrees. The side of the road along Swedesboro Rd had been all mowed down and sprayed when it was originally all beautiful milkweed, dogbane, and thistle fields. Still some confused butterflies around hugging to the corners of vegetation that weren’t mowed.

8:30 to 11:40 am. Sunny, humid, 85 degrees.

Obs. made from 3:45 to 5:25 p.m. Abundant woolly aphids. Just days after the one-year anniversary of a powerful tornado here Harvester activity is at least as active if not more than it was previous. I am submitting a blurry image of two females ovipositing at the same location. By observing both size and behavior I believe I saw an even number of male & females today.

Obs: 2.00-3.10. Sunny, 90 degrees. I went out there again to check on the Harvester eggs. Still no caterpillars. Today I saw 5 pairs of Harvesters at 5 different spots around Beech trees with aphids.
I was wondering if Harvesters do have territorial behavior. Appalachian Brown was my FOY.

[Cech & Tudor note in their Butterflies Of The East Coast, "Adults often perch quite high (to 20 feet) flying out to engage rivals like hairstreaks do, though they are less rapid in flight." jc]