September 2017 Sightings

One observer, 11:20 AM to 12:45 PM, sunny, breezy, 63 to 66 deg. F.

I arrived around 9:30 am with the temperature just below 60º F and bright sun out. There was an intermittent slight breeze and I did not expect much in the way of activity by butterflies, but was pleasantly surprised and ended up staying until 2:30 pm. There seems to have been a recent irruption of Red-banded hairstreaks, as I observed 21, most of which were fresh! There were also a large number of Red-spotted purples and the largest Common wood-nymphs I have ever seen - about 1¼ times their normal size.

At 1:00 pm. I looked out a window and saw a large Blackish butterfly with prominent white bands on the fore and hind wings. Believing it to be a White Admiral, I asked my wife to take some photos with her IPad. These came out poorly, but Jim Springer was able to enlarge the image so that the white bands on the insect are visible.
I also found two Black Swallowtail caterpillars on our Fennel plants.

2:30pm-4:00pm, 70F, sunny

The butterflies were observed while gardening. In late afternoon I took a walk to look for caterpillars and found a Walnut Sphinx feeding on Butternut, 2 Brown-hooded Owlets in the flower garden and a Dagger Species ( Acronicta increta or ovata) on Northern Red Oak.

I also discovered that the 6 mature Monarch caterpillars feeding on the milkweed have wandered off to pupate. 1 completed the task on the face of the front porch and the other took a long walk across the driveway to hang from a Viburnum leaf/stem.

I assume that the Monarch I observed feeding was one of the five I released the day before.

11:30am-1:45pm, 70F, sunny

Overcast, cool and breezy. Not many butterflies seen at the mostly faded butterfly garden. I searched for caterpillars from the outside of the fence and managed to turn up 6 mature Monarch caterpillars feeding on several Butterfly Weed Plants. The garden has lots of Senna/Cassia. Unfortunately, I didn't find any Sulphur species feeding.

The final 2 Monarchs which I reared were released when the sun finally came out in the late afternoon. A total of 12 were released. 10 males and 2 females.

A late afternoon walk didn't turn up many butterflies. There were several male Zabulon chasing after a single female in the butterfly garden. All she wanted to do was feed.
We did find several moth caterpillars and sawflies in the garden and the wooded area behind it some of which I have yet to id. Several Milkweed Tussocks, a Walnut Caterpillar which was crawling in some moss. More than likely looking for a good place to pupate and an angry Angus' Datana flipping me off on the back of the Walnut leaf.

12:00-2:00pm, 75F, sunny

Beautiful day with temps in the mid-70s. In late afternoon we discovered a truly bizarro fritillary that could almost pass for a male Diana above and that has a few silvered spots resembling a Gulf Frit on the HW below. Question: can we count both species for our yard list? 😉

12:30-3:00. Sunny. 80-82 degrees.

2:30pm-3:15pm, 75F, sunny

10:45am to 11:15am
sunny and pleasant
Monarch Cats on the milkweed
Cloudless Sulphur at the entrance fields

We didn't stay long. Even in full sun at the heat of the day, the Mosquitoes were too much to endure.

This property includes a large wet meadow and 2 upland fields, one of which is dominated by Little Bluestem Grass. In Sept. 2016 we found 1 Leonard's Skipper on thistle in a drier area of the wet meadow. But none so far this year. Swarthy Skipper was a new species for this property and provides additional evidence (we found 20 at a different site in Warren County last week) of an increase in the population in Warren County.

12:15-12:40
abundant milkweed but very dry and not much flowering for the area. Small flock of Bobolinks

Sunny 80s slight breeze increasing cloudiness and wind. Mowers were there the whole time and showed us a box turtle. Met Chuck who rescued a catbird from the briars…
10:15-11:55 then again at 1:55-2:35pm

Sunny, 80 o 87 degrees, Breezy.

Feeding on Butterfly bush, Zinnia and Marigold… and hiding amongst the flowers was a beautifully camouflaged American Toad. I have not seen a reptile or amphibian in Woodbridge in 25-30 years!

During an early morning walk around the yard I found 2 more Monarchs feeding nearby 2 that already pupated in the White Snakeroot next to the Milkweed. Across from them in the patch of Hog Peanut, there was a late instar Silver-spotted Skipper. In the driveway I found a pair of Delicate Cycnia hiding on the back of Indian Hemp. On the next leaves over, several Delicate Cycnia caterpillars of various stages.

Later that morning I saw a few Cabbage Whites in the garden with 2 males chasing a female and later in the day the lucky winner mating with her.

Meanwhile in the rearing container, 2 Milkweed Tussock caterpillars pupated while a third was in the early stages of pupation.

10:40-11:30
upper 50's, breezy, and mostly cloudy