Below is Diane Curlee’s trip report for the SI Group in Orangeburg.
Butterfly Count
Sat., September 17, 2016
SI Group “The Hundred Acre Woods”
Weather: temperature 71 ͦF; overcast; light breeze
Beginning Time: 10:00AM
Ending Time: 1:00PM
Seven people:
Jerry Bright
Pat Bright
Jean Protho
Alice Clark
Sharon Jones
Arthur Sweatman
Diane Curlee
Butterfly List:
Swallowtails
– Tiger Swallowtail – 3
Satyrs
– Southern Pearly Eye – 1
– Carolina Satyr – 2
Heliconians & Fritillaries
– Variegated Fritillary – 2
– Gulf Fritillary – 1
Leafwings
– Goatweed Leafwing – 1; 1 caterpillar
True Brushfoots
– Common Buckeye – 4
Grass Skippers
– Clouded skipper – 1
– Little Glassywing – 1
– Southern Skipperling – too many to count (they were everywhere)
– Fiery skipper – 3
Spreadwing Skippers
– White Checkered-Skipper – 6
– Cloudywing species – 1
Sulphurs
– Cloudless Sulphur – 1
– Sleepy Orange – 3
Hairstreaks
– Red-banded Hairstreak – 1
– Gray Hairstreak – 2
33 individuals + Southern Skipperlings – everywhere!
Arthur is to be given credit for the Southern Pearly Eye. He saw it fly up on our drive into The Hundred Acre Woods. It landed on a tree. It looked like a very thin shelf fungi clinging to the tree! It stayed still allowing us to almost touch it. Many great photos were taken of it.
Many of these butterflies were very fresh. One of the Buckeyes kept its wings folded. We at first thought it was a Tropical. But after comparing with pictures of the underwings, it was determined that it was a Common Buckeye.
Alice and Sharon were very enthusiastic on their first count. They commented over and over how glad they were to have come out and joined in on the hunt. They asked many good questions. They helped us remember our past excitement and interest. It also made us realize how far we have come in our knowledge of the flutterbys.
