Odd Lep Events here ...

14 views

Skip to first unread message

donald adams

unread,

Oct 18, 2018, 1:29:09 PM10/18/18

to MassLep

… at ‘Adams Farm’, West Bridgewater, MA. First off sightings yesterday 17 Oct here …

White form Sulphur 1

Cabbage White 3 (Including one mating pair: YIKES!!)

State of Baltimore Checkerspot cats here …

I’ve kept a few ‘temporary’ hibernation webs here to continue for 2019 after a very good 2018 raising season, in spite of some downturns with egg mass cylinders and predation. I ended up the season with about 1000 wee cats now distributed in several other sites. Ones here now provide a ‘yardstick’ of sorts I can use to predict future events at these locations with at least some accuracy. Right now, for example, I’m struck by the fact that two of the largest clusters in these webs have NOT abandoned them and done their deep dive into the duff layer!! In fact one web (perhaps because of the rain deluges lately) shows clear signs of being strengthened by addition of silk attachments to nearby fresh new Plantago growth. I believe cats must be in ‘deep hibernation’ to acquire all of the attributes they’ll need to get through winter such as being able to survive periods of total submergence under water. Also this not a good sign for folks I’ve told could ‘mow habitat relatively safely’ late in the season with minimal damage to butterflies.