2017 October Derby

[fsm...@aol.com]

Hi Everyone,

 

I am pleased to announce that, although I remain in absentia in Southern California, we shall run the "October Derby" again this year [rules below]. It's always hard to predict how well we'll do. Last year was a rather good year [39 species]. 2012 remains record year, which will be difficult to match. But we came close last year, so who knows? Here's the history: 

   

     MBC  [Collectively]                       Me  [Personally] 
2006              34 species                       22 species 
2007              37 species                       24 species 
2008              32 species                       20 species

2009              26 species                       12 species

2010              33 species                       14 species

2011              33 species                       17 species

2012              42 species*                      23 species

2013              35 species**                     21 species

2014  28-30 species             n/a

2015       33 species***             n/a

2016              39 species                                   n/a

*Plus two additional larvae [pipevine swallowtail + giant swallowtail] = 44!

**Plus three additional larvae [giant swallowtail + harvester + red-spotted purple] = 38

***Plus one additional larva [spicebush swallowtail] = 34

 

With luck [no early killer frost], the club should look to book at least 30 species. Given all the migrants reported so far in September of 2017, a record year is not out of the question. In general, personal targets of 15 or 20 are reasonable, but require diligence. It's surprising how hard those last few species become.

To review the ground rules, on October 1, we wipe our species slate clean and see how many species we can turn up in Massachusetts during  the month of October.  All you need do is post your sightings here on the MBC Listserve, which most of you do anyway. I'll keep score and provide periodic updates, along with a final count at the end of the month.

This should be treated as a group project, purely for the fun of it. I'll be posting the aggregate MBC list only, not individual ones. [I don't even keep track of individual counts.] Because of budgetary limitations [namely no budget] there are no prizes, aside from our collective satisfaction.

Remember, the derby begins at the stroke of midnight as Saturday, September 30 becomes Sunday, October 1. Starting out on a weekend day will be an advantage for 2017 since most sightings occur early in the month. 

No need to send me separate communications [unless you don't post to MassLep] - I'll be monitoring the MassLep postings and issuing frequent updates.  

Finally, FYI, I append the list of last year's October species, of which there were 39.

Happy butterflying. Our fall meeting is on October 22, by which time we'll be pretty much done with the derby. [Of course, a good anglewing could turn up on any warm day in late October...] 

Cheers,

Frank

October 2016 Sightings List

Massachusetts Butterfly Club

Composite Listing [39 species]

 

American Copper

American Lady

Black Swallowtail

Bronze Copper

Cabbage White

Clouded Sulphur

Cloudless Sulphur

Common Buckeye

Common Checkered Skipper

Common Ringlet

Eastern Comma

Eastern Tailed Blue

European Peacock*

Fiery Skipper

Gray Hairstreak

Great Spangled Fritillary

Horace's Duskywing

Least Skipper

Long-Tailed Skipper

Milbert's Tortoiseshell

Monarch

Mourning Cloak

"Northern" Crescent**

Ocola Skipper

Orange Sulphur

Painted Lady

Pearl Crescent

Peck's Skipper

Pipevine Swallowtail

Red Admiral

Sachem

Silver-Bordered Fritillary

Silver-Spotted Skipper

Spicebush Swallowtail

Tiger Swallowtail

Variegated Fritillary

Viceroy

White M Hairstreak

Wild Indigo Duskywing

* Per Harry Pavulaan via Sharon Stichter, there is a colony of European Peacock that has gotten established near Montreal, PQ, so this could be a migrant. Therefore, I'm counting it.

**Taxonomy be damned! Maybe not a true Northern Crescent. Maybe not a true Mimic Crescent. Not likely a Summer Crescent. But also unlikely to be a Pearl Crescent. Until the clouds lift, in my official role as Unofficial Derby Taxonomist, I'm counting it.

[fsm...@aol.com]

In my announcement of the 2017 October Derby, I mistakenly stated an incoorect date for this year's Fall Meeting. It is October 14, as corrected below.

Cheers,

Frank

Happy butterflying. Our fall meeting is on October 14.

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[fsm...@aol.com]

H i Folks,

This was just posted to the Massachusetts Butterflies page on Facebook by Kathleen Walker.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10212475079330973&set=pcb.1113541495448674&type=3&theater

To my eye, it qualifies as one of those "Northern" Crescents that have been showing up in Massachusetts over the past several years. I'll spare you my usual rant about the Phyciodes complex.

Feel free to dissent.

Cheers,

Frank