Butterflies in Oromocto, NB, including Eastern Tailed-blues

[Dwayne Sabine]

Scott Makepeace and I visited an open, disturbed area along the highway in Oromocto, NB yesterday (August 28),  These types of sites tend not to have many species other than a few common ones like Clouded Sulphurs and Common Ringlets, but when there is a variety of legume species present, they do have potential for Eastern Tailed-blues, which was our target.

 

The most common species we encountered - somewhat of a surprise due to the numbers present at this late date - was the Northern Crescent, of which we saw at least a couple of hundred, ranging from very fresh to somewhat worn.  Next most abundant were Clouded Sulphur and Common Ringlet, each numbering at least a hundred individuals.  We also saw about 15 Orange Sulphurs, a dozen American Coppers, and a lone Viceroy.

 

Finally, just after an hour into our 1.25 hour visit (total 2.5 person-hours), and after a great deal of wandering back and forth hoping to flush one, we found 3 Eastern Tailed-blues - all males - one seen flying, the other two flushed.  Jointly, this is our 7th NB site for Eastern Tailed-blues this year, with Scott accounting for most of them.  Our experience so far is fairly consistent in that they are quite often present in suitable sites, but scarce, and 'sitting tight', requiring a lot of walking to flush them.

 

Dwayne

[Phil Schappert]

I thought folks might be interested in this. Yesterday, in an attempt
to make lemonade from weather lemons, I visited my "backyard" outdoor
photo studio, Roach's Pond, for a "quick visit". My quick visit
quickly became a 3 hr marathon with lots of bugs, odes and even a few
butterflies to see and photograph. Once again I found Harvesters and
was able to photo 2 of the 3 individuals seen.

The first one was a female flitting in and out of a couple of Alders
with a dozen or so robust colonies of Aphids (and attendant ants).
Shortly after first seeing her, the sun emerged from behind the
clouds and she sat and basked for half a minute or so, then she was
off again, eventually coming to rest on the branch alongside one of
the lower, smaller aphid masses.

She sat for a few minutes without being found by any ants, then
slowly made her way towards the mass, reversed herself and attempted
(I could not find an egg when I looked later) oviposition on the
branch immediately adjacent to the mass, then turned around again to
face the mass, and began feeding on the aphids!

Has anyone heard of or seen this behaviour before? Harvesters have a
VERY short proboscis and I have photos from last year of one feeding
on a poplar leaf that I surmised likely had aphid honeydew, so I
guess I shouldn't have been surprised. Still, I learn something every
day...

Phil

--

Phil Schappert, PhD

27 Clovis Ave.
Halifax, NS, B3P 1J3
902-460-8343 (cell)

philschappert.com
imaginaturestudio.ca
philschappert.ca

"Just let imagination lead, reality will follow through..."
(Michael Hedges)

[John Klymko]

Great photo Phil! I'd never heard of that behaviour, but I found a very
similar image at
http://www.naba.org/chapters/nabambc/construct-species-page-inframe.asp?sp=F
eniseca-tarquinius. I also took a look at the link for the Harvester
photo-journal on that page - http://mrines.com/Butterflies/Harvesters/. It
is a fun read.

I didn't know harvesters had such a short proboscis. Maybe a short one is
all that is necessary for feeding on honeydew, whether it be right from the
source or from leaves below aphid colonies.

Cheers,
John

--
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "Maritimes
Butterfly Atlas" group.
To post to this group, send email to
maritimes-bu...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
maritimes-butterfl...@googlegroups.com
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/maritimes-butterfly-atlas?hl=en?hl=en

---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"Maritimes Butterfly Atlas Google Group" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
email to maritimes-butterfl...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.

[Phil Schappert]

At 10:29 AM -0300 9/3/13, John Klymko wrote:
>I didn't know harvesters had such a short proboscis. Maybe a short one is
>all that is necessary for feeding on honeydew, whether it be right from the
>source or from leaves below aphid colonies.

That would be my guess, too, John. The attached photo, from my
encounter with a harvester feeding on the nectar off of the surface
of a poplar leaf, shows the proboscis "slipped" off of the edge of
the leaf so you can see pretty much its entire length. Their
proboscis seems to be just long enough to reach the surface under its
own thorax. I've never seen a photo of one nectaring at a flower and
I'd guess this is why.

Intriguingly, right across from one of the aphid-infested alder
groups where I found one of the two harvesters I was able to get
photos of on Saturday, I found a fresh question mark, along with a
few small beetles, at a sap seep on another alder. The one harvester
that I didn't get to photograph was seen flitting in and out of the
branches of this alder, frequently coming close to the other sap
feeders. I had my fingers crossed that it would join the party but I
guess my luck had run out by then...knowing how short the proboscis
is, I wouldn't be at all surprised to find one sipping sap.

[Jim Edsall]

I have seen and photographed one feeding on scat, several drinking from bare
earth and i swaw one on a daisy once but am not sure if it was feeding.

Jim Edsall
Dartmouth, N.S.
check out my website at
http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/jim.edsall/

[Dwayne Sabine]

Scott and I returned to this site in Oromocto again today.  Activity is definitely slowing down, but there are still reasonable numbers of butterflies about.  Clouded Sulphurs were most abundant today, at 100-150 individuals.  We saw only 3 Orange Sulphurs.  Northern Cresents had dropped considerably, with only 5 seen.  Ringlets were also scarce - we saw 4.  We also found a single male Eastern Tailed-blue, which was quite fresh. 

[Christopher Adam]

Dwayne, where exactly is this site? Can you give me directions?

Chris Adam

--
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "Maritimes Butterfly Atlas" group.
To post to this group, send email to
maritimes-bu...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
maritimes-butterfl...@googlegroups.com
For more options, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/maritimes-butterfly-atlas?hl=en?hl=en
 
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Maritimes Butterfly Atlas Google Group" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to maritimes-butterfl...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.

Christopher Adam
65 Nottingham St.
Fredericton, NB

http://forestprotectiontbmavengers.wordpress.com/

[Dwayne Sabine]

Hi Chris,
It is the extensive open area on a decommissioned road (the old route 7 or broad road?). Take the exit at the fast food, sobeys, Tim hortons, etc. Straight through the traffic circle to next intersection, which I think is also a traffic circle. Turn right and about a km away you can't miss it.

If you are looking for ET Blues, walk to every dark green patch of legumes you see and be prepared to do lots of walking to flush one. This species is widespread (just about every old field or disturbed area that is well searched in our experience) but very scarce. Occasionally we have found them in a few minutes, but more often we have had to wander for an hour or so.

On Thursday, September 19, 2013,

[Christopher Adam]

Thanks, Dwayne, I see it on Google Maps now. Maybe next week!

Chris A

[Dwayne Sabine]

Scott and I visited this site again today, as we were interested to see the progression in butterfly numbers through autumn.  There was very little change from last week.  The first butterfly encountered as we stepped away from the vehicle was a male Eastern-tailed Blue.  A nice change from the typical hour or so of intense searching to find them.  That was the only blue seen, and it appears that we have pushed the late date forward by 3 weeks.

 

Otherwise, we counted 120 Clouded Sulphurs, 3 Orange Sulphurs, 2 Northern Cresents, 3 Common Ringlets, and 1 American Copper.  Today was one day shy of the record late date for Ringlets, and 6 days shy of the late date for Crescents, according to John's flight data table.  Given the weather pattern predicted for the next couple of weeks, this could be a good year for late records, so it is still worth getting out there.

[Derek Bridgehouse]

Hi Dwayne and all - dont know if these are late dates for NS or not :
From Sat Sept 28 th nr Debert,  Colchester Co. vouchered
Viceroy ( saw 3)
White admiral
Common Ringlet
Saw 1 mourning cloak
Unfortunately no E- tailed blue

Today Sunday Sept 29, 2013 at Mill Lake Rd in West Chezzetcook,  Halifax Co. vouchered 1 American Lady. This waz first I have seen all summer/fall

Derek Bridgehouse
"Boghaunter"

On 2013-09-27 4:00 PM, "Dwayne Sabine" <dwayne...@gmail.com> wrote:

Scott and I visited this site again today, as we were interested to see the progression in butterfly numbers through autumn.  There was very little change from last week.  The first butterfly encountered as we stepped away from the vehicle was a male Eastern-tailed Blue.  A nice change from the typical hour or so of intense searching to find them.  That was the only blue seen, and it appears that we have pushed the late date forward by 3 weeks.

 

Otherwise, we counted 120 Clouded Sulphurs, 3 Orange Sulphurs, 2 Northern Cresents, 3 Common Ringlets, and 1 American Copper.  Today was one day shy of the record late date for Ringlets, and 6 days shy of the late date for Crescents, according to John's flight data table.  Given the weather pattern predicted for the next couple of weeks, this could be a good year for late records, so it is still worth getting out there.

 

On Thursday, September 19, 2013 3:58:17 PM UTC-3, Dwayne Sabine wrote:
>

> Scott and I returned ...

--
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "Maritimes Butterfly Atlas" gr...

[Christopher Adam]

Dwayne,

I managed to get to the Broad Road - Oromocto site on two occasions, 30 Sep and today, 3 Oct. Here are the results:

MONDAY, 30 SEP, 2013

Clouded Sulphur - 50, but probably any more

American Lady - 1, well photographed!

Common Ringlet - 3

Northern Crescent - 1

I took 174 images, mostly of the sulphurs, trying to get dorsal images. I observed many yellow males together with alba females, and photographed one mating pair. There were lots of courtship flights. Also got images of the lady (posted to Birding NB), the ringlet and the crescent.

See here: http://birdingnewbrunswick.ca/group/bnbbutterflygroup/forum/topics/butterflies-at-broad-road-waste-area-oromocto

THURSDAY 3 OCT, 2013

Clouded Sulphur - 50, at least

Orange Sulphur - 1, seen twice but not photographed (amazingly, the first one I have ever seen)

American Copper - 1, not photographed (despite trying!)

Common Ringlet - 2 (1 image)

Eastern Tailed Blue - 1, photographed, but poorly; another first for me!)

All data and images submitted to the Atlas.

Chris Adam

[Dwayne Sabine]

Good stuff Chris. According to John's flight data table on the atlas website, you now have the latest records of Common Ringlet and ET Blue in the Maritimes.

[John Klymko]

Those are great records Chris! Always exciting to set new late dates and to find lifers. I'll put a note on the blog about this, the weather is looking good for the weekend so we should be able to get some more late dates.

[Phil Schappert]

Speaking of late dates...I photo'd a northern crescent on Wednesday
(Oct. 2) and today (Oct. 4) found and got great photos of a seemingly
quite fresh Peck's Skipper. Both of these were incidental sightings
at my favorite outdoor photo studio, Roaches Pond here in Spryfield
(Halifax), while I was out photographing the profusion of Syrphid
flies that are abuzz around the asters this time of year. Still lots
to see out there with late season Odes and some of the multibrooded
insects that are at their population peaks in the fall, though I do
miss the profusion of butterflies that we were blessed with last year
at this time!