Amherst clearwing duo, Tawny-edged etc.

[Josh]

Howdy leppers,

A dark swallowtail was flapping around our side meadow earlier today, nectaring on Scarlet Bee-Balm. Wouldn’t allow a clear look, so I’m on the fence between Spicebush and Black. We have dill and fennel in my wife’s herb garden, a couple of Spicebush planted to the other side of the yard, and plenty of Sassafras nearby, but my attempts to spot caterpillars of either species have been fruitless so far this year.

Other leps today in our neighborhood (east Amherst near Amethyst Book Conservation Area):

Monarch 1 just passing through
GS Fritillary 1 nectaring on Purple Coneflower, Echinacea purpurea (I just looked out of my window and it’s still there, hours later)
Pearl Crescent 1 nectaring on Butterfly Weed, Asclepias tuberosa, in a neighbors’ yard
Cabbage White 3+ mostly on my wife’s lavender
Common Sootywing 1 also on the lavender
Tawny-edged Skipper 1 also on the lavender https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/300949894

Hummingbird Clearwing 1 on Scarlet Bee-Balm, Monarda didyma, before noon
Snowberry Clearwing 1 on the exact same patch of Scarlet Bee-Balm this afternoon, a few hours later

Cheers,

Josh



Joshua S. Rose, Ph.D.
Amherst, MA
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/opihiman
https://www.facebook.com/opihi

Writer/compiler, Bird Observer
https://www.birdobserver.org/

Columnist, “Earth Matters”
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https://www.hitchcockcenter.org/category/earth-matters/

Vice-president, Hampshire Bird Club
https://hampshirebirdclub.org/

Northeast Chapter head, Dragonfly Society of the Americas
https://www.dragonflysocietyamericas.org/northeastdsa