Patuxent Research Refuge May 16, 2024

[odona...@comcast.net]

I spent 4 ½ hours yesterday exploring the far NW corner of the North Tract checking several creeks and wetlands for odonates.  It was slow going but it turned out to be a better butterfly day than dragonfly day.

Odonates Seen:

Familiar Bluet – 1

Lancet Clubtail - 1 – See: Lancet Clubtail on the Rocks | Lancet Clubtail Patuxent Rese… | Flickr 

Common Green Darners – 2 – both were young adults and not migrants

Swamp Darner – 1

Common Baskettails – 2

Blue Corporals – 2 – very old males

Spangled Skimmers – 3 – young adults

Painted Skimmers – 2 – both mature males – See: Perched Painted Skimmer | Patuxent Research Refuge, Anne Aru… | Flickr 

Common Whitetails – 12+

Carolina Saddlebags – 1

Butterflies Seen:

Eastern Tiger Swallowtails – 2

Spicebush Swallowtail – 1

Orange Sulpher --1

Eastern Tailed Blues – 10+

Pearl Crescents – 4

American Lady – 1

Red Admiral – 1

Red-spotted Purples – 3 – first for the year at the Refuge – See: Red-Spotted Purples are Back | Red-spotted Purples are now e… | Flickr 

Juvenal's/Horace's Duskywing – 1

Northern Cloudywing – 1 – See: Northern Cloudywing | Northern Cloudywing (thanks goes to Ri… | Flickr 

Dusted Skippers – 3 – first for the year – See:  Dusted Skipper at the Refuge | Dusted Skippers are now on th… | Flickr 

See also photos of Andrena ground nesting bees:  Ground Bee Aggregation | Ground nesting aggregation of bees … | Flickr  &  Bee Emerging from Burrow | Andrena bee sticking its head out… | Flickr 

Richard Orr