Patuxent Research Refuge April 22-23, 2024

[odona...@comcast.net]

Last Tuesday (23^rd) and Wednesday (24^th) I spent a couple of hours each day on the Central Tract of Patuxent Research Refuge.  The weather on both days only reached around 70 degrees under partly overcast skies.  The wind was also a factor that limited activity. On Tuesday I focused on small open areas in the forest adjacent to the Patuxent River at Duvall Bridge looking for maturing river dragonflies and damselflies.  These forest bare spots are also close to extensive swamp and marsh habitats and most of the odonate activity was thus not from the river.  On Wednesday I focused from Hobbs Pond to Patuxent Marsh along a braided section of the Patuxent River that was further downstream than Duvall Bridge.

Odonate activity has been slow so far this spring at the Refuge due to the cooler and wetter conditions.  Still, most of the expected spring river species were found, but in reduced numbers.  As mentioned before the adjacent ponds and swamps were the source of most of the odonate activity in the open areas near the river. 

Odonates Seen:

Skimming Bluet – 1 male mature

Fragile Forktails – 18

Eastern Forktails – 2

Ashy Clubtails – 15 – all teneral or young adults – See: Ashy Clubtail from the Patuxent River | Male Ashy Clubtail (… | Flickr 

Common Blue Darners – 2 – mature migrants – a poor showing this year

Springtime Darner – 1

Harlequin Darners – 7

Stream Cruisers – 4 – See: Stream Cruiser from the Patuxent River | Stream Cruiser (Did… | Flickr 

Common Baskettails – 90+ -- a few males already on territory – See: Common Baskettail near the Patuxent River | Common Baskettai… | Flickr 

Robust Baskettails –3 – a very poor showing this year

Selysi’ Sundragon – 1 – also a poor showing this year

Blue Corporals – 300+

Painted Skimmer – 1 – mature migrant – also far less than expected, at least so far

Common Whitetails – 2 – both young adults – See: Young Male Common Whitetail | Young male Common Whitetail Pa… | Flickr 

 

Butterflies seen:

Eastern Tiger Swallowtails – 5

Zebra Swallowtails – 5 – See: Early Spring Zebra Swallowtail | Zebra Swallowtail Patuxent … | Flickr 

Falcate Orangetips – 11 – their numbers are currently dropping – it has been a bumper year for them on the Refuge – See: Falcate Orangetip on Garlic Mustard | Male Falcate Orangetip… | Flickr 

Cabbage White – 1

Orange Sulphur? – 1 – I did not get a good look since the butterfly never landed but its color was very deep which made me think Sleepy Orange but they would not be in so early – right?

Eastern Tailed Blues – 11

American Lady – 1

Pearl Crescent – 1

Juvenal’s Duskywing – 1 – See: Duskywing on Dead Leaf | Male Juvenal's Duskywing Patuxent R… | Flickr 

 

Next week the weather looks promising and hope to be out a bit more with better results.  We will see.

Richard Orr

[Rick Borchelt]

I wouldn't discount Sleepy Orange in April.  While they used to be a summer migrant, they now successfully overwinter here (especially this warm winter) and can be on the wing from early April on.  It's a small spring flight that builds in successive generations.  

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Rick Borchelt
College Park, MD
preferred personal email:  rborchelt |AT| gmail |DOT| com

http://leplog.wordpress.com

[odona...@comcast.net]

Rick,

Thanks for the input – I gut said Sleep Orange but again my view of it was too limited to be sure of the identification.  I will keep an eye out for more. 

Richard

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From: mdlep...@googlegroups.com <mdlep...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Rick Borchelt <rbor...@gmail.com>
Sent: Friday, April 26, 2024 8:51 AM
To: mdlep...@googlegroups.com <mdlep...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [MDLepsOdes] Patuxent Research Refuge April 22-23, 2024

 

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[Harry Pavulaan]

Sleepy Oranges have occasionally been recorded in March in our region.  I overwintered one adult in the coldest part of our garage one winter, let it fly off on a warm day in March after a feeding.  They seem capable of overwintering here as adults during mild winters.  Kind of an amazing feat for such a small, frail insect.

Harry

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[Kathy Litzinger]

We have seen quite a few sleepy oranges flying this Spring in Howard County.  Someone saw one on 3/14 at Middle Patuxent.

Kathy

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[Rick Borchelt]

FWIW, there were a number on the wing today in Chapel Hill NC

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