Saturday 13 July 2013

2013 Long Point Butterfly Count

On a mostly sunny and warm July 6th the Norfolk Field Naturalists held the 22nd Long Point Butterfly Count.

Most groups commented on the relatively low numbers of butterflies but we did manage to come up with a respectable 2186 individuals of 49 species (average of 2572 and 49 respectively since 1992). The species total doesn't include the single larvae of Giant Swallowtail or the White Admiral form that is considered the same species as Red-spotted Purple. The North American Butterfly Association simply uses the common name Red-Spotted Admiral to refer to both subspecies.

Highlights and Lowlights:

New for the count: 3 American Snout, bringing us to 77 species all time
1004 Edward's Hairstreaks is a new count high (previous was 73)
2 Gray Comma passes previous record of 1
12 Crossline Skippers ties the previous high
2 Striped Hairstreaks are the first since 2007
4 Monarch beats previous record low of 5 set in 2002 (average of 51 since 1992)
1 Question Mark ties record low
4 Monarch beats previous record low of 5 set in 2002 (average of 51 since 1992)
1 Question Mark ties record low

The full list is below. 

July 6th, 2013 Long Point Butterfly Count
English Name Number
Black Swallowtail 1
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail 44
Canadian Tiger Swallowtail
Spicebush Swallowtail 13
Pipevine Swallowtail
Checkered White
Mustard White
Cabbage White 261
Clouded Sulphur 35
Orange Sulphur 8
Harvester
American Copper 11
Bronze Copper 3
Coral Hairstreak 11
Acadian Hairstreak
Edward's Hairstreak 1004
Banded Hairstreak 2
Hickory Hairstreak 1
Striped Hairstreak 2
Gray Hairstreak
Eastern Tailed-Blue 7
Summer Azure 37
American Snout 3
Variegated Fritillary
Great Spangled Fritillary 18
Silver-bordered Fritillary
Meadow Fritillary
Aphrodite Fritillary
Silvery Checkerspot 19
Pearl Crescent 8
Northern Crescent 333
Baltimore Checkerspot 40
Question Mark 1
Eastern Comma 6
Grey Comma 2
Compton Tortoiseshell
Mourning Cloak 14
Milbert's Tortoiseshell
American Lady
Painted Lady 1
Red Admiral 8
Buckeye
Red-spotted Purple 16
Viceroy 6
Tawny Emperor 17
Northern Pearly-Eye 6
Eyed Brown 24
Appalacian Brown 1
Little Wood-Satyr 30
Common Ringlet
Common Wood-Nymph 40
Monarch 4
Silver-spotted Skipper 78
Southern Cloudywing
Northern Cloudywing 2
Dreamy Duskywing
Sleepy Duskywing
Juvenal's Duskywing
Wild Indigo Duskywing
Common Sootywing
Least Skipper 3
European Skipper 18
Peck's Skipper 2
Tawny-edged Skipper 1
Crossline Skipper 12
Long Dash 3
Northern Broken-Dash 11
Little Glassywing
Sachem
Delaware Skipper 1
Hobomok Skipper 2
Broad-winged Skipper 1
Dion Skipper
Black Dash
Two-spotted Skipper
Dun Skipper 15
Common Checkered Skipper
Total Individuals 2186
Total Species 49

2 comments:

  1. Adam, thanks for sharing. Its interesting to read what is showing up in other counties. Its amazing to read that Edwards Hairsteaks are more abundant than Cabbage Whites! Things are a little more sparse this year it seems. In particular, where are all the Monarchs? Its front page news here in Windsor.

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  2. I think the theory is that not too many Monarchs wintered in Mexico this past winter, and then the late spring meant there wasn't much milkweed for the subsequent generations that wanted to move north. Hopefully they are able to recover.

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