Hi Kevin, Very much enjoyed your 'autobiography' in
the recent VES newsletter. Thanks for sharing your life history and
your butterfly/dragonfly, etc pursuits.
My first of season monarch 'hatchling' (what do you call it???) has just
flown off on this lovely summer day. Unfortunately did not catch
whether it was m of f... but it's safely emerged from its 5th stage
instar when collected - 14 days from chrysalis.
ruth stewart
e dorset
At 09:23 AM 8/14/2010, you wrote:
As a matter of curiosity, I
wanted to make a request. I am wondering about the status of the
Checkered Skippers that were found towards the end of the survey period.
They were first found in 05, then refound in 07 more commonly and
widespread. Seen again in 08. I haven't heard any reports since and as
the sightings were end of August into Sept. it is soon time to look. I am
just curious as to whether they have continued to move north, whether
they are more common where they have been found previous, whether they
are even still around. Look in alfalfa or straw fields. There is a
creeping mallow I believe they use. Hay fields don't usually have this
plant as it is biennial and gets chocked out by the grass in a hay field.
It flies like a duskywing and appears grayish. It moves fast,
aggressively chases anything and is difficult to get close to. I saw them
in Tamarac NY a couple of years ago at a dairy farm. This isn't in VT
but, is very close. The big thing was, there were a couple of fields that
were crawling with them. This seems to be more than just a vagrant flying
in. It would be nice to watch and document.a current northward expansion
in progress.
Stewarts
E. Dorset, Vermont
USA
