Hi Folks,

Conrad Vispo in Ghent, N.Y. forwarded me these images of a WHITE M
HAIRSTREAK which he found on April 21. Ghent is just a bit west of
Stockbridge, Mass.

We need to be on the lookout for White Ms at this time of year!  May (and
now late April) is their NORMAL first flight period in Massachusetts and
Connecticut. We may be missing them because of not looking in the tree
canopy. The larvae are oak-feeders -- but the adults of course do look for
nectar. Habitat is OAK woods, esp. edges.

They could be migrating in from further south --- but they may well have
overwintered here during this past rather warm winter.  We have already had
at least three reported so far this year: Mt Tom, ;4/7/2012 and 4/13/2012,
Tom Gagnon; 4/13/2012 Montague Plains WMA S. Moore, R. and S. Cloutier; and
4/21/2012 Middlesex Fells, M. Arey. There are probably more out there, and
with 2 or 3 broods, we'll probably see more in July and then in
Aug-Sept-Oct.

Sharon Stichter
Newbury, MA




----- Original Message -----
From: "Conrad" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "Sharon Stichter" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, April 22, 2012 7:48 AM
Subject: White-M Hairstreak


> Good-morning Sharon,
>
> Hope your spring is off to a nice start; lots flying already over here.
> Aside from those Red Admirals, Cabbage Whites, Spring Azures, Clouded
> Sulphurs, Question Marks, Eastern Commas, and Mourning Cloaks; have seen
> Black and Tiger Swallowtails, (Juvenals?) Duskywing, Pearl Crescent and,
> yesterday, happened upon this little guy/gal. It's our first record from
> the County; I hadn't seen these before and it initially had me stumped,
> but seems to be a good White-M, no?
>
> Perhaps something for folks in western MA to keep an eye out for? It was
> flying low near Spring Ephemerals in a floodplain at the base of a
> somewhat oaky hillside.
>
> Fingers crossed that we get a bit more rain...
>
> Conrad.
>
> --
> Farmscape Ecology Program
> Hawthorne Valley Farm
> 327 Route 21C
> Ghent, NY 12075
>
> www.hawthornevalleyfarm.org/fep
> (518) 672 7994
>
>
>

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