Number 52 November, 2003

The Dallas County Lepidopterists’ Next DCLS Meeting Saturday, Nov. 8th. Society Est. 1995 The next meeting of the Dallas particularly exciting year for County Lepidopterists’ Society butterflies with many unusual Purpose: will be this coming Saturday, species making their way to north To provide a November 8th, at 10:00 a.m. We (some recorded for the first forum where will meet on the second floor time!). There will also be a brief people may gather across from the auditorium of the presentation and a color handout who share an Dallas Museum of Natural on the two subspecies of Zebra interest in History at Fair Park. Be sure to Longwing we have in the US and how to tell them apart. butterflies tell the person at the front desk and that you are there for the DCLS I’d also like to encourage anyone moths, meeting so you won’t have to pay who has photos or specimens that admission. whether that they’d like to have identified to bring them as well. interest takes the

form of The subject presentation of the Hope to see you on Saturday! collecting, meeting will be: "The Year in Review". This has been a gardening, photography, study or Monarch Migration Still Going Strong casual This week has seen yet another pace should quicken with the cool observation. “wave” of monarchs moving front expected to come through the through north Texas. These area this week. Admission is free. individuals, the vast majority of them being extremely fresh and There are still eggs, larvae and vibrant, are the offspring of the first pupae in the milkweed patches and migrants that moved into the area in these will mature in the coming late September. They’ve been weeks with the majority of the feeding and “tanking up” for the trip monarchs being gone by the end of ahead of them and leisurely heading November. in a south-southwest direction. That

1 DCLS News A banner year for unusual Take Attendance! species in north Texas A fun, and Every summer many species move Two-Barred Flasher (Astraptes productive activity up from southern Texas and fulgerator) in Duncanville this past for people to get to repopulate their respective July — a county record for this involved in is to ranges. One of the more exciting species which usually doesn’t get aspects of butterflying (whether you any further north than the Austin keep a record of are watching or collecting), is to area. what species come find a species that is not normally to your own yard. found in a particular location. During the State Fair of Texas last A small notebook year a Meridian Duskywing by the window or For the last couple of years the (Erynnis meridianus) was collected on the deck with a Tropical Checkered at the Texas Discovery Gardens at (Pyrgus oileus) has been creeping Fair Park. This species normally daily or weekly into our area with some regularity. ranges in Mexico, New Mexico, listing of what Ten years ago the Mallow-Scrub and the Texas Hill species you’ve seen Hairstreak (Strymon istapa) Country. can not only showed in Dallas for the first time provide you with a (on record) and has been a regular The Hammock Skipper record of what is visitor to north Texas every year () was a surprise since. attendee at last month’s DCLS flying in your area meeting in Denton County — far (and when) but also The Orange-barred Sulphur from its normal breeding range of will help you (Phoebis philea), while not as Mexico, the Rio Grande Valley, sharpen your common a visitor as the Large with occasional strays into the Hill identification skills. Country, Arizona and New Mexico. Orange Sulphur (Phoebis As you collect more agarithe), can be seen once or twice most years, as it was recently in One can’t help but wonder what is “data” you can use Fort Worth and Dallas. the reason for the increased number it to compare from of sightings in recent years. Is it year to year and An very uncommon sulphur that because there are more people learn when to surfaced in Fort Worth this past looking or is there something expect certain week was a Tailed Orange environmentally more complex species to be on the (Pyrisitia proterpia). Bill Edwards going on here? Whatever the saw this species at the Fort Worth reason, September, October and wing. It can be kept Botanic Gardens where it was later November (as long as the weather as informal or as photographed by Joann Karges. holds) are perfect opportunities to in-depth as you While this species has been taken find unusual strays in our area wish. A wealth of in north Texas in the past it is before the first frosts hit so get out knowledge can be definitely an uncommon site here. there and keep your eyes open, gained by just a few cameras flashing and nets swinging! scribbled sentences A photograph was also taken of a

2 DCLS News Some Unusual Summer Visitors to Dallas and Fort Worth in 2003.

Orange-barred Sulphur Two-barred Flasher (Phoebis philea) (Astraptes fulgerator) Below: Orange-barred Sulphur taking nectar at the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens.

Meridian Duskywing (Erynnis meridianus)

Tailed Orange Hammock Skipper (Pyrisitia proterpia) (Polygonus leo)

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