Lethe Creola (Nymphalidae: Satyrinae) Is Finally Conf1rmed in Florida
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News of The Lepidopterists' Society Volume 57, Number 3 Lethe creola (Nymphalidae: Satyrinae) is finally conf1rmed in Florida 2 3 John V. Calhoun\ Patrick R. Leary, Bill Berthet , and Andrew Warren 1Corresponding author: 977 Wicks Drive, Palm Harbor, FL 34684 [email protected] 2 12885 Julington Rd., Jacksonville, FL 32258 [email protected] 3McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, Univeristy of Florida, P. O. box 112710, Gainesville, Florida 32611-2710 [email protected] Within the last issue of the Southern Lepidopterists' News Shortly after it was first reported in 2015, we located addi (Calhoun et al. 2015), we announced the long-anticipated tional colonies of L. creola within bottomland forests at discovery of the Creole Pearly-eye, Lethe creola (Skinner) RSMSF (Calhoun et al. 2015) (Fig. 2). Adults were found in in Florida (FL). This species was erroneously attributed to close proximity to stands of its food plant, giant cane Arun FL for over a century, but all prior records were misiden dinariagigantea (Walter) Muhl., a native species ofbamboo tified Lethe portlandia (F.). On 22 April 2015, while con that is now generally considered to include what was former ducting a routine monthly review of FL records that had ly recognized as maiden cane, Arundinaria tecta (Walter) been submitted to the Butterfiies and Maths of North Muhl. The male photographed in 2012 was found at the third America (BAMONA) website (Lotts & Naberhaus 2015), the locality mentioned by Calhoun et al. (20 15). Like populations senior author (JVC) encountered a sobering image: a male in Texas and Alabama, creola is expected to produce two creola from Nassau County, FL, which had been photo or three potentially overlapping broods in northern FL, graphed two days earlier. JVC saon received an email from with adults fiying from mid-April to September or early Pat Leary (PRL), who had submitted the photograph. PRL October. Mter publishing our initial findings, we continued confirmed that he and his wife, Doris, had found the but to monitor the localities at RSMSF. The first fresh adults terfiy in RalphE. Simmons Memorial State Forest. The only of the second brood in 2015 were photographed by Leary individual observed was encountered within the sparse on 3 July. Berthet photographed additional fresh adults understory adjoining a heavily wooded bottomland swamp on 4 and 6 July. Interestingly, the butterfiies of the second forest. The butterfiy was extremely wary and several efforts brood were decidedly less wary than tho se of the first brood. were required before it could be approached closely enough to photograph. Onlytwo photos were possible, but theywere In comparing specimens at MGCL, Warren found that enough to finally confirm the existence of this species in creola from North Carolina and Virginia west to Arkansas FL. Since we first published this discovery, Berthet (BB) are smaller on average than those distributed from South located an older image of a male L. creola in his photo Carolina (SC) to Louisiana (LA). ln addition, adults from graphie archives, taken at RalphE. Simmons on 26 August SC to LA are slightly brighter in coloration. Those found in 2012 (Fig. 1). Initiallyidentified as L.portlandia, it actually FL are among the largest and most beautifully marked. represents the first confirmed record of L. creola in FL, proving that the species has been present iJJ. that area for For more information about our observations during the at least three years. spring of 2015, and a review of the history of the butterfiy originally described as Debis creola, please consult our Ralph E. Simmons Memorial State Forest (RSMSF), 3,638 article in the last issue of the Southern Lepidopterists' acres in size, supports twelve types ofnatural communities. News. An electronic copy of the article may also be down The four primary habitats are sandhill, wet fiatwoods, up loaded at https:/llepscience.files. wordpress.com/20 13/ land pine, and bottomland hardwood forest. Acquired by the 10/creola-in-fl.pdf, or requested from JVC at bretcall@ state of FLin 1992, the forest borders Georgia along the St. verizon.net. Marys River in the extreme northeastern corner of FL, about 36 air miles northwest of downtown Jacksonville. Literature Cited The butterfiy fauna ofRSMSF is relatively well documented (Glassberg et al. 2000, Berthet pers. obs. 2015). Among the Calhoun, J. V., P. R. Leary, B. Berthet, & A. D. Warren. 2015. 96 butterfiy species recorded to date are several of rare oc Discovered at last: Lethe creola (Nymphalidae: Sayrinae) is currence in FL, including Callophrys irus (Godart), Celas a resident of Florida. S. Lepid. News 37:81-87. trina ladon (Cramer), and Erynnis baptisiae (W. Forbes). Flynn, J. 2014. Georgia butterflies. Webpage: www.shrike.net/ butterflies/index.html. The closest known record of creola in Georgia is from 23 July Glassberg, J., M. C. Minno, and J. V. Calhoun. 2000. Butterflies 2010 at Paulks Pasture Wildlife Management Area, Glynn through binoculars: a field, finding, and gardening guide to County, Georgia, about 40 air miles to the northeast (Flynn butterflies in Florida. Oxford Univ. Pr., New York, New York. 2014, Lotts & Naberhaus 2015). This species surely occurs viii+242 pp., 44 pls. within suitable habitats across the intervening area. Lotts, K. & T. Naberhaus (coord.). 2015. Butterflies and Moths of North America. webpage: www.butterfliesandmoths.org. 114 Fall2015 Fall2015 Fig. 1. First confirmed record of L. creola in Florida: Fig. 2. Typical habitat of l.J. creola in NE Florida: open bottomland forest Nassau Co., 26.VIII.2012, RSMSF (BB). with giant cane in understory, 24.iv.2015, RSMSF (JVC). Volume 57, Number 3 115 .