Atala Chapter News
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Atala Chapter of the North American Butterfly Association Atala Chapter News SUMMER/FALL 2005 OFFICERS: President and Newsletter Editor, Alana Edwards Mangrove Skippers by Teri Jabour [email protected] 561/706-6732 Skippers are often dismissed as LBJs - along a brackish lagoon? I don’t, but I am lucky Vice-President, Jan Everett 'little brown jobs' - the same term birders use to live just a short distance from John D. MacAr- [email protected] to describe sparrows. Mangrove Skipper Pho- thur Beach State Park, one of the few parcels of 561/793-6131 cides pigmalion, however, defies that term with natural tropical hammock and mangrove Secretary, Barbara Liberman its distictive large size (wingspan of 2 inches or swamps remaining in south Florida. The Man- [email protected] more) and colorful broad wings of brown and Treasurer, Lana Edwards grove Skippers have just a short distance to fly [email protected] iridescent blue. Its use of red mangrove over Lake Worth Lagoon to feast in my garden. Rhizophora mangle also removes it from a They visit a variety of flowers, including beach HOTLINE: 561/706-6732 group of skippers that are considered general- and pineland lantana, porterweed, buddleia, WEBPAGE: www.naba.org/ Jamaican caper, and jatropha. The skipper in chapters/nabaac/index.html the picture is on a “stray” Lantana camara at MacArthur Beach State Park; I would never plant it in my yard because it is an invasive pest plant that hybridizes with native lantana, and its fruit poisons cattle and horses. Mangrove Skippers belong to the large Hes- periidae family and the subfamily of Pyriginae— Spread-winged (Broad-winged) Skippers. Skip- pers, called so because of their quick, skipping flight, are not always grouped with butterflies. ists (ones that use a variety of host plants). Some scientists classify skippers within the su- Do you know this butterfly?? Red mangrove is a dominant plant species of perfamily of Papilionoidea but as an intermediate Answer on Page 2 tropical and subtropical saltwater lagoons and form between butterflies and moths. Others estuaries along the central and southern coast categorize them as a separate superfamily of Florida, from Melbourne to the Florida Keys Inside this issue: (Hesperioidea), which means they have the on the east coast and Pinellas County to the same rank as butterflies and moths. They have 10,000 islands of the Everglades on the west similarities to moths: a thick body; forewings that Upcoming Field Trips 3 coast. Because of its tropical host plant, Man- fold flat against the body when resting; and a grove Skippers can large head on the caterpillars with a narrow neck Upcoming Meetings be found in the Car- on the first thoracic segment. Another unique 3 ibbean, Cayman feature of skippers is the hooked antennae in- Islands, Mexico, Be- stead of the “knobs” of butterflies or “feathers” of Butterfly—Who Am I? 2 lize, and south to Learning your small moths. Also like moths, skipper caterpillars com- sulphurs Argentina. monly weave silk and leaf shelters to avoid I first noticed predators during the day. Finding these leaf Special Feature: Will the 4 Mangrove Skippers shelters on the red mangrove is one way to look real Firebush please in my yard several for Mangrove Skippers. Its caterpillar is also stand up? years ago. Are you outstanding with red and yellow stripes. Out of a thinking that I must total of 160 butterfly species in Florida, there are MEMBER HIGHLIGHT 5 live on the edge of about 67 species of skippers, most of which a mangrove swamp Red Mangrove with Propogules Books of Interest 6 (continued on page 5) ATALA CHAPTER NEWS PAGE 2 ATALA CHAPTER NEWS Who Am I?? Butterfly Quiz Learning your Smaller Sulphurs by Linda and Buck Cooper In Florida there are three common small sulphur but- on the ventral hindwings. terflies: two in the genus Eurema – Barred Yellow (E. Usually wet season forms daira) and Little Yellow (E. lisa) and one in the genus Na- are totally unmarked on the thalis - Dainty Sulphur (N. iole). All three of these fly in ventral hindwings, appearing similar habitat and often fly together. All three have sea- white, while dry season sonal forms – wet season (summer) and dry season forms usually have scattered (winter.) In Barred and Little Yellow there is sexual dimor- marks across the rusty hind- phism (males and females differ in appearance). Addition- wings. The dorsal forewing ally, in south Florida/Keys there are Caribbean races of and hindwing dark margins Barred Yellow. Don’t let all these factors confuse you as show through when Barred we will concentrate on Barred Yellow—dry season Yellow is perched especially simple ways to tell if sunlit from behind. Barred these species apart. Yellow uses a variety of host plants in the legume family and Let’s start with the seem especially fond of Pencil Flowers (Stylosanthes hamata) easiest one – Dainty and joint vetches (Aeschynmene sp). Sulphur. Common Little Yellow usually appears yellow in flight though white along roadsides and females add to the confusion. disturbed areas they Both seasonal forms are usually are closely tied to their yellow on the ventral hindwings host plant Spanish Nee- but remember those white fe- dles (Bidens alba). Fly- males. The amount of brownish/reddish markings, usu- ing low to the ground, Dainty Sulphur these tiny sulphurs of- ally much more distinct than ten show a bar across the dorsal wings in flight and a hint Barred Yellow, depends on the of orange color. When they land, like all sulphurs, they season and the sex of the close their wings. Of the small sulphurs though, Dainty butterfly. Little Yellow has two Little Yellow tends to sit with the forewing more upright. The ventral distinctive small dark spots on the hindwing may appear ‘frosted’ depending on the season ventral hindwing near where the (darker in dry/winter months). Almost always the orange on wing joins the body. These two the forewing shows along with several small dark spots spots allow this species to be eas- towards the wing margin. The dorsal forewing dark mar- ily separated from any other yellow gins are easily seen through the wings when the Dainty is butterfly. Here is where your close- perched. focusing binoculars come into play. Barred Yellow does not ap- These spots are almost impossible pear to be a yellow butterfly to see with the naked eye. It also Little Yellow—white form/female EXCEPT in flight. It may or has dorsal dark wing margins may not show the bar across that can sometimes be seen when the butterfly is perched. Little the lower edge of the fore- Yellows also use several host plants in the legume family such wings in flight – depending on as Wild Sensitive Pea (Chamaecrista nictitans) and Partridge the season and the sex of the Pea (Senna fasciculata). butterfly. Wet season forms These bright low-flying butterflies add a touch of sunny are white on the ventral hind- color whenever they are encountered and, once you master wings. Dry season forms are them, will add to your confidence in identification. rusty colored on the ventral Photo Credits: Dainty Sulphur, Barred Yellow-dry season, and Barred Yellow—wet season hindwings. They may or may Little Yellow-wet season by Linda Cooper. Barred Yellow-wet not have scattered markings season and Little Yellow by Alana Edwards. ATALA CHAPTER NEWS PAGE 3 Upcoming Field Trips on the left, just past the small bridge. Parking is avail- DON’T FORGET YOUR FIELD able in the preserve as well as in assigned spots at GUIDE AND BINOCULARS!! the Carlisle. September 24 and 25, 2005—Gainesville weekend! Saturday, July 30, 2005– Butterfly We will spend the weekend exploring the Gainesville Count at Highlands Hammock. A area. First, a trip to the new butterfly house at the chance to see numerous species of swallow- McGuire Research Center at the University of Florida. Then tail. Make sure you bring bug repellent and we’ll spend the afternoon at Kathy Malone’s new home in shoes you don’t mind getting wet! Also, bring High Springs where she lives on 5 acres. We will find a ho- picnic lunch. Directions: Take I-95 to Blue Heron. Go West to tel or bed and breakfast in the area and then on Sunday the Beeline (710). The Beeline through Indiantown to SR70. morning we will visit Marc Minno’s garden! This will be a Go West on SR70 through Okeechobee to SR98. Go North on weekend that you don’t want to miss. Call Alana at 561/706- SR98 to SR27. Go North on SR27 into Sebring. Take a left 6732 if you think that you would like to attend this once-in-a- onto Highlands Hammock Rd. (also called 634. Landmarks: lifetime field trip. traffic signal and Bar-B-Que restaurant). We will meet at the Saturday, October 15, 2005— Fakahatchee Strand State Ranger Station at 9:00am. ~2 ½ hours from WPB. Preserve - Guided by park biologist Mike Owens. Bring food Sunday, September 11, 2005—Hypoluxo Scrub Natural and water for the day. This is a butterfly count for the Pre- Area—This county-owned property, formerly known as Over- serve. Take I-95 to Atlantic Blvd. (Exit 37) West. This turns look Natural Area, is approximately 100 acres. This is a good into the Sawgrass Expressway. Take the Sawgrass south to opportunity to see Zebra Swallowtail. Directions: Take Hypo- I-75. Go West on I-75 to State Road 29 (mile marker 80). Go luxo Road east from I95 to just past Overlook Road. There is a South on SR29 about 15 miles to County Road 837 (a/k/ a parking lot (unpaved) on the south(right hand) side just past Jane’s' Scenic Drive).