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Post by exoticimports on Feb 27, 2019 4:55:26 GMT -8
It started great when I captured a male Telea polyphemus at the Tampa airport arrivals hall, and it squirted fluid all over me.
The night before I left, I captured one ctuchnid moth.
In between, I visited multiple locations simply looking for butterflies; this included several WMAs and parks between Tampa and Naples. Total observed: two Danaus plexippus and some small nymphalids. That's it. Zero papilio, zero Hesperidae, zero Helicons. Nothing.
This despite warm temps in the 85F range. Apparently, there is "winter" in FL during which, despite warmth, the insects are not in adult form. In fact, with over 500km driven, there were but three bug splats on the auto windshield.
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Post by eurytides on Feb 27, 2019 5:09:18 GMT -8
See, collectors have no meaningful impact on insect populations (in winter). Several years ago I was in FL in the "winter," and I recall finding ova of Battus polydamas, Eurytides marcellus and various leps that use Passiflora as host. They are around, even if not flying.
If the A. polyphemus squirted fluid on you, I presume that was meconium meaning it was freshly emerged? At least you should've had a perfect or near perfect polyphemus specimen....?
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Post by LEPMAN on Feb 27, 2019 11:13:47 GMT -8
See, collectors have no meaningful impact on insect populations (in winter). Several years ago I was in FL in the "winter," and I recall finding ova of Battus polydamas, Eurytides marcellus and various leps that use Passiflora as host. They are around, even if not flying. If the A. polyphemus squirted fluid on you, I presume that was meconium meaning it was freshly emerged? At least you should've had a perfect or near perfect polyphemus specimen....? When you call it meconium it just makes me think of babies and imagine a human covered in goey green slime. |
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Post by bugboys3 on Feb 27, 2019 12:12:50 GMT -8
January wasn't any better. I was in the Fort Meyers to Naples area the 3rd weekend in January and saw 1 Papilio glaucus and my son saw a couple of Anartia jatrophae. Very disappointing.
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777
Full Member
Posts: 113
Country: United States
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Post by 777 on Feb 27, 2019 12:44:23 GMT -8
There was only 1 day in February that was very good here in eastern Texas (I saw about 19 phoebis sennae and 5 other butterflies that were too fast for me to identify). After and before that, the days were cold and gloomy with no butterflies.
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Post by beetlehorn on Feb 28, 2019 6:23:46 GMT -8
Patience my friends!
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Post by exoticimports on Feb 28, 2019 7:46:09 GMT -8
Nothing worth bothering for in my area till last week of May. Patience my butt. |
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Post by foxxdoc on Feb 28, 2019 8:06:11 GMT -8
30 miles north of tampa.
saw first 2 cresphontes of year. P.sennea seen. arctiid larvae and breeding adults. unidentified hairstreak. Jan and Feb was very spotty for leps. .some of the weedy flowering plants survived thru jan and feb but now w rain and elevated temps. flowers are everywhere. sorry about bad collecting in jan and feb.
Tom |
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Post by Paul K on Feb 28, 2019 11:31:14 GMT -8
Nothing worth bothering for in my area till last week of May. Patience my butt. Right, same here, maybe in begin of May I can find Pieris rapae! |
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Mar 1, 2019 4:09:23 GMT -8
I lived in South Florida twice. January and February were the worst two months of the year for Lepidoptera. December through March is the dry season in almost all of the Florida Peninsula, especially south of Lake Okeechobee.
The Florida Keys receive a virtually no rain in January, February and March. For some reason the Pine Barrens could be incredible in the dry season.
As for North of Lake Okeechobee, it all depends on rain fall in late March, the spring Lepidoptera can be great. April in Central Florida can be fantastic.
The dry season in Florida limits Lepidoptera to nearly zero.
After some rains in early March, I would drive through the Saw Grass areas in South Western Florida north of US41 on County Routes 839 & 841. The big Thistles would be in bloom and the Big Skippers (Euphyes, Poanes, etc.) would nectar on blooms. I do not know who owns what these days. Some of the area was state owned WMA's and some was NWMA and some was private. Just be careful and watchful. You can see approaching vehicle coming from miles away.
If you need more info, get a Florida Gazateer and call or email me.
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Post by exoticimports on Mar 1, 2019 7:56:56 GMT -8
I followed your advise, and got the FL Gazetteer and took it with me. I used it to ID potential butterfly watching/ survey. Saw lots of trees, swamp, etc. I did spot a copperhead, and saw invasive Plecostamus in a canal, which was pretty cool (or not, if you're FWS). Saw no alligators.
So thanks for the suggestion to get it, it will now accompany me on the next trip.
The trip was a shock, because in my AO warm = bugs. I know in AZ that is not the case, rain = bugs. I had no idea that FL would be the same. That's just wrong.
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Post by 58chevy on Mar 1, 2019 14:07:21 GMT -8
What info does the Florida Gazateer contain?
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leptraps
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Post by leptraps on Mar 1, 2019 14:22:23 GMT -8
Just the maps with the roads and areas I have collected and/or traveled.
It is hard to get lost with a good map.
I will mention no names. And yes, "They", did get lost.
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Post by exoticimports on Mar 1, 2019 18:00:30 GMT -8
There is a Gazeteer for every state. Roadmap yes but also topographic. Priceless for outdoors people.
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Post by 58chevy on Mar 2, 2019 7:59:29 GMT -8
How can you get a Florida Gazeteer if you live in a different state?
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