Old Locations from 30+ years ago.

[leptraps]

I am currently staying with my older son and his family in Solon, Ohio as I await the closings of my home in Kentucky and my new home in Aurora, Ohio.

I felt like I was intruding a little bit, so I decided to check out some of my old haunts in Portage County east of Mantua. This included the Mantua Bog. Although I had my nets and jars, I am unable to process specimens. As a result I just looked and admired. The first thing I noticed were the number of homes. Back in the 70's & 80's there were very few. There were large frams surrounding the area, but several were gone to development. The late summer bloom was spectacular. The Jopeye Weed was covered with Swallowtails and Limenitis. Colias eurytheme and C. philodice were abundant. I also observed several Hemaris thysbe and Hemaris diffinis visiting Flowers.

I also visited a wooded area (Stillman's Woods??) near Hiram Township, Ohio. The road in was gated. However, there was a wide path around the gate that was well trodden and a parking area near by. I parked and walked the woods. An old growth forest (Sort of). The trees were enormous. Not sure who owns it, possibly Hiram College. I will check it out sometime this week.

I spent several hours in the area, driving about and seeing what I could find. Once I get settled into my new home, I will begin to collect and set out traps. The area is a 20 minute (?) drive from my home in Aurora.

I plant to visit the Streetsboro Bog area today.

Later this week I will travel west of Lorain, Ohio to the Resthaven Wildlife Area in Erie County, another old collecting area from way back when. And then there is the Holden Arboretum near Kirtland, Ohio.

I collected these areas prior to developing bait traps and light traps. This could get very interesting.

[exoticimports]

My old daytime locations are now tract housing and a strip mall. My old night lighting hilltop is now an office park.

Chuck

[leptraps]

I travelled to Mantua Marsh today. Bright sun, high temperature in the low 80's. Lot's of butterflies on the wing.

I will not hang a Bait Trap in my Back yard, or any where else, until my collection and work room are in order.

I did take a trip to the Southern Lepidopterist Society Field Meeting in the Sand Hill WMA southwest of Butler, Georgia. Schinia moths galore. I took a number of Catocala ulalume and another Black Hindwinged Catocala. Not sure of the name.

Set out several Bait Traps. Also set out four(4) Light Traps every night. Between four of us, we set out twenty-two (22) Light Traps every night. I brought home well over a thousand moths.

Butterflies were abundant. I only collected Phyciodes tharos and Junonia coenia. Both species were exceptionally large. I also took a rather large female
Papilio glaucus.

I also collected a number of exceptionally large beetles with huge Mandibles.

The Sand Hills WMA is located a 150 miles SW of Atlanta. We arrived on Thursday and returned home on Tuesday.

[jhyatt]

Leroy,

It'd be interesting next summer if you could visit Leland Martin's old site for Euphyes dukesi up there and see if it still exists...

Hope your new digs will soon start to look like home to you,

jh

[leptraps]

I am not sure either Denny or I could find it. I was only there once about 40+ years ago. I have several locations for them in Trumble County, Ohio. I have not visited this location in 35+ years either.

Another species, Ephyes bimacula, occurs in several location in central Pennsylvania. This is another area I plan on returning to in 2020.

[leptraps]

Denny Currutt and I set out two light traps last night in the Mantua Wetlands. Both are on the edge of the wetlands in a deep and rather old forest. I originally set out lights in these locations in the early 1990's.

I will post the results today.