Rosemary Seidler, Jeff Trahan and I made a run over into E. TX yesterday
looking for Yucca Giant-skippers and Cobweb Skippers. Our first destination was
a location near Athens TX provided by Jason Cole (thank you, Jason). We had
initially planned to go Sat. but the weather wasn't cooperative. Yesterday
started cool, but eventually warmed into the mid-70s with much sun; however it
was extremely windy.
We ultimately saw at least 6 Yucca Giant-skippers, all of which appeared to be
males. There may have been more, but it was difficult to track what was new and
what might have already been counted. These giant-skippers are quite
distinctive in flight, flying at about head height with the white patches on
their forewing visible as they fly. The males were basking in the sun, mostly
in areas out of the wind. When flushed, they would dash off, flying long
circles before returning to virtually the same perch as previously used. On
several occasions, they would fly away in one direction, only to return a short
time later from the opposite direction. Jeff and Rosemary got some excellent
photos.
Our second location was just off of I-20 at the Tyler TX exit. Here we saw 3
more Yuccas, all of which appeared to be females. Jeff noted the females appear
to show more yellow than white in flight. The females didn't appear to circle
like the males, but were flying low in the area of yucca plants. I actually saw
one landed on a yucca plant.
We saw no Cobweb Skippers. In fact, we saw no grass skippers, although there
were numerous spread-wing skippers on the wing. There was a lot of broomsedge
at the Athens location. There also was false garlic, dewberry and purple
verbena blooming so we all felt that if the Cobwebs were on the wing, we should
have seen them. The search will continue.
Here is our list of species:
Athens TX
2 Pipevine ST
1 E. Tiger ST
4 Spicebush ST
5 Orange Suls;
2 Cloudless Suls
2 Dainty Suls
1 Juniper HS
5 Frosted Elfins (there was wild indigo growing among the yucca plants)
5 Red-banded HS
2 E Tailed-blues
1 Variegated Frit
2 Pearl Cres
5 Common Buckeyes
9 Am Ladies
6 Red Adms
2 Goatweed LWs
4 Horace's DW
2 Juvenal's DW
1 Sleepy DW
3 No. CW
(we saw many more spread-winged skippers than we could document by species)
6 Yucca G-S
Tyler TX
2 Frosted Elfins
1 Red-banded HS
3 Am Ladies
2 Red Adms
1 Goatweed LW
3 Yucca G-S
