On Saturday, 04 April 2009, the Mountain Empire Butterfly Club held its second annual Weaver's Bend, Cocke Co. Spring field trip. Attending were Dianne Draper, John Hay, Don Holt, Larry McDaniel, Brookie & Jean Potter. The weather was perfect, sunny, calm and ranging in temperature from the mid 50's to the low 70's F. A total of 21 species of butterflies and one moth were identified. Most of them are First of Year records for Cocke Co., and most are also potential county records for Cocke Co. on the BAMONA website. Photographs were made of most of the species by various members of the group, and will be compiled and submitted. Also observed were several early Spring bird migrants, and many blooming wildflower species. Birds included Broad-winged Hawk, Blue-headed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Black-throated Green Warbler, Yellow-throated Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, and Common Yellowthroat. Over two dozen wildflower species were recorded, but from the butterfly point of view the most used species seemed to be Toothwort, Redbud, and Autumn Olive. Old campfire sites on the sandy riverbanks were also very productive with lots of puddling activity. I believe all the species except for the ones marked with an asterisk are FOY for Cocke Co. for 2009 on the BAMONA website.
Grapevine Epimenis Pipevine Swallowtail Zebra Swallowtail Eastern Tiger Swallowtail West Virginia White Falcate Orangetip Clouded Sulphur Orange Sulphur Sleepy Orange *Spring Azure Silvery Blue Eastern Pine Elfin American Snout Variegated Fritillary Pearl Crescent Red Admiral *Polygonia sp. (unidentified punctuation marks) *Eastern Comma *Mourning Cloak Gemmed Satyr Juvenal's Duskywing Sleepy Duskywing Silver-spotted Skipper Comments:The two Duskywings and the Zebra Swallowtail were by far the most abundant species. Orangetips were far enough along in their season to be nearly equal numbers of males and females. The sulphurs and Sleepy Oranges still showed the short photoperiod "winter" color form ventrally. All the Azures that I saw dorsally appeared to have a violet shade of blue. Most that I saw ventrally were medium in size and light gray; but a few Azures that I only saw ventrally were even smaller in size and darker underneath, but without dark marginal or central blotches.
Don Holt Johnson City, TN ___________________________________________________________________________ This is a regional list sponsored by theMountain Empire Butterfly Club.
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