July 13, 2009. Kentucky Manor, 5211 Kentucky Avenue, Nashville, Davidson
County, TN
360934N (36.15944) and 0865102W (-86.85055)
Never go outside without your camera this time of year. How I did that,
don't know. I had just finished gathering some fresh arugula (the yellow
flower type) for my salad and this 'fly appeared flying large "loops" and I
barely able to follow it. It landed on a basil leaf and I immediately
thought duskywing and no camera. I flew to the house (guess you didn't know
I am acquainted with Peter Pan), got the camera, and the duskywing was still
put with wings outstretched. It then flew around again and landed up inside
and on the backside of a Jackson Vine leaf as if hiding. There I could see
underneath and see some spotting toward the end of the wing. Then off and
over the fence. I have had a Wild Indigo Duskywing this season but didn't
think it was that because of the white dot out in the wing and not buffy.
Juvenal's is not flying. So, Horace's? It looks right with the images. I
asked Bart and he replied, "Looks like a Horace's to me. Besides the spot
pattern and color patterns on the forewing, another good feature to look for
that isn't mentioned in some of the field guides is a Horace's normally has
white spectacles around the eyes and a thin white collar around the neck."
Number 23 for the Manor this season.
Late in the afternoon I took one last walk around the paths before
starting Dad's dinner and this small dark 'fly caught my eye. I followed it
a couple of "hops" and it sat on a yellow lantana. I immediately was struck
by the small compact size and all the white markings. Heart beat elevated.
Shoot and pray clicking. Between the lantana and a leaf, it let me look it
over. From the leaf it flew to a black-eyed susan and fed and then off into
the wind, hopefully to return. Now, after consulting the images, my best
guess was Pepper and Salt Skipper. An inquiry to Ken received this reply,
"It could be a Pepper and Salt or maybe a Bell's Roadside. I've never seen
either species so I can't say from experience." Bell's Roadside--what is
that? That was not in my mix. The short of the long is, I had just decided
that it indeed was a Bell's Roadside-Skipper when the email from Bart
arrived, "My vote is for Bell's Roadside Skipper. I've never seen one in
person, but I have seen many Pepper and Salt Skippers. The main difference
is the amount of gray overscaling which is quite extensive in the Pepper and
Salt, but mainly on the margins of the Bell's. Bell's usually fly later and
you seldom see Pepper and Salts in mid-summer and beyond. Another good
field mark is the bottom dot of the triangle inside the post median band is
at the the level of the bottom of the post-median spotband, where in the
Pepper and Salt, it is almost in the center of the hindwing and definitely
above the level of the bottom of the spotband. Here's a photo of a Pepper
and Salt for comparison. It doesn't show the spots as clearly as I'd like,
but you get a good impression of just how much overscaling there is." Bart's
Pepper and Salt Skipper image is attached for comparison. Number 24 for the
Manor this season.
To round out the day there were Cabbage Whites (always this time of year
if the sun comes up), Sachems darting everywhere, Question Mark on the fruit
sack, and a Red-spotted Purple on the deck on watermelon and pineapple (had
not seen since June 29). A six-species day and two new for the Manor for the
season. Champagne please.
Michael Lee Bierly, Nashville, Davidson County, TN
Attachment:
Horace's Duskywing (1) 07-13-09 KM (800).jpg
Description: JPEG image
Attachment:
Bell's Roadside-Skipper (1) 07-13-09 KM (800).jpg
Description: JPEG image
Attachment:
Bell's Roadside-Skipper (2) 07-13-09 KM (800).jpg
Description: JPEG image
Attachment:
Bell's Roadside-Skipper (wings open) (1) 07-13-09 KM (800_.jpg
Description: JPEG image
Attachment:
Bell's Roadside-Skipper (wings open) (2) 07-13-09 KM (800).jpg
Description: JPEG image
Attachment:
Pepper and Salt Skipper2.jpg
Description: JPEG image
