[TN-Butterflies] Welcome to Reelfoot Lake

From: Julius Basham <juliusbasham@xxxxxxxxx>
To: TN Butterflies <TN-Butterflies@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 10:43:38 -0400

Stephen Johnson and I took a quick run over to the Reelfoot area last weekend just to have a look around.
This was the welcoming host that greeted us in the first fifty feet that we stepped out of the van in West Tennessee.
A four and a half foot Moccasin.
Since taking up butterflying a few years back, I've been wearing either rubber boots or snake gaiters religiously, while in the field.
I was very glad to have them on Friday evening, as I know where I was going to step next.

There seemed to be lots of Whirlaboutish Sachems out and about, so we checked each one of them carefully to make sure they were indeed Sachems.

Even some of the Fierys seemed a little more Whirlaboutish than normal, with large dark smudge marks, instead of the smaller black pinpoints usually seen on the male Fierys.

It has been a very rare occurrence in my experience, to see a female Dion Skipper in the jet fighter position.
We were very happy to see all the inner wing markings on this beautiful, fresh female.

Many times it is very difficult to get a clean shot of a Dion because they are flighty and because the are down in the dark grasses and sedges. For some reason, the true,rich, colors of a Dion are particularly distorted when the flash goes off.
You are left with a picture, who's colors, don't look any thing like what you are actually seeing.

This photo with no flash, is much closer to the true color of a Dion, and as you can see is a very orangey rust, with two golden rays.

This caterpillar was in Dion habitat, and I have no idea. Does anyone recognize this little beauty?
It seems too bright to be an American Lady.

There was no mirror involved in this photo of Painted Ladys.

Here's a shot that shows the dog face on the inner wing of the Southern Dogface.

A handsome male Black Swallowtail showing the double rows of yellow marks running up the wings. It also shows the one small, extra yellow dot up near the leading edge of the wing.

This little Funereal Duskywing was a pleasant surprise as it flitted around a wet area beside the road.
Always very striking, with it's long wings and it's clean white fringe.

Western Tennessee was just loaded with Butterflies. Hundreds of butterflies were sitting, literally, in the middle of the road.
A very enjoyable trip despite the extra caution needed to avoid the numerous snakes.

Julius Basham
Chattanooga Tennessee

[TN-Butterflies] Welcome to Reelfoot Lake

Other related posts: