On The Wing Newsletter of the Tennessee Valley Chapter,

North American Butterfly Association

April 2017 Volume 10, Number 2

Editor, Bill Haley, wgh@tnaqua.org

Plant Natives 2017 Nancy Williams was kind enough to snap a

photo of me manning the Tennessee Valley NABA

Chapter informational table at the Wild Ones

Plant Natives 2017 symposium at UTC on Satur-

day, March 18. They were expecting at least 200

people for this very well-run event, and they prob-

ably had more than that.

This is the second year I’ve set up a table

as an exhibitor at their event. It is a great way to

publicize NABA and our local Tennessee Valley

Chapter. I had a blast talking to many of the gar-

deners in attendance during the breaks between

presentations and help them get more interested in

butterflies. Lots of folks already had butterfly gar-

dens and perhaps they’ll join NABA to further

their butterfly knowledge. I made up a hand-out

listing all our butterfly counts this year, so maybe

we’ll have some help on our 2017 counts too.

All four presentations dealt with different

aspects of designing gardens and public spaces

using native plants and the benefits to be derived

from the use of natives. They were all informative

and certainly made me want to get out and play in

the dirt! I’m currently working on a new flower/

blueberry bed between ours and my neighbor’s

houses. Because of these talks, especially Claudia

West’s “Planting in a Post-Wild World”, I’ve de-

cided to change my planting strategy somewhat.

While my garden is a mixture of native and

non-native species, and I plan to keep it that way,

I guarantee the butterflies will like it because I

keep them in mind as I plant.

Bill Haley, President, TN Valley NABA

Photo

UPCOMING COUNTS!

Soddy-Daisy, TN Count

Saturday, April 15

Meet: 11:00 at Daisy United Methodist

Church, 9508 Dayton Blvd., Soddy-Daisy,

TN. Leader: Bill Haley. For info, call (423)

326-9248, or e-mail wgh@tnaqua.org.

The Soddy-Daisy count is one of three local count circles

s that will be surveyed three times this year - spring,

summer and fall. Plan to join us!

Lookout Mountain, GA Count

Thursday, April 27

Meet: 10:00 at the International Towing and

Recovery Museum on Broad Street to cara-

van to count circle in Chattanooga Valley.

Leader: Bill Haley (423) 326-9248,

wgh@tnaqua.org

How to Prepare for a Count: Dress prepared to wade

through tall grasses and possibly briars. Wear long pants,

not shorts. Veteran counters often tuck their pants legs

into socks to deter ticks, chiggers and poison ivy. (A dose

of bug spray near the ankles adds further protection).

Wear comfortable, sturdy shoes, not sandals or crocs.

Sunscreen and a hat will be needed and be sure to bring

snacks and plenty to drink. Binoculars, preferably close-

focusing, will help you note subtle field marks you might

otherwise miss on butterflies you are unable to approach

closely. You may stay the entire day (usually till around

4:00 or 4:30), or break away early if you choose.

On the Wing, April 2017 Page 2

Join NABA North American Butterfly Association

The North American Butterfly Association,

NABA, was started in 1994 to popularize the study

of butterflies through observation and identification

through use of field marks rather than collecting.

The Tennessee Valley NABA chapter was

formed in 2008. The chapter’s territory is centered

around southeastern Tennessee, but also encom-

passes areas of northwestern Georgia and north-

eastern Alabama. Anyone who joins the national

organization within a zip code area beginning with

374, 373, 307, 357 or 359 will automatically be-

come a member of the chapter.

It is also possible for people living outside

our zip code areas to become members of the Ten-

nessee Valley chapter. When you join or renew your

NABA membership, specify that you’d like to be af-

filiated with the Tennessee Valley NABA chapter.

Joining online is easy. Go to their website

at http:/www.naba.org and click on Membership.

Individual $35, Family $45, Institution/Library

$60. There also other sponsorship levels if interest-

ed.

Members receive quarterly publications

from NABA, “American Butterflies” and “Butterfly

Gardener”, as well as monthly “On the Wing”

newsletters (March-Nov.) from the local Tennessee

Valley NABA chapter.

2017 BUTTERFLY COUNT SCHEDULE:

(After the April spring seasonal counts)

Fri., June 2: Tennessee River Gorge, TN (summer)

Sat., June 10: Soddy-Daisy, TN (summer)

Sat., July 1: Lookout Mtn., GA (summer)

Thurs., July 13: Stevenson, AL (summer)

Sun., July 16: Williamsburg, KY (summer)

Sat., Aug. 12: Tennessee River Gorge, TN (fall)

Sat., Aug. 26: Soddy-Daisy, TN (fall)

Thurs., Sept. 7: Lookout Mtn., GA (fall)

YOU ARE GETTING SLEEPY….SLEEPY…. David Spicer sent in

these two photos. Sleepy Duskywing (top), Sleepy Orange

(bottom). Both found at Enterprise South Park, March 18.

On The Wing, April 2017 Pg. 3

POLLINATOR GARDENS

What Can We Do to Help Pollinators?

1. Plant a variety of flowers that bloom

throughout the growing season.

2. Plant native wildflowers and shrubs.

3. Foster native wild landscapes by pre-

serving unmown, brushy areas.

4. Do not use pesticides!

5. Ask before you buy! Make sure you

don’t introduce any plant into your

garden that is treated with, or con-

tains, neonictinoids. These plants are

genetically altered to kill insects that

might eat them. However they also

poison beneficial pollinators such as

bees, caterpillars and butterflies. If the

garden center you’re shopping at can’t

tell you if their plants are neonictinoid

free, you might consider going else-

where for plants.

6th Annual Plant Give-Away

Daisy United Methodist Church

9508 Dayton Blvd., Soddy-Daisy, TN

Saturday, April 8, 10:00-2:00

Bill Haley’s church, Daisy United Methodist, in Soddy-Daisy,

will host the 6th annual Plant Give-Away on Saturday, April 8

from 10:00-2:00. Annuals, perennials, herbs and flower seeds

will be available. All plants are donated for this event. If you

wish to donate plants and need flower pots, please contact Bill

at (423) 326-9248 or wgh@tnaqua.org.

Plant Give-Away Rules:

Plant Give-Away Hours: 10:00-2:00

Early Admission Donation: If you wish to get in early, a $10

donation is required. In years past we’ve allowed people to start

early and this is not fair when folks show up during the stated

hours and we are low on plants because early people get the best

picks. Without the $10 donation nobody will be admitted

before 10:00.

Limit of 3 plants per person (the person must be present)

All Plants are Free!: If you wish to leave a donation to fund

future community outreach events such as this, it will be gladly

accepted, but a donation is not required.

Most people are not very familiar with our native bees,

but they are important pollinators. Here, tiny sweat

bees visit allium blooms. - Photo Bill Haley

There will be a lot of aster

plants to be given away on

April 8, such as the New

England Aster (left) and the

Aromatic Aster (above).

These two native wildflow-

ers, which bloom Septem-

ber-November, are excel-

lent and important late-

season nectar sources.

On the Wing, April 2017 Pg. 4

Enterprise South Butterfly Sightings

Libby Wolfe took the two above photos of a Yucca Giant

Skipper, Megathymus yuccae, on March 25 at Enterprise

South Nature Park, near the VW plant. They seem to be

early this year, sometimes not emerging until mid-April.

David Spicer found this lovely Henry’s Elfin, Callophrys

henrici, at Enterprise South Park on March 25.

Enterprise South Nature Park has certainly been an early

spring butterfly hotspot this year. This Gemmed Satyr,

Callopsis gemma, was found by Libby Wolfe on March 26

in the same spot where David Spicer saw the Henry’s Elfin

the day before. This species gets it’s name from the metal-

lic silver area around the two black spots on the hindwing.

When seen in good light, this area sparkles like a gem.

Other Early Spring Sightings:

Feb. 23: Tommie Rogers reported an American Snout

seen at Reflection Riding.

Feb. 24: A Falcate Orangetip was seen by Tommie Rog-

ers at Reflection Riding.

March 5: Tommie Rogers had a Checkered White at the

Brainerd Levee.

March 8: Tommie reported an Eastern Tailed Blue.

March 18: Libby Wolfe and Tommie Rogers visited En-

terprise South and saw E. Tiger Swallowtail, Falcate Or-

angetip, Juvenal’s Duskywing, Spring Azure, Eastern

Comma and Question Mark.

March 18: David and Jon Spicer reported from Enterprise

South: Falcate Orangetip, Sleepy Orange, E. Tailed

Blue, E. Tiger Swallowtail, Mourning Cloak, Juvenal’s

Duskywing and Sleepy Duskywing. (It is interesting to

look at the different species found on March 18 by two

different parties.)

March 21: Tommie Rogers and Libby Wolfe visited River

Canyon Road, in the TN River Gorge. They found: Falcate

Orangetip, West Virginia White, E. Tiger Swallowtail

(one dark form), Juvenal’s Duskywing, Sleepy

Duskywing, Spring Azure, E. Tailed Blue and satyr sp.

On The Wing, April 2017 Pg. 5

Libby Wolfe sent this photo

she took on River Canyon

Road of two Sleepy

Duskywings, Erynnis brizo,

with a Juvenal’s Dusky-wing,

Erynnis juvenalis in the mid-

dle. You may be able to see

that the Juvenal’s is just a

little bit larger. Another differ-

ence is that Sleepys don’t

have any white spots on the

forewings, while the Juvenal’s

has several. The differences

can sometimes be subtle,

which makes duskywing iden-

tification difficult. (Also refer

to Dave Spicer’s Sleepy

Duskywing photo on page 2.)

Three shots from the Tennessee River Gorge

spring seasonal count. Above is a Red-banded Hair-

streak, Calycopis cecrops. The larvae of this species are

interesting, because they actually feed on leaf litter, not

on live green plants. To the right are two shots of a Ques-

tion Mark, Polygonia interrogatioinis. Note that the edges

of the wings are very worn. This is likely an adult that over-

wintered in the river gorge. On the top shot you can easily

see the silvery question mark in the middle of the hind

wing which gives this species it’s name.

- All photos by Mike O’Brien.

On the Wing, April, 2017 Pg. 6

Totals for the Tennessee River Gorge, TN

Spring Seasonal Count

The Tennessee River Gorge, TN spring count was

conducted on Friday, March 31 from 10:30-5:00. Par-

ticipants included Mike O’Brien, Harold Birch, Libby

Wolfe, Nancy Williams, Susan Schott, Tommie Rog-

ers and Bill Haley. They split into two parties, for a

combined 12.5 hours of count effort. The day was not

optimal for butterflies, as it began with mostly cloudy

skies, wind and a cool temperature of 58 F. It cleared

a bit by the afternoon, never getting better than 60%

sun in any hour, but luckily the temperature finally

reached 69F. We found some early spring species

just a the end of their flight period!

Following are species and individual totals:

Pipevine Swallowtail 4, Spicebush Sw. 4, E. Tiger

Sw. 45, swallowtail species 3, West Virginia White 7,

Falcate Orangetip 3, Red-banded Hairstreak 2, Hen-

ry’s Elfin 1, E. Tailed-Blue 28, Spring Azure 2,

American Snout 3, Pearl Crescent 42, Question Mark

2, anglewing sp. 1, Silver-sp. Skipper 2, Sleepy

Duskywing 9, Juvenal’s Duskywing 146, Common

Checkered Skipper 3, Pepper and Salt Skipper 1,

duskywing sp. 25. Total 17 species, 334 individuals

Found on the Count: Pipevine Swallowtail, Battus philenor,

(top) and West Virginia White, Pieris virginiensis. Both pho-

tos by Tommie Rogers

Juvenal’s Duskywing, Erynnis

juvenalis, proved to be the

most common species of the

day, with 146 counted. Be-

cause of the windy condi-

tions, it was often possible to

see the two distinctive light-

colored spots on the under-

side of the hindwing that

clinch the identification.

(There were another 25 uni-

dentified duskywings, which

could have very well been this

species too.) Here is a photo

from Mike O’Brien with a

“puddle party” made up of

mostly Juvenal’s

Duskywings, a visiting Ques-

tion Mark and maybe a

Sleepy Duskywing or two.