Ron's Butterfly Habitat Summary

                                2004       

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     The 2004 butterfly season started out strong. By the end of June I had seen 18 species in my garden, including a Monarch on Swamp Milkweed on June 29th.  The season was much slower from there on due do very heavy rainfall. Monarch sightings were way down.  I only saw 21 Monarchs during the migration period of September 24th to October 8th.  I was able to tag 10 Monarchs for MonarchWatch.  On the bright side I received a certificate from MonarchWatch saying one of the Monarchs I tagged on September 20th of 2003 was recovered on March 1st of 2004 in El Rosario, Mexico. The Monarch traveled 2038 miles. This was incredible news! Swallowtails were way down this year. The concept that I have of the butterfly garden did not happen this year.  I expect to see an average of 12 butterflies in my garden at once during the height of the season.  This did not happen this year, although I recorded a record 34 species.  New sightings were the Least Skipper, Banded Hairstreak, and the Little Glassy Wing, which brings my total to 49 over the eleven years I have had the garden. I was credited with first sighting of the Long Tailed Skipper in Montgomery County, even though I had seen one about 8 years ago but I do not know the exact date.  The fruit eaters were very common this year.  I experienced my second sighting of the Banded Purple, which is a cross between the White Admiral and the Red Spotted Purple.  For the first time I had Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillars.  I have had my Pipevine plant for six years.  I was home when I saw the female Pipevine Swallowtail laying the eggs in clusters of 15 to 20 eggs.  I also had Eastern Black Swalowtail and Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillars this year. No Monarch caterpillars were recorded.

     It was a difficult year to keep nectar in supply because of the heavy rainfall.  I deadheaded my butterfly bushes daily, which was the secret to my success this year.  I lost 7 butterfly bushes out of 35 due to the cold Winter.  Many of the surviving bushes were damaged.  It was too wet for Zinnia to be a good attractor.  Butterfly Bush was first with Verbena Bonariensis second in attraction power.  Hyssop, Mountain Mint, and Late Flowering Boneset were significant attractors.

     This year I learned about roadways that butterflies travel on. An example is a common grass area in a housing complex which was experienced by Jeff Degler in Wyomissing. The butterflies traveled down the common area into his butterfly garden. Another example is butterflies traveling along a river.

     On June 8th I gave a butterfly talk for the Schuylkill River Sojourn, which is a 106-mile trip down the Schuylkill.  For the third year in a row I visited Fort Indaintown Gap to see the Regal Fritillary on July 8th.  Many Regals were flying and there were butterflies everywhere.  I got some nice pictures of the Wood Nymph butterfly, thanks to my wife who spotted the orange-eyed creature.  I made five futile trips to the Susquehanna River to see butterflies-too much rain- too much rain- What a disappointment!!

    Soon I will be announcing news about the Butterfly Preserve, but I want to get all my ducks in a row first.

    Looking forward to butterflies in 2005!

                                                    Ron Richael

 

Ron's Butterfly Sightings Summary
2005 Butterfly Habitat Summary   2006 Butterfly Habitat Summary
2001 Butterfly Habitat Summary 2002 Butterfly Habitat Summary 2003 Butterfly Habitat Summary
1998 Butterfly Habitat Summary 1999 Butterfly Habitat Summary 2000 Butterfly Habitat Summary

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