Tate’s Hell State Forest field trip:  Sunday, September 25th

On Sunday, September 25th, we will take our first chapter field trip to Tate’s Hell State Forest in Franklin County.

Scouting in this area last year produced 37 species of butterflies, including several Berry’s Skippers and Dion Skippers.  We were also treated to beautiful roadside stands of Liatris (blazing star) and goldenrod along the New River.   We are hoping the wildflowers will be as spectacular as last year.

To carpool from Tallahassee, meet at 8:30 AM at the Florida DEP building parking lot on Commonwealth Boulevard, near the intersection of I-10 and Capital Circle Northwest.  Be sure to bring close-focusing binoculars, insect repellent, water, and a lunch.  If you have questions or want to arrange an alternative meeting place, please contact Dean and Sally Jue at dsjue@embarqmail.com or call them at (850) 386-1393.

Monarch Festival at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge:  Saturday, October 22rd

St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge’s annual Monarch Festival will be October 22rd from 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM.   See http://www.fws.gov/saintmarks/ for details.  The Hairstreak Chapter plans to set up a booth at the new education center to inform people about our organization’s goals and activities.  We need volunteers to help staff the booth.  If you can help for an hour or two that day, please contact Dean and Sally Jue (dsjue@embarqmail.com).  October is a beautiful time to enjoy the refuge.

Tiger Swallowtail Discovery

When is an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail not an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail?  When it’s in the Appalachian Mountains!!

Recent research has shown that butterflies in the Appalachian Mountains thought to be the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail are really hybrids between the Eastern Tiger and the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail.   The hybrid is now considered a separate species, with a scientific name of Papilio appalachiensis.  A recent National Science Foundation article about this discovery can be accessed by clicking on the following link:  http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=121306&WT.mc_id=USNSF_51&WT.mc_ev=click.  Those of you with a more scientific bent can read the scientific paper by clicking on this link:   http://www.plosgenetics.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pgen.1002274.  This timely information provides another incentive for our chapter to plan an extended weekend field trip to the southern Appalachians in 2012!

Report on the Snipe Island Unit, Big Bend Wildlife Management Area field trip:  Saturday, September 10th

Our field trip to the Snipe Island Unit of Big Bend Wildlife Management Area rewarded participants with 39 species of butterflies.  We recorded more than 450 Gulf Fritillaries, our most abundant species.  Lace-winged Roadside Skipper, Yehl Skipper, and Juniper Hairstreak were more unusual finds.  Other highlights of the trip included a Hackberry Emperor on Sonny’s hat, a Pygmy Rattlesnake found by Adam, and a beautiful female Black Widow Spider with a Gulf Fritillary in her web (Did we mention that our field trips are natural history adventures, not just opportunities to observe butterflies?  Hairstreak Chapter trips are for anyone interested in the wonders of the outdoors!!)

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