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big Cloudless Sulphur flight predicted
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Pavu-@aol.com
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Sep 02, 2004 05:17 PDT
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All:
I am providing a "heads up" to everyone. This seems to be another one of those big years for the Cloudless Sulphur down here in the Washington D.C./Chesapeake Bay region. The biggest in years. The butterflies have been breeding all summer as indicated by a large number of reports, many of them already reporting considerable numbers as early as July. The fall brood is now just emerging and I have seen several flying in neighborhoods in my part of Herndon, VA. One freshly-emerged adult was observed in my garden yesterday (Sept. 1).
These should all start barrelling northward in the coming weeks, so you should expect a very good flight along the coastal region.
Also, keep an eye out for Sleepy Oranges, which are experiencing a similar population explosion here. These may appear to be Orange Sulphurs in flight but have a more directional flight, and don't zigzag around in fields. They tend to fly along linear features such as weedy, sunny road edges in wooded areas, but may be seen flying in a directional flight through open fields. Any bright orange butterfly should be given a close second look from now till hard freeze. Watch especially in areas where Cassia plants are growing.
On that note, it can't hurt to watch for Little Yellows as well.
Harry Pavulaan
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