Observation date: July 13, 2017
Date notes: July 13 is the first date I found the location. I will visit it almost daily throughout the summer.
Submitted by: SoukyLive
Specimen type: Photograph
Observation notes: I take my dog hiking down the Gunpowder river nearly every day. Yesterday (July 13, 2017 - 1:00pm - HOT sunny 95°), while hiking, I saw a few small-orange "Alfalfa's on the power line
trail... I didn't pay much attention. My wife said: "they SURE are bright orange and my brain began working" - and I realized they looked like Sleepy's.
There were three. I had a net.
So, I caught one, and wow - they ARE E. nicippe. I start to look around, and I now see dozens of them - they are everywhere. It wasn't a stray - blown up on the wind. this HAD to be a real colony.
It was then that I realized that I was standing in a field of Senna. I have no idea how or where it came from - or how it survives the winter - but I have heard of a "Hardy Senna" (hebecarpa?) And, there were several very large (20ft x 20ft) patches in the power line trail
But, there is a massive field of Senna - and it is loaded with and obviously healthy breeding colony of Eurema nicippe - as I saw several VERY recently hatched individuals that were doing their "first flights".
I went back today for some photos. I counted at least 22 individuals before I got bored!!
I will continue to monitor the area and will look for larva or damage. I did find larval damage to the plants - but it all looked rather old. I suspect that a new brood is just emerging.
Status: Resident
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: November 07, 2021
Coordinator notes: Thanks for the detailed notes - very interesting!
