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New Yard Lep!



In an attempt to attract butterflies other than the numerous ETSs that love 
the flowering shrub in my backyard, I took a page from Randy Emmitt's book 
and put out some rotting fruit for them.  The cantaloupe I tried last week 
attracted only a few Carolina Satyrs.   On Saturday I put out kiwi and plums, 
both very soft and juicy.  I came home from work this evening at 6:30 and was 
pleased to find a beautiful Tawny Emperor busily sipping up the pooled 
juices.  Success at last!

From several passing comments in messages posted on the listserv over the 
past several weeks, I have gained the impression that Hackberry Emperors have 
in the past been more abundant in North Carolina than the Tawny.  However 
most of the various county butterfly counts held this month located more 
Tawny's than Hackberry's, so it appears that this year the Tawny is the more 
abundant.  My own personal observation would seem to bear this out--I've seen 
4 Tawny's this month, but only 2 Hackberry's.  (Tawny's in Caswell and 
Guilford Counties, Hackberry in Allison Woods and Durham County).  Am I 
correct in believing the Hackberry Emperor was once the more abundant of the 
two? Does anyone have an explanation for the difference in past and present 
abundance of the two species?

Dianne Witzell
High Point, NC
mdwitzell@aol.com