New Jersey Butterfly Club

Willowemoc-Fir Brook Trip Report

This flash-trip to Sullivan County, NY in the Catskills region took place on Thursday June 12, 2025. The trip was led by Renee Davis and was attended by an additional 8 intrepid adventurers from New Jersey.

The weather was delightful - bright sunshine, comfortable temperatures in the high 70's and winds which were at times a bit too aggressive.

Our target species were Harris' Checkerspot (last seen in NJ in 2003) and Arctic Skipper (last seen in NJ in 2005) long gone from New Jersey. In addition we were looking for Pepper and Salt Skipper which unfortunately is becoming harder and harder to find in NJ.

As you can see from the list below showing what we saw, we were not disappointed. Many thanks to Renee for sharing with the rest of us some of the treasures in her neck-of-the-woods.

Sighting Report: 18 species

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail 15
Canadian Tiger Swallowtail 1
Cabbage White 3
American Copper 5
‘Summer’ Spring Azure 1
Meadow Fritillary 2
Harris’ Checkerspot 275
Pearl Crescent 2
Red-spotted Purple 1
Little Wood-Satyr 9
Common Ringlet 12
Juvenal’s Duskywing 2
Arctic Skipper 26
Peck’s Skipper 2
Tawny-edged Skipper 1
Hobomok Skipper 35*
Dusted Skipper 2
Pepper and Salt Skipper 9

* - An estimated 40% were dark females referred to as "Pocahontas" form which is a much higher percentage than we typically encounter in NJ.