Townsend Tennessee Trip

We stayed at a cabin near Townsend Tennessee and went to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park each day. In Cades Cove we saw a mother bear and her 2 babies up high in a tree.
The weather was mostly overcast and rainy. We did get some sun a couple of times but it didn’t last long. The Diana were all along Little River Road, right next to the river, that leads to Cades Cove. The photos were taken with overcast conditions in a moderate to light rain, yet there they were on the Joe-Pye Weed nectaring just the same.

Harry Dale King

September 2009

Female Diana

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad Trip

The Great Smoky Mountains Train trip was a great trip through the North Carolina mountains. We were there in late September, around the 24th. We saw at least 2 dozen female Diana along the 14 miles of railroad on Joe-pye Weed. I attempted to get photos but the moving train didn’t help with that. The scenery was picturesque

Harry Dale King

September 24, 2008

Larvae, 5th instar

A Return Trip To Tennessee In Pictures, 2009

Harry Dale King
June 2009

Males on Butterfly Weed

July 11-12, 2008 Trip

Greene County Tennessee July 11, 2008. I arrived around 4 o’clock in the afternoon under sunny skies and temperatures in the 80’s. This was about 2 ½ week later than 2007, the Butterfly Weed that had been so common and in full bloom last year was hardly present at all, what few Milkweed were past their peak and just not much in the way of flowers of any kind. Only two Diana were observed and neither was in the best of shape.

Male Diana July 11, 2008, Greene County, Tennessee

From here I drove to Rich Mountain, Madison County, North Carolina. The only butterfly seen on Rich Mountain was a female Diana resting in the middle of the road about 1 ½ mile from the starting point. Other than chips out of the front wing tips quite a perfect specimen, I took several pictures before being able to pick her up. After close examination she was released and flew back into the forest. All mountain roads were loaded with Rhododendrons in full bloom. After leaving here I visited Mill Ridge where I saw only one lone male.


Female Diana resting on Rich Mountain, Madison County, North Carolina, July 11, 2008


Milkweed patch atop Mill Ridge, Madison County, North Carolina

Then on to Hammon Den Road on July 12th but that was a wash out as well as Curtis Creek Road, just no flowers for nectar. The mountain was great from the higher elevations on Curtis Creek.

Higher Elevation on Curtis Creek Road, July 12, 2008


Harry Dale King
July 11-12, 2008

Larvae food plant, Common Blue Violet

Diana Distribution

Speyeria diana bilateral gynandromorph

TENNESSEE

June 23, 2007 Tennessee. This was a return trip after having been here on June 18th. Arriving around 11 am I again was greeted by a female. No females seen from that point on until later afternoon. My son Brian was with me on this trip.


Males were again plentiful and liked to dart at my son’s bright blue hat. We at first were not sure why but believe they were attracted to its color like the blue females. Several of them even tried to come in through the car window at it. If anything this was a hotter day than the trip before. It was sweltering along this dirt mountain road and no real place to get relief.




Male on Butterfly Weed.

Several dozen males were seen on this trip and more females than the June 18th trip. They started showing up around 4 pm as before, 8 females in all were observed on this trip. Very very wary and most difficult to catch we did get both after much hard work.

Males nectaring on common Milkweed

Harry Dale King

June 23, 2007

Speyeria diana 5th instar larvae

TENNESSEE

June 18, 2007 Tennessee, it was a very hot day. Temperatures were in the upper 80s. Butterfly Weed was in full bloom and the Milkweed was starting to come on. This location is just across the State line into Tennessee at moderate elevations.


Coming down the road and as the Butterfly Weed began to appear so did the Diana Fritillaries. There were many males nectaring on the flower heads in company with Great Spangled Fritillaries and Pipevine Swallowtails. There were dozens of them all very fresh.


When I collected Diana before it was always interesting to me that in their habitat they are often the most numerous species at flowers during their flight period. Seen were about 30 males busily feeding along this Sun drenched road. One female was seen around 1 pm when I first got to this location, then not a one the rest of the afternoon. About 4 pm as it had clouded up and was starting to sprinkle the second female of the day appeared at a milkweed blossom. During the next hour 3 others were observed.

One male was resting on a Milkweed leaf as the light rain cooled things down along this Southern Appalachian Mountainous Road. Around 5 pm the rain put an end to the trip.



Harry Dale King
June 18, 2007