As soon as I got in this evening, April 24th, I ran out to a field adjacent to the James River in Powhatan County, Virginia.  I was hoping to see if I could locate any Ophiogomphus susbehcha (St. Croix Snaketail) and Gomphus abbreviates (Spine-crowned Clubtail).  I was fortunate to catch one female snaketail and observe one Lancet Clubtail.  The  snaketail was transitioning into more adult coloration as can be seen below:

Subgenital plate for Ophiogomphus susbehcha

 

I visited Powhatan State Park on Sunday morning April 19th.  Skies were partly cloudy and temperatures started out at 58 degrees and rose to 64 before departing.  Butterflies and some odonates were active.  Observed species included the following:

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail      3
Zebra Swallowtail                  11
Juvenal’s Duskywing              20
Question Mark                        7
Eastern Comma                      1
Juniper Hairstreak                   1
Painted Lady                            1
Eastern-tailed Blue                 2

Common Baskettail                5
Ashy Clubtail                            6
Lancet Clubtail                        1
Stream Cruiser                        2
Ophiogomphus susbehcha  4

 

 

I visited Fluvanna County, Virginia on Saturday, April 18th.  The weather was mostly clear and the temperatures ranged from 58 to 65 degrees.

Butterflies included:

Juvenal’s Duskywing              18
C. Checkered Skipper              1
Zebra Swallowtail                     5
E. Tiger Swallowtail                  3
Falcate Orangetip                   10
Cabbage White                         4
Elfin sp.                                      1
Eastern-tailed Blue                  6
Azure sp.                                   2

Odonates observed included:

Common Baskettail                18
Sely’s Sundragon                     14
Twin-spotted Spiketail            1
Spring Darner                           6
Stream Cruiser                         1
Ashy Clubtail                             3
Ophiogomphus susbehcha    1

 

On Sunday, April 5th I visited Sussex County, Virginia.  The temperatures at daybreak were an usually cold 29 degrees which quickly rose to 64 by the time I left at noon.  I had both my first odonates and butterflies of year in Virginia.  Butterflies observed were:

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail   2
Henry’s Elfin                         2

Odonates observed were:

Robust Baskettail               22
Blue Corporal                     2