Field Trip Newsletter No. 4

June 2009
 
Dear Butterfly Net
 
SABCA's second field season has just come to an end and the third and final season will begin in August 2009. SABCA's field survey team, consisting of LepSoc members who voluntarily give up of their time to conduct the surveys, has been quite busy the last few months. However, some planned surveys could not be carried out due to bad weather. Here is some news on what has been happening around the country:

Eastern Cape

Provincial Leader's update, by Ernest Pringle:
The Eastern Cape fell victim to a devastating drought during the early part of the season, which resulted in a dead Spring and early Summer in most areas. Two visits to Matatiele, which, being closest to Kwa-Zulu Natal, escaped the worst of the drought, proved extremely productive. The most remarkable finds were Chrysoritis orientalis, Aloeides braueri, Aloeides molomo molomo, Aloeides nr. Stevensoni and a single female of a possible new race of Tarucus bowkeri.
 
The rains came during February, which resulted in a rapid resurgence of butterfly life in the Province. Visits in April to the Waters Meeting Reserve and Coombs Reserve near Bathurst, in the company of an official from the East Cape Parks Board, proved very productive. The most interesting finds were Libythea labdaca laius and a strong colony of Junonia orithyia madagascariensis at Waters Meeting. J. orithyia has spread remarkably in the Eastern Cape since it was first recorded south of Pondoland in 2003. The most recent records indicate that it has now reached Port Elizabeth (April, 2009) and Cape St. Francis (May, 2009).

Gauteng

Jeremy Dobson - Provincial Leader's update:
42 surveys have been undertaken this past season, including a visit to Leeufontein Nature Reserve. Approximately 450 new records were acquired, of which about 300 constitute new block records. All 44 cells within the Gauteng survey area have been visited at least once since August 2007 and the total number of block-records stands at just over 1800, out of an estimated potential total of 2500 (approximately 500 of these records were obtained from historical LepiBase data). Currently, we have recorded 190 species within the province, from about 120 localities. Most of the work has been undertaken by Jeremy Dobson, assisted by Chris Dobson, Mark Williams and Raimond Schutte. Next season, we hope to break the 2000 records target, and we intend to try and obtain a minimum of 15 individual block records from all quarter degree cells: Currently, 3 blocks have less than 15 records.
 
In addition we held a joint Butterfly / Spider walk and talk at Borakalalo in North West Province with the Bushveld Training Adventure Club and Astri and John Leroy of the Spider Club. We have currently collected 1867 individual species records from the 44 quarter-degree blocks within the Gauteng survey area. This represents an average butterfly count of 42-species per block with a maximum of 110 species (N-W Magaliesburg) and a minimum of 8 species (Devon).
 
Christopher Willis photographed the first recorded occurrence of the Palm-tree Nightfighter, Zophopetes dysmephila, within Gauteng (SABCA Virtual Museum). This represents a very significant range extension and it will be interesting to see whether this species establishes itself permanently in the province. During the course of this season's survey, individual specimens of Acraea lygus and Anthene princeps were captured. To our knowledge, three individual records of A. princeps have now been recorded from the province, all males and all from different localities. In addition, the team has found new localities for the following butterfly species, all of which are rare or localized within the province: Kedestes nerva and Cigaritis phanes; Aphnaeus hutchinsonii; Acraea barbarae; Kedestes wallengrenii wallengrenii; Metisella meninx; Metisella malgacha malgacha. Several specimens of Aloeides dentatis dentatis were observed during the course of a survey of Suikerbsosrand Nature reserve in November.

KwaZulu-Natal

Some news from KZN:
 
The photo (taken by Ada Kaliszewska) was taken during a SABCA visit to the Umtamvuna Nature Reserve last year. From left to right: Alan Heath, Steve Woodhall, Rob Wolter (Conservation Manager - UNR), Richard Dobson and Nita Dobson.
 
To read more on SABCA outings conducted by Steve Woodhall and co. in KZN, as well as to view some of his great photos, please click on the following link to Steve's blog site (this link feature's a SABCA survey, there are many more of Steve's butterfly blogs to find on the site):
SABCA survey in Zululand

Limpopo

Provincial Leader's update, by Andre Coetzer:
A number of trips were conducted in the Limpopo province the past season, with a total of 9 new quarter degree grid cells that were covered. The map shows the quarter degree grid cells that were covered in the 2008-2009 season (blue) versus the cells that were covered from 1985-2008 (red). As always, a number of trips and days rained out, but the rain has also brought some new life to many parts of the province that were extremely dry last season. The areas that were covered includes:
 
The area around Alma and Loubad in southern Limpopo province, some spots south of Vaalwater and a few localities around Lephalale (Ellisras) were surveyed in January 2009. January is probably not the best month for some of these areas, but the trip was planned to coincide with a search for the extremely rare and possibly extinct Erikson's copper (Eriksonia acraeina). Unfortunately, the only known locality of this butterfly has not produced any specimens in the past 15 years, despite good rain and a fire last season, so it is not looking good for this species!
 
Another good survey was done in the area around Hoedspruit during March 2009. These surveys were done with the help of the Sharps (regular VM contributors) who helped to organize entry into many of the private game reserves bordering the Kruger National Park. Most of the quarter degree grid cells in Limpopo (and the neighbouring Mpumalanga areas) produced between 40 and 50 species per cell, but Otter's Den, near Kampersrus yielded 69 species. One of these species was Kersten's hairtail (Anthene kersteni) which was until now only known from the coast in South Africa, making this at least a 300km range extension.

Mpumalanga

Provincial Leader's update, by Dave McDermott:
Visits were undertaken to the data deficient areas north-east of Pretoria during March and April. At Mdala provincial reserve 76 species were recorded compared with just 24 species in September 2007. Good finds included Precis antilope/Darker Commodore (wet season form), Acraea calderena calderena/Black-tipped Acraea, Acraea barberi/Barber's Acreae, Abantis paradisea/Paradise Skipper and Cnodontes penningtoni/Pennington's Buff.
 
Two weeks later a visit further east to Loskop Dam provincial reserve resulted in 64 species observed and some larvae of Charaxes jahlusa/Pearl-spotted Emperor were also found on Pappea capensis. In early May a visit to the Barberton area produced 61 species including Chrysoritis phosphor/Scarce Scarlet and Cymothoe coranus/Blonde Glider, the former exceptionally rare and the latter not that often seen in the area. This caused a flurry of activity on the Internet!
 
In late May in the hills near Malelane Pseudacraea or False Acraeas (all three species, boisduvali trimeni -including f. colvilliei - eurytus imitator and lucretia) were quite common. A good number of Salamis anacardii nebulosa (Clouded Mother-of-pearl) were also observed. Another good find was a single female Deudorix dariaves (Black-and-orange Playboy), confirming a narrow extension of its range from Northern Zululand.
 
We look forward to Spring!
 

Western Cape

Dave Edge - Provincial Leader's update for Southern Cape:
Although surveys were few during the latter part of the season, we are at least still on track to achieve our objectives. The green blocks on the map of the southern Cape indicate the blocks which have been well surveyed. 539 new grid square records have been made and 19 new species records for the region. There may be eight potential new taxa (3 Aloeides; 2 Lepidochrysops; 2 Tsitana).
 
Andrew Morton - provincial Leader's update for the western part of Western Cape:
Members of the Western Cape LepSoc branch enjoyed a successful visit to the West Coast National Park in March. Despite heavy Atlantic mists in the morning, the afternoon was bathed in sunshine and eight species of butterfly were surveyed, including the endemic Atlantic Skolly . Our members also surveyed the following areas in the late Summer & Autumn months; Elandsberg Nature Reserve near Wellington, the river flats around Brandvlei area of Worcester, Pella Mission area, Koeberg nature reserve, The Cape Flats Nature Reserve, Morreesberg area, Porterville, Somerset West, Redhill in Simonstown & Calvinia.
 
For more articles on SABCA trips, please download LepSoc's most recent Newsletter, which featured a few SABCA outings: LepSoc Newsletter (PDF 61 kb)
 
Thank you to the participating LepSoc members who are giving up much of their free time for the surveys, and to the Provincial Leaders for working hard on getting the surveys organised! Teams adhere to LepSoc's Code of Conduct as well as to various nature conservation and forestry permit conditions.
 
Much ground has yet to be covered within the atlas region and SABCA does not have enough people to survey all the gaps - LepSoc members cannot cover the entire country due to limited time and resources. Therefore, this is a reminder to encourage you all to submit photos of butterflies and their life stages to SABCA's Virtual Museum, including butterflies seen in private gardens where it will be difficult for LepSoc members to survey. Photos of all butterflies, even common species are wanted. Photos of butterflies from different areas around South Africa are needed to help us fill in the gaps.
 
Surveys would not be possible without the collaboration of various nature conservation and forestry institutions and organisations, as well as landowners. A big thank you to those listed below for supporting SABCA's field work through providing permits, licenses and permission.
 
CapeNature, Western Cape Province
Dept. of Agriculture, Conservation and Environment, Gauteng Province
Dept. of Agriculture, Conservation, Environment and Tourism, North-West Province
Dept. of Economic Development and Environmental Affairs, Eastern Cape Province
Dept. of Nature and Environmental Conservation, Northern Cape Province
Dept. of Tourism, Environmental and Economic Affairs, Free State Province
Dept. of Water affairs and Forestry (Mpumalanga, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape)
Eastern Cape Parks Board
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, KwaZulu-Natal Province
iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority (formerly the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park Authority) Komatiland Forestry
Limpopo Provincial Government, Limpopo Province
Mondi Business Paper and Mondi Shanduka
Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency, Mpumalanga Province
MTO Forestry
North West Parks and Tourism Board
SAPPI Forests
South African National Parks
 
Until next time...
 
Silvia Mecenero
SABCA Project Coordinator
Email: