New Jersey Tea is a shrub considered rare in this portion of the GTA.
Faunal Associations
The flowers attract numerous insects, especially bees, wasps, flies, and beetles. Butterflies and moths visit the flowers occasionally. These insects obtain nectar from the flowers, although bees may also collect pollen. Among the wasps, are such visitors as Mud Daubers, Beetle Wasps, Sand Wasps, Spider Wasps, and Crabronine wasps. Fly visitors include Syrphid flies, Thick-Headed flies, Tachinid flies, Blow flies, Muscid flies, and others. The caterpillars of the butterfly Celestrina argiolus (Spring/Summer Azure) and the skipper Erynnis martialis (Mottled Duskywing) feed on the foliage. The caterpillars of a few moth species also feed on the foliage, including Hesperymia sulphuraria (Sulfur Moth), Nemoria rubrifrontaria (Red-Fronted Emerald), and Erastria coloraria (Broad-Lined Erastria). The latter moth often flies during the day. Sometimes Mordella spp. (Tumbling Flower Beetles) are found on the flowers, which they eat. The foliage and stems of New Jersey Tea are readily consumed by various mammalian herbiovres, including elk (native in Illinois at one time), deer, rabbits, and livestock. This can make the establishment of this plant difficult where there is an overpopulation of these animals.
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DiscoverLife
The following extract about the Mottled Duskywing is from the Toronto Entomologists Association:
Currently there are very few extant locations for martialis in Ontario. Two small populations have recently been confirmed within the city of Burlington (Hanks & Hess 1992). There are also two populations in the vicinity of Ottawa that are still extant (R. Layberry pers. comm.). However, the most important locality in Ontario for martialis is the Pinery-Ipperwash area in Lambton County. Here, this species has been recently recorded at a few locations. New Jersey Tea is frequent in this area, and there may be several populations of martialis in this region. It has been recorded within Pinery P.P (Hess 1991), at the Kamer Blue Sanctuary near Port Franks (Hess 1991), Yogi Bear (port Franks) (Hess 1987,Hess 1989), and just north of Ipperwash Military Reserve (K. Stead pers. comm., Hanks & Hess 1992).However, even in this area, populations are very small and most published records list just one individual. Based on the distribution of the food-plants, it is likely that the Mottled Dusky Wing occurs at a few other, as yet unknown sites in Ontario. Nonetheless, this species occurs at very few locations in Ontario and should be considered threatened or endangered. It is essential that a proper status report be prepared for this species. This report should be based on extensive field work at all known sites. Additionally, all specimens and photographs should be examined and authenticated. Then a proper management plan can be implemented to preserve this species in Ontario.
Read more about the Mottled Duskywing:
The Mottled Duskywing in Ontario - W. Lamond IN Butterlies of Ontario and Summaries of Lepidoptera Encountered in Ontario in 1992 by Alan J. Hanks. Toronto Entomologists Association Occasional Publication #25-93, page 14
The following extract about the Mottled Duskywing is from the Toronto Entomologists Association:
Currently there are very few extant locations for martialis in Ontario. Two small populations have recently been confirmed within the city of Burlington (Hanks & Hess 1992). There are also two populations in the vicinity of Ottawa that are still extant (R. Layberry pers. comm.). However, the most important locality in Ontario for martialis is the Pinery-Ipperwash area in Lambton County. Here, this species has been recently recorded at a few locations. New Jersey Tea is frequent in this area, and there may be several populations of martialis in this region. It has been recorded within Pinery P.P (Hess 1991), at the Kamer Blue Sanctuary near Port Franks (Hess 1991), Yogi Bear (port Franks) (Hess 1987,Hess 1989), and just north of Ipperwash Military Reserve (K. Stead pers. comm., Hanks & Hess 1992).However, even in this area, populations are very small and most published records list just one individual. Based on the distribution of the food-plants, it is likely that the Mottled Dusky Wing occurs at a few other, as yet unknown sites in Ontario. Nonetheless, this species occurs at very few locations in Ontario and should be considered threatened or endangered. It is essential that a proper status report be prepared for this species. This report should be based on extensive field work at all known sites. Additionally, all specimens and photographs should be examined and authenticated. Then a proper management plan can be implemented to preserve this species in Ontario.
Read more about the Mottled Duskywing:
The Mottled Duskywing in Ontario - W. Lamond IN Butterlies of Ontario and Summaries of Lepidoptera Encountered in Ontario in 1992 by Alan J. Hanks. Toronto Entomologists Association Occasional Publication #25-93, page 14
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