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1 Sep Alpine, Calaveras, Tuolumne Counties [Jim Snyder ] 31 Aug Eumorpha elisa, not "anchemolus" NEW US RECORD [Bruce Walsh ] 31 Aug RE: Help, food source desperately need for Giant Swallowtail Catapillars [Richard James ] 31 Aug RE: Help, food source desperately need for Giant Swallowtail Catapillars ["Hank Brodkin" ] 31 Aug RE: Help, food source desperately need for Giant Swallowtail Catapillars [Todd Stout ] 31 Aug Help, food source desperately need for Giant Swallowtail Catapillars [] 30 Aug Lebec, SD County (both Calif) Monarchs, Giant Swallowtail ["Jamie S." ] 30 Aug Sat. 8/28 San Diego Co. (wordy) [Pete Spino ] 29 Aug RE: [DesertLeps] Two Lifers in Copper Country ["Mark Walker" ] 29 Aug Two Lifers in Copper Country [Jim Snyder ] 28 Aug A Mammoth Good Time [Jim Snyder ] 28 Aug Central AZ, BTA Butterfly Count Sept 11 ["marcelinevandewater" ] 26 Aug RE: [DesertLeps] Owens Valley and Mt. Whitney ["Mark Walker" ] 26 Aug Re: White Mountains [Pete Spino ] 26 Aug White Mountains [Jim Snyder ] 25 Aug Re: Owens Valley and Mt. Whitney [Bryan Reynolds ] 24 Aug Owens Valley and Mt. Whitney [Jim Snyder ] 23 Aug Boisduval's Yellow (Eurema boisduvaliana): Hereford, AZ, 23 Aug 2010 [] 23 Aug Re: Fw: Santa Barbara Co, CA Giant Swallowtail [Paul Cherubini ] 23 Aug Re: Fw: Santa Barbara Co, CA Giant Swallowtail [Wanda Dameron ] 23 Aug Florida White (Appias drusilla): Hereford, AZ, 23 Aug 2010 [] 22 Aug RE: Frazier Park-Mt. Pinos area [Jim Snyder ] 22 Aug Santa Barbara Co, CA Giant Swallowtail ["Lethaby, Nick" ] 22 Aug RE: Queen butterfly ["Mark Walker" ] 22 Aug Eriogonum umbellatum [Bob Allen ] 22 Aug Queen butterfly [Thomas Anderson ] 22 Aug Queens in Orange County, CA [Bob Allen ] 21 Aug RE: Quuens ["Mark Walker" ] 21 Aug Quuens ["Richard" ] 20 Aug Re: [DesertLeps] RE: [leps-talk] Satyrium saepium [Pete Spino ] 20 Aug RE: [leps-talk] Satyrium saepium ["Mark Walker" ] 20 Aug Sheep Skipper ["Hank Brodkin" ] 19 Aug Hammock Skipper (Polygonus leo): Hereford, AZ, 19 Aug 2010 [] 20 Aug Satyrium saepium [Kojiro Shiraiwa ] 19 Aug RE: [DesertLeps] Re: Large Orange Sulphur ["Hank Brodkin" ] 19 Aug Re: Garden Canyon, Ft. Huachuca, 17 August [] 18 Aug Re: RE: [DesertLeps] Bald Mtn. footnote and Satyrium saepium [Pete Spino ] 18 Aug Garden Canyon, Ft. Huachuca, 17 August ["Hank Brodkin" ] 18 Aug Re: Large Orange Sulphur [] 18 Aug Large Orange Sulphur ["Hank Brodkin" ] 18 Aug RE: [DesertLeps] Bald Mtn. footnote and Satyrium saepium [Todd Stout ] 18 Aug Re: [DesertLeps] Bald Mtn. footnote and Satyrium saepium [] 18 Aug Re: [DesertLeps] Bald Mtn. footnote and Satyrium saepium [Pete Spino ] 16 Aug Re: SE AZ: Chiricahua Mts., Cochise Co.; August 11 [Kim Davis ] 16 Aug AZ Butterlying ["vireo" ] 14 Aug Re: Leptotes marina (marine blues) flight habits [Richard James ] 13 Aug RE: [DesertLeps] Leptotes marina (marine blues) flight habits ["Mark Walker" ] 13 Aug Laguna Sunrise - 8.9.10 ["Mark Walker" ] 13 Aug Re: Leptotes marina flight habits [Todd Stout ] 13 Aug Re: Leptotes marina (marine blues) flight habits [Pete Spino ] 13 Aug Re: Leptotes marina (marine blues) flight habits [lynn monroe ] 12 Aug Re: SE AZ: Chiricahua Mts., Cochise Co.; August 11 [] 13 Aug SE AZ: Chiricahua Mts., Cochise Co.; August 11 ["teleost07" ] 12 Aug Re: [DesertLeps] Leptotes marina (marine blues) flight habits [] 12 Aug Leptotes marina (marine blues) flight habits [Todd Stout ] 11 Aug Re: Tioga Pass and Yosemite Butterflies [] 11 Aug Re: Tioga Pass and Yosemite Butterflies [jspippen ] 11 Aug Tioga Pass and Yosemite Butterflies [Rob ] 11 Aug RE: Yosemite/Mono Lake, CA butterflies ["Mark Walker" ] 10 Aug Yosemite/Mono Lake, CA butterflies ["Lethaby, Nick" ] 10 Aug Survey - Top five nectar plants [chris kline ] 10 Aug Fw: Cuyama Valley and Peak, SBA Co, CA [] 9 Aug Re: Fw: Cuyama Valley and Peak, SBA Co, CA [] 9 Aug Re: Cuyama Valley and Peak, SBA Co, CA [Ray Stanford ] 5 Aug Cuyama Valley and Peak, SBA Co, CA ["Lethaby, Nick" ] 5 Aug RE: Another (apparent) Broad-banded Swallowtail (Papilio astaylus):Hereford, AZ ["Mark Walker" ] 4 Aug RE: Another (apparent) Broad-banded Swallowtail (Papilio astaylus):Hereford, AZ [David Ferguson ] 4 Aug Miller Peak Wilderness - Comfort Springs Trail ["Hank Brodkin" ] 4 Aug Another (apparent) Broad-banded Swallowtail (Papilio astaylus):Hereford, AZ [] 4 Aug Another apparent Broad-banded Swallowtail (Papilio astyalus): Hereford: AZ ["rbehrstock AT cox.net" ] 4 Aug Another apparent Broad-banded Swallowtail (Papilio astyalus): Hereford: AZ [] 3 Aug AZ: Pima County - Brown Canyon, Baboquivari Mountains [Philip Kline ] 30 Jul RE: Laguna Mountains; S.D. County, CA ["Mark Walker" ] 26 Jul Laguna Mountains; S.D. County, CA [Pete Spino ] 23 Jul SE AZ: Chiricahua Mts., 7/22/10 [] 22 Jul AZ: Florida Canyon, Santa Ritas, Pima County [Philip Kline ] Subject: Alpine, Calaveras, Tuolumne Counties From: Jim Snyder <gmanager999 AT hotmail.com> Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 04:37:53 -1000 All: Monday, August 30, I was faced with a decision. I had scheduled two days in the high country west of Bridgeport but the effects of the recent cold front were still lingering. I chose to drive Highway 89 over Monitor Pass and then Highway 4 to Ebbetts Pass in Alpine County. This was a much longer trip than Sonora Pass and that way I could spend the day mostly driving and have the better weather day for Sonora Pass. I reached Ebbetts Pass (elevation 9,121') at 10:30 am and it was till only 46 degrees. I hiked up to the spot where I had seen Behr's Parnassians before but there was nothing doing today. When I got back to the car there were two Mormon Fritillaries who were kind enough to pose for photos. My next stop was down Hwy 4 west of the pass about two miles at Elbow Creek (elevation 7,980'). The creek was dry but right where I parked the car I saw a male Purplish Copper, a Hedgerow Hairstreak, Great Basin Fritillaries (both sexes), a Callippe Fritillary and a West Coast Lady. I would then continue west and eventually stop at the Woodchuck Basin trailhead (elevation 7,791'). Again the stream areas were dry but there were a lot of small yellow and purple flowers and lots of butterflies! Here I would find Greenish Blues, Lilac-bordered Coppers, a female Purplish Copper and three species of fritillaries (Mormon, Great Basin and Callippe). At this point I had another decision to make. I could head back to Ebbetts Pass (but I thought it would still be too cold up there), or I could drive west to Calaveras County on the western slope where it would be much warmer. I chose the later. I remembered a place near Hathaway Pines, CA that Jim Brock had taken me in 2006 to find Golden Hairstreaks. I got to the general vicinity and began checking all of the dirt roads on the north side of the road until I found the one that looked right. One quick side note: most of the stops on this trip have been made based on a combination of memory and field notes from previous trips. Now with my newest toy, a Garmin etrex Vista HCx GPS, I have been able to get elevations, place names and most importantly mark the exactl ocations with waypoints. I found Jim's spot which my GPS said was Hillcrest Drive, a private road. At an elevation of 3,403' and temperature now 67 degrees at 1:30 pm this spot seemed promising. One trick I have seen many of my collector friends use in the field is to lightly tap trees and bushed with their nets to scare out butterflies from their unseen perches. Because it is too awkward to travel to and from Hawaii with a net (just ask Bob Pyle) I used a stick instead. Sure enough as I tapped the first oak, out flew a golden jewel that fortunately landed in a dead tree at eye level so I was easily able to find him again. It was a male golden hairstreak that showed me and allowed me to photograph his lovely dorsal side while briefly resting in the sunlight. What a treat. The same butterfly in the exact same place as four years ago! I walked up and down the little dirt road but could find no more Golden Hairstreaks. I did, however, see two California Sisters, a California Ringlet and a female Woodland Skipper that Andy Warren has identified as Ochlodes sylvanoides omnigena. On the three hour drive back to Bridgeport made only one stop...Calaveras Big Trees State Park, where I walked amongst the giant redwood trees for an hour. I will continue part two of this post later as I am anxious to get to Tioga Pass and another stop at Saddlebag Lake... Aloha, Jim Snyder Jim Snyder Honolulu, HI gmanager999 AT hotmail.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Eumorpha elisa, not "anchemolus" NEW US RECORD From: Bruce Walsh <jbwalsh AT u.arizona.edu> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:50:44 -0700 Mistaken ID on the Eumorpha "anchemolus" record (August 26 MV lights, Foothills Road, just North of Portal (on the plains just east of the Chirichahua Mts., Arizona). Just got an email for Ian Kitching (MNH, London). Its E. elisa, and so a new US record Subject: RE: Help, food source desperately need for Giant Swallowtail Catapillars From: Richard James <Richard.James AT longbeach.gov> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:48:06 -0700 Rue is Ruta graveolens. Be sure not to get Meadow Rue (Thalictrum fendleri) as it is not in the Rutaceae. Richard L. James Naturalist El Dorado Nature Center 7550 E. Spring Street Long Beach, California 90815 (562) 570-1750 Please note: my email is changed to richard.james AT longbeach.gov. Please update your address book. From: Todd Stout To: , Southwest Lep Date: 08/31/2010 10:03 AM Subject: RE: [SoWestLep] Help, food source desperately need for Giant Swallowtail Catapillars Sent by: SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com Hi Mark, See if any local nurseries sell Rue. It belongs to the citrus family and Papilio cresphontes will eat it. Todd Todd L. Stout Utah Lepidopterists' Society http://www.utahlepsociety.org/toddstout.html todd_stout29 AT hotmail.com 801-558-6302 TILS Motto: "We can not protect that which we do not know" 1999 To: SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com From: zostropz AT aol.com Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:40:11 -0400 Subject: [SoWestLep] Help, food source desperately need for Giant Swallowtail Catapillars Hello everyone, I am new to this list and have a desperate request. I grew 5 little tiny Wild Lime plants from seed and had them hidden up on the porch, but the Giant Swallowtail found them and now I have 6 Catapillars that are going to run out of food. We are very much into the butterfly gardening so I really want to keep these guys but I have to find a food source for them quickly. All the nurseries here have citrus trees that have been systemically treated for the Asian Citrus Psyllid. What else can I do to keep them going? Any ideas? Wild lime, I believe it is the same thing as prickly ash, appears to be hard to find in my local nurseries. thank you, Mark Stratton San Diego _zostropz AT aol.com_ (mailto:zostropz AT aol.com) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: RE: Help, food source desperately need for Giant Swallowtail Catapillars From: "Hank Brodkin" <hbrodkin AT cox.net> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:29:18 -0700 Mark: Hop Tree or Wafer Ash = Ptelea trifoliata is also a Rutaceae and is what our cresphontes here use (5000 + feet). You can buy seeds for Plants for the Southwest to plant for the future: Click on: http://www.plantsofthesouthwest.com/cgi-bin/plantview.cgi?_recordnum=1296 Another plant that is a cultivar used in Tucson is White Sapote Casimiroa edulis which might b found in nurseries. If you can find Arizona Mock Orange Choisya dumosa - that is used in lower elevations of Santa Cruz County, AZ. I don't know if nurseries (especially in your area) carry that. Most other Mock Oranges are not Rutacaea. Hank Brodkin Carr Canyon, Cochise County, AZ 31°26’59.8”N 110°16’02.8”W hbrodkin AT cox.net "Butterflies of Arizona - a Photographic Guide" "Finding Butterflies in Arizona - a Guide to the Best Sites" http://members.cox.net/hbrodkin/ -----Original Message----- From: SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of zostropz AT aol.com Sent: Tuesday, August 31, 2010 8:40 AM To: SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com Subject: [SoWestLep] Help, food source desperately need for Giant Swallowtail Catapillars Hello everyone, I am new to this list and have a desperate request. I grew 5 little tiny Wild Lime plants from seed and had them hidden up on the porch, but the Giant Swallowtail found them and now I have 6 Catapillars that are going to run out of food. We are very much into the butterfly gardening so I really want to keep these guys but I have to find a food source for them quickly. All the nurseries here have citrus trees that have been systemically treated for the Asian Citrus Psyllid. What else can I do to keep them going? Any ideas? Wild lime, I believe it is the same thing as prickly ash, appears to be hard to find in my local nurseries. thank you, Mark Stratton San Diego _zostropz AT aol.com_ (mailto:zostropz AT aol.com) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.851 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3104 - Release Date: 08/30/10 23:34:00 No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.851 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3104 - Release Date: 08/30/10 23:34:00 Subject: RE: Help, food source desperately need for Giant Swallowtail Catapillars From: Todd Stout <todd_stout29 AT hotmail.com> Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:03:09 -0600 Hi Mark, See if any local nurseries sell Rue. It belongs to the citrus family and Papilio cresphontes will eat it. Todd Todd L. Stout Utah Lepidopterists' Society http://www.utahlepsociety.org/toddstout.html todd_stout29 AT hotmail.com 801-558-6302 TILS Motto: "We can not protect that which we do not know" 1999 To: SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com From: zostropz AT aol.com Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:40:11 -0400 Subject: [SoWestLep] Help, food source desperately need for Giant Swallowtail Catapillars Hello everyone, I am new to this list and have a desperate request. I grew 5 little tiny Wild Lime plants from seed and had them hidden up on the porch, but the Giant Swallowtail found them and now I have 6 Catapillars that are going to run out of food. We are very much into the butterfly gardening so I really want to keep these guys but I have to find a food source for them quickly. All the nurseries here have citrus trees that have been systemically treated for the Asian Citrus Psyllid. What else can I do to keep them going? Any ideas? Wild lime, I believe it is the same thing as prickly ash, appears to be hard to find in my local nurseries. thank you, Mark Stratton San Diego _zostropz AT aol.com_ (mailto:zostropz AT aol.com) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SoWestLep/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SoWestLep/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: SoWestLep-digest AT yahoogroups.com SoWestLep-fullfeatured AT yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: SoWestLep-unsubscribe AT yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ Subject: Help, food source desperately need for Giant Swallowtail Catapillars From: zostropz AT aol.com Date: Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:40:11 EDT Hello everyone, I am new to this list and have a desperate request. I grew 5 little tiny Wild Lime plants from seed and had them hidden up on the porch, but the Giant Swallowtail found them and now I have 6 Catapillars that are going to run out of food. We are very much into the butterfly gardening so I really want to keep these guys but I have to find a food source for them quickly. All the nurseries here have citrus trees that have been systemically treated for the Asian Citrus Psyllid. What else can I do to keep them going? Any ideas? Wild lime, I believe it is the same thing as prickly ash, appears to be hard to find in my local nurseries. thank you, Mark Stratton San Diego _zostropz AT aol.com_ (mailto:zostropz AT aol.com) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Lebec, SD County (both Calif) Monarchs, Giant Swallowtail From: "Jamie S." <woodpecker97330 AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 22:26:08 -0700 (PDT) Perhaps nothing of particular note, but here are a few sightings from a recent trip to So. California.  Photos are available for all. 8/15: 1 Monarch (Danaus plexippus) at the southbound Lebec Rest Area (Kern Co.) along I-5 (just north of the Grapevine). 8/22: At least 4 Monarchs at the intersection of Florida & Upas in San Diego. (I went to this location to look for Neon Skimmers--odonates--and found Monarchs instead.) 8/27: 1 Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) at an avocado ranch located about 2 miles wnw of Rincon, San Diego County (but notably higher elevation) where they are known to inhabit orange orchards.  It was feeding on bougainvillea flowers.  There are a few scattered citrus orchards in the immediate area.  Jamie Simmons Corvallis, Oregon Subject: Sat. 8/28 San Diego Co. (wordy) From: Pete Spino <petespino8 AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:41:28 -0700 (PDT) All, Saturday the 28th dawned unexpectedly in my favor for I was not even planning to be able to get out and chase butterflies but ended up doing so most of the day. After a week of extreme heat, they were calling for a cool, breezy day under partly cloudy skies though. No problem, my back felt good and the doctors said to walk, walk, walk. I first went out to the Scissor's Crossing area to find some evidence that the rare and elusive Pseudocopaeodesenus (Alkali Skipper) is still a player in those hot seas of Desert Saltgrass as it once was not too very long ago. The saltgrass there right now is dry and the late summer thunderstorms have obviously not materialized as of yet. A couple of good storms will turn this desert transition tinderbox into an oasis once again. But not now. I didn't see anything there except Coliaseurytheme (Orange Sulphur) and Pontiabeckerii (Becker's White) in transit and decent numbers of Brephidium exile (Western Pygmy Blue) on saltbush. The much needed rain will allow another brood of species like C. gryneusloki, Apodemiapalmeri, Ministrymonleda, Hesperopsislibya and possibly Papiliopolyxenescoloro to grace this achingly beautiful landscape once again. But this wasn't happening on my watch Saturday so I planned to head back up the "Grade" to the Laguna Mountains with a few stops along the way up. One thing that I saw there that I want to share, was both magnificent and disturbing at the same time. It was a first. I saw a Cooper's Hawk overtake and kill an adult Barn Owl in the mesquite at a very close distance from where I was standing. The owl was no match in flight with the hawk and it kept returning clumsily to the same tree. Finally the end came as the hawk grabbed it with its talons and they both spiraled to the ground. The determined hawk had some trouble with this larger than normal prey, for the Barn Owl did not die quickly. It thrashed and beat it wings continuously all the while hissing and screaming. I don't know if any of you ever heard a Barn Owl scream before, but it is a heinous sound to the ears. Especially one who knows it's fate. What an incredible spectacle to witness. And, I had a front row seat. I had to check the blooming Eriogonumelongatum just east of Banner for my next target species for the day, 'Dammer's' Dotted Blue (Euphilotesenoptesdammersi). Mark Walker and I found one here last year around this time, and on this day there were two. I felt there could of been more but the wind was picking up. Also a single Plebejusacmon (Acmon Blue) was here. It was large! Probably the largest plebejus I have ever seen. At this time a man pulled up in his truck to ask me what I was doing and if I could please not trespass there. So I slithered back to the car, grabbed a PB&J sandwich, popped in a Allman Brothers CD and continued back up the often nauseating stretch that they call the Banner Grade. Just as the last notes of "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed" ended, I pulled into a turnout to check the Upper Oroflame Canyon area for the next two target species, H. juba and H. columbia. I knew it was probably too early for the Columbia Skipper, but I still wanted to check the hilltop where I had one back in late September of 2007. The wind now was incessant so I aborted this venture and instead checked out all the real nice buckwheat in a side canyon that was protected from the wind. Juba Skipper was here, but in fewer numbers than I had hoped. Years past around this time every plant seemed to have them, so it was probably a combination of the wind and the slow season. A treat of sorts here was seeing a few American Lady, I see too few of these Vanessa virginiensis anymore so it was nice to be in company with them again. Painted Lady were here too for comparison. The only other bug I encountered at this location was a windblown Apodemiavirgulti (Behr'sMetalmark). My next stop was going to be a quickie at Cuyamaca Lake to see if there was a brood flying of Lycaenahelloides (Purplish Copper), and to try and find the Euptoietaclaudia (Variegated Fritillary). E. Claudia, a stray, sometimes are here, and, thanks to the Monroes, I've seen them west of the lake. None today, but I did find a few worn helloides. All of them males. Western Tigers were patrolling the small riparian area as well as a pretty good flight of Mylitta Crescent (Phyciodesmylitta). The best butterfly seen in the short time here however was a fresh Polygoniasatyrus (Satyr Comma). I was feeling my oats and thought about heading across the 79 to check the Canyon Live Oak for some late Golden Hairstreaks, but I relented because I really wanted to head over to Mt. Laguna as quickly now as possible. So back into the car I went for another sandwich and a little Deep Purple for the drive on over there. I always liked the sound of Ritchie Blackmore's guitar. As you already know, Mark Walker on August 9th found a gold nugget of sorts when he saw that female Callophrysspinetorum. This is a bug that just isn't seen anymore with any regularity here in San Diego County in spite of the organized efforts of the people here that have been trying to find it. I guess I would put the Thicket Hairstreak right up there with the Alkali Skipper on the butterflies most likely to end up on the side of a milk carton. For they are two that have definitely gone missing from these parts of California. In spite of this, I headed over to the meadows knowing that it was not going to be seen today for it was too late and Mark probably took the last lonely individual of this species ever to grace the coniferous forest of the Lagunas! My thoughts drifted to that old and lonely last Passenger Pigeon named "Martha" that died at the Cincinnati Zoo in 1914 for some reason. But unlike "Martha", we know spinetorum thrives in other places. And, I remember feeling the same way as I did in late March of 2009 before my son and I refound the Small Blue, that has been rare and hard to find for a lot of us as well. I know, just like P. speciosa, I'll see this hairstreak. Perhaps even next year thanks to Mark. But, as far as the P. eunus goes, I cannot say this. The riffs from "Smoke on the Water" led me to my final destinations on Mt. Laguna and I knew I was right on schedule. A big plus was that the pines and the wooded hills here act as natural wind buffers. After a couple of big mouthfuls of figs and other dried fruit, I drove to the end of the observatory road and checked all the buckwheat and aster. Bonanza! A large hairstreak party with; Strymonmelinus pudica (Common Gray Hairstreak), Satyriumsaepium (Hedgerow), C. augustinusiroides (Western Elfin) as well as large numbers of Satyrium tetra (Mountain Mahogany Hairstreak) bellying up to the nectar bar. Much to my delight two Speyeriacoronissemiramis (old common name: Semiramis Fritillary) were also here as well as decent numbers of Ochlodessylvanoides (Woodland Skipper). I had targeted the Nathalisiole (Dainty Sulphur), one of my favorite butterflies, of bugs that I wanted to see this day. As I getting into the car, there went one flying low to the ground in front of me. I drove back and crossed over Sunrise Highway and parked where the road ended and a trail began on the other side of a gate. Eriogonumwrightii was in full bloom and it wasn't long before I saw as many 'Dammer's' Blue as I have ever seen at one location. Geez! Up until a couple of years ago I had never even seen this species, now they flying like a garden bug! Mark, Your single individual that you found earlier this month has now manifested into this! I had to use my net to ID them because they were frenetically flying and stirring up other blues; Hemiargusceraunusgyas (Edward's Blue), Leptotes marina (Marine), and several Echinargusisola (Reakirt's). Further down the trail near the creek I had two more blue species, Plebejusmelissaparadoxa (Orange Margined Melissa Blue) and Cupidoamyntulaamyntula (Western Tailed Blue). And it doesn't end here. I caught more blues that were marked as lupinimontcola are. Surely these could not still be Clemence's Blue flying at the end of August? I've never seen them later than mid-July up here. I'll leave this question to others. And, I also caught Dotted Blues that I strongly feel were Bernardino Blue. What in the name of global warming is going on?! I felt like I was in a Jules Verne book. Nothing seemed as it should be. Continuing on now as I followed the trail along the creek that would eventually deposit me into the meadows, I was seeing everything BUT spinetorum. AfraniusDuskywing and White Checkered Skippers competed with the blues on the ground whenever the creek crossed over the trail. Orange Skipperling too. In the meadows a nice Monarch hung around me and seemed attracted to the red handle on my net. More eurytheme, especially the alba females, and decent numbers of Harford'sSulphur brought mobile yellow colors to this montane palette. California Sister (Adelphacalifornica) were very numerous. The Gray Buckeye (Jumoniacoeniagrisea) also entered into the equation as did a couple more Mylitta Crescent. I looked at my watch and it said 4 p.m. Oops! I told my lovely wife that I'd be home by five. And, my phone had no bars. On the walk back, just as I was already preparing myself for a possible night sleeping on the couch, I got a couple of bars and phoned the wife. She said the baby was late in getting her nap so it was no problem coming home later as long as I took them out to dinner. Gladly, because my selfish manner then added one more stop to see one more butterfly for the day. The shadowy Behr's Wood Nymph (Cercyonissthenelebehrii), usually seen this time of the year near the tiny hamlet of Guatay. I know I was pushing things but I was driving by there anyway on the way back to San Diego, so why not. I hiked back to my lonely car and found that a cheeky individual had wrote "Wash me!" on my rear window. But I didn't care in the least. First of they were accurate, I have not washed my car in over a year. More importantly to me, I had just seen well over thirty butterflies on a day when I woke up not expecting to see even one. In addition, my wife would not even be yelling at me in Mandarin when I returned home. All was well thanks to God. This called for a celebration. I ate the last sandwich, opened a bag of salt n' vinegar potato chips, and chose a CD for the ride down the mountain, "The Isley Brothers Greatest Hits". I DID find the C. sthenele behrii near Guatay, two of them dancing as they do in flight, bringing this wonderful day's total to thirty-four species. Pete Spino San Diego ________________________________ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: RE: [DesertLeps] Two Lifers in Copper Country From: "Mark Walker" <xvermontrz AT att.net> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 11:41:15 -0700 Wow - it's definitely a delayed season. I've backpacked the area above Saddlebag in mid-August and have found most of the species you mention way past their flights. Well done. Mark. _____ From: DesertLeps AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:DesertLeps AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Jim Snyder Sent: Sunday, August 29, 2010 7:59 AM To: DesertLeps AT yahoogroups.com; SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com Subject: [DesertLeps] Two Lifers in Copper Country All: You butterfly photographers will relate to how rarely this happens but for the past two days I have been able to photograph every species of butterfly that I have seen (I don't count them as "seen" unless I photograph them). Two butterflies that eluded me on my July 2006 trip to the Sierras were Heather Blue and Sierra Sulphur. The reason was that the snow pack was huge that year. It's bothered me ever since (do I need to get a life or what?) and because this year the season is also late, that is the main reason why I chose to go in late August. On Friday, August 27, I headed up Tioga Pass to the fabled Saddlebag Lake to resume my search. I planned to hike the entire loop around the lake and chose the west side to start. About 15 minutes into my walk I saw blues moving about in the talus slope and got really excited. Could these be Heather Blues? Upon closer inspection they turned out to be Shasta Blues, several males and females. I eventually reached the Mountain Heather hill and a little past that, exactly where Jim Brock said they would be, I got my first target lifer - Heather Blue. I photographed several males there. This time I decide to investigate the meadows that lie between Saddlebag Lake and Greenstone Lake to the southeast. I immediately saw a Sulphur and chased it until I recognized it as an Orange Sulphur. Disappointment did not have time to set in because at that very instant something flew in front of me. It flew low to the ground, appeared whitish in flight and seemed almost moth-like. I commenced my chase when another then another then another crossed my path. They were Sierra Sulphurs, my second target lifer. The meadow between the lakes was full of these green Sulphurs and because it was windy, the wind would blow them down and I could phtograph to my heart's content. I also would find the dark "Tecumseh" sub-species of Sandhill Skipper here. Having achieved my goal for this trip, I headed around the back end of Saddlebag Lake to the east shore, where the habitat is very different. Instead of talus slopes, there are lots of open meadows full of flowers and several creeks that drain down to the lake. Here I would find an assortment of butterflies including four species of Coppers (Edith's, Blue, Lilac-bordered, Ruddy) on the same bush! I finised my hike and headed back down Tioga Pass to a spot Ken Davenport recommended below the dam at Ellery Lake. The wind was really picking up now (gusts to 35 mph) so butterflying there was out of the question. I would stop at Warren Creek and some other creeks further down Tioga Pass Road and find another Ruddy Copper, a Checkered White and several Sonoran Skippers. Here's my list for August 27: Saddlebag Lake, Greenstone Lake & Tioga Pass Road 1. Clodius Parnassian - 1 male 2. Checkered White - 1 male 3. Orange Sulphur - 1 female 4. Sierra Sulphur - 30+ males & females 5. Blue Copper - 1 male 6. Edith's Copper - 4 (3 males, 1 female) 7. Ruddy Copper - 2 males 8. Lilac-bordered Copper - 3 (2 males, 1 female) 9. Dotted Blue - 1 female 10. Shasta Blue - 10+ males & females 11. Heather Blue - 3 males 12. Mylitta Crescent - 1 male 13. Great Basin Fritillary - 2 males 14. Milbert's Tortoiseshell - 2 (1 male, 1 female) 15. West Coast Lady - 1 male 16. Sonoran Skipper - 10+ males and females 17. 'Tecumseh' Sandhill Skipper - 5 (3 males, 2 females) Yesterday I headed back up Tioga Pass to hopefully enjoy a rewind of my previous day. Unfortunately when I arrived at Saddlebag Lake the temperature was 44 degrees and the wind was gusting to 50 mph! A cold front was moving in. With no winter wear I hurridly left Tioga Pass and headed to the more friendly environment of the Mono Basin. My first stop would be Mono County Park. Here I would find more Sonoran Skippers and a lone Common Buckeye. Then I found a real oddity. A butterfly came in and landed in the willows next to the boardwalk. It appeared to by a hybrid cross between Weidemeyer's and Lorquin's Admiral. Andy Waren tells me that this area is a blend zone for the two species and that inter-breeding has been observed in this area for years. The resulting hybrid used to be called Limenitis weidemeyerii fridayi. After that I headed down the boardwalk towards Mono Lake and got another treat. In the grassy fields on both sides of the boardwalk there were several male Nokomis Fritillaries flying around. When they would land they would crawl down into the grass making for lousy photographs. Until one landed right on the boardwalk in front of me! How cooperative of him. I next headed towards the Bodie ghost town and stopped in the Bodie Hills to find more male Nokomis, a Small Wood-Nymph and a male Western White. After visiting Bodie I took the Coyote Springs Road through Bridgeport Canyon where I found more Sonoran Skippers and a Sachem. It was now late afternoon and I stopped again at the Mono County Park. This time there was no action around the boardwalk. I knew Nokomis Fritillaries had to be around (although the cold front was moving in and it was decidedly colder now than it had been in the morning). I decided to leave the park, drive east for a quarter mile or so and bushwhack my way through the willows towards Mono Lake. When I finally reached an open area I looked at a healthy Thistle plant and couldn't believe my eyes. Nectaring on the thistle was a perfectly fresh orange male and an equally fresh black FEMALE Nokomis Fritillary. I would be able to photograph both of them (the stunning female was a first for me) as they both seemed unbothered by me. What a great two days.! Even with this cold front (which has dashed my plans for alpine butterflies today - it's supposed to snow in Tioga, Sonora and Ebbetts Passes today), my spirits are high and I'll just have to go exploring elsewhere on my way to my next base - Bridgeport. Aloha, Jim Snyder Jim Snyder Honolulu, HI gmanager999 AT hotmail.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Two Lifers in Copper Country From: Jim Snyder <gmanager999 AT hotmail.com> Date: Sun, 29 Aug 2010 04:58:33 -1000 All: You butterfly photographers will relate to how rarely this happens but for the past two days I have been able to photograph every species of butterfly that I have seen (I don't count them as "seen" unless I photograph them). Two butterflies that eluded me on my July 2006 trip to the Sierras were Heather Blue and Sierra Sulphur. The reason was that the snow pack was huge that year. It's bothered me ever since (do I need to get a life or what?) and because this year the season is also late, that is the main reason why I chose to go in late August. On Friday, August 27, I headed up Tioga Pass to the fabled Saddlebag Lake to resume my search. I planned to hike the entire loop around the lake and chose the west side to start. About 15 minutes into my walk I saw blues moving about in the talus slope and got really excited. Could these be Heather Blues? Upon closer inspection they turned out to be Shasta Blues, several males and females. I eventually reached the Mountain Heather hill and a little past that, exactly where Jim Brock said they would be, I got my first target lifer - Heather Blue. I photographed several males there. This time I decide to investigate the meadows that lie between Saddlebag Lake and Greenstone Lake to the southeast. I immediately saw a Sulphur and chased it until I recognized it as an Orange Sulphur. Disappointment did not have time to set in because at that very instant something flew in front of me. It flew low to the ground, appeared whitish in flight and seemed almost moth-like. I commenced my chase when another then another then another crossed my path. They were Sierra Sulphurs, my second target lifer. The meadow between the lakes was full of these green Sulphurs and because it was windy, the wind would blow them down and I could phtograph to my heart's content. I also would find the dark "Tecumseh" sub-species of Sandhill Skipper here. Having achieved my goal for this trip, I headed around the back end of Saddlebag Lake to the east shore, where the habitat is very different. Instead of talus slopes, there are lots of open meadows full of flowers and several creeks that drain down to the lake. Here I would find an assortment of butterflies including four species of Coppers (Edith's, Blue, Lilac-bordered, Ruddy) on the same bush! I finised my hike and headed back down Tioga Pass to a spot Ken Davenport recommended below the dam at Ellery Lake. The wind was really picking up now (gusts to 35 mph) so butterflying there was out of the question. I would stop at Warren Creek and some other creeks further down Tioga Pass Road and find another Ruddy Copper, a Checkered White and several Sonoran Skippers. Here's my list for August 27: Saddlebag Lake, Greenstone Lake & Tioga Pass Road 1. Clodius Parnassian - 1 male 2. Checkered White - 1 male 3. Orange Sulphur - 1 female 4. Sierra Sulphur - 30+ males & females 5. Blue Copper - 1 male 6. Edith's Copper - 4 (3 males, 1 female) 7. Ruddy Copper - 2 males 8. Lilac-bordered Copper - 3 (2 males, 1 female) 9. Dotted Blue - 1 female 10. Shasta Blue - 10+ males & females 11. Heather Blue - 3 males 12. Mylitta Crescent - 1 male 13. Great Basin Fritillary - 2 males 14. Milbert's Tortoiseshell - 2 (1 male, 1 female) 15. West Coast Lady - 1 male 16. Sonoran Skipper - 10+ males and females 17. 'Tecumseh' Sandhill Skipper - 5 (3 males, 2 females) Yesterday I headed back up Tioga Pass to hopefully enjoy a rewind of my previous day. Unfortunately when I arrived at Saddlebag Lake the temperature was 44 degrees and the wind was gusting to 50 mph! A cold front was moving in. With no winter wear I hurridly left Tioga Pass and headed to the more friendly environment of the Mono Basin. My first stop would be Mono County Park. Here I would find more Sonoran Skippers and a lone Common Buckeye. Then I found a real oddity. A butterfly came in and landed in the willows next to the boardwalk. It appeared to by a hybrid cross between Weidemeyer's and Lorquin's Admiral. Andy Waren tells me that this area is a blend zone for the two species and that inter-breeding has been observed in this area for years. The resulting hybrid used to be called Limenitis weidemeyerii fridayi. After that I headed down the boardwalk towards Mono Lake and got another treat. In the grassy fields on both sides of the boardwalk there were several male Nokomis Fritillaries flying around. When they would land they would crawl down into the grass making for lousy photographs. Until one landed right on the boardwalk in front of me! How cooperative of him. I next headed towards the Bodie ghost town and stopped in the Bodie Hills to find more male Nokomis, a Small Wood-Nymph and a male Western White. After visiting Bodie I took the Coyote Springs Road through Bridgeport Canyon where I found more Sonoran Skippers and a Sachem. It was now late afternoon and I stopped again at the Mono County Park. This time there was no action around the boardwalk. I knew Nokomis Fritillaries had to be around (although the cold front was moving in and it was decidedly colder now than it had been in the morning). I decided to leave the park, drive east for a quarter mile or so and bushwhack my way through the willows towards Mono Lake. When I finally reached an open area I looked at a healthy Thistle plant and couldn't believe my eyes. Nectaring on the thistle was a perfectly fresh orange male and an equally fresh black FEMALE Nokomis Fritillary. I would be able to photograph both of them (the stunning female was a first for me) as they both seemed unbothered by me. What a great two days.! Even with this cold front (which has dashed my plans for alpine butterflies today - it's supposed to snow in Tioga, Sonora and Ebbetts Passes today), my spirits are high and I'll just have to go exploring elsewhere on my way to my next base - Bridgeport. Aloha, Jim Snyder Jim Snyder Honolulu, HI gmanager999 AT hotmail.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: A Mammoth Good Time From: Jim Snyder <gmanager999 AT hotmail.com> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 04:39:13 -1000 Fellow Lepsters: August 26 my travels would take me from Bishop to my new base camp of Lee Vining at the foot of Tioga Pass. What a lovely drive! My first stop was at Convict Lake. This was the first place my wife and I ever camped together 20 years ago...great memories. Next, as I could see Mammoth Mountain begining to dominate the horizon before me I stopped along the Mommoth Yosemite Airport road to check the yellow buckwheat there. No action as it was too early and too windy. I then made a brief stop at Hot Creek Geological Site which is always interesting. The whole Mono Basin holds so many geological treasures that I could spend weeks there and never grow tired. I then would head up into Mammoth Lakes to Mammoth Mountain, my prime destination for this day. I parked way down the hill as there were many backpackers and mountain bikers who had beaten me there. I gazed up at the grand mountain from the mammoth statue next to Adventure Center noticed the gondola buckets heading up and down the mountain non stop. I then thought of my wife, who did not accompany me on this trip (hence the accelerated pace). Had she been there with me she undoubtedly, bless her heart, would have taken one look at the $21 price to ride the gondola to the top and "suggested" that I hike the 5 miles with its 1,000 foot elevation gain instead (while she of course would wait down below). But since this was my vacation I sprung for the gondola ticket and even splurged by upgrading to the $25 ticket that included lunch at the cafe on the summit. The gondola ride was very enjoyable as, instead of being herded into a huge steel case with 60 other people as I had experienced elsewhere, I had my own private little car where I was able to jockey back and forth to snap photos looking both up and down the mountain. When I got to the top, it was pleasantly warm with surprising little wind. There at 11,053 feet I would see three species of butterflies, two of which would be new for this trip. There were several of the Sierra Nevada variety of Chryxus Artic, Oeneis chryxus ivallda. These, probably all males, were quite a bit lighter on the dorsal side than the Chryxus Arctics I saw in Colorado last year. Next there was a small checkerspot that turned out to be a male Edith's Checkerspot, Euphydryas editha nubigena (thanks to Andy Warren for the ID). I then had lunch in the little cafe next to the gondola station and had a pulled pork sandwhich with cole slaw. It was huge, enough for two. They should have called it the "Mammoth" sandwich. As I left the cafe to take one last look around the wind picked up and a flash of bright orange blew past me highlighted against the pure white background that dominates the landscape up there. I chased the flash of orange around until it could no longer battle the wind and came to rest against a rock. This turned out to be a male Great Basin Fritillary, Speyeria egleis egleis (thanks again Andy). I took my own private gondola back down the hill and snapped another several dozen photos (can't get enough of that scenery). A little further up the US 395 I would stop at Obsidian Dome where I would find Pine Whites nectaring on rabbit brush nearby. After a stop to climb Panum Crater and a walk around the South Tufa at Mono Lake I arrived in Lee Vining. I lucked out when I booked the Lake View Inn as it turns out to be the nicest place in town. After cleaning up I was hungry. Lee Vining does not offer a whole lot of dinner possibilities; Mono Cone was closed and the Whoa Nellie Deli did not look too promising (it's located in a gas station). I took a chance and headed south to the June Lake Scenic Loop and stumbled up a little oasis in a canyon next to Silver Lake. I walked into the Carson Peak Inn and had a wonderful dinner. For a little more than the price of a hamburger and fries in Waikiki, I had a huge piece of fresh halibut (flown in fresh that day from Alaska), soup, salad, bread, vegetables and a glass of wine! What a great day...the perfect combination of sight seeing, great food and, of course, butterflies. Aloha, Jim Snyder Jim Snyder Honolulu, HI gmanager999 AT hotmail.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Central AZ, BTA Butterfly Count Sept 11 From: "marcelinevandewater" <marcelinevandewater AT yahoo.com> Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2010 02:08:27 -0000 Dear butterfly enthusiasts, Please consider joining us at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum on Saturday September 11 as we tackle our 4th Annual Butterfly Count. Counting starts at 8:30AM sharp, so arrive a little early. Meeting place: visitor center of Boyce Thompson Arboretum. The total count circle has a 15 mile diameter and we will conduct a one-day census of all butterflies sighted within that circle. Volunteer participants will be assigned to a leader and will be working a part of the count circle area. For lunch we will get together in a local restaurant in Superior, or you can bring your own lunch. Here we will exchange findings & information. 77 Species of butterflies appear on the Arboretum's checklist, while the record for most species observed in a single day is 38 by John Saba in October, 2005. Xami Hairstreak is one of specialties that has been found at the BTA. For any questions, please contact the compiler: Dave Powell at vireo AT vireos.com www.CAzBA.org Subject: RE: [DesertLeps] Owens Valley and Mt. Whitney From: "Mark Walker" <xvermontrz AT att.net> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:35:24 -0700 Great account, Jim. I took a similar path a year or so ago, and so you're account brings back fond memories. Regarding Manzanar, and speaking of how things change over 40 years, I remember when Manzanar was simply a ghost town with no markings, fencing, or signage. In those days, we walked freely around and checked out the ruins. I remember finding fine china pieces and other remnants left over from when whole families were corralled there - like children's toys from the 40's. Being familiar with the history (we had family friends who were relocated there), the experience made a big impression on me, even without the benefit of an interpretive center. Sigh. Nostalgia is bittersweet. Like you, I frequented the Sierra Nevada even before trekking became fashionable. In those days, we'd be all alone for days while backpacking. Mark. _____ From: DesertLeps AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:DesertLeps AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Jim Snyder Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 2010 6:51 AM To: DesertLeps AT yahoogroups.com; SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com Subject: [DesertLeps] Owens Valley and Mt. Whitney All: Yesterday, August 23, I my journey would take me from Kernville to Bishop, CA. Getting a good early start I said goodbye to Lake Isabella and headed over Walker Pass to the great Owens Valley. My first stop was Lubken Canyon, a little high desert oasis just south of Lone Pine. At 82 degrees, it was just beginning to warm up. After photographing the ubiquitous Western Pygmy-Blue and a Checkered White. I noticed a dark little butterfly moving about in the salt bushes. It was a very fresh female Mojave Sootywing. She was very cooperative (a rarity seldom experienced by us butterfly photographers) and let me take several shots of both her dorsal and ventral sides. I then walked up the road a bit to check out the Giant Reeds. I was not disappointed as I was greeted by a male Yuma Skipper who enjoyed sunning himself in the pleasant temperature. After a brief stop in the Alabama Hills (I always wanted to get the shot of Mt. Whitney framed in the center of Mobius Arch), I headed up the road to Whitney Portal. Boy have times changed. I was last there 39 years ago when I climbed Mt. Whitney (I'm glad I cleared that one early from my "bucket list")! When I was last there the road to Whitney Portal was dirt and there was just a small parking lot at the top next to a primitive campground. Now there is a lovely paved road with three parking lots, overflow parking and even a store! I drove to road's end to get a picture of the sign marking the start of the Mt. Whitney trail for old times sake. Coasting down the hill I found myself looking at both sides of the road at the blooming rabbit brush (I was reminded of several trips with Jim Brock where when he is driving he is able to look left and right to scope for butterflies more that to the front). I noticed something move in the rabbit brush to my right and quickly pulled over. It was a fresh female Pine White. I took several photos and soon a suitor, a fresh male, arrived. She was not interested so they both proceeded to nectar at the rabbish brush. Unfortunately the male began acting strangely and convulsed violently. A yellow crab spider, perfectly camalflouged in the yellow rabbit brush flowers caught the Pine White. I tried to rescue it with a stick but I was too late...he was dead. This did afford me the opportunity however to spread him out and phtograph his dorsal side. Further down the hill I stopped at the Alabama Hills viewpoint. When I got out of the car a Lorquin's Admiral landed on the back bumper, a nice photo op. I crossed the road to a spot Ken Davenport had mentioned and found a lot of the yellow buckwheat in full bloom. As expected, the buckwheat was covered with Cythera Metalmarks, both males and females. It was getting towards lunch time and I had hopes of stopping at the Frosty Chalet in Lone Pine. I was sad to see that it had closed so I fetched an apple and a banana from the cooler and was off again. My next stop was Manzanar War Relocation Center, a place I had never visited. Because I live in Hawaii with Pearl Harbor, I was drawn to stop there this time. These lesser national historical sites have enjoyed a lot of budget spending because the interpretive center was more impressive than the one at the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. I took the self guided driving tour and stopped to photograph several Western Pygmy-Blues along the way. Next stop was Klondike Lake, three miles north of Big Pine. There I found more Western Pygmy-Blues and eventually my target bug for that location, an Alkali Skipper. The temperature was now 96 degress as I headed through Bishop to Fish Slough, 5 miles north of Bishop off Hwy 6. There were many Melissa Blues there, along with the ubiquitous Western Pygmy-Blues. On the way back to Bishop I stopped at the Owens River crossing on Hwy 6. There were several Westgern Tiger Swallowtails gliding about in the cottonwoods and I finally was able to photograph this creature that had been so successful in avoiding my lens the past several days. After a nice meal at Whiskey Creek and a restful night I am ready to tackle the White Mountains to search for the elusive Sierra Skipper. Aloha, Jim Snyder Jim Snyder Honolulu, HI gmanager999 AT hotmail.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Re: White Mountains From: Pete Spino <petespino8 AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 12:34:00 -0700 (PDT) Hey Jim, I continue to enjoy your trip reports. I'll look forward to the Shasta Blue pics when you get them up as well as the albamontana subspecies of P. sabuleti. Tioga Pass should be fun. BTW, with these travel narratives, you have officially been added, along with Mark Walker and Ken Davenport, to my shortlist of favorite "Lepisode" storytellers. Very nice job. Continued blessings, Pete Spino Tan Diego, CA ________________________________ From: Jim Snyder To: "DesertLeps AT yahoogroups.com" ; "SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com" Sent: Thu, August 26, 2010 7:25:47 AM Subject: [SoWestLep] White Mountains All: I spent the past two days, August 24-25, in California's White Mountains. The weather was perfect (blue skies, light winds, temperature mid-sixties) both days. From many viewpoints along the road you can see magnificent vistas of the High Sierra Crest from just north of Mt. Whitney to the south all the way to Mt. Dana and Tioga Pass to the north...breathtaking! The first day,Tuesday, I proceeded directly to Campito Mountain, about 9 miles north of the Schulman Grove entrance to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. I looked up at that mountain and it sure looked higher and steeper than I had remembered. I was last there in July 2006 on a butterfly trip lead by Jim Brock. On that glorious 28th day of July we climbed to the top and were treated by one of the rarest finds in North American butterflying, the Sierra Skipper (Hesperia miriamae longaevicola). With that memory fixed in my brain I knew this mountain had to be climbed again! After almost an hour of huffing and puffing and slipping and sliding along the steep talus slopes I reached the 11,536' summit. I was immediately greeted by a flurry of motion. There were several skippers jetting around. I was able to photograph a couple of them. When I got back to my hotel room and, after correspondence with Jim Brock, I sent the photos to Andy Warren. As I waited for Andy's response, I consulted the Hesperia miriamae longaevicola page at Butterflies of America (http://butterfliesofamerica.com/hesperia_miriamae_longaevicola.htm). For any of you who have not used this resource, please do because it's invaluable. I studied my Sierra Skipper photos on BOA and the ones it took on Campito Mountain and knew that the lastest skippers seen were not blue enough on the thorax nor dark enough on the ventral hindwing pattern. Sure enough, Andy confirmed my August 24, 2010 sightings as Hesperia colorado idaho. Drats! I proceeded down the mountain and stopped at the base in an area called Campito Meadow. There were many Small Wood-Nymphs loping around in the sagebrush and a lone Painted Lady was nectaring on rabbit brush. I also saw several fresh Edith's Coppers, both male and female as well as several Orange Sulphurs of both sexes. If my quest for the Sierra Skipper was a disappointment, all would not be lost. In this same "meadow" (it's hard for me to call a sagebrush plain a meadow) I would find the White Mountain subspecies of Boisduval's Blue (Plebejus icarioides albihalos) and obtain several photos of males and females, ventral and dorsal sides. I also found the first "lifer" for me on this trip; the White Mountains subspecies of Sandhill Skipper (Polites sabuleti albamontana). This little guy has way darker markings on the ventral hindwings than I have previously seen in Sandhill Skippers. After a stop at Patriarch Grover to walk amongst the fabulous ancient bristlecone pines (it's hard to believe that some of them have been alive for over 5,000 years!) I headed up the white dusty road to the end of the road at the locked gate to the University of California's Bancroft Research Station. This lonely area looks just like a moonscape and reminded me of the summit area of Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii, only that is red lava whereas White Mountain Road is white dolomite. I hiked out on the plain and noticed movement on some very tiny purple flowers. As I expanded my vision, the noticeable movement also expanded. This turned out to be a plain absolutely teeming with Plebejus shasta, Shasta Blues. I have never seen so many of this species so concentrated at one place so I photographed to my heart's content. Yesterday I proceeded back to retrace some of my steps. As I drove up the road and surveyed Campito Mountain I thought there had to be an easier way to climb that bad boy. This time instead of taking the Jim Brock/Andy Warren "direct route", that is to say "straight up", I took a more southerly approach up a ridge through a chute and avoided the dreaded talus. I reached the summit 15 minutes faster than the previous day and with much less strain I must say. Unfortunately in my haste to return, I was there too early (10:00 am) and it was chilly and windy. No butterflies up there today. I sampled Camito Meadow and saw most of what I had seen the day before so I decided to hike the Methuselah Trail through that grove of bristlecone pines. On that hike you can see all the way from the Sierra Crest to Death Valley! After spending a day of healthy exercise in comfortable 64 degree temperature, I returned to Owens Valley and Bishop wher the temperature was 104 at 5:00 pm. After a nice dinner at La Casita (which I highly recommend) I got a good night's sleep and am ready to head north to my next base camp, Lee Vining, gateway to Tioga Pass. Aloha, Jim Snyder Jim Snyder Honolulu, HI gmanager999 AT hotmail.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: White Mountains From: Jim Snyder <gmanager999 AT hotmail.com> Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 04:25:47 -1000 All: I spent the past two days, August 24-25, in California's White Mountains. The weather was perfect (blue skies, light winds, temperature mid-sixties) both days. From many viewpoints along the road you can see magnificent vistas of the High Sierra Crest from just north of Mt. Whitney to the south all the way to Mt. Dana and Tioga Pass to the north...breathtaking! The first day,Tuesday, I proceeded directly to Campito Mountain, about 9 miles north of the Schulman Grove entrance to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. I looked up at that mountain and it sure looked higher and steeper than I had remembered. I was last there in July 2006 on a butterfly trip lead by Jim Brock. On that glorious 28th day of July we climbed to the top and were treated by one of the rarest finds in North American butterflying, the Sierra Skipper (Hesperia miriamae longaevicola). With that memory fixed in my brain I knew this mountain had to be climbed again! After almost an hour of huffing and puffing and slipping and sliding along the steep talus slopes I reached the 11,536' summit. I was immediately greeted by a flurry of motion. There were several skippers jetting around. I was able to photograph a couple of them. When I got back to my hotel room and, after correspondence with Jim Brock, I sent the photos to Andy Warren. As I waited for Andy's response, I consulted the Hesperia miriamae longaevicola page at Butterflies of America (http://butterfliesofamerica.com/hesperia_miriamae_longaevicola.htm). For any of you who have not used this resource, please do because it's invaluable. I studied my Sierra Skipper photos on BOA and the ones it took on Campito Mountain and knew that the lastest skippers seen were not blue enough on the thorax nor dark enough on the ventral hindwing pattern. Sure enough, Andy confirmed my August 24, 2010 sightings as Hesperia colorado idaho. Drats! I proceeded down the mountain and stopped at the base in an area called Campito Meadow. There were many Small Wood-Nymphs loping around in the sagebrush and a lone Painted Lady was nectaring on rabbit brush. I also saw several fresh Edith's Coppers, both male and female as well as several Orange Sulphurs of both sexes. If my quest for the Sierra Skipper was a disappointment, all would not be lost. In this same "meadow" (it's hard for me to call a sagebrush plain a meadow) I would find the White Mountain subspecies of Boisduval's Blue (Plebejus icarioides albihalos) and obtain several photos of males and females, ventral and dorsal sides. I also found the first "lifer" for me on this trip; the White Mountains subspecies of Sandhill Skipper (Polites sabuleti albamontana). This little guy has way darker markings on the ventral hindwings than I have previously seen in Sandhill Skippers. After a stop at Patriarch Grover to walk amongst the fabulous ancient bristlecone pines (it's hard to believe that some of them have been alive for over 5,000 years!) I headed up the white dusty road to the end of the road at the locked gate to the University of California's Bancroft Research Station. This lonely area looks just like a moonscape and reminded me of the summit area of Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii, only that is red lava whereas White Mountain Road is white dolomite. I hiked out on the plain and noticed movement on some very tiny purple flowers. As I expanded my vision, the noticeable movement also expanded. This turned out to be a plain absolutely teeming with Plebejus shasta, Shasta Blues. I have never seen so many of this species so concentrated at one place so I photographed to my heart's content. Yesterday I proceeded back to retrace some of my steps. As I drove up the road and surveyed Campito Mountain I thought there had to be an easier way to climb that bad boy. This time instead of taking the Jim Brock/Andy Warren "direct route", that is to say "straight up", I took a more southerly approach up a ridge through a chute and avoided the dreaded talus. I reached the summit 15 minutes faster than the previous day and with much less strain I must say. Unfortunately in my haste to return, I was there too early (10:00 am) and it was chilly and windy. No butterflies up there today. I sampled Camito Meadow and saw most of what I had seen the day before so I decided to hike the Methuselah Trail through that grove of bristlecone pines. On that hike you can see all the way from the Sierra Crest to Death Valley! After spending a day of healthy exercise in comfortable 64 degree temperature, I returned to Owens Valley and Bishop wher the temperature was 104 at 5:00 pm. After a nice dinner at La Casita (which I highly recommend) I got a good night's sleep and am ready to head north to my next base camp, Lee Vining, gateway to Tioga Pass. Aloha, Jim Snyder Jim Snyder Honolulu, HI gmanager999 AT hotmail.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Re: Owens Valley and Mt. Whitney From: Bryan Reynolds <bryanereynolds AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 08:25:22 -0700 (PDT) Pics?? Bryan E. Reynolds Visit our new non-profit The Butterflies of the World Foundation at botwf(put a dot here)org --- On Tue, 8/24/10, Jim Snyder wrote: From: Jim Snyder Subject: [SoWestLep] Owens Valley and Mt. Whitney To: "DesertLeps AT yahoogroups.com" , "SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com" Date: Tuesday, August 24, 2010, 8:51 AM   All: Yesterday, August 23, I my journey would take me from Kernville to Bishop, CA. Getting a good early start I said goodbye to Lake Isabella and headed over Walker Pass to the great Owens Valley. My first stop was Lubken Canyon, a little high desert oasis just south of Lone Pine. At 82 degrees, it was just beginning to warm up. After photographing the ubiquitous Western Pygmy-Blue and a Checkered White. I noticed a dark little butterfly moving about in the salt bushes. It was a very fresh female Mojave Sootywing. She was very cooperative (a rarity seldom experienced by us butterfly photographers) and let me take several shots of both her dorsal and ventral sides. I then walked up the road a bit to check out the Giant Reeds. I was not disappointed as I was greeted by a male Yuma Skipper who enjoyed sunning himself in the pleasant temperature. After a brief stop in the Alabama Hills (I always wanted to get the shot of Mt. Whitney framed in the center of Mobius Arch), I headed up the road to Whitney Portal. Boy have times changed. I was last there 39 years ago when I climbed Mt. Whitney (I'm glad I cleared that one early from my "bucket list")! When I was last there the road to Whitney Portal was dirt and there was just a small parking lot at the top next to a primitive campground. Now there is a lovely paved road with three parking lots, overflow parking and even a store! I drove to road's end to get a picture of the sign marking the start of the Mt. Whitney trail for old times sake. Coasting down the hill I found myself looking at both sides of the road at the blooming rabbit brush (I was reminded of several trips with Jim Brock where when he is driving he is able to look left and right to scope for butterflies more that to the front). I noticed something move in the rabbit brush to my right and quickly pulled over. It was a fresh female Pine White. I took several photos and soon a suitor, a fresh male, arrived. She was not interested so they both proceeded to nectar at the rabbish brush. Unfortunately the male began acting strangely and convulsed violently. A yellow crab spider, perfectly camalflouged in the yellow rabbit brush flowers caught the Pine White. I tried to rescue it with a stick but I was too late...he was dead. This did afford me the opportunity however to spread him out and phtograph his dorsal side. Further down the hill I stopped at the Alabama Hills viewpoint. When I got out of the car a Lorquin's Admiral landed on the back bumper, a nice photo op. I crossed the road to a spot Ken Davenport had mentioned and found a lot of the yellow buckwheat in full bloom. As expected, the buckwheat was covered with Cythera Metalmarks, both males and females. It was getting towards lunch time and I had hopes of stopping at the Frosty Chalet in Lone Pine. I was sad to see that it had closed so I fetched an apple and a banana from the cooler and was off again. My next stop was Manzanar War Relocation Center, a place I had never visited. Because I live in Hawaii with Pearl Harbor, I was drawn to stop there this time. These lesser national historical sites have enjoyed a lot of budget spending because the interpretive center was more impressive than the one at the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. I took the self guided driving tour and stopped to photograph several Western Pygmy-Blues along the way. Next stop was Klondike Lake, three miles north of Big Pine. There I found more Western Pygmy-Blues and eventually my target bug for that location, an Alkali Skipper. The temperature was now 96 degress as I headed through Bishop to Fish Slough, 5 miles north of Bishop off Hwy 6. There were many Melissa Blues there, along with the ubiquitous Western Pygmy-Blues. On the way back to Bishop I stopped at the Owens River crossing on Hwy 6. There were several Westgern Tiger Swallowtails gliding about in the cottonwoods and I finally was able to photograph this creature that had been so successful in avoiding my lens the past several days. After a nice meal at Whiskey Creek and a restful night I am ready to tackle the White Mountains to search for the elusive Sierra Skipper. Aloha, Jim Snyder Jim Snyder Honolulu, HI gmanager999 AT hotmail.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Owens Valley and Mt. Whitney From: Jim Snyder <gmanager999 AT hotmail.com> Date: Tue, 24 Aug 2010 03:51:21 -1000 All: Yesterday, August 23, I my journey would take me from Kernville to Bishop, CA. Getting a good early start I said goodbye to Lake Isabella and headed over Walker Pass to the great Owens Valley. My first stop was Lubken Canyon, a little high desert oasis just south of Lone Pine. At 82 degrees, it was just beginning to warm up. After photographing the ubiquitous Western Pygmy-Blue and a Checkered White. I noticed a dark little butterfly moving about in the salt bushes. It was a very fresh female Mojave Sootywing. She was very cooperative (a rarity seldom experienced by us butterfly photographers) and let me take several shots of both her dorsal and ventral sides. I then walked up the road a bit to check out the Giant Reeds. I was not disappointed as I was greeted by a male Yuma Skipper who enjoyed sunning himself in the pleasant temperature. After a brief stop in the Alabama Hills (I always wanted to get the shot of Mt. Whitney framed in the center of Mobius Arch), I headed up the road to Whitney Portal. Boy have times changed. I was last there 39 years ago when I climbed Mt. Whitney (I'm glad I cleared that one early from my "bucket list")! When I was last there the road to Whitney Portal was dirt and there was just a small parking lot at the top next to a primitive campground. Now there is a lovely paved road with three parking lots, overflow parking and even a store! I drove to road's end to get a picture of the sign marking the start of the Mt. Whitney trail for old times sake. Coasting down the hill I found myself looking at both sides of the road at the blooming rabbit brush (I was reminded of several trips with Jim Brock where when he is driving he is able to look left and right to scope for butterflies more that to the front). I noticed something move in the rabbit brush to my right and quickly pulled over. It was a fresh female Pine White. I took several photos and soon a suitor, a fresh male, arrived. She was not interested so they both proceeded to nectar at the rabbish brush. Unfortunately the male began acting strangely and convulsed violently. A yellow crab spider, perfectly camalflouged in the yellow rabbit brush flowers caught the Pine White. I tried to rescue it with a stick but I was too late...he was dead. This did afford me the opportunity however to spread him out and phtograph his dorsal side. Further down the hill I stopped at the Alabama Hills viewpoint. When I got out of the car a Lorquin's Admiral landed on the back bumper, a nice photo op. I crossed the road to a spot Ken Davenport had mentioned and found a lot of the yellow buckwheat in full bloom. As expected, the buckwheat was covered with Cythera Metalmarks, both males and females. It was getting towards lunch time and I had hopes of stopping at the Frosty Chalet in Lone Pine. I was sad to see that it had closed so I fetched an apple and a banana from the cooler and was off again. My next stop was Manzanar War Relocation Center, a place I had never visited. Because I live in Hawaii with Pearl Harbor, I was drawn to stop there this time. These lesser national historical sites have enjoyed a lot of budget spending because the interpretive center was more impressive than the one at the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. I took the self guided driving tour and stopped to photograph several Western Pygmy-Blues along the way. Next stop was Klondike Lake, three miles north of Big Pine. There I found more Western Pygmy-Blues and eventually my target bug for that location, an Alkali Skipper. The temperature was now 96 degress as I headed through Bishop to Fish Slough, 5 miles north of Bishop off Hwy 6. There were many Melissa Blues there, along with the ubiquitous Western Pygmy-Blues. On the way back to Bishop I stopped at the Owens River crossing on Hwy 6. There were several Westgern Tiger Swallowtails gliding about in the cottonwoods and I finally was able to photograph this creature that had been so successful in avoiding my lens the past several days. After a nice meal at Whiskey Creek and a restful night I am ready to tackle the White Mountains to search for the elusive Sierra Skipper. Aloha, Jim Snyder Jim Snyder Honolulu, HI gmanager999 AT hotmail.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Boisduval's Yellow (Eurema boisduvaliana): Hereford, AZ, 23 Aug 2010 From: <rbehrstock AT cox.net> Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2010 17:41:37 -0400 Dear Lepsters, This afternoon, while scanning the garden for this morning's previously reported Florida White, I found and photographed a Boisduval's Yellow (Eurema boisduvaliana) nectaring on verbena. It was the second for the yard in about six seasons. Additionally, while Hank Brodkin was at the house this morning, we observed a HUGE, dull yellow pierid fly through the yard. In direct comparison to Cloudless Sulphurs, it was much larger. We both deemed it to be a female Orange-barred Sulphur (Phoebis philea ) (two previous records for the yard) but would have appreciated better looks. Best, RAB -- Robert A. Behrstock 10359 S. Thicket Pl. Hereford, AZ 85615 Phone/FAX: (520) 378-3262 N31° 22' 49.75" W110° 13' 41.08", 5,012' elev. Naturewide Images http://www.naturewideimages.com/ Birdlife of Houston, Galveston, and the Upper Texas Coast http://www.tamu.edu/upress/BOOKS/2006/eubanks.htm Finding Birds on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail http://www.tamu.edu/upress/BOOKS/2008/eubanks.htm Dragonflies & Damselflies of the Southwest http://www.rionuevo.com/book.php?book_isbn=9781933855141 Subject: Re: Fw: Santa Barbara Co, CA Giant Swallowtail From: Paul Cherubini <monarch AT saber.net> Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2010 14:37:54 -0700 (PDT) Wanda Dameron wrote: > Have relandscaped to native and drought tolerant plants > so have many more butterflies these days. Exotic plants can be great for some native butterflies, however; e.g. 90% of California's monarch overwintering sites are located in Australian eucalyptus groves (chiefly blue gum eucalyptus). However, thanks, in part, to the recent cultural prejudice against non-natives, California nurseries are no longer stocking blue gum eucalyptus trees (eucalyptus globulus gigantea) hence none will be available for golf courses, city parks and farmers to purchase as they were in the past: http://i959.photobucket.com/albums/ae78/18R-C/corica.jpg So in the future brand new monarch overwintering sites will no longer be inadvertently created by human activities to offset those that are destroyed or damaged due to development, severe branch trimming, winter storms, etc. Paul Cherubini El Dorado, Calif. Subject: Re: Fw: Santa Barbara Co, CA Giant Swallowtail From: Wanda Dameron <wanda.dameron AT sbcglobal.net> Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2010 13:59:32 -0700 Yes, I've reported them there. They also fly regularly in my yard most all summer, (seen today). I'm adjacent to the citrus grove in Orcutt Park, about a quarter mile south of the Ventura border. Have relandscaped to native and drought tolerant plants so have many more butterflies these days. Wanda Dameron West San Fernando Valley kdavenport93306 AT yahoo.com wrote: > > > Nick: > > Since I have already accepted two records from Santa Barbara County > based on sight records, and I KNOW you are knowledgeable and sure can > tell the difference between an Anise Swallowtail and a Giant > Swallowtail. , I'll accept your record with a note it was a sight record. > > I note the BAMONA website does not yet list Giant Swallowtails from > Santa Barbara County, I did submit those Season Summary records, but I > would guess it is not yet added because of our being backlogged with > records. As most of you know, we took on an ambitious task of > expanding our records database. > > All of the Kern County and Tulare County records for Papilio > cresphontes are either sight records of adults or questionable > determinations of larvae. But no reason for them not to make it over > the mountains from the Los Angeles Basin. If Queens and Cloudless > Suslphurs can do it, so should they. > > Ken Davenport > ----- > > All: > > I was walking my dog around Storke Ranch in W. Goleta today when I > noticed a very large, Monarch-sized butterfly that appeared to be > yellow rather than orange colored. If that wasn't a big enough of a > hint, the fact it was flitting around dwaft citrus trees really set > the alarms ringing. I rushed over and sure enough it was a Giant > Swallowtail. Of course it didn't hang around long enough for me to get > my camera so we still don't have a verified record. However, all three > sight records are late summer/early fall for the south coast so a nice > pattern is emerging. > > Ken - let me know if you need a written description. I can add a bit > more detail to what's above. > > Nick Lethaby > nlethaby AT ti.com > > +1 805 562 5106 > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Florida White (Appias drusilla): Hereford, AZ, 23 Aug 2010 From: <rbehrstock AT cox.net> Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:04:07 -0400 Dear Lepsters, A slightly worn Florida White (Appias drusilla) appeared twice in the yard this morning. If you wish to see a photo and have a fast Internet connection, it's the 18th photo down at: http://www.naturewideimages.com/9.html Butterfly garden, 5,010' elev., oak-grassland interface, SE Huachuca Mts. Best to all, RAB -- Robert A. Behrstock 10359 S. Thicket Pl. Hereford, AZ 85615 Phone/FAX: (520) 378-3262 N31° 22' 49.75" W110° 13' 41.08", 5,012' elev. Naturewide Images http://www.naturewideimages.com/ Birdlife of Houston, Galveston, and the Upper Texas Coast http://www.tamu.edu/upress/BOOKS/2006/eubanks.htm Finding Birds on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail http://www.tamu.edu/upress/BOOKS/2008/eubanks.htm Dragonflies & Damselflies of the Southwest http://www.rionuevo.com/book.php?book_isbn=9781933855141 Subject: RE: Frazier Park-Mt. Pinos area From: Jim Snyder <gmanager999 AT hotmail.com> Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 15:16:08 -1000 Ken and all: After taking the red eye flight from Honolulu to LAX last Wednesday night, I drove to the same Frazier Park-Mt. Pinos area and spent Thursday, August 19, butterflying there. Butterfly activity was sparce and I would count only 18 species for the day compared to the 32 that Ken's group saw (4 sets of eyes are better than one). I did photograph 8 seperate Veined Blues at the McGill Campgound spot along with one more on the road to Pleito Creek. I saw at least 20 Henne's Fritillaries at the McGill spot. Friday, August 20, was an adventurous day to saw the least. After driving from Gorman to Kernville, I spent the morning butterflying Erskine Creek Road south of Lake Isabella and the afternoon in the Greehnorn Mountains. Along Erskine Creek Road there were Checkered Whites, a Striated Queen, two Buckeyes, a Mormon Metalmark, many Northern White-Skippers, 2-3 Ceraunus Blues, a Pale Swallowtail, Western Tiger Swallowtail, Marine Blues, Mourning Cloak, Western Branded Skipper and a Dotted Blue. Butterfly activity in the Greenhorns was very scarce. At Tiger Flat I saw an American Lady, California Sister, Marine Blue and a Northern White-Skipper. All of the mountain meadows have dried up so I didn't even stop there. A found my way back to Baker Ridge, a place that Ken took us to before the NABA meeting in Kernville in June 2008. I stepped out of my car, took about 10 steps and was greeted by a 5 foot rattlesnake! It's a little disconcerting to be out in the "middle of nowhere" and run into a rattler (whoever said butterflying was for sissies?). I hiked all the way out to the Baker Point Lookout and back. There was a lot of the yellow buckwheat in full bloom and it was litterally covered with Cythera Metalmarks (too many to count). I also saw several of what looked to me like Ancilla Blues on that same buckwheat (does Ancilla occur west of the Rocky Mountains?). After arriving back at my car, I headed down the dirt road and heard a funny sound (that's the last think you want to hear when you're in the "middle of nowhere"). I got out and my right front tire was flat (ripped to shreds would be a more apt description). Because this happended to a rental car I had trouble figuring out what to do. After what seemed like an eternity I finally located the owner's manual, the jack and the spare tire (located under the car). I eventually figured out how to lower the spare from underneath the car (the instructions were for a spare on the "back" of the car), but I could not get the spare off of the metal cable. By this time it was after 6 pm and I was getting nervous. I proceeded to hike down the road for a few miles and happended upon a camp (I figured I could spend the night there if nothing else...did I mention there is no cell phone service up there?). After about another 45 minutes a couple of bow hunters returned with their prey. What a blessing! They took me back to my car and were able to get the spare off and change the tire. Now it was getting dark. I said farewell and with warning lights flashing on the dashboard about having an under-inflated tire, needing to "service" the tire detection system, etc., I proceeded to gingerly backtrack my way in the dark back to highway 155 and coast down the hill to Wofford Heights and eventually checked into my motel in Kernville. The next day, Saturday (after getting no sleep), I arranged with Avis to get another car. The only problem was I had to drive my "gimmpy" car to Bakersfield. I left at 4:00 am, drove to the Bakersfield Airport, exchanged vehicles and drove back to Kernville to arrive back by 8:30 am. Whew, back on schedule (whoever said butterflying was for wimps?). Feeling pretty exhausted, I checked my itinerary and dutifully followed it to spend yesterday in the Kern Plateau. On August 21, I would visit Bald Mountain, the meadows just below the east side of Sherman Pass and Alder Creek at 6,700'. There were no Indra Swallowtails this time at Bald Mountain. There were, however, several Cythera Metalmarks along with a Sonora Skipper or two. The highlight was hairstreaks. I saw three species on Bald Mountain and they were all mint fresh. They were Gray Hairstreak, Hedgerow Hairstreak and Behr's Hairstreak, at least 2-3 of each. I then proceeded to the meadows below Sherman Pass. As Ken reported in a previous post, these meadows are now teeming with Great Basin Fritillaries. I would also see Greenish Blues, Orange Sulphurs, 'Tecumseh' Sandhill Skippers, Sonora Skippers and one fresh female Sierra Blue. On the west side of the pass at upper Alder Creek I saw Western Branded Skippers, a Lupine Blue, a California Ringlet, a few fresh Mylitta Crescents and one Persius Duskywing. Today, August 22, I spent the day in the Piutes. After stopping in Weldon to see Cabbage Whites, Checkered Whites and a very healthly population of Western Pygmy-Blues, I headed down Kelso Valley Road toward Sageland. I saw a few butterflies fly by but nothing worth stopping for until I stopped to photograph a rattlesnake crossing the road. I would see virtually no butterflies in the Piutes along Piute Mountain Road until I passed Piute Vista. On the way down to Bodfish, I would stop to photograph Orange Sulphurs, a West Coast Lady, Sonora Skipper, Lupine Blue, Mylitta Crescents, a colony of Marine Blues, Northern White-Skippers, and Acmon Blue, Dotted Blue and finally a Pale Blue (the target butterfly fof the day). I made it down the mountain, stopped at the L&L Carwash in Lake Isabella to wash the car since I could not see out of the windows (it took 24 quarters)! Then to the Vons for supplies and gas up the car in Kernville. I think I'm the only person in Kernville that is not somehow connected to the river and its activities. After scarfing down a burrito at El Rio (there's no good Mexican food in Hawaii so I tend to binge on these trips to the mainland), I'll hopefully get a good night's sleep. Then tomorrow it's on to Bishop, with stops in Lone Pine and the Alabama Hills. And the adventure continues... Aloha, Jim Snyder P.S. I apologize for the narrative nature of my report, not listing the species seen in proper order, etc., but I have tons of photographs to process, work emails to deal with, correspondence to catch up on (excuses, excuses). Jim Snyder Honolulu, HI gmanager999 AT hotmail.com To: SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com; DesertLeps AT yahoogroups.com From: kdavenport93306 AT yahoo.com Date: Sat, 21 Aug 2010 20:17:52 -0700 Subject: [SoWestLep] Frazier Park-Mt. Pinos area Everyone: Four of us looked for butterflies in the Frazier Park-Lake of the Woods and Mt. Pinos region (near and at edge of McGill Camp). It would be a day for California endemics along with a few lesser known members of the Kern-Ventura County faunal members. We four were David Horner, Mike and Robbie Mulligan and myself. The days list of butterflies: (32 species) Checkered Skipper complex (Pyrgus communis or albescens)-Mt. Pinos. Northern White Skipper (Heliopetes ericetorum) Western Branded Skipper (Hesperial colorado-fall flying segregate)-common in sagebrush habitats, Lake of the Woods Sachem or Field Skipper (Atalopedes campestris campestris)-one seen at Lake of the Woods Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus)-Frazier Park Cabbage Butterfly (Pieris rapae)-common Lake of the Woods Becker's White (Pontia beckeri)-one at Lake of the Woods Checkered White (Pontia protodice) Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme) Harford's Sulphur (Colias harfordii)-fresh and common at Lake of the Woods. A California (or Baja California) endemic Sleepy Orange (Abaeis nicippe)-one seen Lake of the Woods Great Copper (Lycaena xanthoides xanthoides)-about 4 seen; Frazier Park in Cuddy Creek and Lake of the Woods. Dryope Hairstreak (Satyrium sylvinus dryope)-common in creekbed at Lake of the Woods. Hedge-Row Hairstreak (Satyrium saepium chalcis)-one near McGill Camp. Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus pudica)- seen throughout area Acmon Blue (Plebejus acmon) Melissa or Orange-Margined Blue (Plebejus melissa paradoxa)-common at Lake of the Woods San Emigdio Blue (Plebejus emigdionis)-two fresh males seen at Lake of the Woods. A California endemic. Veined Blue (Plebejus neurona)- between six to ten seen, photographed or collected. Most were fresh and all I saw appeared to be males. A California endemic. Tilden's Dotted Blue (Euphilotes enoptes near tildeni)-large flight on Mt. Pinos, much larger than the next species. Comstock's Blue (Euphilotes glaucon/intermedia comstocki)-one female ID tentative. This will extend the LATE record for comstocki if the ID is valid. Cythera Metalmark (Apodemia "mormo" cythera-one at Lake of the Woods. Over two dozen on Eriogonum umbellatum near McGill Camp on Mt. Pinos. Coronis Fritillary (Speyeria coronis hennei): One seen at Lake of the Woods. Three were encountered by us on Mt. Pinos where Robbie took a nice male. I took a perfect female along Cuddy Creek below Frazier Park. Very few hennei are being reported in recent years. Mylitta Crescent (Phyciodes mylitta mylitta) -common Lake of the Woods American Painted Lady (Vanessa virginiensis)-one on Mt. Pinos Buckeye (Junonia coenia grisea) Lorquin's Admiral (Limenitis lorquini)-seen at Lake of the Woods California Sister (Adelpha californica) California Ringlet (Coenonympha california california) Behr's Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis sthenele behrii)-two seen during the day. Monarch (Danaus plexippus)-ten or so seen Queen (Danaus gilippus thersippus)-one taken at Lake of the Woods Notes: Fall flowering plants running behind. Water is in Cuddy Creek. Wright's and Naked Buckwheat in full bloom on Mt. Pinos. Sulphur Buckwheat still in flower at Lake of Woods and on Mt. Pinos. This was an unusually species count for the region in late August...and we did not sample Owls Barn or Frazier Mtn. where other species were likely on the wing. And the Mulligans had to leave early in the afternoon. Cuddy Creek below Frazier Park was poor for butterflies overall, despite the coronis there. Best Wishes, Ken Davenport kdavenport93306 AT yahoo.com or kdavenport AT tils-ttr.org For more information: http://www.tils-ttr.org TILS Motto: "We can not protect that which we do not know" © 1999 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SoWestLep/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SoWestLep/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: SoWestLep-digest AT yahoogroups.com SoWestLep-fullfeatured AT yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: SoWestLep-unsubscribe AT yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ Subject: Santa Barbara Co, CA Giant Swallowtail From: "Lethaby, Nick" <nlethaby AT ti.com> Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 15:41:59 -0500 All: I was walking my dog around Storke Ranch in W. Goleta today when I noticed a very large, Monarch-sized butterfly that appeared to be yellow rather than orange colored. If that wasn't a big enough of a hint, the fact it was flitting around dwaft citrus trees really set the alarms ringing. I rushed over and sure enough it was a Giant Swallowtail. Of course it didn't hang around long enough for me to get my camera so we still don't have a verified record. However, all three sight records are late summer/early fall for the south coast so a nice pattern is emerging. Ken - let me know if you need a written description. I can add a bit more detail to what's above. Nick Lethaby nlethaby AT ti.com +1 805 562 5106 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: RE: Queen butterfly From: "Mark Walker" <xvermontrz AT att.net> Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 09:58:33 -0700 Interesting Tom. Here in northern San Diego County, the Monarchs have been unexpectedly (at least compared to the last few years) numerous. All my Asclepias has long been decimated. There are still a dozen pupae hanging in various locations in the backyard. All of these came from wild stock which flew over our fence from the Carlsbad Highlands. I hope our local overwintering sites have strong congregations this year. We'll see. Mark Walker Oceanside. CA _____ From: SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Thomas Anderson Sent: Sunday, August 22, 2010 4:10 AM To: SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com Cc: Me Subject: [SoWestLep] Queen butterfly I've been raising Asclepias curassavica for monarch butterflies here in Signal Hill for eight years and had my first queen emerge this month. But the monarch population is much lower than normal. Tom Anderson SoCal Zone 10 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Eriogonum umbellatum From: Bob Allen <bugbob AT mac.com> Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 06:28:09 -0700 I find it interesting that Ken found Apodemia on Eriogonum umbellatum. I was in Wrightwood and Table Mtn (north slope of San Gabriel Mtns) Wed-Thurs last week and saw absolutely no insects of any kind on the abundant in-flower Eriogonum umbellatum there, not even thrips. Most of the plants were in peak flower, a vast minority were on the way out (in age, they get an orange streak down the center of each sepal, very pretty). Bob Allen bugbob AT mac.com http://www.boballenphotography.com/ On Aug 22, 2010, at 3:35 AM, SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com wrote: > Cythera Metalmark (Apodemia "mormo" cythera-one at Lake of the Woods. Over two dozen on Eriogonum umbellatum near McGill Camp on Mt. Pinos. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Queen butterfly From: Thomas Anderson <ladivertom AT yahoo.com> Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 04:09:50 -0700 (PDT) I've been raising Asclepias curassavica for monarch butterflies here in Signal Hill for eight years and had my first queen emerge this month.  But the monarch population is much lower than normal.  Tom Anderson SoCal Zone 10 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Queens in Orange County, CA From: Bob Allen <bugbob AT mac.com> Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2010 06:23:45 -0700 Richard, et al, Queens have been observed at the Fullerton Arboretum (on the campus of Cal State Fullerton) for about 2-3 months now, as is the case every year. They probably arrive from the desert via Santa Ana Canyon. During the 9 years I worked at CSUF, I never saw any queen larvae on their Asclepias fascicularis, just lots of monarch larvae. Adults of both species often nectar on Justicia californica. I grew up in San Juan Capistrano, right along San Juan Creek, not far above its ocean outfall in Dana Point. Summer-Fall, queens were common in that area. I've even been farther up San Juan Canyon and seen them coming west through that canyon, which cuts through the Santa Ana Mountains. Had one queen in my front yard this week, slowly flying up and down my street, then headed southwest over some houses. I only rarely see them in Mission Viejo. Queens are often reported from Riley Wilderness Park (one canyon west of San Juan Canyon, parallel to it) where they nectar at Asclepias fascicularis planted in their butterfly garden. I don't recall any mention of larvae. I might be going there today to photograph and will certainly check on it. I need to photograph the life stages of the queen but have no time to travel to the desert. Does anyone have any in captivity that I may drop by and photograph? Or, if you have seen them in the wild *recently*, I'd appreciate a locality so that I may try to find them when I have available time. Bob Allen bugbob AT mac.com http://www.boballenphotography.com/ On Aug 22, 2010, at 3:35 AM, SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com wrote: > Quuens > Posted by: "Richard" Richard.James AT longbeach.gov jamesri49 > Sat Aug 21, 2010 8:33 am (PDT) > > Hi all in so Ca. We have a lot of Queens this year at El Dorado Nature Center, in Long Beach, since about one month. Has anyone noticed a north to south emigration? We have eight adults around the Asclepias facicularis daily. I saw a new one going that way about 1/4 mile north of the spot. They are mating and ovipositing. I wonder if they are coming down from the San Gabriels or a further northeast origin. Anyone got an idea? Subject: RE: Quuens From: "Mark Walker" <xvermontrz AT att.net> Date: Sat, 21 Aug 2010 23:54:43 -0700 Interesting questions Richard. I recall seeing Queens in an empty field near LAX one year - perhaps they can establish themselves at coastal areas easier than we think. No idea where yours are coming from. Mark. _____ From: SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Richard Sent: Saturday, August 21, 2010 8:30 AM To: SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com Subject: [SoWestLep] Quuens Hi all in so Ca. We have a lot of Queens this year at El Dorado Nature Center, in Long Beach, since about one month. Has anyone noticed a north to south emigration? We have eight adults around the Asclepias facicularis daily. I saw a new one going that way about 1/4 mile north of the spot. They are mating and ovipositing. I wonder if they are coming down from the San Gabriels or a further northeast origin. Anyone got an idea? [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Quuens From: "Richard" <Richard.James AT longbeach.gov> Date: Sat, 21 Aug 2010 15:30:23 -0000 Hi all in so Ca. We have a lot of Queens this year at El Dorado Nature Center, in Long Beach, since about one month. Has anyone noticed a north to south emigration? We have eight adults around the Asclepias facicularis daily. I saw a new one going that way about 1/4 mile north of the spot. They are mating and ovipositing. I wonder if they are coming down from the San Gabriels or a further northeast origin. Anyone got an idea? Subject: Re: [DesertLeps] RE: [leps-talk] Satyrium saepium From: Pete Spino <petespino8 AT yahoo.com> Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 16:58:12 -0700 (PDT) Mark, Koji, This spinetorum, that is now in your collection Mark, is sure to achieve Holy Grail status soon from among your other pinned gems. People, like those in AZ and other parts of CA who see this bug often, maybe don't realize how rarely that spinetorum has been observed, photographed, or collected in the last decade in here in the mountains east of San Diego. You single-handily shattered the myth that spinetorum had gone the way of saepiolishilda here in the obviously still wild frontiers of butterfly study in San Diego County. YeeeHaaaw! (Just a note: I think spinetorum should be changed to spinotorum in my honor for all the unnecessary debilitation I've been thru!) So Koji, here's more reason to get your butt back over here from Japan so you can photograph it and attach a press release saying that all is not so limited down here as we previously had waxed! Your list of species that need further study shows us that, although we may be small in number, there is plenty of work and research that needs to be done down here in this often unappreciated corner of the SW U.S. Although who's to do it is another question altogether. If I may add a few of our other butterflies to your to do list- my three "P's"; >Philotiellaspeciosaspeciosa: Our shy and tiny desert dweller and it's strange attachment to Eriogonumreniforme needs to be researched further. but I'm not smart enough to know how to even finish this sentence as to why. >Politessabuleti: Those in Pt. Loma on the coast vs the desert transition material in an around Jacumba. I know they share the same hostplants but..? >Pseudocopaeodeseunus (speaking of myths!): First we have to re find the darn thing and see if it wants to cooperate!! Mark, since Koji's cannot join us currently, it's getting near the time for our annual "Sweatfest at Scissor's Crossing" to once again scare up the ghosts of this once proud former county resident. Since you just found spinetorum, you now have the mojo. Mine has been lost in the fog of all the painkillers I've had to ingest over the last five months! Also Mark, you never got back to me regarding this weekend. Are you available? Pete ________________________________ From: Mark Walker To: Kojiro Shiraiwa ; SoWestLeps ; Tils-Lep-Talk ; DesertLeps Sent: Fri, August 20, 2010 1:30:33 PM Subject: [DesertLeps] RE: [leps-talk] Satyriumsaepium Hey Koji, That Laguna Mountains spinetorum has been spread and is looking fabulous. I'd love to have you come over with your camera setup and get a nice photo for BOA. Same thing for the odd Euphilotesenoptes taken at 6000 feet on Eriogonumwrightii. I've got it displayed right next to a specimen of Euphilotesbernardino taken the same day 1000 feet below on Eriogonum fasciculatum. I will also compare it to the female dammersi I took with Pete in 2009 down on Banner Grade. It's cool how even in a "boring" and well studied place like San Diego County, there are still many ways a Lepidopterist can occupy their time. Your list is a wonderful example (and it takes things like the publishing of your book to help make sense out of it). Some comments below: >Euphilotesbernardino: OtayMtn vs desert vs mountain populations - and Point Loma population (see my above remarks considering E. enoptes) >Philotessonorensis: desert populations vs mountain populations (and coastal populations, as in Point Loma and those recently reported from Baja CA) >Plebejusacmon-lupini: there are some unusual populations (hostplant/flight season) (flying by the thousands on August 9) >I'm also interested in Papiliozelicaon with blue patches on forewings...females with blue patches (spots?) on forewings are not so uncommon, but some males have blue patches on the forewings too. I never seen such >P. zelicaon when I was is Oregon :-) (and what zelicaon might be doing with polyxenes along the Laguna Mountain divide) Mark [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: RE: [leps-talk] Satyrium saepium From: "Mark Walker" <xvermontrz AT att.net> Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 13:30:33 -0700 Hey Koji, That Laguna Mountains spinetorum has been spread and is looking fabulous. I'd love to have you come over with your camera setup and get a nice photo for BOA. Same thing for the odd Euphilotes enoptes taken at 6000 feet on Eriogonum wrightii. I've got it displayed right next to a specimen of Euphilotes bernardino taken the same day 1000 feet below on Eriogonum fasciculatum. I will also compare it to the female dammersi I took with Pete in 2009 down on Banner Grade. It's cool how even in a "boring" and well studied place like San Diego County, there are still many ways a Lepidopterist can occupy their time. Your list is a wonderful example (and it takes things like the publishing of your book to help make sense out of it). Some comments below: >Euphilotes bernardino: Otay Mtn vs desert vs mountain populations - and Point Loma population (see my above remarks considering E. enoptes) >Philotes sonorensis: desert populations vs mountain populations (and coastal populations, as in Point Loma and those recently reported from Baja CA) >Plebejus acmon-lupini: there are some unusual populations (hostplant/flight season) (flying by the thousands on August 9) >I'm also interested in Papilio zelicaon with blue patches on forewings...females with blue patches (spots?) on forewings are not so uncommon, but some males have blue patches on the forewings too. I never seen such >P. zelicaon when I was is Oregon :-) (and what zelicaon might be doing with polyxenes along the Laguna Mountain divide) Mark [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Sheep Skipper From: "Hank Brodkin" <hbrodkin AT cox.net> Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:14:11 -0700 Someone - I forget who - was asking me about Sheep Skipper, Atrynopsis edwardsi. One, probably newly eclosed, is now resting on the wall of our house under the shade of our porch roof. This is right on schedule. Our yard has, among other grasses, plenty of side-oats gramma, the food plant for this species. Living where we do we are able to allow the monsoon growth, including grasses, to mature until they begin to dry out before we mow. No close neighbors to complain ;-) Hank Brodkin Carr Canyon, Cochise County, AZ 31°26’59.8”N 110°16’02.8”W hbrodkin AT cox.net "Butterflies of Arizona - a Photographic Guide" "Finding Butterflies in Arizona - a Guide to the Best Sites" http://members.cox.net/hbrodkin/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Hammock Skipper (Polygonus leo): Hereford, AZ, 19 Aug 2010 From: <rbehrstock AT cox.net> Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 19:00:52 -0400 Dear Lepsters, Photographed a Hammock Skipper in our butterfly garden today. It was nectaring on Buddleia--which is generally the case when I find them here in the yard. Best, RAB -- Robert A. Behrstock 10359 S. Thicket Pl. Hereford, AZ 85615 Phone/FAX: (520) 378-3262 N31° 22' 49.75" W110° 13' 41.08", 5,012' elev. Naturewide Images http://www.naturewideimages.com/ Birdlife of Houston, Galveston, and the Upper Texas Coast http://www.tamu.edu/upress/BOOKS/2006/eubanks.htm Finding Birds on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail http://www.tamu.edu/upress/BOOKS/2008/eubanks.htm Dragonflies & Damselflies of the Southwest http://www.rionuevo.com/book.php?book_isbn=9781933855141 Subject: Satyrium saepium From: Kojiro Shiraiwa <whiterock AT bekkoame.ne.jp> Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:44:59 +0900 Hi Pete, I think status of Hedgerow Hairstreaks in San Diego needs to be studied more. The Purplish Hedgerow Hairstreak was described from "San Diego", but there are no other locality information. The original description is very general and does not help us at all. During preparation of my book, I visited the American Natural History Museum and checked the type specimens of S. saepium chlorophora (my photos can be seen on the BOA website: http://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/t/Satyrium_saepium_chlorophora_a.htm). The only guess I can make from available information is that S. saepium chlorophora is probably from low elevation because of early flight season. However, after collecting number of S. saepium in San Diego, I began to think distinguishing them based on the wing pattern is not so reliable. Because there are lots of chlorophora-like chalcis (mountain population) and chalcis-like chlorophora (lowland population). I'm thinking that we may only have one subspecies in San Diego, but again, we need to study them more... Other "need to be studied more" butterflies in San Diego County includes (but not limited to); Euphilotes bernardino: Otay Mtn vs desert vs mountain populations - and Point Loma population Philotes sonorensis: desert populations vs mountain populations Plebejus acmon-lupini: there are some unusual populations (hostplant/flight season) Apodemia virgulti: populations utilizing different varieties of Eriogonums Hesperia colorado leussleri: Palomar vs Laguna populations I'm also interested in Papilio zelicaon with blue patches on forewings...females with blue patches (spots?) on forewings are not so uncommon, but some males have blue patches on the forewings too. I never seen such P. zelicaon when I was is Oregon :-) Koji On 2010/08/19, at 3:04, Pete Spino wrote: > Ken, > I always read your posts with great interest because almost each one > is a learning experience for me regarding subspecies in those locations > in the counties up north in the Sierras, which, unfortunately, I hardly > get to venture to. San Diego and Imperial counties, albeit it diverse in > habitats and it's proximity to Mexico, sometimes seems to me to be > more limited than up there in that high country. Or maybe it's just a > case of the grass seeming greener on the other side of the fence. > > Your entry from Tulare County is no different with regards to saepium. > I love it that Kern and Tulare Counties are a "mixing zone" of 3 subspecies. > I have a strong interest in this species. If I had the resources or the time > and know how, I would love to rear them. My interests probably stem > from the fact that we actually have TWO subspecies of saepium flying here > in S. D. County. Although I did not know this until only two years ago > when Koji was busy gathering data and information for his terrific book > and Jonathan's Catalogue was published. And, in addition, I finally picked > up my reprint copy of Butterflies of California. > > The Purplish Hedgerow Hairstreak (S. saepium chlorophora) is on the > wing here from May to June and it's host plant is primarily Ceanothus. > Whereas the Bronzed Hedgerow Hairstreak (S. saepiumchalcis) flies in the > mountains from June to August. It's food plant is Whiethorn Chaparral, > and Cupleaf, as well as Ceanothus. This chalcis is more paler than the > darker chlorophora, which sometimes has a purple iridescence on the > underwing. The chlorophora also has a dark submarginal band. > I have just started delineating them both when in the field over the last > year or so, although this year was considered a washout for me and my > search for them because of my continuing medical hiccups. > > With your fulvescens from Tulare, it's interesting to read that Comstock felt > back in 1920 that it was a rarity. He called it by it's common name, the Tawny > Hairstreak. Is it still considered rarer than others? I would be interested in > what the late Ron Gratelle's wrote about his study of them. "Consubspecific" > is a good word and I can kind of understand his meaning of it's usage with > respect to saepium. It's seems like a highly variable species here in > California. > > "Tawny" Pete Spino > San Diego, CA > > ________________________________ > From: "kdavenport93306 AT yahoo.com" > To: SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com; TILS-leps-talk AT yahoogroups.com; > DesertLeps AT yahoogroups.com > Sent: Wed, August 18, 2010 8:10:43 AM > Subject: [DesertLeps] Bald Mtn. footnote and Satyriumsaepium > > Everyone: > > Sometimes even the most visited localities can yield either new or unnotedfaunal > details. This happened on my recent August 14, 2010 trip to Bald Mtn., 9400', > Tulare County, California. > > One of the most interesting developments was the Hedge-Row Hairstreak > (Satyriumsaepium) that occurs on Bald Mtn. I have seen and maybe even collected > them there before. But they do not fly there during June and early July when > most of my visits were made. They are more a late July-August butterfly there. > I noted in an earlier post that these saepium I saw on Bald Mtn. tended towards > recently described subspecies subaridum. Based on the three individuals I took > home and spread, they not only tend towards subspecies subaridum, they ARE > subaridum. And the reported hostplant for this species at Hunter Mountain and > along the east slope of the Sierra Nevada is Ceanothusgreggii, a common > "treelike" plant growing on Bald Mtn. I did not realize what they were until > checking out that plant on the internet. A male saepium I took the same day > west of Sherman Pass at about 7800' is closer to nominate saepium. > > Kern and Tulare Counties are a mixing zone of Satyriumsaepium subspecies with > subspecies saepium, chalcis and fulvescens, the latter probably similar enough > to chalcis to be "consubspecific" (a word invented by Ron Gratelle that means > fulvescens is a synonym of chalcis). The subspecies subaridum was reported in > the original description as occurring southward along the eastern Sierra Nevada > in the Owens Valley as far southward as the Kern County line. In my Kern/Tulare > County publication I include subaridum within the boundaries of Kern County > based on a couple of records. I suspect it is even common up in the ScodieMts. > and probably on the microwave hill near Bird Spring Pass. I took one at Walker > Pass and we know it is up in the Owens Peak area. But we butterfly folks go > elsewhere when Satyriumsaepiumsubaridum flies, generally a month later than > subspecies chalcis and saepium. The two good saepium I took on Bald Mtn. do > differ somewhat from subaridum I have taken at Whitney Portal in Inyo County and > from Lower Rock Creek in Mono County. The basal portion of the wings inside the > pm line below appears darker, similar to ssp. caliginosum from the California > Central Coast. But that feature does show up in some Owens Valley specimens as > well. > > Other added notes: The CytheraMetalmark (Apodemiamormocythera) taken on Bald > Mtn. was my earliest ever record from Tulare County, odd for a lower elevation > bug taken at 9400'! Also, there appears to be a lot of complexity within the > Euphilotesenoptes complex in the Sherman Pass region. There are several > entities within that group along the Sherman Pass Rd. and one of those appears > to fly with Comstock's Blue (Euphilotesglaucon/intermediacomstocki) based on > genitalic exam finds from museum collections and a male examined from east of > Sherman Pass by Paul Opler. Two of the female Euphilotes taken on Bald Mtn. > August 14th are larger and notably visually different appearing than the three > female comstocki I kept. But until we can really get more material and ID and > rear out material from the host, we don't really KNOW what we are dealing with. > An endemic new butterfly from Bald Mtn. would not be surprising, since that > mountain is known to have something like 200 endemic plants, including several > different buckwheats. > > Also, the majority of "hilltopping" Papilioindraphyllisae I have collected on > the north facing slope below the Lookout Tower this year have been females. On > the ridge to the southeast, most taken there have been males. Perhaps this has > been a timing issue, on dates I arrive, maybe the females are having a problem > finding males. The male I took with the female August 14th was extremely worn, > only nubs of the hindwing remained. The female had been hilltopping for about > an hour before I caught it. I was there when the male arrived, there was a > courtship flight that lasted maybe 15 seconds, then both dropped to the ground > in a pile of rocks, both oblivious to me as I put my net over both. Even at the > type locality Butterbredt Peak, Kern County....females frequently are seen at > hilltops. > > Ken Davenport > > Best Wishes, Ken Davenport > kdavenport93306 AT yahoo.com or kdavenport AT tils-ttr.org > For more information: http://www.tils-ttr.org > TILS Motto: "We can not protect that which we do not know" © 1999 > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: RE: [DesertLeps] Re: Large Orange Sulphur From: "Hank Brodkin" <hbrodkin AT cox.net> Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 07:47:15 -0700 To prevent an further confusion - when I said FOS, I meant FOS in my yard. We are in quite a different habitat here than the upper Sonoran Desert in Tucson, our property being at the dividing line of Chihuahuan desert grassland and Madrean woodland. Hank Brodkin Carr Canyon, Cochise County, AZ 31°26’59.8”N 110°16’02.8”W hbrodkin AT cox.net "Butterflies of Arizona - a Photographic Guide" "Finding Butterflies in Arizona - a Guide to the Best Sites" http://members.cox.net/hbrodkin/ -----Original Message----- From: DesertLeps AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:DesertLeps AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of brian Sent: Wednesday, August 18, 2010 10:42 PM To: DesertLeps AT yahoogroups.com Subject: [DesertLeps] Re: Large Orange Sulphur Hank, Sennae has been sporadically in east Tucson since at least April, and agarithe since at least mid-May. I have the specimens to prove (now in Mark Walker's possession). Brian ------------------------------------ Keywords: DesertLeps , Desert Leps , Desert Lepidoptera , Desert Butterflies , Desert MothsYahoo! Groups Links No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.851 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3081 - Release Date: 08/18/10 23:35:00 No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 9.0.851 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/3081 - Release Date: 08/18/10 23:35:00 Subject: Re: Garden Canyon, Ft. Huachuca, 17 August From: BillB55 AT aol.com Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:28:42 -0400 Hello, I apologize for sending this request to the whole list, but I'm afraid Hank might not read his email until tomorrow. If anyone can give more explicit directions to the "fish ponds" in the grassland at Garden Canyon, I would be very grateful. I am visiting SE Arizona butterflying, and will still have tomorrow morning in the Huachucas, but will then be headed to the Chiricahuas. I haven't seen Painted Crescent, and would love the chance to do so tomorrow (Thursday), but though I was also at Garden Canyon yesterday, none of my books etc. (including Hank's!) mention any accessible ponds in the grassland. Thanks in advance for any advice, and I apologize again for writing to the whole list. Best, Bill Benner billb55 AT aol.com -----Original Message----- From: Hank Brodkin To: SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com; DesertLeps AT yahoogroups.com Cc: sightings AT naba.org Sent: Wed, Aug 18, 2010 7:54 pm Subject: [SoWestLep] Garden Canyon, Ft. Huachuca, 17 August Yesterday Bob Behrstock, visitor from New York Bob Grosek, and myself explored the road up to and through Garden Canyon. We saw some 39 species on a partly cloudy day with some light rain at the end of the road at Sawmill. There is some bloom, but not as much as previous years. Only a few stands of that great attractant Centaurea rothrocki that seem to only be attracting the very few Dull Firetips. Pipevine Swallowtail (B. philenor) many Two-tailed Swallowtail (P. multicaudata) 5 Chcekered White (P. protodice) 6 Orange Sulphur (C. eirytheme) many Southern Dogface (Z. cesonia) many Cloudless Sulphur (P. sennae) less than expected Mexican Yellow (E. mexicana) 5 Sleepy Orange (A. nicippe) 15 Dainty Sulphur (N. iole) 6 Gray Hairstreak (S. melinus) 1 Marine Blue (L. marina) 7 Ceraunus Blue (H. ceraunus) 4 Ares Metalmark (E. ares) 2 Queen (D. gilippus) 10 Variegated Fritillary (E. claudia) 4 Theona Checkerspot (C. theona) 2 Bordered Patch (C. lacinia) many - Color variation on hind wing from all black overlayed with a line of very faint orange spots, to black with a line of bright white dots, to black with an apricot band. It is common to see such variation down here. Painted Crescent (P. picta) 9 - in wet area near "fish ponds" in the grassland. Common Buckeye (J. coenia)) 1 Tropical Buckeye (J. g. nigrosuffusa) 1 Mourrning Cloak (N. antiopa) 2 Painted Lady (V. cardui) 2 Red-spotted Purple (L. a. astynax) 3 Arizona Sister (A. eulalaia) many Nabakov's satyr (C. pyracmon) 1 Dull Firetip (A. a. arizonae) 5 - numbers much lower than expected - as were many species this day. Golden-banded Skipper (A. cellus) 2 Drusius Cloudywing (T. drusius) 2 Acacia Skipper (C. hippalus) 2 Mournful Duskywing (E. tristis) 3 Pacuvius Duskywing (E. pacuvius) 1 Funereal Duskywing (E. funeralis) 2 White/Common Checkered-Skipper (P. communis/albescens) 5 Desert Checkered-Skipper (P. philetas) 2 Many-spotted Skipperling (P. aea) 7 - all near the upper picnic area Orange Skipperling C. aurantiaca) 1 Taxiles Skipper (P. taxiles) 1 Hank Brodkin Carr Canyon, Cochise County, AZ 31°26’59.8â€�N 110°16’02.8â€�W hbrodkin AT cox.net "Butterflies of Arizona - a Photographic Guide" "Finding Butterflies in Arizona - a Guide to the Best Sites" http://members.cox.net/hbrodkin/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Re: RE: [DesertLeps] Bald Mtn. footnote and Satyrium saepium From: Pete Spino <petespino8 AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:25:54 -0700 (PDT) Todd and Jim, Thanks so much for sharing your experience and encouragement regarding saepium rearing. I enjoyed the video Todd, it will be very helpful. Nice technique with the net too- sorry that one adult provo got away! Yours, Pete ________________________________ From: Todd Stout To: jimjoanjoy AT aol.com; petespino8 AT yahoo.com; Ken Davenport ; Southwest Lep Sent: Wed, August 18, 2010 2:07:46 PM Subject: [SoWestLep] RE: [DesertLeps] Bald Mtn. footnote and Satyrium saepium Hi Pete, Also, larvae of the hedgerow hairstreak also can be easily located by banging the inflorescens of Ceanothus. Video is imbedded in this link. http://www.raisingbutterflies.org/satyrium-saepium-provo/ Like Jim said, it is not hard to locate them. Todd Todd L. Stout Utah Lepidopterists' Society http://www.utahlepsociety.org/toddstout.html todd_stout29 AT hotmail.com 801-558-6302 TILS Motto: "We can not protect that which we do not know" 1999 To: petespino8 AT yahoo.com; kdavenport93306 AT yahoo.com; SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com; TILS-leps-talk AT yahoogroups.com; DesertLeps AT yahoogroups.com From: JimJoanJoy AT aol.com Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 16:40:14 -0400 Subject: Re: [DesertLeps] Bald Mtn. footnote and Satyrium saepium In a message dated 8/18/2010 11:05:03 A.M. US Mountain Standard Time, petespino8 AT yahoo.com writes: If I had the resources or the time and know how, I would love to rear them. Pete, If you pick the right spot, finding larvae is not a problem. Just look at terminal ends of the hosts in areas of high adult concentrations starting about 5 -6 weeks prior to the flight. Or, of course, you could get females to oviposit and do it that way. Once cut some Ceanothus branches from Democrat Hot Springs (Kern County) to feed Nymphalis californica larvae that actually had three last instar saepium larvae on them. It was just a half dozen branches and I lucked out. Found one of them crawling around inside the car a day later. I've since gone back to that same area and many of the same shrubs and had further success finding saepium larvae. I have never identified that Ceanothus but hope to some day. Jim B [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Garden Canyon, Ft. Huachuca, 17 August From: "Hank Brodkin" <hbrodkin AT cox.net> Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 16:54:04 -0700 Yesterday Bob Behrstock, visitor from New York Bob Grosek, and myself explored the road up to and through Garden Canyon. We saw some 39 species on a partly cloudy day with some light rain at the end of the road at Sawmill. There is some bloom, but not as much as previous years. Only a few stands of that great attractant Centaurea rothrocki that seem to only be attracting the very few Dull Firetips. Pipevine Swallowtail (B. philenor) many Two-tailed Swallowtail (P. multicaudata) 5 Chcekered White (P. protodice) 6 Orange Sulphur (C. eirytheme) many Southern Dogface (Z. cesonia) many Cloudless Sulphur (P. sennae) less than expected Mexican Yellow (E. mexicana) 5 Sleepy Orange (A. nicippe) 15 Dainty Sulphur (N. iole) 6 Gray Hairstreak (S. melinus) 1 Marine Blue (L. marina) 7 Ceraunus Blue (H. ceraunus) 4 Ares Metalmark (E. ares) 2 Queen (D. gilippus) 10 Variegated Fritillary (E. claudia) 4 Theona Checkerspot (C. theona) 2 Bordered Patch (C. lacinia) many - Color variation on hind wing from all black overlayed with a line of very faint orange spots, to black with a line of bright white dots, to black with an apricot band. It is common to see such variation down here. Painted Crescent (P. picta) 9 - in wet area near "fish ponds" in the grassland. Common Buckeye (J. coenia)) 1 Tropical Buckeye (J. g. nigrosuffusa) 1 Mourrning Cloak (N. antiopa) 2 Painted Lady (V. cardui) 2 Red-spotted Purple (L. a. astynax) 3 Arizona Sister (A. eulalaia) many Nabakov's satyr (C. pyracmon) 1 Dull Firetip (A. a. arizonae) 5 - numbers much lower than expected - as were many species this day. Golden-banded Skipper (A. cellus) 2 Drusius Cloudywing (T. drusius) 2 Acacia Skipper (C. hippalus) 2 Mournful Duskywing (E. tristis) 3 Pacuvius Duskywing (E. pacuvius) 1 Funereal Duskywing (E. funeralis) 2 White/Common Checkered-Skipper (P. communis/albescens) 5 Desert Checkered-Skipper (P. philetas) 2 Many-spotted Skipperling (P. aea) 7 - all near the upper picnic area Orange Skipperling C. aurantiaca) 1 Taxiles Skipper (P. taxiles) 1 Hank Brodkin Carr Canyon, Cochise County, AZ 31°26’59.8”N 110°16’02.8”W hbrodkin AT cox.net "Butterflies of Arizona - a Photographic Guide" "Finding Butterflies in Arizona - a Guide to the Best Sites" http://members.cox.net/hbrodkin/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Re: Large Orange Sulphur From: JimJoanJoy AT aol.com Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 19:23:28 EDT Hank, Yes, lots of Large Orange Sulphurs around. I currently have larvae and adults about as good as I ever get them meaning at least three males cruising the yard at any moment and plenty of larvae in various stages. Jim B near Sabino Canyon, Tucson [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Large Orange Sulphur From: "Hank Brodkin" <hbrodkin AT cox.net> Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 16:17:05 -0700 The FOS Large Orange Sulphur (P. agarithe) stopped briefly then flew north from our yard. Many P. sennae are also flying north. Our area is very green now and we all have our eye out for influx species from Mexico. Hank Brodkin Carr Canyon, Cochise County, AZ 31°26’59.8”N 110°16’02.8”W hbrodkin AT cox.net "Butterflies of Arizona - a Photographic Guide" "Finding Butterflies in Arizona - a Guide to the Best Sites" http://members.cox.net/hbrodkin/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: RE: [DesertLeps] Bald Mtn. footnote and Satyrium saepium From: Todd Stout <todd_stout29 AT hotmail.com> Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:07:46 -0600 Hi Pete, Also, larvae of the hedgerow hairstreak also can be easily located by banging the inflorescens of Ceanothus. Video is imbedded in this link. http://www.raisingbutterflies.org/satyrium-saepium-provo/ Like Jim said, it is not hard to locate them. Todd Todd L. Stout Utah Lepidopterists' Society http://www.utahlepsociety.org/toddstout.html todd_stout29 AT hotmail.com 801-558-6302 TILS Motto: "We can not protect that which we do not know" 1999 To: petespino8 AT yahoo.com; kdavenport93306 AT yahoo.com; SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com; TILS-leps-talk AT yahoogroups.com; DesertLeps AT yahoogroups.com From: JimJoanJoy AT aol.com Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 16:40:14 -0400 Subject: Re: [DesertLeps] Bald Mtn. footnote and Satyrium saepium In a message dated 8/18/2010 11:05:03 A.M. US Mountain Standard Time, petespino8 AT yahoo.com writes: If I had the resources or the time and know how, I would love to rear them. Pete, If you pick the right spot, finding larvae is not a problem. Just look at terminal ends of the hosts in areas of high adult concentrations starting about 5 -6 weeks prior to the flight. Or, of course, you could get females to oviposit and do it that way. Once cut some Ceanothus branches from Democrat Hot Springs (Kern County) to feed Nymphalis californica larvae that actually had three last instar saepium larvae on them. It was just a half dozen branches and I lucked out. Found one of them crawling around inside the car a day later. I've since gone back to that same area and many of the same shrubs and had further success finding saepium larvae. I have never identified that Ceanothus but hope to some day. Jim B [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SoWestLep/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SoWestLep/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: SoWestLep-digest AT yahoogroups.com SoWestLep-fullfeatured AT yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: SoWestLep-unsubscribe AT yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ Subject: Re: [DesertLeps] Bald Mtn. footnote and Satyrium saepium From: JimJoanJoy AT aol.com Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 16:40:14 EDT In a message dated 8/18/2010 11:05:03 A.M. US Mountain Standard Time, petespino8 AT yahoo.com writes: If I had the resources or the time and know how, I would love to rear them. Pete, If you pick the right spot, finding larvae is not a problem. Just look at terminal ends of the hosts in areas of high adult concentrations starting about 5 -6 weeks prior to the flight. Or, of course, you could get females to oviposit and do it that way. Once cut some Ceanothus branches from Democrat Hot Springs (Kern County) to feed Nymphalis californica larvae that actually had three last instar saepium larvae on them. It was just a half dozen branches and I lucked out. Found one of them crawling around inside the car a day later. I've since gone back to that same area and many of the same shrubs and had further success finding saepium larvae. I have never identified that Ceanothus but hope to some day. Jim B [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Re: [DesertLeps] Bald Mtn. footnote and Satyrium saepium From: Pete Spino <petespino8 AT yahoo.com> Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:04:54 -0700 (PDT) Ken, I always read your posts with great interest because almost each one is a learning experience for me regarding subspecies in those locations in the counties up north in the Sierras, which, unfortunately, I hardly get to venture to. San Diego and Imperial counties, albeit it diverse in habitats and it's proximity to Mexico, sometimes seems to me to be more limited than up there in that high country. Or maybe it's just a case of the grass seeming greener on the other side of the fence. Your entry from Tulare County is no different with regards to saepium. I love it that Kern and Tulare Counties are a "mixing zone" of 3 subspecies. I have a strong interest in this species. If I had the resources or the time and know how, I would love to rear them. My interests probably stem from the fact that we actually have TWO subspecies of saepium flying here in S. D. County. Although I did not know this until only two years ago when Koji was busy gathering data and information for his terrific book and Jonathan's Catalogue was published. And, in addition, I finally picked up my reprint copy of Butterflies of California. The Purplish Hedgerow Hairstreak (S. saepium chlorophora) is on the wing here from May to June and it's host plant is primarily Ceanothus. Whereas the Bronzed Hedgerow Hairstreak (S. saepiumchalcis) flies in the mountains from June to August. It's food plant is Whiethorn Chaparral, and Cupleaf, as well as Ceanothus. This chalcis is more paler than the darker chlorophora, which sometimes has a purple iridescence on the underwing. The chlorophora also has a dark submarginal band. I have just started delineating them both when in the field over the last year or so, although this year was considered a washout for me and my search for them because of my continuing medical hiccups. With your fulvescens from Tulare, it's interesting to read that Comstock felt back in 1920 that it was a rarity. He called it by it's common name, the Tawny Hairstreak. Is it still considered rarer than others? I would be interested in what the late Ron Gratelle's wrote about his study of them. "Consubspecific" is a good word and I can kind of understand his meaning of it's usage with respect to saepium. It's seems like a highly variable species here in California. "Tawny" Pete Spino San Diego, CA ________________________________ From: "kdavenport93306 AT yahoo.com" To: SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com; TILS-leps-talk AT yahoogroups.com; DesertLeps AT yahoogroups.com Sent: Wed, August 18, 2010 8:10:43 AM Subject: [DesertLeps] Bald Mtn. footnote and Satyriumsaepium Everyone: Sometimes even the most visited localities can yield either new or unnotedfaunal details. This happened on my recent August 14, 2010 trip to Bald Mtn., 9400', Tulare County, California. One of the most interesting developments was the Hedge-Row Hairstreak (Satyriumsaepium) that occurs on Bald Mtn. I have seen and maybe even collected them there before. But they do not fly there during June and early July when most of my visits were made. They are more a late July-August butterfly there. I noted in an earlier post that these saepium I saw on Bald Mtn. tended towards recently described subspecies subaridum. Based on the three individuals I took home and spread, they not only tend towards subspecies subaridum, they ARE subaridum. And the reported hostplant for this species at Hunter Mountain and along the east slope of the Sierra Nevada is Ceanothusgreggii, a common "treelike" plant growing on Bald Mtn. I did not realize what they were until checking out that plant on the internet. A male saepium I took the same day west of Sherman Pass at about 7800' is closer to nominate saepium. Kern and Tulare Counties are a mixing zone of Satyriumsaepium subspecies with subspecies saepium, chalcis and fulvescens, the latter probably similar enough to chalcis to be "consubspecific" (a word invented by Ron Gratelle that means fulvescens is a synonym of chalcis). The subspecies subaridum was reported in the original description as occurring southward along the eastern Sierra Nevada in the Owens Valley as far southward as the Kern County line. In my Kern/Tulare County publication I include subaridum within the boundaries of Kern County based on a couple of records. I suspect it is even common up in the ScodieMts. and probably on the microwave hill near Bird Spring Pass. I took one at Walker Pass and we know it is up in the Owens Peak area. But we butterfly folks go elsewhere when Satyriumsaepiumsubaridum flies, generally a month later than subspecies chalcis and saepium. The two good saepium I took on Bald Mtn. do differ somewhat from subaridum I have taken at Whitney Portal in Inyo County and from Lower Rock Creek in Mono County. The basal portion of the wings inside the pm line below appears darker, similar to ssp. caliginosum from the California Central Coast. But that feature does show up in some Owens Valley specimens as well. Other added notes: The CytheraMetalmark (Apodemiamormocythera) taken on Bald Mtn. was my earliest ever record from Tulare County, odd for a lower elevation bug taken at 9400'! Also, there appears to be a lot of complexity within the Euphilotesenoptes complex in the Sherman Pass region. There are several entities within that group along the Sherman Pass Rd. and one of those appears to fly with Comstock's Blue (Euphilotesglaucon/intermediacomstocki) based on genitalic exam finds from museum collections and a male examined from east of Sherman Pass by Paul Opler. Two of the female Euphilotes taken on Bald Mtn. August 14th are larger and notably visually different appearing than the three female comstocki I kept. But until we can really get more material and ID and rear out material from the host, we don't really KNOW what we are dealing with. An endemic new butterfly from Bald Mtn. would not be surprising, since that mountain is known to have something like 200 endemic plants, including several different buckwheats. Also, the majority of "hilltopping" Papilioindraphyllisae I have collected on the north facing slope below the Lookout Tower this year have been females. On the ridge to the southeast, most taken there have been males. Perhaps this has been a timing issue, on dates I arrive, maybe the females are having a problem finding males. The male I took with the female August 14th was extremely worn, only nubs of the hindwing remained. The female had been hilltopping for about an hour before I caught it. I was there when the male arrived, there was a courtship flight that lasted maybe 15 seconds, then both dropped to the ground in a pile of rocks, both oblivious to me as I put my net over both. Even at the type locality Butterbredt Peak, Kern County....females frequently are seen at hilltops. Ken Davenport Best Wishes, Ken Davenport kdavenport93306 AT yahoo.com or kdavenport AT tils-ttr.org For more information: http://www.tils-ttr.org TILS Motto: "We can not protect that which we do not know" © 1999 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Re: SE AZ: Chiricahua Mts., Cochise Co.; August 11 From: Kim Davis <kim AT kimandmikeontheroad.com> Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 21:04:07 -0700 Hello everyone, Ken Kertell sent us his images of live adults, immatures, foodplants and habitat of Apodemia mormo (SE Arizona segregate) taken on August 11th and we have them loaded to the Butterflies of America website. Check them out here: http://butterfliesofamerica.com/apodemia_mormo_seaz_seg_live1.htm http://butterfliesofamerica.com/apodemia_mormo_seaz_seg_immatures.htm http://butterfliesofamerica.com/apodemia_mormo_seaz_seg_habitats.htm Thanks for the great work you do Ken! We really appreciate your fabulous contributions to BOA! Life is Good... Kim Davis http://kimandmikeontheroad.com/ http://butterfliesofamerica.com/ On Aug 12, 2010, at 5:43 PM, teleost07 wrote: > The dark SE AZ Mormon Metalmark (Apodemia mormo) segregate, collected in late August 2001 by Brock and pictured at Butterflies of America, was available for viewing during a clear morning near Onion Saddle yesterday, August 11. Most were fresh. Doug Mullins and I observed a female laying eggs in late morning on James Buckwheat (Eriogonum jamesi). [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: AZ Butterlying From: "vireo" <vireo AT vireos.com> Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 06:34:22 -0700 All, Kurt Radamaker and I went out on Saturday, 8/14, along AZ 260 between Camp Verde and AZ 87. Between mile markers 235 and 244 are several stock ponds that are very attractive to blues. We had over 150 Spalding's Blues (Euphilotes spaldingi), along with about 15 Dotted Blues (Euphilotes enoptes). I am not sure of the subspecies of either blue, but believe the spaldingi are the nominate subspecies. There were also a variety of more common blues, but not much else. The previous weekend, Gary Nunn and I went to Guadalupe Canyon (8/7) and the Chiracahuas (8/8). Guadalupe has running water in places, but the butterflies were slow, at least in part due to cloudy weather. The seep willow appeared to be 10-14 days away from blooming and there were few other flowers. Of note, we saw zero Tailed Oranges (Pyrisitia proterpa), one Large Orange Sulphur (Phoebis agarithe), and only a few Cloudless Sulphurs (Phoebis sennae). Went to Rustler Park in the Chiracahuas and again had a lot of trouble with the weather, in addition to it being in the mid 60s. The only bug of note was a late Pine Satyr (Paramacera xicaque allyni). Dave David Powell Phoenix, AZ vireo AT vireos.com http://www.vireos.com/AZ http://www.vireos.com/mexico [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Re: Leptotes marina (marine blues) flight habits From: Richard James <Richard.James AT longbeach.gov> Date: Sat, 14 Aug 2010 08:21:09 -0700 Hi Todd, I am in Long Beach and my Marine Blues are very erratic. They have to be to avoid the Black Phoebes and dragonflies. Richard L. James Naturalist El Dorado Nature Center 7550 E. Spring Street Long Beach, California 90815 (562) 570-1750 Please note: my email is changed to richard.james AT longbeach.gov. Please update your address book. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: RE: [DesertLeps] Leptotes marina (marine blues) flight habits From: "Mark Walker" <xvermontrz AT att.net> Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2010 22:39:00 -0700 Hey Todd, My take on this is that marina typically has chaotic flight, but because they seem to be rather long lived (many fly until there are few scales remaining), their motion tends to become slower and therefore more predictable. Always in chaotic motion, though. Your memory is correct - the butterfly is very common in southern California. So much so that few Lepidopterists take any notice of them at all. They are one of maybe two or three butterflies that fly 12 months out of the year here, and can be found in virtually any yard, neighborhood, or retail parking lot. If you pay attention to virtually any plant or bush, you're likely to see one bounce about, readily crossing busy intersections - unscathed on account of the erratic motion. Why we ignore them is a bit of a mystery, considering how absolutely spectacular the fresh female butterfly can be. Truly one of the more gorgeous of blues. Good luck rearing it. Mark. _____ From: DesertLeps AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:DesertLeps AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Todd Stout Sent: Thursday, August 12, 2010 3:54 PM To: DesertLeps; Southwest Lep Subject: [DesertLeps] Leptotes marina (marine blues) flight habits Hi everyone: I haven't heard much from the list serves today; so I thought I might provide a simple observation and question on marine blues (Leptotes marina); in hopes some of you desert (or non-desert) folks might chime in and bring me up to speed. My impression of this butterfly is that they fly commonly in the suburban and/or agricultrual or disturbed areas of the Desert Southwest--i.e, Phoenix, LA, Bakersfield, Las Vegas, etc. I remember seeing them as a kid growing up in LA and taking them relatively for granted. I've recently stumbled across a population that migrated here and is colonizing an agricultural area in Northern Utah and will likely hang out here until hard freeze--similar to B. exilis. However, the only thing that puzzles me about this butterfly is that I don't recall them flying so incredibly fast and erratic as I am finding them fly here. Did I miss something as a kid? Nicky Davis and I are wanting to rear this bug; and I have netted several males and only two females; but the thing that blows me away about these butterflies is their erratic flight. It seems some of them are competing with Strymon melinus for flight behavior. Is this typical? I just don't remember them being flying that way in Southern California. Todd Todd L. Stout Utah Lepidopterists' Society http://www.utahlepsociety.org/toddstout.html todd_stout29 AT hotmail.com 801-558-6302 TILS Motto: "We can not protect that which we do not know" 1999 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Laguna Sunrise - 8.9.10 From: "Mark Walker" <xvermontrz AT att.net> Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2010 22:13:27 -0700 On Monday, August 9, six faithful supporters of the Monarch Program (www.monarchprogram.org ) met in preparation for an ascent into the nearby Laguna Mountains of San Diego Co. to see if the butterflies have finally decided to embrace the summer. While the rest of the United States has suffered through a sweltering summer season, southern California continues to endure unusually cool and overcast conditions. The butterfly season here was seriously delayed during the spring, and continued its pattern of postponement through June and July. It has made for a somewhat frustrating study, as the normally reliable timing estimates for peak flights have been as many as three and even four weeks behind. So it was with uncertain anticipation that the Monarch Program entourage made its way into the Laguna Mountains on Monday as the sun rose up over the Colorado Desert to the east. What would we find? We were hoping that the summer butterflies would be in full swing, but recognized (based on previous 2010 experiences) that the likelihood remained large that we would be unpleasantly surprised. No matter, though, because our tight and diverse association of butterfly enthusiasts could nevertheless look forward to some wonderful fellowship, conversation, adventure, scientific study, culinary delights, exercise, and fun. Our itinerary would be characterized by an early and lengthy butterfly hike, followed by a marvelous homemade lunch, some time for insect photography, a montane game of golf Frisbee, some drive-by botanical studies, a delightful drive down Pine Creek Rd., all topped off with ice cream treats in Pine Valley. Thanks to Monarch Program founder David Marriott, this has become the typical and appreciated field trip. We arrived at the Wooded Hills trailhead before 11:00 a.m. under blue skies and an increasing temperature that was already in the 70's F. Things were looking up. Somewhat to our surprise (unsurprisingly), we found the butterflies lacking in numbers. During our 3-hour excursion we saw far fewer Nymphalidae than we expected, with many summer butterflies scarce to non-existent. A singleton of Speyeria coronis semiramis was perhaps the biggest surprise, as that butterfly should be enjoying a strong flight (even with the delayed season). There were good numbers of California Sister, and the Colias were having a nice flight (both eurytheme and harfordi), with good numbers of ovipositing females of both species. There were decent numbers of Lycaenidae on the wing - most individuals being members of the Plebejus acmon complex (all were identified as lupini based on the elevation, though many appeared to be closer to acmon). There was also a good flight of Western Tailed Blues - which always seems to be larger than normal at the top of the Laguna Mountains. Hemiargus ceraunus gyas was also flying strong. There were a few skippers, also, including Ochlodes sylvanoides, Pyrgus albescens, Capaeodes aurantiaca, and a few fresh Erynnis afranius, but no sign of any Hesperia. David combed a riparian corridor and found good numbers of Polygonia satyrus larvae sewing up the leaves of stinging nettle, but saw no adults. Walks through the surrounding meadows and flower fields (the forest is greener than would be expected for August, and still in vivid color) produced a number of interesting butterflies, including a pretty decent flight of Junonia coenia (including a mating pair). Perhaps the highlight of the day was a fresh female Callophrys spinetorum (Thicket Hairstreak), nectaring on yarrow. This is perhaps one of the most elusive butterflies of San Diego County, as it rarely comes down from the heights of its mistletoe larval foodplant. What an odd species, completely disconnected from its juniper feeding cousins through its association with the conifer-only species of mistletoe. Mistletoe seems to be somewhat of a hallucinogenic for the hairstreak family - enticing the bravest to partake of its magic, and rewarding them with the most spectacular of colors. I have never seen spinetorum in San Diego County, so needless to say I was elated to see this gorgeous girl sitting motionless on the flower blossom. Like so many other wonderful nectar feeders, Callophrys spinetorum appears as a black triangle while resting on flowerheads - and can therefore be spotted at some distance. It pays to have good eyesight, which I don't have anymore, and so scanning fields of flower blossoms can sometimes pay big dividends. Another highlight of the day was a most peculiar specimen of Euphilotes. As far as I know, there are only two species of Euphilotes in San Diego County. That would be E. bernardino and E. enoptes dammersi. Neither really should be expected on August 9, but with such a strange year who can speculate? Normally, E. bernardino flies in the spring and is associated with Eriogonum fasciculatum. Normally E. enoptes flies in the very late summer and is associated with Eriogonum elongatum. This particular Euphilotes is large and appearing like E. enoptes - but was associated with Eriogonum wrightii. I'm guessing it's also dammersi, but if so, I was surprised to find it fresh and flying on August 9. With all the Eriogonum wrighti on top of the Laguna Mountains, it makes me wonder if Dammer's Dotted Blue isn't a much more common insect than we think. With so many Plebejus flying around (they were ubiquitous), it's no wonder that summer flying Euphilotes might go unnoticed. Later, a few quick stops while descending Pine Creek Rd. demonstrated that Euphilotes bernardino is also still on the wing (though tending towards the end of flight). These are distinctly different (is that like strangely unusual?) from the enoptes phenotype, making the two species pretty easy to distinguish - even apart from their strict larval foodplant associations. Other lower elevation butterflies included Satyrium tetra and Satyrium saepium. These June flying hairstreaks would not typically be expected so late in the season, but perhaps are more likely given the grossly delayed conditions. All in all we had a wonderful day, in spite of the lack of frenetic butterflies. Soon the season here will end and we'll only be left to wonder what this strange, wet, and cool year might produce for 2011. One thing is for sure: there will be good numbers of passionate humans who are ready to study them. Butterflies of San Diego County, 8-9-10 Papilio eurymedon (Pale Swallowtail) - one individual Colias eurytheme (Orange Sulphur) - > 20 Colias harfordii (Harford's Sulphur) - > 20 Pieris rapae (Cabbage Butterfly) - 2 Nathalis iole (Dainty Sulphur) - 1 Junonia coenia (Buckeye) - 15 Erynnis afranius (Afranius Duskywing) - 3 Pyrgus albescens (White Checkered Skipper) - 2 Copaeodes aurantiaca (Orange Skipperling) - 1 Ochlodes sylvanoides (Woodland Skipper) - 4 Lycaena xanthoides (Great Copper) - 1 Callphrys spinetorum (Thicket Hairstreak) - 1 Satyrium saepium (Hedgerow Hairstreak) - 1 Satyrium tetra (Mountain Mahogany Hairstreak) - 2 Strymon melinus (Gray Hairstreak) - 1 Leptotes marina (Marine Blue) - > 10 Cupido amyntula (Western Tailed Blue) - > 10 Euphilotes bernardino (Bernardino Dotted Blue) - 5 Euphilotes enoptes dammersi? (Dammer's Dotted Blue) - 1 Hemiargus ceraunus gyas (Ceraunus Blue) - > 100 Plebejus acmon/lupine (Lupine Blue) - > 100 Speyeria coronis semiramis (Coronis Fritillary) - 1 Adelpha californica (California Sister) - 15 Mark Walker [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Re: Leptotes marina flight habits From: Todd Stout <todd_stout29 AT hotmail.com> Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2010 11:49:46 -0600 Everyone's feedback has been great!!! It's interesting how way these little guys are. Thanks again. Todd Todd L. Stout Utah Lepidopterists' Society http://www.utahlepsociety.org/toddstout.html todd_stout29 AT hotmail.com 801-558-6302 TILS Motto: "We can not protect that which we do not know" 1999 To: desertleps AT yahoogroups.com From: rgs455 AT cox.net Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:35:17 -0400 Subject: Re: [DesertLeps] Re: [SoWestLep] Leptotes marina (marine blues) flight habits Wow, that's interesting about how frenetic their flight is. Here in Oklahoma they're generally fairly calm & laid back. Go figure. John [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SoWestLep/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SoWestLep/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: SoWestLep-digest AT yahoogroups.com SoWestLep-fullfeatured AT yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: SoWestLep-unsubscribe AT yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ Subject: Re: Leptotes marina (marine blues) flight habits From: Pete Spino <petespino8 AT yahoo.com> Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2010 10:27:38 -0700 (PDT) All, You guys aren't kidding about marina here in Socal. We know that the blues that never stop are the Marine Blues. I used to wait for them to but their frenetic flying was frustrating even to this usually most patient observer. I then began to net them for ID but don't even do this anymore. They are the most conspicuous blue here in the in the chaparral inland valleys of the north S.D. County area where I live. I'm seeing dozens of them everyday on my daily walks in my neighborhood. The only other butterfly that is more common on these walks in and around my HOA is the ones tattooed on the lower backs of the women at the pool - Papilio incus lumbarii? These blues also seem to be pugnacious kinda like the Jumonia are. Even in spite of their small size they'll fly up and at anything that moves nearby. I've even witnessed them badgering birds in the mesquite at Yaqui Well during the heat of the day. If a butterfly could suffer from Tourrette's Syndrome, this would be the one! Lepotes marina was actually the first butterfly that I really wanted to collect a series of. Most of you know that I'm not a collector but probably should be. I'm in favor of it but just don't have the space or the resources. But when I started to notice a few years ago the differences in some of the marina that I was seeing out there, closer study would have been interesting and fun. When netted, not only were there variations in size and color, but I discovered marked differences in the striping on the forewing and hindwing of the undersides. Like fingerprints, there are little subtleties that are not apparent unless you look closely and compare them with others. This opened up a whole new world for me in what had before just been a common garden butterfly. It was because of this blue that I began to change my thoughts and opinions about why collectors collect a whole series and why the field of research through this collecting is vital to our knowledge of the butterfly world. Thanks Todd for starting this thread about marina and others that have chimed in. I will always have a fondness for this little bug with "St. Vitus Dance", even though I may no longer have the same patience as I once did. Pete Spino ________________________________ From: lynn monroe To: todd_stout29 AT hotmail.com Cc: desertleps AT yahoogroups.com; sowestlep AT yahoogroups.com Sent: Fri, August 13, 2010 6:49:12 AM Subject: Re: [SoWestLep] Leptotes marina (marine blues) flight habits In Anza-Borrego they are perpetual motion machines--never stop flying erratically! Its two companion butterflies, Ceraunus and Reakirt's, will eventually stop and perch, but it seems that Marina just keeps flying and flying. . . . Lynn Monroe On Thu, 12 Aug 2010 16:54:23 -0600 Todd Stout writes: Hi everyone: I haven't heard much from the list serves today; so I thought I might provide a simple observation and question on marine blues (Leptotes marina); in hopes some of you desert (or non-desert) folks might chime in and bring me up to speed. My impression of this butterfly is that they fly commonly in the suburban and/or agricultrual or disturbed areas of the Desert Southwest--i.e, Phoenix, LA, Bakersfield, Las Vegas, etc. I remember seeing them as a kid growing up in LA and taking them relatively for granted. I've recently stumbled across a population that migrated here and is colonizing an agricultural area in Northern Utah and will likely hang out here until hard freeze--similar to B. exilis. However, the only thing that puzzles me about this butterfly is that I don't recall them flying so incredibly fast and erratic as I am finding them fly here. Did I miss something as a kid? Nicky Davis and I are wanting to rear this bug; and I have netted several males and only two females; but the thing that blows me away about these butterflies is their erratic flight. It seems some of them are competing with Strymonmelinus for flight behavior. Is this typical? I just don't remember them being flying that way in Southern California. Todd Todd L. Stout Utah Lepidopterists' Society http://www.utahlepsociety.org/toddstout.html todd_stout29 AT hotmail.com 801-558-6302 TILS Motto: "We can not protect that which we do not know" 1999 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ____________________________________________________________ Become Six Sigma Certified Villanova Six Sigma Certification 100% Online Program - Free Info. http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/4c654da1b49f66b979fst06vuc [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Re: Leptotes marina (marine blues) flight habits From: lynn monroe <lynnmon AT juno.com> Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2010 07:49:12 -0600 In Anza-Borrego they are perpetual motion machines--never stop flying erratically! Its two companion butterflies, Ceraunus and Reakirt's, will eventually stop and perch, but it seems that Marina just keeps flying and flying. . . . Lynn Monroe On Thu, 12 Aug 2010 16:54:23 -0600 Todd Stout writes: Hi everyone: I haven't heard much from the list serves today; so I thought I might provide a simple observation and question on marine blues (Leptotes marina); in hopes some of you desert (or non-desert) folks might chime in and bring me up to speed. My impression of this butterfly is that they fly commonly in the suburban and/or agricultrual or disturbed areas of the Desert Southwest--i.e, Phoenix, LA, Bakersfield, Las Vegas, etc. I remember seeing them as a kid growing up in LA and taking them relatively for granted. I've recently stumbled across a population that migrated here and is colonizing an agricultural area in Northern Utah and will likely hang out here until hard freeze--similar to B. exilis. However, the only thing that puzzles me about this butterfly is that I don't recall them flying so incredibly fast and erratic as I am finding them fly here. Did I miss something as a kid? Nicky Davis and I are wanting to rear this bug; and I have netted several males and only two females; but the thing that blows me away about these butterflies is their erratic flight. It seems some of them are competing with Strymon melinus for flight behavior. Is this typical? I just don't remember them being flying that way in Southern California. Todd Todd L. Stout Utah Lepidopterists' Society http://www.utahlepsociety.org/toddstout.html todd_stout29 AT hotmail.com 801-558-6302 TILS Motto: "We can not protect that which we do not know" 1999 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ____________________________________________________________ Become Six Sigma Certified Villanova Six Sigma Certification 100% Online Program - Free Info. http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/4c654da1b49f66b979fst06vuc [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SoWestLep/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SoWestLep/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: SoWestLep-digest AT yahoogroups.com SoWestLep-fullfeatured AT yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: SoWestLep-unsubscribe AT yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ Subject: Re: SE AZ: Chiricahua Mts., Cochise Co.; August 11 From: kim AT kimandmikeontheroad.com Date: Thu, 12 Aug 2010 22:30:27 -0700 Ken, Congratulations Ken! Finding and photographing live adults of the dark AZ Mormon Metalmark is a major accomplishment! We can't wait to post your photographs up on Butterflies of America soon. Jim Brock's discovery of this butterfly in August 2001 led Andy Warren to designate it as a segregate. It good to know it's still around and doing well. Here's a link to the specimen images on BOA: http://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/apodemia_mormo_seaz_seg_specimens.htm Mike and Kim Kim > The dark SE AZ Mormon Metalmark (Apodemia mormo) segregate, collected in > late August 2001 by Brock and pictured at Butterflies of America, was > available for viewing during a clear morning near Onion Saddle yesterday, > August 11. Most were fresh. Doug Mullins and I observed a female laying > eggs in late morning on James Buckwheat (Eriogonum jamesi). Also near > Onion Saddle were 3 Snow's Skippers (Paratrytone snowi), nectaring at what > indeed appears to be Purple Loco (Oxytropis lambertii), and an Edward's > Skipperling (Oarisma edwardsii). > > Ken Kertell > Tucson > > Subject: SE AZ: Chiricahua Mts., Cochise Co.; August 11 From: "teleost07" <teleost07 AT yahoo.com> Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2010 00:43:27 -0000 The dark SE AZ Mormon Metalmark (Apodemia mormo) segregate, collected in late August 2001 by Brock and pictured at Butterflies of America, was available for viewing during a clear morning near Onion Saddle yesterday, August 11. Most were fresh. Doug Mullins and I observed a female laying eggs in late morning on James Buckwheat (Eriogonum jamesi). Also near Onion Saddle were 3 Snow's Skippers (Paratrytone snowi), nectaring at what indeed appears to be Purple Loco (Oxytropis lambertii), and an Edward's Skipperling (Oarisma edwardsii). Ken Kertell Tucson Subject: Re: [DesertLeps] Leptotes marina (marine blues) flight habits From: JimJoanJoy AT aol.com Date: Thu, 12 Aug 2010 19:31:11 EDT In a message dated 8/12/2010 3:54:37 P.M. US Mountain Standard Time, todd_stout29 AT hotmail.com writes: Is this typical? I just don't remember them being flying that way in Southern California. Todd, Yes typical. They fly like they're half blue, half hairstreak as far as I'm concerned. Jim B [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Leptotes marina (marine blues) flight habits From: Todd Stout <todd_stout29 AT hotmail.com> Date: Thu, 12 Aug 2010 16:54:23 -0600 Hi everyone: I haven't heard much from the list serves today; so I thought I might provide a simple observation and question on marine blues (Leptotes marina); in hopes some of you desert (or non-desert) folks might chime in and bring me up to speed. My impression of this butterfly is that they fly commonly in the suburban and/or agricultrual or disturbed areas of the Desert Southwest--i.e, Phoenix, LA, Bakersfield, Las Vegas, etc. I remember seeing them as a kid growing up in LA and taking them relatively for granted. I've recently stumbled across a population that migrated here and is colonizing an agricultural area in Northern Utah and will likely hang out here until hard freeze--similar to B. exilis. However, the only thing that puzzles me about this butterfly is that I don't recall them flying so incredibly fast and erratic as I am finding them fly here. Did I miss something as a kid? Nicky Davis and I are wanting to rear this bug; and I have netted several males and only two females; but the thing that blows me away about these butterflies is their erratic flight. It seems some of them are competing with Strymon melinus for flight behavior. Is this typical? I just don't remember them being flying that way in Southern California. Todd Todd L. Stout Utah Lepidopterists' Society http://www.utahlepsociety.org/toddstout.html todd_stout29 AT hotmail.com 801-558-6302 TILS Motto: "We can not protect that which we do not know" 1999 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Re: Tioga Pass and Yosemite Butterflies From: JimJoanJoy AT aol.com Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:22:02 EDT Jeff, Nice shots! Those bugs are probably still going strong up there with this being a late year. Anyone else been to Saddlebag in the past week?? Jim Brock [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Re: Tioga Pass and Yosemite Butterflies From: jspippen <jspippen AT duke.edu> Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2010 13:43:59 -0400 (EDT) You all are making me want to get back to Yosemite and Saddlebag Lake! Rockslide Checkerspots are indeed tough to photograph; I think I got lucky with a couple of worn ones on my trip with Bill Bouton a couple of years ago. http://www.duke.edu/~jspippen/butterflies/rockslidecheckerspot.htm And indeed Mark, we enjoyed rousing a few Sierra Sulphurs from their resting positions in the meadows! http://www.duke.edu/~jspippen/butterflies/sierrasulphur.htm Cheers, Jeff On Wed, 11 Aug 2010, Rob wrote: > Hi Group, > > Just like Nick's posting from yesterday , I will share some highlights > from my recent trip to the Sierra's. My wife and I took a week's > vacation in California's High Sierra from 8/2 thru 8/6 and managed to > fit in some butterfly photography. My main butterfly targets were > Chryxus Arctic (Oeneis chryxus) on the Sonora Pass, Sierra Sulphur > (Colias behrii) in the Dana Meadows, and Rockslide Checkerspot (Chlosyne > whitneyi) at Saddlebag Lake. I never saw a Sierra Sulphur, so that will > be a goal for next summer. > > On 8/2 we were at the Sonora Pass and I'd say the mint is perfect > right now. Also, anyone should get Shasta Blues or Chryxus Arctic if > they want. Here is a photo of Chryxus Arctic: > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/santry/4872327260/ > > On 8/4 at the western trail around Saddlebag Lake we had seven Rockslide > Checkerspots. Well, to be precise we had seven sightings of Rockslide > Checkerspot! There were at least three flying about at the same time and > we may have double counted one or more as they kept flying > upslope-downslope around the trail. When active this butterfly is > impossible to photograph. I'm impressed with the pictures I've seen of > whitneyii from some of you. It is not easy. We were a quarter mile north > of the dam, where the trail works it's way through some granite benches > and a large talus field. > > We had the fortune of meeting a couple from Modesto who were > photographing plants and flowers in Tuolumne meadows. So they showed us > what Dwarf bilberry looks like. Since it's the hostplant for Colias > behrii, we thought that might make our quest for a photo of Colias > behrii more of a success. Well, no joy there. But there is bilberry on > the Soda Springs trail in a ditch just before the bridge over the > Tuolumne River. There is more bilberry in the meadows just north of > Pothole Dome, along the Tuolumne River, and finally there is bilberry in > the Dana Meadows on the Mono Pass trail. So, if anyone has ANY tips to > share with me on finding Colias behrii, I would appreciate it. > > There were a few Mariposa Coppers along Lee Vining Creek, just east of > the turnoff to Saddlebag lake. Here is a picture: > > http://www.flickr.com/photos/santry/4871788865/ > > I'd like to impose on the groups opinion on a fritillary that was > abundantly seen and photographed by me at Tuolumne Meadows. I think they > were Mormon Fritillaries (Speyeria mormonia), but I could be totally > choking on the ID. Perhaps I'm looking at egleis? All were seen right in > the meadow area. Here are some pics: > > Dorsal view > http://www.flickr.com/photos/santry/4872444551/ > > Female Dorsal view > http://www.flickr.com/photos/santry/4872445245/ > > Ventral view > http://www.flickr.com/photos/santry/4872444871/ > > Regards, > > Rob Santry > Anderson, CA > > > ------------------------------------ > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Jeffrey S. Pippen Nicholas School of the Environment Rm A-241 LSRC Bldg, Box 90328 Duke University, Durham, NC 27708 PH: (919) 660-7278 http://www.duke.edu/~jspippen/nature.htm ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Subject: Tioga Pass and Yosemite Butterflies From: Rob <kingbird AT snowcrest.net> Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2010 09:56:01 -0700 Hi Group, Just like Nick's posting from yesterday , I will share some highlights from my recent trip to the Sierra's. My wife and I took a week's vacation in California's High Sierra from 8/2 thru 8/6 and managed to fit in some butterfly photography. My main butterfly targets were Chryxus Arctic (Oeneis chryxus) on the Sonora Pass, Sierra Sulphur (Colias behrii) in the Dana Meadows, and Rockslide Checkerspot (Chlosyne whitneyi) at Saddlebag Lake. I never saw a Sierra Sulphur, so that will be a goal for next summer. On 8/2 we were at the Sonora Pass and I'd say the mint is perfect right now. Also, anyone should get Shasta Blues or Chryxus Arctic if they want. Here is a photo of Chryxus Arctic: http://www.flickr.com/photos/santry/4872327260/ On 8/4 at the western trail around Saddlebag Lake we had seven Rockslide Checkerspots. Well, to be precise we had seven sightings of Rockslide Checkerspot! There were at least three flying about at the same time and we may have double counted one or more as they kept flying upslope-downslope around the trail. When active this butterfly is impossible to photograph. I'm impressed with the pictures I've seen of whitneyii from some of you. It is not easy. We were a quarter mile north of the dam, where the trail works it's way through some granite benches and a large talus field. We had the fortune of meeting a couple from Modesto who were photographing plants and flowers in Tuolumne meadows. So they showed us what Dwarf bilberry looks like. Since it's the hostplant for Colias behrii, we thought that might make our quest for a photo of Colias behrii more of a success. Well, no joy there. But there is bilberry on the Soda Springs trail in a ditch just before the bridge over the Tuolumne River. There is more bilberry in the meadows just north of Pothole Dome, along the Tuolumne River, and finally there is bilberry in the Dana Meadows on the Mono Pass trail. So, if anyone has ANY tips to share with me on finding Colias behrii, I would appreciate it. There were a few Mariposa Coppers along Lee Vining Creek, just east of the turnoff to Saddlebag lake. Here is a picture: http://www.flickr.com/photos/santry/4871788865/ I'd like to impose on the groups opinion on a fritillary that was abundantly seen and photographed by me at Tuolumne Meadows. I think they were Mormon Fritillaries (Speyeria mormonia), but I could be totally choking on the ID. Perhaps I'm looking at egleis? All were seen right in the meadow area. Here are some pics: Dorsal view http://www.flickr.com/photos/santry/4872444551/ Female Dorsal view http://www.flickr.com/photos/santry/4872445245/ Ventral view http://www.flickr.com/photos/santry/4872444871/ Regards, Rob Santry Anderson, CA Subject: RE: Yosemite/Mono Lake, CA butterflies From: "Mark Walker" <xvermontrz AT att.net> Date: Wed, 11 Aug 2010 07:10:38 -0700 Hey Nick, There's a nice race of sabuleti up at altitude in the southern Sierra's - it's got a washed out ventral, but usually pretty identifiable. If you were near Saddlebag, you were probably within reach of adult Colias behri. I've found them in mid-August, and can be kicked up out of the meadow grass even on overcast days (well, how about "gently encouraged up from their resting positions"?). Blue Coppers should be prevalent still, so if you saw large "blues" associated with Eriogonum, they're probably Lycaena heteronea. Anyway, it's hard not to have a delightful time in the Sierra Nevada - even when the butterflies are scarce. Mark. _____ From: SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Lethaby, Nick Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2010 3:27 PM To: sowestlep AT yahoogroups.com Subject: [SoWestLep] Yosemite/Mono Lake, CA butterflies All: I did some very casual lepping on a family trip last weekend. This reinforced the fact that not gathering the right site and identification information up-front is a recipe for major failure in the sierras with dreams of Sierra Sulphur and various coppers thoroughly squashed. On Aug 7, I had several fritillaries in the Sentinel Dome area. No idea what these were, although from reading Ken Davenport's book, I would guess that Egleis is the most probable. I had good looks at two different-looking (from eachother) skippers. Not having any identification material on the local subspecies and their variation, my guess was that these were either a Juba and a (Yosemite) Branded Skipper or possible both (Yosemite) Branded Skippers. On Aug 8, I had a number of butterflies at the Bodie Ghost town. There were 3 Tailed Coppers, a Boisduval's Blue, and my first ever Behr's Hairstreak. There were numerous satyrs flying here. Not sure if one or two species were involved. I think most were probably the "Little" subspecies of the Great Basin Satyr. I had one or two fly-by butterflies that I suspect were Blue Coppers. Late that day I spent a bit of time along the road up to Saddlebag Lake. It was mostly cloudy but when the sun came out, I found a number of small skippers that I feel confident were Sandhill Skippers, although their underwing patterns were rather faded. Nick Lethaby nlethaby AT ti.com > +1 805 562 5106 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Yosemite/Mono Lake, CA butterflies From: "Lethaby, Nick" <nlethaby AT ti.com> Date: Tue, 10 Aug 2010 17:27:12 -0500 All: I did some very casual lepping on a family trip last weekend. This reinforced the fact that not gathering the right site and identification information up-front is a recipe for major failure in the sierras with dreams of Sierra Sulphur and various coppers thoroughly squashed. On Aug 7, I had several fritillaries in the Sentinel Dome area. No idea what these were, although from reading Ken Davenport's book, I would guess that Egleis is the most probable. I had good looks at two different-looking (from eachother) skippers. Not having any identification material on the local subspecies and their variation, my guess was that these were either a Juba and a (Yosemite) Branded Skipper or possible both (Yosemite) Branded Skippers. On Aug 8, I had a number of butterflies at the Bodie Ghost town. There were 3 Tailed Coppers, a Boisduval's Blue, and my first ever Behr's Hairstreak. There were numerous satyrs flying here. Not sure if one or two species were involved. I think most were probably the "Little" subspecies of the Great Basin Satyr. I had one or two fly-by butterflies that I suspect were Blue Coppers. Late that day I spent a bit of time along the road up to Saddlebag Lake. It was mostly cloudy but when the sun came out, I found a number of small skippers that I feel confident were Sandhill Skippers, although their underwing patterns were rather faded. Nick Lethaby nlethaby AT ti.com +1 805 562 5106 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Survey - Top five nectar plants From: chris kline <kline_at_pine AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 10 Aug 2010 09:28:29 -0700 (PDT) Hi all,   I would like to get your opinions for a project I am working on.  Could you list for me your top five native butterfly nectar plants for your area.  Please be sure to let me know where your area is.   So, for example, mine for SE Ohio would be: 1. Joe Pye Weed 2. Butterfly Weed - Asclepias tuberosa 3.Wild Bergamot 4. Showy Milkweed - Asclepias syriaca 5. Asclepias purpurascens   Please excuse any spelling errors.  If you can give me both common and scientific names, that would be great!   THX   chris   Chris Kline Sugar Grove, Ohio   [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Fw: Cuyama Valley and Peak, SBA Co, CA From: <kdavenport93306 AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 10 Aug 2010 07:42:38 -0700 Ray and all: The Poladryas arachne I spread was from Schultz Pass near Flagstaff, taken June 16, 2010 just a couple days before the forest fire there. I looked for Poladryas arachne monache up in the Kern Plateau on July 2nd and it appeared too early for it around the Black Rock Ranger Station area and too LATE for it further south. My priorities included collecting an undescribed Euphilotes in that region, so did not have time to check out many spots. I did see a couple living monache two years ago on an NABA field trip. And in the past, I found it commonly in four different places in the Kennedy Meadows region of Tulare County. It also occurs in a Mojave Desert Mountain Range on a military base in Inyo County where a large population was discovered by Gordon Pratt. But as you mention, a 2000 forest fire and drought have made P. arachne monache a very scarce butterfly in recent years up on the Kern Plateau.. Most people going there looking for it report failure to find any. All of those four places I had for them burned. Thanks Ray for adding details to the Polygonus leo (Hammock Skipper) matter. I am fortunate enough to have collected about two dozen of those in my lifetime and I have a series of twenty in my collection. A couple of others went to museums and two went to Ron Gatrelle, then to Howard Grisham who photographed those for the Yosemite color plates issue. What is remarkable about my Polygonus leo series is that all of those except for one taken in SE Arizona and another in the Kern River Valley at Weldon near Lake Isabella were taken in alfalfa fields in the Cantil region near the entrance to Jawbone Canyon right in Kern County on two separate days following tropical storms and winds from the south. Also remarkable was the observation few were taken as singletons, most appeared to be found together in small groups on edges of alfalfa fields. I have seen a singleton in Jawbone Canyon flitting about the blooming rabbitbrush, about a week after I took the Hammock Skipper at Weldon on Heliotrophe flowers a few years back. Ken Davenport Ken and others, It has been awhile since I have chimed in, so here are a few short comments. I saw the typo of Poladryas for Polygonus, but I figured that everyone would know what was meant. NABA and others frequently misspell Poladryas as "Polydryas". I wonder if the P. arachne you spread was from California? Far as I know, the only populations there are P. a. monache, which is extremely local in the southern Sierra Nevada and vanishingly rare. Keith and Jan Hughes tried to find it several times in the 1960s, and failed. I never looked for it, because by then Kit and I had moved to Colorado. Polygonus is another story, worth repeating. Californians might not know that hammocks are a type of subtropical forest typical of southern Florida and the Keys at low elevations, swamped regularly in storms and in some areas even during high tides. The only hammocks in Arizona are in peoples' back yards in the shade, where one might encounter the skipper Polygonus leo arizonensis during or following the summer monsoons. It is known from most Arizona counties, but I do not have records from Greenlee Co. (gotta be regular in Clifton) or La Paz Co. (must be there, such as in alfalfa fields, nearly every year). In southern California, in addition to Sta. Barbara Co., we need Ventura, Kings and Tulare counties. I show a record from JFE in Fresno County in 2004. This large strong-flying skipper can turn up nearly anywhere, so far in neither Colorado nor Oregon, and it is very unlikely to be found in either state. Best regards to all, Ray Stanford On Aug 9, 2010, at 6:32 AM, wrote: Everyone: The correct name for Hammock Skipper below is Polygonus leo. I spread a Polydryas arachne prior to my post and as we all know, those species are very different critters. There are several records of that species (Hammock Skipper) from Valle Vista Camp in Kern County, a short distance in air miles from Santa Barbara Canyon. Those would be migrant strays from Arizona. Ken Davenport ----- Subject: Fw: [SoWestLep] Cuyama Valley and Peak, SBA Co, CA Nick: Based on discussions and showing material of Apodemia to the Emmels and Gordon Pratt, all of the Apodemia you saw were likely Apodemia cythera, which flies in late summer and the Fall. Apodemia "dialeuca" near davenporti flies there only in the spring. James Scott recently took davenporti out of Apodemia virgulti=Behr's Metalmark and treated them as a subspecies of dialeuca. Based on the Emmels & Pratt's work such a move might be justified, but if dialeuca is really double brooded, then dialeuca is a biologically different species than davenporti and a different species name would likely have to be used. Thanks for providing your report of things seen. I have not been able to get out in the field for three weeks, but hope to make it back to the east slope of the Piutes next saturday. This may be a good year for Hammock Skippers (Poladryas leo) which is possible for Santa Barbara Canyon. Ken Davenport Subject: [SoWestLep] Cuyama Valley and Peak, SBA Co, CA All: I spent some time in the Cuyama today, starting out checking the edge of flowering alfalfa fields and then driving up Santa Barbara and Dry Canyons to Cuyama Peak. Along the edge of one alfalfa field on the SBA/SLO border, I had at least 3 Sachems in with various other common butterflies. The creek in Santa Barbara Canyon had dried up so there was nothing at the crossings. I made various stops along Dry Canyon checking buckwheats for euphilotes but only saw Acmon Blues, Harford's Sulphurs, and 25+ Mormon Metalmarks (I think these are supposed to be Cythera at this time of year but not sure where behri ends and cythera begins in this area). Cuyama Peak looks to be a good hill-topping spot. No luck with the hoped-for Branded Skippers but did find a nice Great Purple Hairstreak, along with several each of Gray and Hedgerow Hairstreaks, Mounful Duskywings, and Pale Swallowtails. Nick Lethaby nlethaby AT ti.com +1 805 562 5106 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SoWestLep/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SoWestLep/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: SoWestLep-digest AT yahoogroups.com SoWestLep-fullfeatured AT yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: SoWestLep-unsubscribe AT yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ Subject: Re: Fw: Cuyama Valley and Peak, SBA Co, CA From: JimJoanJoy AT aol.com Date: Mon, 9 Aug 2010 22:44:39 EDT Ken, I think they are migrant strays from Mexico via Arizona. Jim B [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Re: Cuyama Valley and Peak, SBA Co, CA From: Ray Stanford <ray.stanford AT stanfordalumni.org> Date: Mon, 9 Aug 2010 14:54:03 -0700 Ken and others, It has been awhile since I have chimed in, so here are a few short comments. I saw the typo of Poladryas for Polygonus, but I figured that everyone would know what was meant. NABA and others frequently misspell Poladryas as "Polydryas". I wonder if the P. arachne you spread was from California? Far as I know, the only populations there are P. a. monache, which is extremely local in the southern Sierra Nevada and vanishingly rare. Keith and Jan Hughes tried to find it several times in the 1960s, and failed. I never looked for it, because by then Kit and I had moved to Colorado. Polygonus is another story, worth repeating. Californians might not know that hammocks are a type of subtropical forest typical of southern Florida and the Keys at low elevations, swamped regularly in storms and in some areas even during high tides. The only hammocks in Arizona are in peoples' back yards in the shade, where one might encounter the skipper Polygonus leo arizonensis during or following the summer monsoons. It is known from most Arizona counties, but I do not have records from Greenlee Co. (gotta be regular in Clifton) or La Paz Co. (must be there, such as in alfalfa fields, nearly every year). In southern California, in addition to Sta. Barbara Co., we need Ventura, Kings and Tulare counties. I show a record from JFE in Fresno County in 2004. This large strong-flying skipper can turn up nearly anywhere, so far in neither Colorado nor Oregon, and it is very unlikely to be found in either state. Best regards to all, Ray Stanford On Aug 9, 2010, at 6:32 AM, wrote: > Everyone: > > The correct name for Hammock Skipper below is Polygonus leo. I spread a Polydryas arachne prior to my post and as we all know, those species are very different critters. There are several records of that species (Hammock Skipper) from Valle Vista Camp in Kern County, a short distance in air miles from Santa Barbara Canyon. Those would be migrant strays from Arizona. > > Ken Davenport > ----- > > Subject: Fw: [SoWestLep] Cuyama Valley and Peak, SBA Co, CA > > Nick: > > Based on discussions and showing material of Apodemia to the Emmels and Gordon Pratt, all of the Apodemia you saw were likely Apodemia cythera, which flies in late summer and the Fall. Apodemia "dialeuca" near davenporti flies there only in the spring. James Scott recently took davenporti out of Apodemia virgulti=Behr's Metalmark and treated them as a subspecies of dialeuca. Based on the Emmels & Pratt's work such a move might be justified, but if dialeuca is really double brooded, then dialeuca is a biologically different species than davenporti and a different species name would likely have to be used. > > Thanks for providing your report of things seen. I have not been able to get out in the field for three weeks, but hope to make it back to the east slope of the Piutes next saturday. This may be a good year for Hammock Skippers (Poladryas leo) which is possible for Santa Barbara Canyon. > > Ken Davenport > > Subject: [SoWestLep] Cuyama Valley and Peak, SBA Co, CA > > All: > > I spent some time in the Cuyama today, starting out checking the edge of flowering alfalfa fields and then driving up Santa Barbara and Dry Canyons to Cuyama Peak. > > Along the edge of one alfalfa field on the SBA/SLO border, I had at least 3 Sachems in with various other common butterflies. The creek in Santa Barbara Canyon had dried up so there was nothing at the crossings. I made various stops along Dry Canyon checking buckwheats for euphilotes but only saw Acmon Blues, Harford's Sulphurs, and 25+ Mormon Metalmarks (I think these are supposed to be Cythera at this time of year but not sure where behri ends and cythera begins in this area). Cuyama Peak looks to be a good hill-topping spot. No luck with the hoped-for Branded Skippers but did find a nice Great Purple Hairstreak, along with several each of Gray and Hedgerow Hairstreaks, Mounful Duskywings, and Pale Swallowtails. > > Nick Lethaby > nlethaby AT ti.com > +1 805 562 5106 > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SoWestLep/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SoWestLep/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: SoWestLep-digest AT yahoogroups.com SoWestLep-fullfeatured AT yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: SoWestLep-unsubscribe AT yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ Subject: Cuyama Valley and Peak, SBA Co, CA From: "Lethaby, Nick" <nlethaby AT ti.com> Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2010 23:45:32 -0500 All: I spent some time in the Cuyama today, starting out checking the edge of flowering alfalfa fields and then driving up Santa Barbara and Dry Canyons to Cuyama Peak. Along the edge of one alfalfa field on the SBA/SLO border, I had at least 3 Sachems in with various other common butterflies. The creek in Santa Barbara Canyon had dried up so there was nothing at the crossings. I made various stops along Dry Canyon checking buckwheats for euphilotes but only saw Acmon Blues, Harford's Sulphurs, and 25+ Mormon Metalmarks (I think these are supposed to be Cythera at this time of year but not sure where behri ends and cythera begins in this area). Cuyama Peak looks to be a good hill-topping spot. No luck with the hoped-for Branded Skippers but did find a nice Great Purple Hairstreak, along with several each of Gray and Hedgerow Hairstreaks, Mounful Duskywings, and Pale Swallowtails. Nick Lethaby nlethaby AT ti.com +1 805 562 5106 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: RE: Another (apparent) Broad-banded Swallowtail (Papilio astaylus):Hereford, AZ From: "Mark Walker" <xvermontrz AT att.net> Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2010 07:38:11 -0700 This could be, I suppose, but it gets more complicated as you head east and south. In eastern Mexico, the two (astyalus and ornithion) are clearly distinct. So it is more likely that the two may just blend closer together as they move west. Across its range astyalus is a very varied creature, however, so there is more going on here than meets the eye... Mark. -----Original Message----- From: SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of David Ferguson Sent: Wednesday, August 04, 2010 7:33 PM To: rbehrstock; Southwestern Lepidopterists Lepidopterists Subject: RE: [SoWestLep] Another (apparent) Broad-banded Swallowtail (Papilio astaylus):Hereford, AZ Hunch / gut reaction, but I may be wrong. I think that Papilio astaylus bjaensis and P. ornithion (in the sense recognized in southern AZ and SON) are variations of the same thing - not two different species. I don't have much experience with them, but the specimens and photos I've seen seem to be indivisible into two groups, just somewhat varied in pattern. But, like I said, I could well be wrong. I've never studied them closely. Just through that out for consideration. To: SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com From: rbehrstock AT cox.net Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2010 17:40:36 -0400 Subject: [SoWestLep] Another (apparent) Broad-banded Swallowtail (Papilio astaylus):Hereford, AZ Dear Lepsters, A belated report: Last Sunday (1 August 2010--the day after the local butterfly count), I photographed a male of what is apparently Broad-banded Swallowtail (Papilio astaylus) in the yard. I say apparently because visual separation of west Mexican astaylus bajaensis from ornythion remains unclear (fide Andy Warren). Anyone with magic field marks, please chime in now. Note that the west Mexican astaylus males are quite different from the race of astaylus generally illustrated in U.S. field guides and most likely to show up in S Texas. Butterfly gardeners take note: Both were photographed nectaring on verbena. P. astyalus bajaensis on the Butterflies of America website: http://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/t/Papilio_astyalus_bajaensis_a.htm Last year's is pictured on my website and I will add this year's shortly: http://www.naturewideimages.com/9.html Best, RAB -- Robert A. Behrstock 10359 S. Thicket Pl. Hereford, AZ 85615 Phone/FAX: (520) 378-3262 N31° 22' 49.75" W110° 13' 41.08", 5,012' elev. Naturewide Images http://www.naturewideimages.com/ Birdlife of Houston, Galveston, and the Upper Texas Coast http://www.tamu.edu/upress/BOOKS/2006/eubanks.htm Finding Birds on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail http://www.tamu.edu/upress/BOOKS/2008/eubanks.htm Dragonflies & Damselflies of the Southwest http://www.rionuevo.com/book.php?book_isbn=9781933855141 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links Subject: RE: Another (apparent) Broad-banded Swallowtail (Papilio astaylus):Hereford, AZ From: David Ferguson <manzano57 AT msn.com> Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2010 20:32:57 -0600 Hunch / gut reaction, but I may be wrong. I think that Papilio astaylus bjaensis and P. ornithion (in the sense recognized in southern AZ and SON) are variations of the same thing - not two different species. I don't have much experience with them, but the specimens and photos I've seen seem to be indivisible into two groups, just somewhat varied in pattern. But, like I said, I could well be wrong. I've never studied them closely. Just through that out for consideration. To: SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com From: rbehrstock AT cox.net Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2010 17:40:36 -0400 Subject: [SoWestLep] Another (apparent) Broad-banded Swallowtail (Papilio astaylus):Hereford, AZ Dear Lepsters, A belated report: Last Sunday (1 August 2010--the day after the local butterfly count), I photographed a male of what is apparently Broad-banded Swallowtail (Papilio astaylus) in the yard. I say apparently because visual separation of west Mexican astaylus bajaensis from ornythion remains unclear (fide Andy Warren). Anyone with magic field marks, please chime in now. Note that the west Mexican astaylus males are quite different from the race of astaylus generally illustrated in U.S. field guides and most likely to show up in S Texas. Butterfly gardeners take note: Both were photographed nectaring on verbena. P. astyalus bajaensis on the Butterflies of America website: http://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/t/Papilio_astyalus_bajaensis_a.htm Last year's is pictured on my website and I will add this year's shortly: http://www.naturewideimages.com/9.html Best, RAB -- Robert A. Behrstock 10359 S. Thicket Pl. Hereford, AZ 85615 Phone/FAX: (520) 378-3262 N31° 22' 49.75" W110° 13' 41.08", 5,012' elev. Naturewide Images http://www.naturewideimages.com/ Birdlife of Houston, Galveston, and the Upper Texas Coast http://www.tamu.edu/upress/BOOKS/2006/eubanks.htm Finding Birds on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail http://www.tamu.edu/upress/BOOKS/2008/eubanks.htm Dragonflies & Damselflies of the Southwest http://www.rionuevo.com/book.php?book_isbn=9781933855141 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SoWestLep/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SoWestLep/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: SoWestLep-digest AT yahoogroups.com SoWestLep-fullfeatured AT yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: SoWestLep-unsubscribe AT yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ Subject: Miller Peak Wilderness - Comfort Springs Trail From: "Hank Brodkin" <hbrodkin AT cox.net> Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2010 16:47:07 -0700 A 1 1/2 hour walk from 10:30 AM to 12:00N) along the Comfort Springs Trail from the Ramsey Vista Campground (at the end of the Carr Canyon RD) to Comfort Springs yielded 13 species. The temperature was around 80 degrees and the sky was partly cloudy. The elevation is around 6800". The monsoon flower display was just beginning. Two-tailed Swallowtail - P. multicaudata - 1 Mexican Yellow - E. mexicana - 1 Marine Blue - L. marina - several Western-tailed Blue - C. amyntula - 2 Spring (Echo) Azure - C. ladon (echo) - 6 plus Mylitta Crescent - P. mylitta - 1 Satyr Comma - P. satyrus - 1 ovipositing on nettles Canyonland Satyr C. pertepida - 1 worn Four-spotted Skipperling P. polingi - a good "hatch" with many individuals Edward's Skipperling - 1 Taxiles Skipper - P. taxiles - a good hatch with many individuals Cassus Roadside-Skipper - 1 Orange-edged Roadside-Skipper - 1 (Compared to many a few weeks ago) Hank Brodkin Carr Canyon, Cochise County, AZ 31°26’59.8”N 110°16’02.8”W hbrodkin AT cox.net "Butterflies of Arizona - a Photographic Guide" "Finding Butterflies in Arizona - a Guide to the Best Sites" http://members.cox.net/hbrodkin/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Another (apparent) Broad-banded Swallowtail (Papilio astaylus):Hereford, AZ From: <rbehrstock AT cox.net> Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2010 17:40:36 -0400 Dear Lepsters, A belated report: Last Sunday (1 August 2010--the day after the local butterfly count), I photographed a male of what is apparently Broad-banded Swallowtail (Papilio astaylus) in the yard. I say apparently because visual separation of west Mexican astaylus bajaensis from ornythion remains unclear (fide Andy Warren). Anyone with magic field marks, please chime in now. Note that the west Mexican astaylus males are quite different from the race of astaylus generally illustrated in U.S. field guides and most likely to show up in S Texas. Butterfly gardeners take note: Both were photographed nectaring on verbena. P. astyalus bajaensis on the Butterflies of America website: http://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/t/Papilio_astyalus_bajaensis_a.htm Last year's is pictured on my website and I will add this year's shortly: http://www.naturewideimages.com/9.html Best, RAB -- Robert A. Behrstock 10359 S. Thicket Pl. Hereford, AZ 85615 Phone/FAX: (520) 378-3262 N31° 22' 49.75" W110° 13' 41.08", 5,012' elev. Naturewide Images http://www.naturewideimages.com/ Birdlife of Houston, Galveston, and the Upper Texas Coast http://www.tamu.edu/upress/BOOKS/2006/eubanks.htm Finding Birds on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail http://www.tamu.edu/upress/BOOKS/2008/eubanks.htm Dragonflies & Damselflies of the Southwest http://www.rionuevo.com/book.php?book_isbn=9781933855141 Subject: Another apparent Broad-banded Swallowtail (Papilio astyalus): Hereford: AZ From: "rbehrstock AT cox.net" <rbehrstock@cox.net> Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2010 17:37:28 -0400 Dear Lepsters, A belated report: Last Sunday (1 August 2010--the day after the local butterfly count), I photographed a male of what is apparently Broad-banded Swallowtail (Papilio astaylus) in the yard. I say apparently because visual separation of west Mexican astaylus bajaensis from ornythion remains unclear (fide Andy Warren). Anyone with magic field marks, please chime in now. Note that the west Mexican astaylus males are quite different from the race of astaylus generally illustrated in U.S. field guides and most likely to show up in S Texas. Butterfly gardeners take note: Both were photographed nectaring on verbena. P. astyalus bajaensis on the Butterflies of America website: http://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/t/Papilio_astyalus_bajaensis_a.htm Last year's is pictured on my website and I will add this year's shortly: http://www.naturewideimages.com/9.html Best, RAB -- Robert A. Behrstock 10359 S. Thicket Pl. Hereford, AZ 85615 Phone/FAX: (520) 378-3262 N31° 22' 49.75" W110° 13' 41.08", 5,012' elev. Naturewide Images http://www.naturewideimages.com/ Birdlife of Houston, Galveston, and the Upper Texas Coast http://www.tamu.edu/upress/BOOKS/2006/eubanks.htm Finding Birds on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail http://www.tamu.edu/upress/BOOKS/2008/eubanks.htm Dragonflies & Damselflies of the Southwest http://www.rionuevo.com/book.php?book_isbn=9781933855141 -------------------------------------------------------------------- myhosting.com - Premium Microsoft® Windows® and Linux web and application hosting - http://link.myhosting.com/myhosting Subject: Another apparent Broad-banded Swallowtail (Papilio astyalus): Hereford: AZ From: <rbehrstock AT cox.net> Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2010 17:34:48 -0400 Dear Lepsters, A belated report: Last Sunday (1 August 2010--the day after the local butterfly count), I photographed a male of what is apparently Broad-banded Swallowtail (Papilio astaylus) in the yard. I say apparently because visual separation of west Mexican astaylus bajaensis from ornythion remains unclear (fide Andy Warren). Anyone with magic field marks, please chime in now. Note that the west Mexican astaylus males are quite different from the race of astaylus generally illustrated in U.S. field guides and most likely to show up in S Texas. Butterfly gardeners take note: Both were photographed nectaring on verbena. P. astyalus bajaensis on the Butterflies of America website: http://www.butterfliesofamerica.com/t/Papilio_astyalus_bajaensis_a.htm Last year's is pictured on my website and I will add this year's shortly: http://www.naturewideimages.com/9.html Best, RAB -- Robert A. Behrstock 10359 S. Thicket Pl. Hereford, AZ 85615 Phone/FAX: (520) 378-3262 N31° 22' 49.75" W110° 13' 41.08", 5,012' elev. Naturewide Images http://www.naturewideimages.com/ Birdlife of Houston, Galveston, and the Upper Texas Coast http://www.tamu.edu/upress/BOOKS/2006/eubanks.htm Finding Birds on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail http://www.tamu.edu/upress/BOOKS/2008/eubanks.htm Dragonflies & Damselflies of the Southwest http://www.rionuevo.com/book.php?book_isbn=9781933855141 Subject: AZ: Pima County - Brown Canyon, Baboquivari Mountains From: Philip Kline <pgkline_uk AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 3 Aug 2010 22:51:51 -0700 (PDT) I led a small group into Brown Canyon today, which included Ken Kertell, Fred Heath, Doug Mullins, Margarethe Brummerman, Eric Eaton, and Jake Mohlmann with two friends from Ohio, John and Samantha.  We had a very enjoyable trip and found several interesting butterflies.  It was hard to pick a highlight, but refinding LAVIANA WHITE-SKIPPER after I found one on August 4th of last year was one of many.  We had a brief glimpse of one as we headed up canyon, but it disappeared rather quickly before we could get a photo.  Ken later circled back around and set up camp and discovered at least three and obtained photographs.  This would seem to indicate that there is likely a small population in the Canyon.  A mallow species was growing in the vicinity, but we could find no larvae.  Curiously, I found and photographed a NORTHERN WHITE-SKIPPER further up the canyon.  An Erichson's White-skipper seen later on made it a three White-skipper day!  Another highlight was at least two WHITE-STRIPED LONGTAILS (one with no tails) and a DRUSIUS CLOUDYWING.  Last, but not least, we found and photographed a male TROPICAL CHECKERED-SKIPPER.  We also saw several Tailed Oranges.  I did not find any Cestus Skippers on this trip to the Canyon.  Available nectar included Ragged Nettlespurge, Pink Windmills, Verbena, and Corn-kernel Milkweed.  The Seepwillows were not yet flowering.  Below is a species list (I may have missed a few) and a few photos.  Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) Checkered White (Pontia protodice) Southern Dogface (Colias cesonia) Cloudless Sulphur (Phoenis sennae) Mexican Yellow (Eurema mexicana) Tailed Orange (Eurema proterpia) Sleepy Orange (Eurmea nicippe) Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole) Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus) Marine Blue (Leptotes marina) Ceraunus Blue (Hemiargus ceraunus) Arizona Metalmark (Calephelis arizonensis) Sonoran Metalmark (Apodemia mormo mejicanus) Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia) Tiny Checkerspot (Dymasia dymas) Elada Checkerspot (Texola elada) Texan Crescent (Phyciodes texana) Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) Arizona Sister (Adelpha eulalia) Empress Leilia (Aterocampa leilia) Red Satyr (Megisto rubricata) Queen (Danaus gilippus) White-striped Longtail (Chioides catillus) Arizona Mottled-skipper (Codatractus arizonensis) Northern Cloudywing (Thorybes pylades) Drusius Cloudywing (Thorybes drusius) Acacia Skipper (Cogia hippalus) Gold-costa Skipper (Cogia caicus) Arizona Powdered-skipper (Systasea zampa) Mournful Duskywing (Erynnis tristis) Common/White Checkered-skipper (Pyrgus communis) Tropical Checkered-skipper (Pyrgus oileus) Desert Checkered-skipper (Pyrgus philetas) Northern White-skipper (Heliopetes ericetorum) Erichson's White-skipper (Heliopetes domicella)  Laviana White-skipper (Heliopetes laviana) Golden-headed Scallopwing (Staphylus ceos) Common Streaky-skipper (Celotes nessus)  Orange Skipperling (Capaeodes aurantiaca) Bronze Roadside-skipper (Amblyscirtes aenus) Photos: White-striped Longtail: http://blackbird.smugmug.com/gallery/4753095_Ktn5J#958003447_xeuHz-A-LB Tropical Checkered-skipper: http://blackbird.smugmug.com/gallery/4753095_Ktn5J#958003422_rymGF-A-LB Northern White-skipper: http://blackbird.smugmug.com/gallery/4753095_Ktn5J#958003476_RPgHG-A-LB And a couple of attractive Tiger Moths that I haven't had time to identify yet: http://blackbird.smugmug.com/Nature/Butterflies/Moths/2591670_hWYBN#958006036_6u3tB-A-LB http://blackbird.smugmug.com/Nature/Butterflies/Moths/2591670_hWYBN#958006092_GxKda-A-LB Philip Kline [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: RE: Laguna Mountains; S.D. County, CA From: "Mark Walker" <xvermontrz AT att.net> Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2010 03:13:02 -0700 Sounds like a great outing, Pete - and a familiar one. In fact, on Monday I was walking with my two little ones (with Doug Mullins) around Lake Patagonia - it was nearly 5 p.m. - and the only thing impeding my search for Limenitis archippus obsoleta (besides the falling rain) were the many bulls and cows (along with their many patties) grazing in and about the willows. I was so excited to see live adult Viceroys that I just sort of blasted my way through the habitat - oblivious this time to the obvious threat the cattle represented. I guess they sensed my intent, because they gladly moved out of my way (a man bent on a species that has long eluded him is perhaps more intimidating than a herd of cattle). Sadly, my little West Highland White Terrier, also along for the hike, fancied rolling around (face first) in one of the fresher patties - requiring some immediate attention. I dragged his little butt over to the flowing creek and gave him a dunking, much to mine and his dismay. I don't know why he enjoys doing that so much - perhaps just to annoy me. Other encounters with cattle have not been so uneventful, however. Glad to hear you're out and about. Mark. _____ From: SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Pete Spino Sent: Monday, July 26, 2010 12:34 AM To: desertleps AT yahoogroups.com; SoWestLep AT yahoogroups.com Subject: [SoWestLep] Laguna Mountains; S.D. County, CA I took a rather late afternoon pedestrian walk with my son today (Sunday) in the Laguna Meadows area of Mt. Laguna. The light was beautiful and the memories made with my boy even more so. We actually found more species than we expected to especially with our late start- it was 4 p.m. when we got out the car. This was probably because we ended up being out quite a bit longer than we had planned thanks to a particular pesky herd of cattle. The meadows and lake areas are posted as a Free Range and sometimes you see them when there. Most of the time however you just see their "patties". This time was different. Not only were the bovines everywhere near the big lake, they were very vocal and animated too. I felt like I was in a Bonanza episode. The bulls were sparring and a part of the herd decided to practice their best efforts at stampeding in and around the lake. It was fun to watch and my son got a big kick out of it. That is until a large group of them decided to cut off our way back on the west side of big lake. The bulls in particular seemed ornery and they gave every indication that they weren't going to let us pass by. Seeing a bull put his head down and snort and paw at the dirt on TV is one thing, seeing it in person as the beast is confronting you, is all together another thing! It was a little frightening. Perhaps he was just bluffing, or, as my son said best, "He's just positioning himself to score some serious brownie points with the females." We'll never really know, but it was more than enough to cause us to reroute our walk all the way around that largest lake and add another hour or so to our outing. This, in turn, produced quite a few more butterflies as well as four very tired legs. Juba Skipper (Hesperia juba) 1 in the crossover part of the trail to the big lake. Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cesphontes) 1 on the drive up Sunrise Highway. Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole) 1 in summer form. Harford's Sulphur (Colias harfordii) 6-7 Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme) 2 females - one of which was the white alba form. California Dogface (Zerene eurydice) 1 male. Becker's White (Pontia beckerii) 2, always strange to find them at this elevation. Checkered White (Pontia protodice) 3-5. Great Copper (Lycaena xanthoides xanthoides) 1 on buckwheat. Marine Blue (Leptotes marina) 5. Western Tailed Blue (Cupido amyntula amyntula) a couple around Locoweed. Edward's Blue (Hemiargus ceraunus gyas) 1 found amidst all the other blues. Reakirt's Blue (Echinargus isola) quite numerous. Orange Margined Blue (Plebejus melissa paradoxa) 2 females. Acmon Blue (Plebejus acmon) numerous. Painted Lady (Vanessa cadui) 2 Gray Buckeye (Jumonia coenia grisea) 3-4 17 species. (31 cows!) Pete Spino San Diego petespino8 AT yahoo.com ________________________________ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: Laguna Mountains; S.D. County, CA From: Pete Spino <petespino8 AT yahoo.com> Date: Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:34:22 -0700 (PDT) I took a rather late afternoon pedestrian walk with my son today (Sunday) in the Laguna Meadows area of Mt. Laguna. The light was beautiful and the memories made with my boy even more so. We actually found more species than we expected to especially with our late start- it was 4 p.m. when we got out the car. This was probably because we ended up being out quite a bit longer than we had planned thanks to a particular pesky herd of cattle. The meadows and lake areas are posted as a Free Range and sometimes you see them when there. Most of the time however you just see their "patties". This time was different. Not only were the bovines everywhere near the big lake, they were very vocal and animated too. I felt like I was in a Bonanza episode. The bulls were sparring and a part of the herd decided to practice their best efforts at stampeding in and around the lake. It was fun to watch and my son got a big kick out of it. That is until a large group of them decided to cut off our way back on the west side of big lake. The bulls in particular seemed ornery and they gave every indication that they weren't going to let us pass by. Seeing a bull put his head down and snort and paw at the dirt on TV is one thing, seeing it in person as the beast is confronting you, is all together another thing! It was a little frightening. Perhaps he was just bluffing, or, as my son said best, "He's just positioning himself to score some serious brownie points with the females." We'll never really know, but it was more than enough to cause us to reroute our walk all the way around that largest lake and add another hour or so to our outing. This, in turn, produced quite a few more butterflies as well as four very tired legs. Juba Skipper (Hesperia juba) 1 in the crossover part of the trail to the big lake. Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cesphontes) 1 on the drive up Sunrise Highway. Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole) 1 in summer form. Harford's Sulphur (Colias harfordii) 6-7 Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme) 2 females - one of which was the white alba form. California Dogface (Zerene eurydice) 1 male. Becker's White (Pontia beckerii) 2, always strange to find them at this elevation. Checkered White (Pontia protodice) 3-5. Great Copper (Lycaena xanthoides xanthoides) 1 on buckwheat. Marine Blue (Leptotes marina) 5. Western Tailed Blue (Cupido amyntula amyntula) a couple around Locoweed. Edward's Blue (Hemiargus ceraunus gyas) 1 found amidst all the other blues. Reakirt's Blue (Echinargus isola) quite numerous. Orange Margined Blue (Plebejus melissa paradoxa) 2 females. Acmon Blue (Plebejus acmon) numerous. Painted Lady (Vanessa cadui) 2 Gray Buckeye (Jumonia coenia grisea) 3-4 17 species. (31 cows!) Pete Spino San Diego petespino8 AT yahoo.com ________________________________ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: SE AZ: Chiricahua Mts., 7/22/10 From: mumkatjw AT aol.com Date: Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:33:27 EDT AZ, Cochise Co., Chiricahua Mts., Onion Saddle, Barfoot, Rustler, Thursday, July 22, 2010, 16 species: Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme) Southern Dogface (Zerene cesonia) Echo Azure (Celastrina echo) Marine Blue (Leptotes marina) American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) Weidemeyer's Admiral (Limenitis weidemeyerii) Arizona Sister (Adelpha eulalia) Pine Satyr (Paramacera allyni) Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) Northern Cloudywing (Thorybes pylades) 'Southwestern' Mournful Duskywing (Erynnis tristis tatius) 'Southwestern' Pacuvius Duskywing (Erynnis pacuvius pacuvius) Four-spotted Skipperling (Piruna polingi) Taxiles Skipper (Poanes taxiles) Orange-edged Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes fimbriata) The weather was nice, despite being mostly cloudy with only brief moments of sunlight, very still and quiet, but lots of nectar. Lepsters:  Judy Winslow and John Saba. --- Judy Winslow Tucson, Arizona Butterflies Are Beautiful! [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Subject: AZ: Florida Canyon, Santa Ritas, Pima County From: Philip Kline <pgkline_uk AT yahoo.com> Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2010 22:30:09 -0700 (PDT) Florida Canyon was pleasantly cool this morning if a little (OK, a lot) humid.  Temperatures ranged from 74F to 82F between 8am and noon, but it was overcast the entire morning, which kept butterfly numbers down.  Seepwillow is just beginning to flower (well two plants in the entire Canyon had flowers, but there were lots with buds).   A few kidneywoods were flowering too along with a milkweed species, which all attracted butterflies.  Diversity was pretty decent, but I failed to find my target Northern White-skippers.  I think I was a week or two early for them.  I did see the following: 5    Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) 1    Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) 4    Two-tailed Swallowtail (Papilio mulitcaudata) 3    Southern Dogface (Colias cesonia) 6    Mexican Yellow (Eurema mexicana) 3    Sleepy Orange (Eurema nicippe) 2    Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus) 1    Leda Ministreak (Ministrymon leda) 16  Marine Blue (Leptotes marina) 2    Ceraunus Blue (Hermiargus ceraunus) 4    Arizona Metalmark (Calephelis arizonensis) 1    American Snout (Libytheana carinenta) 1    Elada Checkerspot (Texola elada) 1    Arizona Sister (Adelphia eulalia) 4    Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis) 3    Nabokov's Satyr (Cyllopsis pyracmon) 1    Red Satyr (Megisto rubricata) 6    Queen (Danaus gilippus) 1    Arizona Mottled-skipper (Codatractus arizonensis) 1    Desert Cloudywing (Achalarus casica) 1    Acacia Skipper (Cogia hippalus) 40+ Golden-headed Scallopwing (Staphylus ceos) - By far the most abundant species 1    Arizona Powdered-skipper (Systasea zampa) 10  Orange Skipperling (Capaeodes aurantiacus) 1    Cassus Roadside-skipper (Amblyscirtes cassus) 1    Bronze Roadside-skipper (Amblyscirtes aenus) There were also several Two-spotted Forester Moths (Alypiodes bimaculata) flying around in the overcast conditions. I also photographed the following small "bird-poop" moth if anyone can identify it: http://blackbird.smugmug.com/Nature/Butterflies/Moths/2591670_hWYBN#944385957_oFLmM-A-LB The Desert Cloudywing was most confiding: http://blackbird.smugmug.com/gallery/4753095_Ktn5J#944353920_ADZHD-A-LB   http://blackbird.smugmug.com/gallery/4753095_Ktn5J#944354070_zbjap-A-LB And the highlight of the trip was running into this mythical and spectacular creature: http://blackbird.smugmug.com/Nature/Bugs/Beetles-Bugs-relatives/2512210_mYiHg#944335603_k66cc-XL-LB Philip Kline [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]