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             Polling's Giant Skipper  October, 98 French Joe Canyon  PRB

Our November 6 field trip with 13 participants led by Hank and Priscilla Brodkin
 went to Molino Basin, the lower Mt. Lemon Highway in the morning, and Tanque
Verde Wash in the early afternoon.
24 species were seen.  Highlights were Chiricahua Whites (Neophasia
terlootii) seen up the Mt. Lemon Highway and 2 Giant-Skippers flushed
flushed from a hillside among Schott's Agave must have been Poling's
(Agathymus polingi).
Here is the species list (M = Molino Basin and the Mt. Lemon Highway; T
= Tanque Verde Wash near Wentworth):

Chiricahua White (Neophasia terlootii) M
Checkered White (Pontia protodice) T
Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme) T
Southern Dogface (C.cesonia) M, T
Mexican Yellow (Eurema mexicanum) M, T
Tailed orange (E. proterpia) M, T
Dainty sulphur (Nathalis iole) M, T
Great Purple Hairstreak (Atlides halesus) T
Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus) T
Western Pygmy-Blue (Brephidium exile) T
Reakirt's Blue (Hemiargus isola) T
Acmon Blue (Plebejus acmon) T
Fatal Metalmark (Calephelis nemisis) T
Mormon Metalmark (Apodemia mormo) T
American Snout (Libytheana carinenta) M, T
Varigated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia) M
Texan Crescent (Phyciodes texana) M, T
American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) M
California Sister (Adelpha bredowii) M
Empress Leilia (Asterocampa lelia) M, T
Queen (Danaus gillipus) M, T
Funereal Skipper (Erynnis funeralis) T
Common Checkered Skipper complex (Pyrgus communis/albescens) T
Orange Skipperling (Copaeodes auranticus) T
 
  

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The October 2 Field Trip to Sycamore Canyon in the Atascosas west of
Nogales was mildly successful with 32 species being seen.  Bob Stewart,
author of Common Butterflies of California was the leader.  The weather
was perfect with butterflies nectaring on biden, cardinal flower, and
dalea amid the spectacular scenery in this beautiful canyon.
Of the hoped for influx species Little Sulphur (Eurema lisa) and
Tropical Leafwing (Anaea aidea) were seen.

Here is the species list:

Checkered White (Pontia protodice)
Southern Dogface (Colias cesonia)
Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae)
Mexican Yellow (Eurema mexicanum)
Tailed Orange (E. proterpia)
Little Yellow (E. lisa)
Sleepy Orange (E. nicippe)
Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole)
Great Purple Hairstreak (Atlides halesus)
Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus)
Leda Ministreak (Ministrymon leda) winter form
Marine Blue (Leptotes marina)
Ceraunus Blue (Hemiargus ceraunus)
Rekirt's Blue (H. isola)
Arizona Metalmark (Calephelis arizonensis)
American Snout (Libytheana carinenta)
Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)
Variegated fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)
Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia)
Tiny Checkerspot (Dymasia dymas)
Mylitta Crescent (Phyciodes mylitta)
American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis)
Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis)
Arizona Sisiter (Adelpha bredowi)
Tropical Leafwing (Anaea aidea)
Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
Queen (Danaus gilippus)
Funereal Duskywing (Erynnis funeralis)
Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus communis)
Desert Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus philetus)
Orange Skipperling (Copaeodes aurantiacus)
  

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SEPTEMBER 19 FIELD TRIP TO GOLD GULCH AND MILLER CANYON

September 19 ten SouthEast Arizona Butterfly Association members, led by
Sheri Williamson had a pleasant day in beautiful Gold Gulch at the south
end of the Mule Mountains and in Miller Canyon in the Huachucas at the
Beatty's B&B and Orchard.  The most interesting species seen was the
dark summer form of Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis). 3 very clean
individuals were seen in Gold Gulch.  This species had been reported
earlier this year from Tucson and the Upper San Pedro - and apparently
is staging an invasion into this area - presumably from the north and
east as it is listed as hypothetical on the Sonora, Mexico list.
30 species of butterfly were seen as well as the many beautiful
hummingbirds at the Beattys' including a stunning Magnificent/Berryline
hybrid.
Here is a list of butterflies seen ("B" indicates the butterfly was seen
only at the Beattys').
 
 

Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)
Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
Giant Swallowtail (P. cresphontes)
Checkered White (Pontea protodice)
Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme)
Southern Dogface (C. cesonia)
Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae)
Mexican Yellow (Eurema mexicanum)
Tailed Orange (E. proterpia)
Sleepy Orange (E. nicippe)
Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole)
Leda Ministreak (winter form) (Ministrymon leda)
Western Pygmy-Blue (Brephidium exile)
Marine Blue (Leptotes marina)
Ceraunus Blue (Hemiargus ceraunus)
Reakirt's Blue (H. isola)
Common Blue (Celestrina argiolus)
Variegated fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)
Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia)
Question Mark (summer form) (Polygonia interrogationis)
Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
West Coast Lady (V. annabella)
Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis)B
Tropical Leafwing (Anaea aidea)
Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
Queen (Danaus gilippus)
Dull Firetip (Pyrrhopyge araxes)B
White Common Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgeus communis)B
Desert Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgeus philetas)
Orange skipperling (Copaeodes aurantiacus)
Huachuca Giant-skipper (Agathymus evansi)
Empress Leilia (Asterocampa leilia)

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The SouthEast Arizona Butterfly Association's Labor Day Field Trip from
Friday, September 3 to Monday, September 6 yielded many interesting
species in monsoon greenery of central Sonora.  The trip leader was Doug
Danforth.  Thirteen other participants, some from as far as Ventura,
California, enjoyed some 98 species of butterfly, some neotropical
beetles, and birds that we don't get to see in Arizona.
After overnighting in Hermosillo on Friday, we headed up highway 16
toward Yecora.  Our first stop was at the bridge over the Rio Matape at
San Jose de Pimas.  From here we butterflyed our way up the highway to
Yecora.
On Sunday we went west of Yecora checked more baccharis stands along the
highway and checked the road to the village of Santa Ana.  In the
afternoon we went up onto the Mesa Companero.
Monday we took the turnoff to Sahuarita, finding many good spots along
the river bottom before the road turned west Hermosillo and home.

Here is a list of species seen (after Dameron: BUTTERFLIES OF SONORA,
MEXICO, Flutterby Press 7/99:
Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)
Giant Swallowtail (Heraclides cresphontes)
Black Swallowtail (H. polyxenes)
Two-tailed Swallowtail (Pterourus multicaudata)
Florida White (Appias drusilla)
Checkered White (Pontia protodice)
White-angled Sulfur (Anteos chlorinde)
Yelow-angled Sulfur (A. maerula)
Lyside Sulfur (Kricogonia lyside)
Dainty Sulfur (Nathalis iole)
Large Orange Sulfur (Phoebis agarithe)
Cloudless sulfur (P. sennae)
Southern Dogface (Zerene cesonia)
Sleepy Orange (Eurema nicippe)
Tailed Orange (Eurema proterpia)
Boisduval's Yellow (E. boisduvaliana)
Little Yellow (E. lisa)
Mexican yellow (E. mexicana)
Mimosa Yellow (E. nise)
Great Purple Hairstreak (Altides halesus)
Rekoa (sp) either marius or/and zebina
Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus)
Long-winged Hairstreak (Cyanophrys longula)
Gray Ministreak (Ministrymon azia)
Clytie Ministreak (M. clytie)
Leda Ministreak (M. leda)
Red-lined Scrub-Hairstreak (Strymon bebrycia)
Tailess Scrub-Hairstreak (S.cestri)
Western Pygmy-Blue (Brephidium exilis)
Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon)
Eastern Tailed-Blue (Everes comyntas)
Ceraunus Blue (Hemiargus ceraunus)
Reakirt's Blue (H. isola)
Marine Blue (Leptotes marina)
Hepburn's Metalmark (Apodemia hepburni)
Hypoglaucous Metalmark (A. hypoglauca)
Palmer's Metalmark (A. palmeri)
Arizona Metalmark (Calephelis arizonensis)
Ares Metalmark (Emisis ares)
Poeas Metalmark (E. poeas)
Zela Metalmark (E. zela)
California Sister (Adelpha bredowii)
Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis)
Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa)
Blackened Bluewing (Myscelia cyanthe)
Hamadryas sp.
Tiny Checkerspot (Dymasia dymas)
Elada Checkerspot (Texola elada)
Hepburn's Checkerspot (Texola hepburni)
Texas Crescent (Anthanassa texana)
Empress Leilia (Astreocampa leilia)
Dusky Emperor (A. idyja)
Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)
Painted Ldy (Vanessa cardui)
American Lady (V. virginiensis)
Tropical Leafwing (Anea aidea)
Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)
Queen (Danaus gilippus)
Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia)
Rosita Patch (C. rosita)
Elf (Microtia elva)
Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)
Tropical buckeye (J. genoveva)
Nabakov's Satyr (Cyllopsis pyracmon)
Red Satyr (Megisto rubricata)
American Snout (Libytheana carinenta)
Yellow-bottomed Firetip (Pyrrhopyge araxes)
Acacia Skipper (Cogia hippalus)
Brown-banded Skipper (Timochares ruptifasciatus)
Bolla sp.
Desert Cloudywing (Achalarus casica)
Coyote Cloudywing (A. toxeus)
Northern Cloudywing (Thorybes pylades)
White-patched Duskywing (Chiomara georgina)
Funereal Duskywing (Erynnis funeralis)
White-striped Longtail (Chioides catillus)
Zilpa Longtail (C. zilpa)
Mottled Longtail (Typhedanus undulatus)
Dorantes Longtail (Urbanus dorantes)
Brown Longtail (U. procne)
Golden-headed Scallopwing (Staphylus ceos)
Equal Scallopwing (S. equal)
Common Sootywing (Pholisora catullus)
Emorsa Spurwing (Antigonus emorsa)
Dark Spurwing (A. funebris)
Tropical Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus oileus)
Common Mottled-Skipper (Codatractus melon)
Cleta Tufted-Skipper (Polyctor cleta)
Silvered Skipperling (Dalla dividuum)
Orange Skipperling (Copaeodes aurantiacus)
Southern Skipperling (C. minmus)
Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus)
Eufala Skipper (Lerodea eufala)
Prenda Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes prenda)

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