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Post by mothman27 on Aug 4, 2016 10:08:05 GMT -8
Anyone have reports on their trips? I would love to see pics
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Post by willyomt on Aug 5, 2016 0:52:39 GMT -8
The monsoon rains have been kinda quirky this year, and I believe it's had an adverse effect on the insects. In early July, the monsons looked like they were starting up as normal. We had a few good days of rain, but then they just went away, and didn't really return until about a week ago, which was very late July. I think the absence of normal monsoon rain patterns delayed or even stopped hatching of many species of moths and beetles. Normally, I've seen numerous cerambycids on the baccharis bushes along Madera Canyon road in mid July. Here it is the first week of August, and I've still not seen them. I don't know if this means they won't be showing up at all, or are just delayed, but regardless, things definitely seem different this year. As far as moths, particularly saturnids go, well, the results haven't been much different. Last week I and a friend went night lighting in Harshaw. Normally, we would get numerous Automeris patagoniensis as well as Automeris iris. Also, Hyalophora gloveri, Antheraea oculea, Eacles oslari, Citheronia splendens, and even some Eupackardia calleta. We didn't see a single specimen of ANY of those species. Not one. I have been up Box Canyon numerous times this year, which is known for its Eupackardia calleta. I've caught a total of TWO for the whole season so far. Both in not such great shape. Pena Blanca hasn't been much better. Anyway, the point is that southeast Arizona has been pretty disappointing this year for me and my bugging buddies. But, that's one guy's experience. I would love to hear from others on their experiences hunting down here this year (2016).
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Post by joee30 on Aug 8, 2016 17:58:02 GMT -8
My experience was somewhat similar. I met up with a bugging friend in Phoenix. I was there the 28th of July to the 2nd of August. Night one was spent at Harshaw. Caught some Eacles oslari, Citheronia splendens sinaloensis, Sphingicampa hubbardi, and a very work Hyalophora gloveri. The rains somewhat started again by then, and the numbers of saturniids weren't as impressive as my friend said they normally were. We spent the next night at Copper Canyon in the Huachuca Mts, and that was great for beetles and smaller moths. Saturnids weren't coming much except for 2 Citheronia splendens sinaloensis, 1 Eacles oslari, and some sphingicampas. Third night we decided to go herping, and found this huge, yet oddly enough un-aggressive kingsnake. I carried her around for three hours as we looked for some frogs my friend wanted to raise. Let her go when we were done for the night. Last night in AZ, we hit Madera Canyon, and it was really cool and windy. Didn't get much, except for a Dyschema howardii and some sphingids. Chrysinas were out, but not in huge numbers as we set up at the top of Madera canyon. Maybe next year might be better? Lol
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Post by joee30 on Aug 8, 2016 17:59:31 GMT -8
Oh, and the morning as we packed up from Madera Canyon, we got a huge thunderstorm hit us that morning. That same system hit Phoenix that evening and the roads flooded there.
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Post by exoticimports on Aug 9, 2016 6:07:06 GMT -8
Your thunderstorm got me thinking. One night I was driving from Pena Blanca back to Tuscon and found a pull-off overlooking a canyon. For some reason I stopped and set up the lights. A big storm hit with high winds and heavy rain, and suddenly I was swarmed by beetles- mostly larger scarabs.
Chuck
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Post by bugboys3 on Aug 11, 2016 9:16:12 GMT -8
I briefly talked to another person who was in Arizona in the same locations at about the same time and he said he pretty much got skunked. When I was there in 2014 it was excellent. Is it just that the weather patterns were off a bit? Or does it go in cycles? A few good years followed by a few slower years.
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Post by joee30 on Aug 11, 2016 13:17:43 GMT -8
Bugboys, this year was rather funky with the rain patterns. My friend and I went to some of the best spots for saturniids, and we got some, but not in the typical amazing collecting that is normally known for. I'm not complaining, but since they got some huge storms prior to the actual monsoon time, that jacked up a lot of the hatches. Hopefully, next year will be better. I am wondering if the butterfly season in september/october will be any better?
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evra
Full Member
Posts: 230
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Post by evra on Aug 13, 2016 23:12:45 GMT -8
Here's mostly raw footage from a couple of nights ago in California Gulch:
<img src="//images.proboards.com/f/bbcode/video-preview.png" video=" <iframe width="560" height="315" c=sr" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>" alt="Video Preview">
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Post by joee30 on Aug 14, 2016 1:10:05 GMT -8
Evra, I didn't collect much of what I was looking for, but had fun being out there anyway. My friend in Phoenix went down there the weekend before I got there on the 28th of July, and he said it was so dry, that the fruit trees there were dying. We hit Harshaw, and it was not as good as he has had. We did manage to collect some nice sphingids, and some sats, but they weren't as common this season, probably because of the later rains. That is awesome that you caught a cincta. Good thing, there is always next season.
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Post by garin33 on Aug 18, 2016 8:53:23 GMT -8
Here's mostly raw footage from a couple of nights ago in California Gulch: <img src="//images.proboards.com/f/bbcode/video-preview.png" video=" <iframe width="560" height="315" c=sr" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>" alt="Video Preview"> Great video Evan! Really interesting and love how you show the host plants in the area. For a lousy year, your sheet was totally covered. I can't imagine what it looks like during a good year. Thanks for sharing that. Garin
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Post by Chris Grinter on Aug 18, 2016 12:08:43 GMT -8
Love the video- see any Morpheis clenchi? That's the only spot I've come across it.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Aug 18, 2016 20:22:53 GMT -8
Evra,
Nice video.......makes me miss those two great years a few years back. Is the season late this year due the AZ goofy rains? Your plant section is also very good for those heading out.
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evra
Full Member
Posts: 230
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Post by evra on Aug 19, 2016 11:02:12 GMT -8
No M. clenchi this year, but I've seen it at that spot consistently for many years.
I think the consensus is that it has been a very bad year for Saturniids. I'm pretty sure at this point that we're past the season for them anyway. In the video you can see that they are all beat up pretty much.
The Sphingids, Lasiocampids, Arctiids and Noctuids have been fine this year, which is the strange part. I wonder if there was some kind of parasitoid outbreak that really killed off the Saturniid larvae last year?
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Post by joee30 on Aug 20, 2016 1:38:23 GMT -8
It was not that great for Saturnids. Next year might be better hopefully. I went to a place were A. cecrops pamina was common, but they were beat up bad. This was on the 28th of July.
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Post by beetlehorn on Aug 20, 2016 20:07:59 GMT -8
Watching your video brings back memories of us collecting together in 2012, and I can say California Gulch was first class collecting when I went. So many different species in one night was more than I'd hoped for. I really need to make another trip out there. Thanks for sharing. Tom
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