Reno collecting summary: Late spring trifecta 26 May 2016

[joee30]

Today was an amazing day to collect in the Reno area. Started out partly cloudy and breezy. Sun came out long enough to get the bugs flying though. Started the day at Verdi, NV. There is a trail that parallels the Truckee River. Habitat is riparian by the river, with grassland, some sagebrush, Mules Ears, Chokecherry, and Desert Plum. Didn't see many leps, but activity is starting to pop in that area. Managed to catch a gopher snake, but didn't get to take a picture.

Leps seen:

Coenonympha tullia ampelos 50+
Pontia protodice 2
Pontia beckeri 7
Colias Alexandra 1 super fast!
Colias Eurydice 1
Agriades Melissa 3
Glaucopsyche lygdamus 3
Plebejus acmon 5
Celestrina argiolus 4
Drasteria sp.

Second stop was at Mayberry Park in the west part of Reno. This habitat is mostly riparian by the river, with some huge Cottonwoods, some Alder, Chokecherry, and Ash. There is a bridge one crosses, and then a big network of trails going towards the rest of the Carson Range. Lot's of grass everywhere this year. My favorite collecting trial runs parallel to a small creek that feeds to steamboat ditch, and the Truckee river. This trail goes up some nice hillside habitat with Desert Plum, Purshia tridentate, and a slew of wildflowers. The creek is small, so mostly comprises of Willows and Alder, with some chokecherry scattered in between and Ash.

Leps seen:

Coenympha tullia ampelos 50+
Pontia beckeri 10
Pontia protodice 5
Pieris rapae 10
Agriades melissa 10
Plebejus acmon 7
Glacopsyche lygdamus 5
Unknown blue 1
Day flying geometrid with red hindwings Collected 1 seen 4
Papilio eurymedon 1 missed it!
Lorquins admiral 1
Red Admiral 1
Phyciodes campestris 20
Euphydryas chalcedona macglashanii 20+ Collected 10
Western branded skipper 10
Northern Cloudywing 2
Erynnis sp. 2
Pyrgus communis 10

Last place was just amazing. Stopped and scouted out the Hunter Creek Trailhead. the area has scattered Utah Junipers and is riparian/grassland/and some montane habitat farther up the trail heading towards Hunter Lake to the south. Plants there are Fremont Cottonwood, Black Cottonwood, Ash, Red Alder, Chokecherry, Desert Plum, Sagebrush, Antelope Bitterbrush,grasses, and many wildflowers.

Leps seen:

Coenympha tullia ampelos 50+
Pontia protodice 10
Pontia beckeri 5
Pieris rapae 5
Anthocharis sara 1
Plebejus acmon 5
Glaucopsyche lygdamus 3
Celestrina argiolus 5
Phyciodes campestris 5
Euphydryas chalcedona macglashanii 20 Collected 3
Chlosyne palla collected 1
Limenitis lorquini collected 1
Alypia sp. 1 missed it!
Undetermined geometrid 1
Drasteria sp. 10+

So far, it was a very productive day. Will put up some pics up tomorrow.

[joee30]

Here are some pictures of the places I was talking about. This is the Verdi, NV area. I found some Drasteria sp. feeding on Chokecherry, and he was not camera shy at all.

[joee30]

Mayberry Park is a very interesting place since there are some slippery, but nice trails heading up into the Carson Range, and the riparian area. There is a small creek that runs parallel to the trail I have found the Euphydryas before, and I call the area "Butterfly Valley", as there is always lepidoptera puddling there. I took a picture of the Indiam Paintbrush I assume the Euphydryas feeds on as there isn't any Monkeyflower in the area.

[joee30]

Finally, we have the Hunter Creek Trailhead. This place is unique since the trail goes up to Hunter Lake and there is a nice waterfall further up it. Since I have been dealing with some leg issues, I made it up farther than I thought. I will try and go up towards the waterfall next time around. The collecting was pretty good, but it can be phenomenal if you time it right. I had t add the copulating Convergent Ladybugs as that was a pretty good pic with my phone.

[Deleted]

Wow. That's is some beautiful country!

[Deleted]

Nice pictures, it looks like some lush habitat-not what one typically thinks of NV.

[joee30]

Jtaylor: It's very beautiful country. Considering that we are on the Eastern slope of the Sierra Nevadas in what is called the Carson Range, there are many nice areas here to sample and collect that are not State Parks. I will post more pics of my next trip;

Cacicus101: Thanks. This year, the mountains had a pretty good snow pack. Mt, Rose, our highest mountain in the Carson Range, still has snow on it's peak.