Post by reifb on Aug 9, 2011 11:54:27 GMT -8
June 17-24th, 2011 Pagosa Springs, Colorado area
First collecting trip of 2011 took place in southern Colorado. We took the family to Pagosa Springs for a week vacation. As we headed over Wolf Creek Pass we encountered a lot of snow still at the high elevations. On the first few hikes I was surprised at how few butterflies were out. My guess was that either I was a little too early or it is just a bad year for butterflies, or both.
On the way across 160 we stopped at the Old La Vita Pass Road for some roadside collecting. I encountered the following:
Colias alexandra
Everes amyntula
Phyciodes campestris
Coenonympha tullia
Hesperia nevada
June 18 - Along the Rio Grande at the intersection of 160 and county road 380 I found the following:
Erebia epipsodea
We then had a picnic at the Big Meadow Reservoir where I encountered Pieris napi, Colias eurytheme, Coenonympha tullia, and Agriades glandon.
Later that afternoon I went along the west fork of the San Juan River around the Wolf Creek Campground. The following were in that area:
Papilio rutulus (very abundant)
Agriades glandon
Coenonympha tullia (very abundant)
Pieris napi
Euptoieta claudia
Pontia occidentalis
Nymphalis antiopa
Polygonia sp.
June 19-20 – Hiked on the Piedra Trail at the border of Hinsdale and Arculeta Counties. Weather was not ideal in the afternoon of the 19th. Returned the next morning with the family. A bit cool on the 20th, but the clouds broke around lunchtime and it really warmed up. The following were found along the trail:
Papilio rutulus (many males patrolling the riverbank)
Colias philodice
Callophrys dumetorum (these suckers are hard to track!)
Celatrina ladon “lucia”
Plebejus saepiolus
Phyciodes campestris
Coenonympha tullia
June 21 – Took the family out to an easy hike along the Piedra Road that seems to be used for a lot of mountain biking. The species were much more diverse here.
Pieris napi
Papilio rutulus
Papilio eurymedon
Colias alexandra
Lycaena helloides
Celastrina ladon
Glaucopsyche lygdamus
Plebejus saepiolus
Agriades glandon
Euphydras chalcedona
Coenonympha tullia
Limenitis weidemeyerii
Lycaeides melissa
Callophrys eryphon
Unfortunately I was not able to net the Euphydryas chalcedona as I found that when placing the net over the top of them they tend to drop to the ground instead of attempting to fly up. I could not track where the butterfly landed in the tall grass.
Cheers,
Brant
First collecting trip of 2011 took place in southern Colorado. We took the family to Pagosa Springs for a week vacation. As we headed over Wolf Creek Pass we encountered a lot of snow still at the high elevations. On the first few hikes I was surprised at how few butterflies were out. My guess was that either I was a little too early or it is just a bad year for butterflies, or both.
On the way across 160 we stopped at the Old La Vita Pass Road for some roadside collecting. I encountered the following:
Colias alexandra
Everes amyntula
Phyciodes campestris
Coenonympha tullia
Hesperia nevada
June 18 - Along the Rio Grande at the intersection of 160 and county road 380 I found the following:
Erebia epipsodea
We then had a picnic at the Big Meadow Reservoir where I encountered Pieris napi, Colias eurytheme, Coenonympha tullia, and Agriades glandon.
Later that afternoon I went along the west fork of the San Juan River around the Wolf Creek Campground. The following were in that area:
Papilio rutulus (very abundant)
Agriades glandon
Coenonympha tullia (very abundant)
Pieris napi
Euptoieta claudia
Pontia occidentalis
Nymphalis antiopa
Polygonia sp.
June 19-20 – Hiked on the Piedra Trail at the border of Hinsdale and Arculeta Counties. Weather was not ideal in the afternoon of the 19th. Returned the next morning with the family. A bit cool on the 20th, but the clouds broke around lunchtime and it really warmed up. The following were found along the trail:
Papilio rutulus (many males patrolling the riverbank)
Colias philodice
Callophrys dumetorum (these suckers are hard to track!)
Celatrina ladon “lucia”
Plebejus saepiolus
Phyciodes campestris
Coenonympha tullia
June 21 – Took the family out to an easy hike along the Piedra Road that seems to be used for a lot of mountain biking. The species were much more diverse here.
Pieris napi
Papilio rutulus
Papilio eurymedon
Colias alexandra
Lycaena helloides
Celastrina ladon
Glaucopsyche lygdamus
Plebejus saepiolus
Agriades glandon
Euphydras chalcedona
Coenonympha tullia
Limenitis weidemeyerii
Lycaeides melissa
Callophrys eryphon
Unfortunately I was not able to net the Euphydryas chalcedona as I found that when placing the net over the top of them they tend to drop to the ground instead of attempting to fly up. I could not track where the butterfly landed in the tall grass.
Cheers,
Brant
