Post by leptraps on Sept 19, 2013 18:10:14 GMT -8
On the morning of August 23, 2013 I departed Georgetown, Kentucky to begin a 9 Day collecting trip to Colorado and Wyoming . I was accompanied by my friend Denny Currutt. This was our 36th trip together of over 7 days since 1972. Our major effort was to collect moths, especially Heliothinae (Schinia), Copalepharon, and Drasteria which we both collect. Denny also collects Pyralidae and I collect all Noctuidae. We had six light traps, several bait traps and pheromome traps. I attended the Society of Kentucky Lepidopterists field meeting to the Sloughs WMA near Henderson, Kentucky on Friday 23 August. We found Hyllolyceana hyllus which was extremely abundant. While tapping trees for Catocala moths we found Catocala marmorata. I left the meeting late in the afternoon to travel to Saint Louis where I would pick up Denny at the Airport at 9AM Saturday morning. By 9:30AM on Saturday I had Denny in the car and we were on I -70 west towards Colorado. We arrived near Wray, Colorado around 7:00 PM and set out light traps along US34 west of Wray. By the time we reached our overnight stop in Fort Morgan it was dark. We managed to set out two more light traps west of Fort Morgan, checked in to our Motel and then checked the lights around the Marverick gas station and Walmart. We found Apanteisis blakei, Schinia citrinella, S. lucens, S.grandimedia, S.mortua S. walshinghami and S.cumatilis. We were up early on Sunday and recovered the light traps and found more Schinia, including S. sexplagiata, S.sirens and S. jaguarina. We also collected four species of Copalepharon and a dozen or more species of Sympistris. After recovering and sorting the light traps we traveled north of Fort Morgan to the Pawnee NGL. We set out a light trap and travel south of Fort Morgan to a Sand Dune area that was spectacular with flowers. We set out a light trap, traveled back to Walmart and set out a light trap behind the store. We then traveled west to an area north of Roggens. Colorado to set out light traps in the Dunes. These dunes were also ablaze in wild flowers. We returned to Fort Morgan for the night and the checked the lights around the Marverick gas station and Walmart again.
After recovering all the light traps on Monday morning, we found S. Meadi. S regina, S.tertia and S. obliqua. Heliothis phloxiphaga, H.australis, and Heliocheilus paradoxus, at least four species of Copalepharon, hundreds of Apantesis blakei, 20+ species of Sympistris and lots of other noctuid moths. There were only four species of Sphinx moths recorded for the entire trip. Manduca sexta, M.quinquemaculata, M. rustica and the ever abundant Hyles lineata. Once we sorted the light traps we traveled to Kill pecker Dunes north of Rock Springs, Wyoming. This was our fourth visit to Killpecker since 2010 and we were not disappointed. Although we arrived late, we had all six light traps set out by dark. Three in the bald Dunes and three in the dry river bed.
Exhausted from the three day journey, were crashed in Rock Springs. Up early Tuesday morning, we recovered the light traps. Each trap contained at list six inches of moths within the sorting screens. We found Copalepharon longpenne, C.viridisparsum and four others species that I could not identify. However, the stunning yellow Copalepharon grandis.was abundant. It required 8 hours to sort the traps. We found only three species of Schinia (All collected elsewhere) and five species of Apantesis, including A. obliterata, A. williamsi and A. incorrupta.
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Before some one ask the question: “How do you charge batteries when traveling”. I have a plywood battery box with lids that will hold sixteen batteries (Lawn Tractor size). I have a power port in the back of the car and I connect a 12VDC to 120VAC 400Watt Power Inverter. I plug a two 6 port power strips into the inverter and the battery chargers are plugged into the power strips. I carry two batteries for each trap and charge all of them as we drive. I use 1.5 AMP trickle chargers (Battery Maintainers). The light traps are 15 Watt BL which use 1.25 AMPs per hour. The batteries are all Werker 33 AMP hour SLA. After a single use, the batteries will full charge in less than 10 hours. Normally I leave the batteries charging continually. Once a battery is used, it is checked in the morning with the Photoelectric Switch to confirm the light operated all night. Before we sort traps, the batteries are stored into the battery box and the chargers are connected. This process ensures that the batteries get charges and the traps will operate the following night.
After departing Killpecker Dunes we traveled to Grand Junction, Colorado arriving well after dark. We recovered with a good nights sleep.
We were up early on Wednesday and traveled to Unaweep Canyon south of Gateway. CO. We had a location for the skipper butterfly Ochlodes yuma, 2.3 miles south of Gateway on SR141. The location was along the Delores River which runs through Unaweep Canyon. At 2.5 miles we found an access to the river and there they were, Ochlodes yuma. We found another spot 4.4 miles south of Gateway and the Rabbit Bush was in bloom and covered with Ochlodes yuma. As we journeyed down this spectacular canyon we found Hespeia woodgatei ( A State Record) and Atlides halesus. Also abundant along the road was Brephidium exilis and Plebejus melissa pseudosamuelis. These were the first butterflies were encountered on the trip worth collecting.
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From Unaweep Canyon we traveled to Owl Creek Pass Road were we set out light traps and then traveled on to Montrose, Colorado for a late dinner date with friends. We overnighted in Montrose and found Schinia acutilinae around the lights of the motel.
Thursday morning we recovered the light traps from Owl Creek Pass. He found lots of noctuids, these included Amphipoae senilis and Hydroeciodes juvenalis, Arctia caja and six species of Catocala including the spectacular western form of Catocala relicta. We also found Catocala semirelicta and C. hermia. The habitat was open sage with a forest of giant Aspen trees.
We journey from Owl Creek Pass to Deer Creek Canyon just south of Littleton where we set out five light traps. We visited our friend Chuck Harp in Littleton, Colorado and enjoyed the evening looking through his spectacular collection of moths.
Friday morning we recovered the light traps. We collected Papaipema verona, Schinia obliqua, S. reniformis, S. hulstia and S. sexplagiata. There were many noctuids. We also found several Arachnis picta and Lophocampa significans. Once we sorted the light traps we returned to Fort Morgan, Colorada via the Dune area north of Roggens, Colorado where we set out four light traps. We set another light trap behind the Walmart in Fort Morgan. We again checked the lights around the Maverick gas station and Walmart. Much to our surprise we found very little around the lights. This would be our last night of collecting.
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Saturday morning we recovered the light traps. They were full. However, there was very little that we had not already collected. Drasteria howlandi, D. tejonica, D. pallescans and D. hudsonica. Each trap contained 30 or more Hyles lineata. Once the traps were sorted we rearranged the equipment and readied the car for the return journey. I truly enjoy the drive across eastern Colorado and Kansas. We arrive at our motel in St. Louis , Missouri around midnight. We were up by 6AM to get Denny back to the airport for his flight home to Cleveland, Ohio and me on my way home to Georgetown, Kentucky. I arrived home around 2PM, cleaned out the car. Showered and went to bed. Slept like a rock.
It was a great trip. I have been busy mounting moths. As of this writing I have mounted all the butterflies, Heliothenae, Copalepharon, Arctiidae and Catocala. Once then come off my spreading boards, I will post some photographs.
Next year: the Lepidopterists Society meeting is in Park City, Utah. Denny and I may try our first 7 week trip. I can hear my wife now................
