Mountain West 2018

[mikeh]

I've had a few chances to get out this spring, figured I would post some reports.

Colorado Trail @ S. Platte River
Jefferson/Douglas Co. Colorado
6,200'
March 24, 2018
Reasonably warm day, mostly sunny mid 60s
Hardly any fresh plant growth
Polygonia gracilis
Nymphalis californica
Nymphalis antiopa
Erynnis telemachus
Pontia sisymbrii

also Cicindela purpurea

Pack Creek Picnic Area
Grand County, Utah
6,400'
May 5, 2018
Sunny and high 80s
Lush deciduous forest around the creek but further away changed to juniper woodland that seemed a bit dried out

Papilio zelicaon
Pontia protodice
Pontia beckerii
Pieris marginalis
Pieris rapae
Euchloe lotta
Anthocharis thoosa
Colias philodice
Atlides halesus
Callophrys gryneus
Callophrys spinetorum
Cupido amyntula
Glaucopsyche lygdamus
Plebejus melissa
Plebejus lupini (like texanus, not lutzi)
Chlosyne acastus
Phyciodes campestris
Nymphalis antiopa
Thorybes pylades
Erynnis telemachus
Erynnis brizo
Erynnis afranis/persius
Pyrgus communis/albescens
Hesperopsis alpheus
Hesperia juba
Megathymus yuccae

Grizzly Creek Trail
Garfield Co. Colorado
6,000'
May 12, 2018
About 70, partly cloudy
Creek was high but not a lot blooming yet.

Papilio zelicaon
Pontia protodice
Celastrina lucia
Cupido amyntula
Glaucopsyche lygdamus
Plebejus melissa
Nymphalis antiopa
Phyciodes campestris
Erynnis telemachus

Dotsero, Ute Trail
Eagle County, Colorado
6,400'
May 13, 2018
About 70, partly cloudy
Juniper woodland without a lot blooming

Pontia protodice
Euchloe lotta
Colias sp.
Chlosyne acastus
Pyrgus communis
Hesperia sp.

Coffee Pot Road, 1 mi from Colorado River
Eagle County, Colorado
6,400'
May 13, 2018
About 70 and partly cloudy

Papilio eurymedon
Euchloe ausonides
Glaucopsyche lygdamus
Phyciodes pallida
Erynnis brizo

[coloradeo]

Thanks for the report. Are things on time by your estimates? I have not been out on the front range yet enough this spring to have a good read on it.

[mikeh]

Seems about on time or maybe a little bit early in lower areas. Snow is melting very fast though up high so it might be different there.

[coloradeo]

I've been out a couple nights with lights/sheets and bucket traps on the NW side of the Denver metro (Boulder Canyon) and the SW side (Deer Creek Canyon). Seems like it's a couple weeks from "really good collecting," but so far some of my favorites --

NW, May 25 - dominated by pine and non-oak deciduous, warm evening
- lots of Coloradia doris, as is usual early season, but this time I finally got that female
- Arachnis picta, including a female
- Apantesis williamsii

SW, June 2 - lots of oak and deciduous, cool evening with some wind
- Pachysphinx modesta (or occidentalis -- I'll have to get it off the mounting board to examine it more closely, but seems a little smaller and I think I see blue through the mounting paper, so probably P/m)
- Sphinx chersis
- Sphinx vashti

More small stuff on the mounting board, but IDs yet to come.

Eric

[mikeh]

A few more

Hall Valley Rd
Park Co. Colorado
9,200'
June 6, 2018
sunny and mid 70s

Papilio rutulus
Euchloe ausonides
Pieris marginalis
Colias philodice
Callophrys spinetorum
Callophrys augustinus
Callophrys eryphon
Glaucopsyche lygdamus
Plebejus saepiolus
Plebejus glandon
Celastrina echo
Nymphalis antiopa
Polygonia faunus
Phyciodes campestris
Coenonympha tullia
Oeneis chryxus
Oeneis uhleri
Erynnis sp.
Pyrgus ruralis
Hesperia nevada

Lost Park Rd,
2 mi E of Hwy 285
Park Co. Colorado
June 6, 2018
Very Overcast low 70s

Colias eurytheme
Colias philodice
Glaucopsyche lygdamus
Plebejus glandon
Phyciodes campestris
Oeneis alberta
Coenonympha tullia
Hesperia nevada

[leptraps]

I have seen some very lengthy lists and some very nice species. I have collected Colorado numerous times, but never in the spring or early summer. Maybe next year.

[mikeh]

Here are a few more

Forest Road 287
nr Wetmore
Custer County CO
June 7, 2018
7,400'
Hot and Dry, high 80's. Most things seen on a patch of Dogbane

Papilio rutulus
Colias philodice
Colias eurytheme
Callophrys affinis
Leptotes marina
Echinargus isola
Apodemia nais
Poladryas arachne
Phyciodes coctya
Phyciodes tharos
Phyciodes campestris
Euptoieta claudia
Speyeria coronis
Coenonympha tullia
Poanes hobomok
Oarisma garita
Epargyreus clarus
Erynnis sp.
Pyrgus communis

Green Creek Trail
Forest Road 221
Chaffee County CO
June 9, 2018
mostly sunny and low 80s
8,400'-9,200'

Papilio rutulus
Colias eurytheme
Colias philodice
Glaucopsyche lygdamus
Glaucopsyche piasus
Callophrys affinis
Callophrys gryneus
Plebejus melissa
Plebejus icarioides
Plebejus saepiolus
Plebejus glandon
Celastrina echo
Limenitis weidemeyerii
Poladryas arachne
Chlosyne acastus
Phyciodes cocyta
Hesperia sp.
Erynnis sp.

[mikeh]

And some more

North Fork Powder River
1 mi S of HWY 16
Johnson Co. WY
9,200'
July 14, 2018
Sunny
low 70s

Colias gigantea
Colias pelidne
Colias philodice
Speyeria sp.
Boloria eunomia
Boloria chariclea
Boloria selene
Coenonympha tullia
Erebia epipsodea
Plebejus saepiolus
Plebejus glandon
Lycaena dorcas
Polites draco

Storm Lake Rd
0.4-0.8 mi S of MT HWY 1
Deer Lodge Co. MT
6,600'
July 15, 2018
Sunny
High 70s

Parnassius sp.
Papilio rutulus
Papilio eurymedon
Colias alexandra
Colias pelidne
Colias interior
Euchloe ausonides
Limenitis weidemeyerii x lorquinii
Speyeria mormonia
Speyeria sp.
Boloria epithore
Phyciodes campestris
Phyciodes cocyta
Euphydryas anicia
Chlosyne palla
Polygonia gracilis
Nymphalis californica
Coenonympha tullia
Coenonympha haydenii
Cercyonis oetus
Oeneis chryxus
Oeneis jutta
Erebia epipsodea
Callophrys eryphon
Plebejus idas
Plebejus icarioides
Plebejus saepiolus
Plebejus lupini
Euphilotes sp.
Oarisma garita
Thymelicus lineola
Carterocephalus palaemon
Pyrgus communis
Pyrgus ruralis

Bannock Pass
Lemhi Co ID/Beaverhead Co MT
7,600'-7,800'
July 18, 2018
Sunny and Windy
Low 70s

Parnassius smintheus
Pontia occidentalis
Speyeria callippe
Speyeria mormonia
Oeneis chryxus
Neominois ridingsii
Lycaena heteronea
Lycaena editha
Plebejus glandon
Plebejus idas
Plebejus shasta
Plebejus icarioides
Glaucopsyche piasus
Hesperia colorado
Hesperia juba
Hesperia nevada
Polites draco
Erynnis sp.

Joining of Cruikshank Creek and Canyon Creek
Lemhi Co. ID
6,700'
July 18, 2018
partly cloudy
low 80s

Papilio sp.
Limenitis archippus
Speyeria callippe
Speyeria mormonia
Speyeria zerene
Speyeria cybele
Boloria selene
Euphydryas anicia
Cercyonis oetus
Plebejus idas
Plebejus icarioides
Plebejus lupini
Lycaena heteronea
Lycaena rubidus
Polites sonora
Hesperia colorado
Thymelicus lineola
Ochlodes sylvanoides
Erynnis sp.

Meadow Lake Campground area
Lemhi Co. ID
July 19, 2018
8,200' - 10,200'
Sunny and Warm
High 70s
Parnassius smintheus
Papilio sp.
Pontia occidentalis
Colias philodice
Colias pelidne
Aglais milberti
Nymphalis californica
Nymphalis antiopa
Speyeria hesperis
Speyeria hydaspe
Speyeria egleis
Speyeria callippe
Speyeria zerene
Speyeria mormonia
Phyciodes mylitta
Phyciodes pallida
Cercyonis oetus
Oeneis chryxus
Coenonympha tullia
Plebejus lupini
Plebejus idas
Plebejus glandon
Lycaena nivalis
Lycaena phlaeas
Lycaena heteronea
Hesperia colorado
Pyrgus ruralis

Georgetown Canyon
Bear Lake Co. ID
July 20, 2018
6,400' - 7,400'
Sunny and Hot
High 80s

Papilio rutulus
Papilio multicaudatus
Papilio eurymedon
Parnassius clodius
Pontia protodice
Pontia beckerii
Pieris marginalis
Pieris rapae
Colias philodice
Plebejus melissa
Plebejus lupini
Satyrium sylvinus
Satyrium californica
Satyrium saepium
Satyrium titus
Satyrium behrii
Lycaena helloides
Lycaena nivalis
Lycaena mariposa
Lycaena heteronea
Lycaena editha
Limenitis weidemeyerii
Speyeria cybele
Speyeria hesperis
Speyeria hydaspe
Speyeria egleis
Speyeria callippe
Speyeria zerene
Speyeria coronis
Speyeria mormonia
Chlosyne palla
Euphydryas anicia
Phyciodes campestris
Phyciodes cocyta
Cercyonis pegala
Coenonympha tullia
Hesperia colorado
Ochlodes sylvanoides
Thymelicus lineola
Piruna pirus
Pyrgus communis
Erynnis sp.

[Paul K]

Wow,wow,wow!!!
What a list! I just came back from Canadian Rockies near Calgary and I didn’t see 1/3 of those there.

[mikeh]

Here is some of the latest leps from off the pinning board

Speyeria hesperis aberration

[mikeh]

Colias gigantea

[mikeh]

Colias pelidne

[mikeh]

Colias christina sacajawea

[mikeh]

Here is the whole batch ready for labels and the freezer.  Lots of Colias.

Column 1: Speyeria zerene, egleis and hesperis from Georgetown Canyon ID, Speyeria hesperis from SE Wind River Mtns WY, Plebejus glandon, Lycaena phlaeas, Phyciodes pallida from Meadow Lake, Lemhi Co. ID
Column 2: Colias alexandra from SE Wind River Mtns WY, Colias christina sacajawea from Big Horn Mtns WY, Colias christina pseudocolumbiensis and Speyeria hydaspe from East of Seeley Lake MT, Colias alexandra/christina Georgetown Lake MT
Column 3: one Colias christing sacajawea, Colias pelidne, Euphydryas anicia, Satyrium semiluna from Big Horn Mtns WY
Column 4: Colias gigantea, Boloria selene, Boloria eunomia from Big Horn Mtns WY
Column 5: Colias gigantea, Boloria eunomia from Big Horn Mtns WY, Colias interior, Euphydryas colon? from East of Seeley Lake MT, Colias gigantea, Boloria chariclea, Boloria eunomia from Big Horn Mtns WY
Column 6: Colias alexandra/christina from Storm Lake Rd MT
Column 7: Top four Colias interior, Bottom 3 Colias pelidne Storm Lake Rd MT

[coloradeo]

Very impressive Mike!