Mountain west 2020

[mikeh]

Thanks for the kind words, my trips are not quite as far flung as they may seem since I work from home and my wife likes to travel to see various relatives in the summer so I tend to have a lot of visits to places in Idaho, South Dakota, Wyoming and Utah to use as a home base for a quick weekend day trip or hour long pitstops on the way to various places for my family to stretch their legs. A lot of these places I have already visited before so I have a pretty good idea on the best drainages or flowers to check.

On more far flung locations I usually have a target bug or two but often times they are a bit wishful thinking and I am early or late or I might only find one but usually I can scare up a decent list overall.

[mikeh]

Near Lemhi Pass
Lemhi Co. ID
Aug 6, 2020
5,700'-7,600'

Parnassius smintheus
Papilio sp.
Colias philodice
Colias alexandra
Pontia beckerii
Vanessa cardui
Limenitis weidemeyerii
Speyeria zerene
Speyeria mormonia
Speyeria cybele
Cercyonis pegala
Cercyonis oeta
Neominois ridingsii
Plebejus melissa
Icaricia icarioides
Icaricia lupini
Euphilotes sp.
Lycaena heteronea
Lycaena dorcas
Satyrium titus
Satyrium semiluna
Satyrium sylvinus
Hesperia colorado
Hesperia juba
Ochlodes sylvanoides

[mikeh]

Near Bannock Pass
Lemhi Co. ID
Aug 7, 2020
5,700'-7,700'

Parnassius smintheus
Colias philodice
Pontia protodice
Pieris rapae
Nymphalis californica
Vanessa cardui
Speyeria zerene
Speyeria mormonia
Speyeria cybele
Speyeria hesperis
Boloria selene
Phyciodes pulchella
Cercyonis pegala
Cercyonis oeta
Plebejus melissa
Plebejus idas
Icaricia shasta
Icaricia lupini
Lycaena heteronea
Lycaena rubidus
Lycaena editha
Satyrium semiluna
Hesperia colorado
Hesperia juba
Thymelicus lineola

West of Gilmore
Lemhi Co. ID
Aug 7, 2020
8,200'-9,500'

Colias philodice
Nymphalis californica
Vanessa cardui
Speyeria zerene
Speyeria mormonia
Speyeria hesperis
Phyciodes pulchella
Cercyonis oeta
Plebejus idas
Icaricia lupini
Agriades glandon
Hesperia colorado

[mikeh]

FR 550
Jefferson Co. CO
Aug 15, 2020

Colias philodice
Colias eurytheme
Speyeria hesperis
Speyeria aphrodite
Speyeria coronis
Speyeria edwardsii
Euptoieta claudia
Limenitis weidemeyerii
Phyciodes pulchella
Cercyonis oetus
Echinargus isola
Lycaena arota
Poanes taxiles
Hesperia colorado

Jones Pass Rd
Clear Creek Co. CO
Aug 16, 2020

Pieris marginalis
Colias scudderi
Speyeria mormonia
Boloria chariclea
Lycaena dorcas

[mikeh]

School of Mines Peak
Clear Creek/Grand Co. CO
Aug 22, 2020

Parnassius smintheus
Colias scudderi
Colias meadii
Pieris marginalis
Speyeria mormonia
Boloria chariclea
Icaricia shasta
Agriades glandon
Lycaena dorcas
Hesperia colorado

[mikeh]

Here are some pinned photos

Hemileuca, 1st column from Summit Co. CO, 2nd column from Bear Lake Co. ID, 3rd column from Lemhi Co. ID.



Some Parnassius smintheus from Lemhi Co. ID



Some Colias, 1st column Colias pelidne from Bear Lake Co. ID and C. scudderi from Clear Creek Co. CO, 2nd column C. alexandra from Summit Co. CO, 3rd column, Colias christina from Pennington Co. SD, last two columns C. alexandra from Lemhi Co. ID.

[kevinkk]

Jul 4, 2020 18:23:08 GMT -8 Paul K said:

Western part of America is obviously more rich in butterfly fauna than eastern part.
I went yesterday July 3 to nearby forest areas and I counted no more than 10 species of butterflies including skippers.

Interesting..I've always been envious of people that live in the eastern USA, I suppose the collecting is always better on the other side of the fence.
mikeh has been busy, an impressive series of lists.

[exoticimports]

Aug 30, 2020 13:47:05 GMT -8 kevinkk said:

I've always been envious of people that live in the eastern USA, I suppose the collecting is always better on the other side of the fence.
mikeh has been busy, an impressive series of lists.

Based on Mike's records from each site, assuming even that his hike covers multiple elevations and floral zones, is thus: western species are more widespread and generally (I said "generally") abundant, whereas (from my observations) eastern species are more localized.

In my area, the "everywhere" (that is, guaranteed to spot, depending of course on seasonality) species are:
P rapae
C philodice
C euretheme (late summer only)
P canadensis (early only)
P glaucus (late only)
P cresphontes (mid-late only)
P polyxenes
P troilus
P tharos tharos (late)
E clarus
? common not IDed Dusky Skipper
D plexippus
E comyntas
C tullia
C pegala (used to be the most common; no longer so)

I suppose not a bad list, even considering seasonality.

Then there are those more localized such as Liminitis arthemis, liminitis archippus (used to be VERY common, no longer), Speyeria.

Others, particularly Lycaenidae and Hesperidae, are chance encounters. Lesser so Polygonia and Nymphalis (eg milberti).

At the extreme are, for example, Euphydras phaeton which is very common- IF you can find the particular field, they will be abundant; even in fields with the foodplant, it is uncommon to find a population.

Speyeria cybele is an interesting study, in that it is often localized, but males will range far. Thus in one location I observed but a single male, for weeks, chasing other butterflies. Only 2km away was the "mother field" which was loaded with S cybele.

It is my experience in the east, aside from the list of common species above, one must know where a population exists, or stumble across it. This is even more so with some moths, particularly with Sphingidae; species rare in one location may be quite common 5km distant.


Chuck

[leptraps]

I collect in numerous locations during the week, most locations have Bait Trap or two and half dozen Pheromone Traps for Sessidea. Most of my Pheromone Traps are along forest edges or in Power Line Cuts.

Currently Polygonia interrogations are the most abundant in Bait Traps. However, Limenitis arthemis astyanax. Polygonia comma, Vanessa Atlanta and an occasional Nymphalis antiopa.

I am not sure how to gauge Catocala moths.I have collected and mounted about 75+ Catocala moths. Most are the Larger Catocals and not all of the Black Hindwing species have flown yet. I collected or trapped and released about 75+ of the smaller species.

I will visit Killdeer WA either Wednesday/Thursday or Friday/ Saturday. I will overnight in the area and use Light Traps.

I will also visit Grand River WMA and Rest Haven WA. Papaipema moths should begin to fly shortly. I found several nice Seeps while visiting both Grand River WMA, Killdeer WA and in and around the Mantua Wetlands this season. Papaipema speciosissima is one of the target species.

[coloradeo]

Mike,

I am always struck at how much you get around in a summer. Impressive trip reports. I end up hitting the same 5 spots every few weeks. Thanks for the inspiration.

I went up to Pawnee Buttes this year a couple weeks after you were there and I missed the Speyeria idalia there. Did you see many? I know there are colonies around that broad area. The only place I've seen S idalia live was on Nature Conservancy land in Southern Minnesota, but it was too fast to get away and I didn't have my camera ready.

Eric

[mikeh]

I only saw a single wandering and worn male there. I thought I might have seen another on a flower as I was driving but by the time I parked the car and walked back it was gone. That area was super dry and desolate by July so I don't know where it came from but there must be some habitat somewhere out there.

[mikeh]

A few more off the boards.

Colias alexandra from Emery Co. UT. One is a bit aberrant, one of the earlier Colias I posted was also a bit aberrant.



Neominois ridingsii from Emery Co. UT



Hemileuca nuttalli from Sanpete Co. UT