Post by nightwings8 on Jul 27, 2020 9:39:05 GMT -8
Since things are pretty slow right now, and no one else has mentioned the conditions here, I thought I would start a report and add later, or hope for additional information from others. So far the seasonal storms have been spotty and sputtering. There have been some good storms scattered before the official dew point was reached but only a couple of really strong storms late last week (Thur-Fri) a few Sys. hubbardi were flying in the mesquite rich areas but not much else until those storms passed. It was still pretty dry looking in most locations (Box Cyn., Pena Blanca, Harshaw was wet on Thursday, and Montosa Cyn was dry.) The Santa Catalinas are closed down due to the fire up there.
I tried calling with a female E. calleta in Box Canyon on 7/20 but nothing showed up. I did have a couple of very fresh E. calleta males come to a calling female near the Whipple Observatory at the mouth of Montosa Canyon on 7/24 but none came in 7/26. Between my trip and another collector's, Pena Blanca was pretty good last week (7/22 and 7/24) for some beetles, a few male E. oslari, C.s. splendens, A. oculea, Sys. Montana, and hubbardi. but no females. Early on there was a good showing of female A. pamina followed by pretty large numbers of males after 0100 to 0330. There were a few Sphingids also. I heard a report from Harshaw Canyon last weekend but it was mainly beetles, a couple of female A. pamina, but not much else moth-wise after 2200. The Hauchuca Mountains also had a "poor collecting report" from the weekend, but no details were given. I did hear of an A. randa female being caught at an earlier date in the Peloncillos. Now I looks like the rains have moved away from the area for the next 7-10 days, so we are in a holding pattern for now. I may try Pena Blanca or Harshaw anyway tonight if we get any rains this early afternoon.
I tried calling with a female E. calleta in Box Canyon on 7/20 but nothing showed up. I did have a couple of very fresh E. calleta males come to a calling female near the Whipple Observatory at the mouth of Montosa Canyon on 7/24 but none came in 7/26. Between my trip and another collector's, Pena Blanca was pretty good last week (7/22 and 7/24) for some beetles, a few male E. oslari, C.s. splendens, A. oculea, Sys. Montana, and hubbardi. but no females. Early on there was a good showing of female A. pamina followed by pretty large numbers of males after 0100 to 0330. There were a few Sphingids also. I heard a report from Harshaw Canyon last weekend but it was mainly beetles, a couple of female A. pamina, but not much else moth-wise after 2200. The Hauchuca Mountains also had a "poor collecting report" from the weekend, but no details were given. I did hear of an A. randa female being caught at an earlier date in the Peloncillos. Now I looks like the rains have moved away from the area for the next 7-10 days, so we are in a holding pattern for now. I may try Pena Blanca or Harshaw anyway tonight if we get any rains this early afternoon.
