Spring 2019 Sabino Canyon/Santa Catalina Mountains

Date & Time: 
April 2, 2019 -
7:00am to 4:30pm
Meeting Place: 
Sabino Canyon Visitor Center Plaza
Compiler: 
Mary Klinkel
Compiler Email: 
Munchita@msn.com

Join your new and old friends for a grand day in the field in SE AZ for the Spring 2019 Sabino Canyon/Santa Catalina Mountains Butterfly Count to be held Tuesday, April 2, 2019.  This count includes territory easily reached by paved road up the Catalina Highway to Mt. Lemmon, as well as lower Sonoran Desert areas.

 

Meet at 7am at Sabino Canyon Visitor Center Plaza in NE Tucson (Coronado Pass or National Parks pass or day pass required for parking) for a low desert field day with Fred Heath, or contact compiler Mary Klinkel to claim your territory on your own or with a group outside of Sabino Canyon.  Even if you only have one hour or don’t know the names of any butterflies you can help with this count!  We have a lot of territory to cover and welcome all participants.

 

Please bring $3 for NABA compilation fee per person.  Remember to bring water, snacks, sun protection, binoculars, cameras, field guides, personal items.  Compilation dinner with separate checks TBA (usually at Risky Business restaurant on Tanque Verde Road in Tucson at 4:30pm).

Trip Butterfly Reports: 

The ninth annual Spring Sabino Canyon/Santa Catalina Mountains butterfly count was held on 4/2/19 with sunny, warm & breezy conditions for 28 participants in 11 parties.  A total of 61 species were found, including 2 new for this count:  cabbage white and small checkered-skipper.  Thanks to everyone who participated for an excellent count and compilation dinner!  Plant conditions this Spring were slightly later than typical due to widespread wet, heavy snow in late February which broke many oak branches, trees and shrubs.  Creeks and washes are still running with snowmelt.  Butterflies counted:. 

 

  1. Pipevine Swallowtail  (Battus philenor)   109
  2. Two-tailed Swallowtail  (Papilio multicaudata)   48
  3. Western Giant Swallowtail  (Papilio rumiko)   3
  4. Checkered White  (Pontia protodice)   567
  5. Desert Marble  (Euchloe lotta)   33
  6. Desert Orangetip  (Anthocharis cethura pima)   5
  7. SW Orangetip  (Anthocharis sara thoosa)   24
  8. Orange Sulphur  (Colias eurytheme)   17
  9. Southern Dogface  (Zerene cesonia)   47
  10. Cloudless Sulphur  (Phoebis sennae)    3
  11. Mexican Yellow  (Eurema Mexicana)   24
  12. Sleepy Orange   (Eurema nicippe)    31
  13. Dainty Sulphur   (Nathalis iole)   14
  14. Great Purple Hairstreak  (Atlides halesus)   6
  15. Juniper Hairstreak  (Callophrys gryneus siva)   12
  16. Brown Elfin  (Callophrys augustinus)  35
  17. Gray Hairstreak  (Strymon melinus)  7
  18. Arizona Hairstreak  (Erora quaderna)   2
  19. Marine Blue  (Leptotes marina)  20
  20. Western Pygmy-blue  (Brephidium exilis)   9
  21. Spring Azure  (Celastrina ladon echo)   57
  22. Ceraunus Blue  (Hemiargus ceraunus)   1
  23. Reakirt’s Blue   (Echinargus isola)   5
  24. Acmon Blue  (Plebejus acmon texana)   21
  25. Zela Metalmark  (Emesis zela)   3
  26. American Snout  (Libytheana carinenta)   19
  27. Gulf Fritillary  (Agraulis vanillae)   4
  28. Fulvia Checkerspot  (Chlosyne fulvia)   8
  29. Black Checkerspot   (Chlosyne cyneas)   3
  30. Bordered Patch   (Chlosyne lacinia)   24
  31. Sagebrush Checkerspot  (Chlosyne acastus)  35
  32. Tiny Checkerspot  (Dymasia dymas)   198
  33. Elada Checkerspot  (Texola elada)  9
  34. Mylitta Crescent  (Phyciodes mylitta)   14
  35. Texan Crescent  (Anthanassa texana)  416
  36. Common Buckeye  (Junonia coenia)   53
  37. Tropical Buckeye  (Junonia evarete)   7
  38. Mourning Cloak  (Nymphalis antiopa)   5
  39. Red Admiral   (Vanessa atalanta)    7
  40. Painted Lady  (Vanessa cardui)   29
  41. American Lady  (Vanessa virginiensis)   10
  42. Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis)   1
  43. Empress Leilia  (Asterocampa leilia)   101
  44. Queen   (Danaus gilippus)   9
  45. Acacia Skipper   (Cogia hippalus)    1
  46. Golden-headed Scallopwing  (Staphylus ceos)   21
  47. AZ Powdered-skipper  (Systasea zampa)   29
  48. Sleepy Duskywing   (Erynnis brizo)   6
  49. Mournful Duskywing  (Erynnis tristis)   7
  50. Pacuvius Duskywing   (Erynnis pacuvius)   1
  51. Funereal Duskywing   (Erynnis funeralis)  13
  52. White Checkered-skipper  (Pyrgus albescens)  87
  53. Desert Checkered-skipper  (Pyrgus philetas)   1
  54. Erichson’s White-skipper   (Heliopyrgus domicella)   1
  55. Common Streaky-skipper  (Celotes nessus)   17
  56. Orange Skipperling   (Copaeodes aurantiaca)   29
  57. Fiery Skipper   (Hesperia phyleus)   6
  58. Pahaska Skipper  (Hesperia pahaska)  2
  59. White-barred Skipper   (Atrytonopsis pittacus)   8
  60.  new for this count:   Cabbage White   (Pieris rapae)   3
  61. new for this count:  Small Checkered-skipper  (Pyrgus scriptura)   1