Patagonia

Date & Time: 
August 6, 2016 - 8:00am
Meeting Place: 
Patagonia Butterfly Garden
Trip Leader: 
Fred Heath

The group met trip leader Fred Heath in Patagonia, AZ at 8:00 AM and made several stops along Harshaw Creek Road and gardens in Patagonia. Although we found a decent number of 36 species (list below), the number of individuals seemed somewhat low in general. Our most exciting discoveries were not butterflies, but a Black-tailed Rattlesnake found 1.5 feet up on a grass tussock and some Mexican Long-tongued Bats, one of which hung out in the open from a mesquite leaf allowing photographs. A large, unusually marked, deceased moth which turned out to be a Giant Flag Moth (Dysschema howardi) was also found.

Trip Butterfly Reports: 
  1. Pipevine Swallowtail Battus philenor
  2. Orange Sulphur Colias eurytheme
  3. Southern Dogface Zerene cesonia
  4. Cloudless Sulphur Phoebis sennae
  5. Mexican Yellow Eurema mexicana
  6. Sleepy Orange Abaeis nicippe
  7. Dainty Sulphur Nathalis iole
  8. Gray Hairstreak Strymon melinus
  9. Leda Ministreak Ministrymon leda
  10. Marine Blue Leptotes marina
  11. Ceraunus Blue Hemiargus ceraunus
  12. Reakirt's Blue Echinargus isola
  13.  Fatal Metalmark Calephelis nemesis
  14.  Arizona Metalmark Calephelis arizonensis
  15. Gulf Fritillary Agraulis vanillae
  16. Variegated Fritillary Euptoieta claudia
  17. Tiny Checkerspot Dymasia dymas
  18. Elada Checkerspot Texola elada
  19. American Lady Vanessa virginiensis
  20. Common Buckeye Junonia coenia
  21. Red-spotted Purple Limenitis arthemis
  22. Monarch Danaus plexippus
  23. Queen Danaus gilippus
  24. Dull Firetip Apyrrothrix araxes
  25. Golden-banded Skipper Autochton cellus
  26. Northern Cloudywing Thorybes pylades
  27. Acacia Skipper Cogia hippalus
  28. Golden-headed Scallopwing Staphylus ceos
  29. Funereal Duskywing Erynnis funeralis
  30. Desert Checkered-Skipper Pyrgus philetas
  31. Common Sootywing Pholisora catullus
  32. Many-spotted Skipperling Piruna aea
  33. Orange Skipperling Copaeodes aurantiaca
  34. Fiery Skipper Hylephila phyleus
  35. Elissa Roadside-Skipper Amblyscirtes elissa
  36. Eufala Skipper Lerodea eufala

General Information

Beginners are welcome on all field trips! Experienced members will share their butterfly knowledge and expertise with all field trip participants. Children accompanied by a responsible adult are welcome on SEABA field trips. A donation of $5 per person to benefit SEABA will be appreciated. Carpooling from the meeting place is encouraged and it is kind to share gas expenses. If high clearance vehicles are required for a trip, it will be noted in individual trip descriptions. Dress for the field with sturdy shoes, hat, sunscreen, and insect repellent. Bring your own water, snacks, and lunch. Close-focusing binoculars, cameras, and field guides will be helpful aids for butterfly observation and identification. Trips usually end by mid-afternoon unless noted differently in individual trip descriptions.

Please be aware that:

1. Collecting or netting is NOT allowed on SEABA field trips.

2. Pets, with the exception of service animals, are NOT allowed on SEABA field trips.

3. All field trip participants are required to sign SEABA's Release and Assumption of Risk form at the beginning of the trip. The form may be viewed at SEABA Release.

4. Please arrive a few minutes prior to the meeting time posted for trips to facilitate paperwork and introductions to other trip participants.

5. Field trips may be cancelled or rescheduled on short notice due to changing weather or road conditions. Please check the website for updates prior to the Field Trip.

 

Our Southeastern Arizona Butterfly Checklist can be downloaded here. Please note that the SEABA checklist is copyrighted.

Local NABA Butterfly Counts are listed at NABA Counts

Field trips organized by the Central Arizona Butterfly Association are listed at their website: CAzBA.