Butterflies Seen

Santa Rita Mountains Summer

July 26, 2024
Trip Butterfly Report:

Before getting to the results I just want to say thank you once again for coming out.  Each group contributed rather significantly to the overall total number of species, as witnessed by the high number of single sightings.  We had record numbers of 2 species: Orange Sulphur (80) and Golden-headed Scallopwing (158).  New for the summer count was a Tropical Leafwing.

  1. Pipevine Swallowtail                         Battus philenor  62
  2. Black Swallowtail                                Papilio polyxenes  1
  3. Two-tailed Swallowtail                     Papilio multicaudata  46
  4. Checkered White                               Pontia protodice  23
  5. Orange Sulphur                                   Colias eurytheme  80
  6. Southern Dogface                              Colias cesonia  37
  7. Cloudless Sulphur                              Phoebis sennae  43
  8. Lyside Sulphur                                     Kricogonia lyside  1
  9. Mexican Yellow                                   Eurema Mexicana  61
  10. Sleepy Orange                                     Eurema nicippe  46
  11. Dainty Sulphur                                    Nathalis iole  20
  12. Colorado Hairstreak                          Hypaurotis crysalus  1
  13. Thicket Hairstreak                              Callophrys spinetorum  1
  14. Siva' Juniper Hairstreak                    Callophrys gryneus siva 1
  15. Gray Hairstreak                                   Strymon melinus  10
  16. Leda Ministreak                                  Ministrymon leda  1
  17. Arizona Hairstreak                             Erora quaderna  1
  18. Marine Blue                                          Leptotes marina  66
  19. Ceraunus Blue                                     Hemiargus ceraunus  14
  20. Reakirt’s Blue                                       Hemiargus isola  22
  21. ‘Echo’ Spring Azure                           Celastrina ladon   419
  22. Acmon Blue                                          Plebejus acmon texana  2
  23. Fatal Metalmark                                 Calephelis nemesis  1
  24. Zela Metalmark                                  Emesis zela  4
  25. Ares Metalmark                                  Emesis ares  1
  26. Mormon Metalmark                         Apodemia mormo  5
  27. Palmer's Metalmark                         Apodemia palmeri  1
  28. American Snout                                  Libytheana carinenta  8
  29. Gulf Fritillary                                         Agraulis vanilla  5
  30. Variegated Fritillary                           Euptoieta claudia  5
  31. Theona Checkerspot                        Chlosyne Theona  6
  32. Bordered Patch                                   Chlosyne lacinia  6
  33. Tiny Checkerspot                               Dymasia dymas  12
  34. Elada Checkerspot                            Texola elada  5
  35. Mourning Cloak                                  Nymphalis antiopa  3
  36. Painted Lady                                        Vanessa cardui  18
  37. Common Buckeye                             Junonia coenia  11
  38. ‘Dark’ Tropical Buckeye                   J.genoveva nigrosuffusa 1
  39. Red-spotted Purple                          Limenitis arthemis astyanax  17
  40. ‘Arizona’ California Sister                Adelpha bredowii  35
  41. Tropical Leafwing                              Anaea aidea 1
  42. Hackberry Emperor                           Asterocampa celtis  2
  43. Empress Leilia                                      Asterocampa leilia  44
  44. Tawny Emperor                                  Asterocampa clyton  8
  45. Nabokov's Satyr                                  Cyllopsis pyracmon  2
  46. Red Satyr                                               Megisto rubricata  20
  47. Queen                                                    Danaus gilippus  17
  48. Silver-spotted Skipper                     Epargyreus clarus  1
  49. Arizona Skipper                                  Codatractus arizonensis  3
  50. Golden-banded Skipper                  Autochton cellus  1
  51. Northern Cloudywing                       Thorybes pylades  14
  52. Drusius Cloudywing                          Thorybes drusius  1
  53. Acacia Skipper                                     Cogia hippalus  21
  54. Golden-headed Scallopwing          Staphylus ceos  158
  55. Arizona Powdered-Skipper            Systasea zampa  10
  56. Mournful Duskywing                        Erynnis tristis  3
  57. Pacuvius Duskywing                          Erynnis pacuvius  8
  58. Funereal Duskywing                         Erynnis funeralis  3
  59. Common Sootywing                         Pholisora Catullus  29
  60. Orange Skipperling                            Copaeodes aurantiacus  34
  61. Taxiles Skipper                                    Poanes taxiles  18
  62. Moon-marked Skipper                    Atrytonopsis lunus  2
  63. Large Roadside-Skipper                  Amblyscirtes exoteria  7
  64. Cassus Roadside-Skipper                Amblyscirtes cassus  8
  65. Bronze Roadside-Skipper               Amblyscirtes aenus  10
  66. Elissa Roadside-Skipper                   Amblyscirtes elissa  1

Erema sp?  7

Erynnis sp?  5

Total Individuals:  1534

Montosa Canyon, Santa Rita Mts.

July 12, 2024
Trip Butterfly Report:

What a great trip we had today!!  Thank you all for being so kind and considerate and being such great spotters!!  Here is the list of butterflies we saw, in order of the SEABA checklist.

  1. Pipevine Swallowtail                         Battus philenor
  2. Two-tailed Swallowtail                     Papilio multicaudata
  3. Southern Dogface                              Colias cesonia
  4. Cloudless Sulphur                              Phoebis sennae
  5. Mexican Yellow                                   Eurema mexicana
  6. Leda Ministreak                                  Ministrymon leda
  7. Western Pygmy-Blue                       Brephidium exile
  8. Marine Blue                                          Leptotes marina
  9. Ceraunus Blue                                     Hemiargus ceraunus
  10. Reakirt’s Blue                                       Hemiargus isola
  11. Acmon Blue                                          Plebejus acmon texana
  12. Mormon Metalmark                         Apodemia mormo
  13. Bordered Patch                                   Chlosyne lacinia
  14. Tiny Checkerspot                               Dymasia dymas
  15. Common Buckeye                             Junonia coenia
  16. ‘Arizona’ California Sister                Adelpha bredowii
  17. Hackberry Emperor                           Asterocampa celtis
  18. Empress Leilia                                      Asterocampa leilia
  19. Queen                                                    Danaus gilippus
  20. Arizona Skipper                                  Codatractus arizonensis
  21. Northern Cloudywing                       Thorybes pylades
  22. Acacia Skipper                                     Cogia hippalus
  23. Golden-headed Scallopwing          Staphylus ceos
  24. Mournful Duskywing                        Erynnis tristis
  25. Common Streaky-Skipper               Celotes nessus
  26. Common Sootywing (Probably)   Pholisora catullus
  27. Orange Skipperling                            Copaeodes aurantiacus
  28. Nysa Roadside-Skipper                    Amblyscirtes nysa

Canoa Ranch Pima County Park

July 3, 2024
Trip Butterfly Report:

Our friend Mike found and photographed a mallow scrub-hairstreak and helped us look for it but we didn't re-find it. Here's the butterflies we did find:

  1. Pipevine Swallowtail                         Battus philenor
  2. Orange Sulphur                                   Colias eurytheme
  3. Cloudless Sulphur                              Phoebis sennae
  4. Sleepy Orange                                     Eurema nicippe
  5. Gray Hairstreak                                   Strymon melinus
  6. Western Pygmy-Blue                       Brephidium exile
  7. Marine Blue                                          Leptotes marina
  8. Ceraunus Blue                                     Hemiargus ceraunus
  9. Empress Leilia                                      Asterocampa leilia
  10. Queen                                                    Danaus gilippus
  11. Small Checkered-Skipper                Pyrgus scriptura
  12. Common/White Checkered-Skipper        Pyrgus communis/albescens
  13. Fiery Skipper                                        Hylephila phyleus
  14. Eufala Skipper                                     Lerodea eufala

 

Pena Blanca Lake

May 13, 2024
Trip Butterfly Report:

The day was quite warm, in the high 80's F by the end of the field trip. We first searched for butterflies near the White Rock campground, followed by the area around the gravel parking lot on the south end of the lake, and finished with both sides of the cove at the Lower Thumb Picnic area. A few of us also stopped at the butterfly garden at Tumacácori NHP on the way back home. The group found and identified 34 species. The species marked with * were not seen by the entire group. Butterflies identified:

Pipevine Swallowtail                             Battus               philenor

Black Swallowtail                                  Papilio              polyxenes

Checkered White                                   Pontia               protodice

* Orange Sulphur                                  Colias                eurytheme

Southern Dogface                                 Colias                cesonia

Mexican Yellow                                     Eurema             mexicana

Sleepy Orange                                       Eurema             nicippe

Dainty Sulphur                                       Nathalis            iole

Gray Hairstreak                                     Strymon            melinus

Western Pygmy-Blue                             Brephidium      exile

Marine Blue                                          Leptotes           marina

Ceraunus Blue                                       Hemiargus        ceraunus

Reakirt's Blue                                        Hemiargus        isola

Acmon Blue                                           Plebejus            acmon

Arizona Metalmark                               Calephelis         arizonensis

Gulf Fritillary                                         Agraulis            vanillae

Tiny Checkerspot                                   Dymasia           dymas

Arizona (Elada) Checkerspot                Texola               perse (elada)

American Lady                                      Vanessa            virginiensis

Painted Lady                                          Vanessa            cardui

Red Admiral                                           Vanessa            atalanta

Common Buckeye                                 Junonia             coenia

Red-spotted Purple                               Limenitis          arthemis astyanax

Empress Leilia                                       Asterocampa    leilia

Queen                                                    Danaus             gilippus

* Acacia Skipper                                       Cogia                hippalus

Golden-headed Scallopwing                 Staphylus          ceos

Arizona Powdered-Skipper                    Systasea           zampa

'White' Common Checkered-Skipper    Pyrgus               communis albescens

Desert Checkered-Skipper                    Pyrgus               philetas

* Common Sootywing                              Pholisora          catullus

Orange Skipperling                              Copaeodes        auarntiacus

* Fiery Skipper                                          Hylephila          phyleus

* Sheep Skipper                                       Atrytonopsis     edwardsii

 

NABA Sabino Canyon Spring Count

April 4, 2024
Trip Butterfly Report:

29 people participated in this year’s count, split up into 10 groups.  The above average rainfall for the previous four months (Dec 2023-March 2024), combined with below average temps for each of those months has resulted in noticeably fewer butterflies at this time of year, even in the lower elevation (midtown Tucson). While a survey later in April may have resulted in more individuals and potentially more species, we would have missed the window for things that normally fly at this time.  A major weather system that pushed through the area three days beforehand may have also resulted in the absence of a few species which were seen the week prior. The weather during the survey was nearly perfect (sunny and a high of 83degrees) and if we had 3-4 more similar days prior I suspect numbers would have been better all-around but when looking at the bigger picture it’s all quite interesting!

There was one new species added to the count, Theona Checkerspot, which has never been recorded on the spring or summer counts. This species was presumably only known from Peppersauce Canyon, and may have expanded its range after the Bighorn Fire in 2020.  iNaturalist records seem to support this with 1 record from the front range in 2020 followed by numerous records in 2022 & 2023.  The host plant for this species, indian paintbrush (Castilleja sp.), is a fire adapted species that readily reseeds after these events. It will be interesting to see whether this species continues to maintain the range extension or contracts over time.

Butterflies seen and counted:

Swallowtails (Papilionidae)                                           

Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor)                        10

Two-Tailed Swallowtail (Papilio multicaudata)            26

W. Giant Swallowtail (Papilio rumiko)                         7

Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae)                                  

Checkered White  (Pontia protodice)                          13

Spring White (Pontia sisymbrii)                                   14

'Desert' Pearly Marble  (Euchloe hyantis lotta)            41

'Pima' Desert Orangetip  (Anthocharis cethura pima) 11

'SW' Sara Orangetip  (Anthocharis sara thoosa)         25

Southern Dogface  (Zerene cesonia)                          11

Mexican Yellow  (Eurema mexicana)                          6

Sleepy Orange  (Abaeis nicippe)                                88

Dainty Sulphur  (Nathalis iole)                                    5

Hairstreaks and Blues (Lycaenidae)                             

Great Purple Hairstreak  (Atlides halesus)                  8

Brown Elfin  (Callophrys augustinus)                          21

Gray Hairstreak  (Strymon melinus)                            3

Marine Blue (Leptotes marina)                                   141

Western Pygmy-Blue (Brephidium exilis)                    2

'Echo' Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon echo)               47

Reakirt's Blue (Echinargus isola)                                2

Metalmarks (Riodinidae)                                               

Fatal Metalmark - (Calephelis nemesis)                      1

Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae)                      

American Snout (Libytheana carinenta)                     4

Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)                                  6

Theona Checkerspot (Chlosyne theona)                    5

Fulvia Checkerspot (Chlosyne fulvia)                          8

Sagebrush Checkerspot (Chlosyne acastus)              57

Tiny Checkerspot (Dymasia dymas)                           20

Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)                           1

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)                                 12

Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)                                   27

Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis)                     1

Empress Leilia (Asterocampa leilia)                            102

Queen (Danaus gilippus)                                            1

Skippers (Hesperiidae)                                                  

Arizona Powdered-Skipper (Systasea zampa)            11

Sleepy Duskywing (Erynnis brizo)                              37

Meridian Duskywing (Erynnis meridianus)                  2

Mournful Duskywing (Erynnis tristis)                           6

Funereal Duskywing (Erynnis funeralis)                      6

Desert Checkered-Skipper (Pyrgus philetas)              1

Common Streaky-Skipper Celotes nessus                 3

Orange Skipperling (Copaeodes aurantiaca)              9

Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus)                               16

                                                                                        

Species Total                                                                41

Total Individuals                                                           840