Peña Blanca Lake

Date & Time: 
April 13, 2019 -
8:00am to 2:00pm
Meeting Place: 
8:00AM at the Safeway & McDonald’s parking lot in Green Valley, AZ, on Continental Rd. off I-19
Trip Leader: 
Gerry & Vicki Wolfe
Special Notes: 
Alternate Meeting Place: 8:50AM at USFS restroom at White Rock Campground at Peña Blanca Lake. Directions: From I19 and route 289 (Ruby Road) turn west (right) and proceed 9.7 miles until you come to a Y. Turn left onto Ruby Road and proceed .2 mile to the rest room at White Rock Campground.

 

Spring at Pena Blanca Lake is a very pretty time to visit. We will be looking for butterflies as we walk around the north and west sides of Pena Blanca Lake. We will park at three different locations on the lake and walk for periods of time at each stop. Our last stop will be at the launch ramp facility at the end of the paved road. From there, we will walk south along the west shore of the lake towards the dam. On past trips in the spring we have identified 30 or more species, including various Sulphurs, Blues, Fritillaries, Buckeyes, and multiple species of Skippers.

 

The first stop will be walking on mostly level dirt ground, the second stop walking on a paved trail, and the optional third stop will be hiking the dirt trail on the west side of the lake, which has three short, steep sections that can be difficult to traverse.

 

Photo: Golden-headed Scallopwing (Staphylus ceos)

 

Trip Butterfly Reports: 

The day started out cool and breezy, but it eventually warmed up and turned quite pleasant. About of a third of the butterflies and most of the odonates identified were seen after lunch on the trail downlake from the boat launch.

Butterflies Seen:

  1. Pipevine Swallowtail                        Battus philenor
  2. Two-tailed Swallowtail                    Papilio multicaudata
  3. Checkered White                              Pontia protodice
  4. Orange Sulphur                                  Colias eurytheme
  5. Mexican Yellow                                 Eurema ittacus
  6. Sleepy Orange                                   Eurema nicippe
  7. Dainty Sulphur                                   Nathalis iole
  8. Siva’ Juniper Hairstreak                   Callophrys gryneus siva
  9. Western Pygmy-Blue                        Brephidium exile
  10. Marine Blue                                        Leptotes marina
  11. Reakirt’s Blue                                     Hemiargus isola
  12. Variegated Fritillary                          Euptoieta ittacu
  13. Bordered Patch                                 Chlosyne lacinia
  14. Tiny Checkerspot                               Dymasia dymas
  15. Elada Checkerspot                            Texola elada
  16. Texan Crescent                                  Phyciodes texana
  17. Painted Lady                                      Vanessa cardui
  18. Common Buckeye                             Junonia coenia
  19. ‘Dark’ Tropical Buckeye                   J.genoveva nigrosuffusa
  20. Red-spotted Purple                           Limenitis arthemis ittacus
  21. Viceroy                                                Limenitis archippus
  22. Monarch                                              Danaus plexippus
  23. Golden-headed Scallopwing          Staphylus ceos
  24. Arizona Powdered-Skipper              Systasea zampa
  25. Mournful Duskywing                        Erynnis tristis
  26. White Checkered-Skipper                Pyrgus albescens
  27. Desert Checkered-Skipper               Pyrgus philetas
  28. Common Streaky-Skipper                Celotes nessus
  29. Orange Skipperling                            Copaeodes aurantiacus
  30. White-barred Skipper                       Atrytonopsis ittacus
  31. Nysa Roadside-Skipper                     Amblyscirtes nysa

 

Odonates Seen:

  1. Familiar Bluet                                     Enallagma civile
  2. Pacific Forktail                                   Ischnura cervula
  3. Rambur’s Forktail                              Ischnura ramburii
  4. Desert Firetail                                    Telebasis salva
  5. Common Green Darner                    Anax junius
  6. Roseate Skimmer                              Orthemis ferruginea
  7. Red Rock Skimmer                           Paltothemis lineatipes
Leader email: 
seaba_publicity@yahoo.com

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.