Patagonia Gardens

Date & Time: 
September 6, 2026 -
8:00am to 1:00pm
Meeting Place: 
Patagonia Butterfly Garden (Across from Red Mountain Foods)
Trip Leader: 
Gerry & Vicki Wolfe

 

Join us for an exploration of 4-5 butterfly gardens in Patagonia. The leaders found 48 species in the gardens last Saturday morning (08/29) and expect to find similar numbers on this field trip. Temperatures will be in the 90's, so be prepared with plenty of fluids and sunscreen. It's chigger season, so be prepared, as we will be walking in grassy areas in the most productive garden. Bring your own lunch to eat at a group tally session at the end of the field trip. Excessive heat and/or thunderstorms my cause us to end the field trip early.

Photo: Dorantes Longtail (Urbanus dorantes) © Gerry & Vicki Wolfe

 

Trip Butterfly Reports: 

We had a great time on our tour of Patagonia's gardens plus a short foray to Red Mountain Road (species with asterisk *) that was cut short by thunderstorms yielded 44 species:

  1. Pipevine Swallowtail                   Battus                  philenor
  2. Black Swallowtail                        Papilio                 polyxenes
  3. Checkered White                         Pontia                  protodice
  4. Cabbage White                            Pieris                    rapae
  5. Clouded Sulphur                          Colias                   philodice
  6. Orange Sulphur                           Colias                   eurytheme
  7. Southern Dogface                       Colias cesonia     
  8. Cloudless Sulphur                        Phoebis                sennae
  9. Mexican Yellow                           Eurema                mexicana
  10. Tailed Orange                              Eurema                proterpia
  11. *Dainty Sulphur                           Nathalis               iole
  12. Gray Hairstreak                           Strymon               melinus
  13. Leda Ministreak                           Ministrymon        leda
  14. Western Pygmy-Blue                   Brephidium          exile
  15. Marine Blue                                Leptotes               marina
  16. Ceraunus Blue                             Hemiargus           ceraunus
  17. Fatal Metalmark                         Calephelis            nemesis
  18. Arizona Metalmark                     Calephelis            arizonensis
  19. Palmer's Metalmark                   Apodemia            palmeri
  20. American Snout                           Libytheana           carinenta
  21. Gulf Fritillary                               Agraulis               vanillae
  22. Variegated Fritillary                    Euptoieta             claudia
  23. Bordered Patch                           Chlosyne              lacinia
  24. Tiny Checkerspot                         Dymasia              dymas
  25. Elada Checkerspot                       Texola                  elada perse
  26. Texan Crescent                            Phyciodes            texana
  27. American Lady                            Vanessa               virginiensis
  28. Painted Lady                                Vanessa               cardui
  29. *Common Buckeye                     Junonia                coenia
  30. *Tropical Buckeye                       Junonia                genoveva
  31. Hackberry Emperor                     Asterocampa       celtis
  32. Queen                                          Danaus                gilippus
  33. Dorantes Longtail                        Urbanus               dorantes
  34. Desert Cloudywing                      Achalarus             casica
  35. Golden-headed Scallopwing       Staphylus             ceos
  36. Funereal Duskywing                    Erynnis                 funeralis
  37. * 'White' Common Checkered-Skipper                   Burnsius            communis albescens
  38. White-tufted Sootywing              Pholisora              catullus
  39. Tropical Least Skipper                 Ancyloxypha        arene
  40. Orange Skipperling                      Copaeodes           aurantiacus
  41. Fiery Skipper                                Hylephila             phyleus
  42. Large Roadside-Skipper               Amblyscirtes        exoteria
  43. Toltec Roadside-Skipper              Amblyscirtes        tolteca
  44. Eufala Skipper                             Lerodea               eufala
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.