“Bountiful Baccharis” – Harshaw Creek Road

Date & Time: 
August 24, 2019 -
8:30am to 2:00pm
Meeting Place: 
Patagonia Butterfly Garden across the street from Red Mountain Foods at 347 McKeown Ave, Patagonia, AZ
Trip Leader: 
Gerry & Vicki Wolfe

Although it has been relatively dry so far in the area this year, the Seep Willows (Bacchris salicifolia) should in full bloom and loaded with butterflies! We will visit two Patagonia gardens and then carpool to the seep willows in the creek bed along Harshaw Creek Road. Join us for a day filled with butterflies so intent on nectaring that you can photograph them with a bad cell phone!

 

Type of terrain: Mostly level with some brushy areas and uneven rocky terrain in the creekbed. All roads are passable to passenger cars.

 

Photo: Palmer's Metalmarks (Apodemia palmeri), Elada Checkerspot (Texola elada) & 'Siva' Juniper Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus) on seep willow (Bacchris salicifolia)

Trip Butterfly Reports: 

The day started out cloudy following a heavy rain the previous night. Few butterflies were flying as we started out at the Butterfly and Community Gardens. We then carpooled to Red Mountain Road and 2 spots on Harshaw Creek. We then drove back to Patagonia and surveryed a large patch of Climbing Milkweed (Funastrum cynanchoides) on Blue Heaven Road before ending the field trip back at the Butterfly Garden. Although Seep Willows (Bacchris salicifolia) were just beginning to bloom, we found 49 species in mostly small numbers or single individuals. A notable exception was large numbers of Dull Firetips (Pyrrhopyge araxes). Species seen and identified:

  1. Pipevine Swallowtail                      Battus philenor
  2. Black Swallowtail                            Papilio polyxenes
  3. Two-tailed Swallowtail                   Papilio multicaudata
  4. Checkered White                            Pontia protodice
  5. Cabbage White                                Pieris rapae
  6. Orange Sulphur                               Colias eurytheme
  7. Southern Dogface                           Colias cesonia
  8. Cloudless Sulphur                           Phoebis sennae
  9. Mexican Yellow                               Eurema mexicana
  10. Sleepy Orange                                 Eurema nicippe
  11. Dainty Sulphur                                 Nathalis iole
  12. Siva' Juniper Hairstreak                 Callophrys gryneus siva
  13. Gray Hairstreak                               Strymon melinus
  14. Marine Blue                                     Leptotes marina
  15. Ceraunus Blue                                 Hemiargus ceraunus
  16. Reakirt’s Blue                                   Hemiargus isola
  17. Acmon Blue                                      Plebejus acmon texana
  18. Fatal Metalmark                              Calephelis nemesis
  19. Arizona Metalmark                         Calephelis arizonensis
  20. Palmer's Metalmark                       Apodemia palmeri
  21. Gulf Fritillary                                    Agraulis vanillae
  22. Variegated Fritillary                        Euptoieta claudia
  23. Tiny Checkerspot                            Dymasia dymas
  24. Elada Checkerspot                          Texola elada
  25. Texan Crescent                                Phyciodes texana
  26. Painted Crescent                             Phyciodes picta
  27. Mourning Cloak                               Nymphalis antiopa
  28. American Lady                                 Vanessa virginiensis
  29. Painted Lady                                    Vanessa cardui
  30. Common Buckeye                           Junonia coenia
  31. ‘Dark’ Tropical Buckeye                  J.genoveva nigrosuffusa
  32. Queen                                               Danaus gilippus
  33. Dull Firetip                                        Pyrrhopyge araxes
  34. Golden-banded Skipper                 Autochton cellus
  35. Northern Cloudywing                     Thorybes pylades
  36. Acacia Skipper                                 Cogia hippalus
  37. Golden-headed Scallopwing         Staphylus ceos
  38. Arizona Powdered-Skipper           Systasea zampa
  39. Funereal Duskywing                       Erynnis funeralis
  40. ‘White’ Common Checkered-Skipper      Pyrgus albescens
  41. Desert Checkered-Skipper            Pyrgus philetas
  42. Common Sootywing                       Pholisora catullus
  43. Many-spotted Skipperling             Piruna cingo
  44. Clouded Skipper                              Lerema accius
  45. Orange Skipperling                         Copaeodes aurantiacus
  46. Fiery Skipper                                    Hylephila phyleus
  47. Pahaska Skipper                              Hesperia pahaska
  48. Elissa Roadside-Skipper                 Amblyscirtes elissa
  49. 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.