Box Canyon

Date & Time: 
April 22, 2017 -
8:45am to 1:30pm
Meeting Place: 
8:45AM in the Safeway/McDonald’s parking lot in the Continental Plaza west of I-19 (take Continental Exit, turn right) to sign in and carpool to Box Canyon.
Trip Leader: 
Gerry Wolfe
Special Notes: 
Alternative meeting place: 9:30AM at the Box Canyon bridge (8.0 miles west of AZ Hwy 83 on Greaterville road which becomes Box Canyon Road. Please note the last 4.7 miles are on a dirt road. Acacia Skipper (Cogia hippalus) photo by Larry Fellows

 

Trip description: This is a great time to join your fellow butterfly enthusiasts for a few hours enjoying the outdoors. We will go to a very beautiful canyon that runs east to west (providing a good butterfly flight path) in the foothills of the Santa Rita Mountains. On recent trips in the past few weeks various SEABA members have identified over 30 species in Box Canyon. Come and join us to hopefully see some interesting species before the real heat of late spring arrives.

Type of terrain: Walking in the canyon/dry stream bed and on some primitive trails. There will be some bushwhacking and stepping up and down on large rocks. Rough in some areas, flat in others. Be sure to wear sturdy shoes! Long pants are recommended.

 

Trip Butterfly Reports: 

Field trip participants braved sunny and hot temperatures into the 90's for about 2 1/2  hours. Due to very dry conditions in the canyon above the bridge, we spent most of the time at the surface water flow below the bridge and a short time searching blooming Sweetbush (Bebbia juncea) on the roadside above the bridge. The group found 30 species during the Field Trip:

  1. Pipevine Swallowtail                  Battus philenor
  2. Western Giant Swallowtail         Papilio rumiko
  3. Checkered White                       Pontia protodice
  4. Southern Dogface                     Colias cesonia   
  5. Mexican Yellow                          Eurema mexicana
  6. Sleepy Orange                           Eurema nicippe
  7. Dainty Sulphur                           Nathalis iole
  8. 'Siva' Juniper Hairstreak            Callophrys gryneus siva
  9. Gray Hairstreak                         Strymon melinus
  10. Marine Blue                               Leptotes marina
  11. 'Echo' Spring Azure                   Celastrina ladon echo
  12. American Snout                         Libytheana carinenta
  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. Red Admiral                               Vanessa atalanta
  19. Common Buckeye                     Junonia coenia
  20. Tropical Buckeye                       Junonia genoveva
  21. Empress Leilia                           Asterocampa leilia
  22. Queen                                        Danaus  gilippus
  23. Acacia Skipper                          Cogia hippalus
  24. Golden-headed Scallopwing     Staphylus ceos
  25. Common Sootywing                  Pholisora catullus
  26. Arizona Powdered-Skipper       Systasea zampa
  27. Funereal Duskywing                 Erynnis  funeralis
  28. Orange Skipperling                   Copaeodes aurantiacus
  29. White-barred Skipper                Atrytonopsis pittacus
  30. Sheep Skipper                          Atrytonopsis edwardsii

Also seen by a few participants after the end of the field trip:

  1. Two-tailed Swallowtail    Papilio multicaudata
  2. Mimosa Yellow               Eurema nise
  3. Variegated Fritillary        Euptoieta claudia
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.