We’ll meet at 7:30am at McDonald’s/Safeway parking lot at Tanque Verde & Catalina Highway to carpool up the mountains to about 7000’ elevation to look for Colorado Hairstreaks, Thicket Hairstreaks, AZ Hairstreaks and other beauties. Plan on all day in the field or leave when you need to.
The buckbrush (ceanothus fendleri) on Incinerator Ridge was just beginning to bloom. After spending about 3 hours searching searching for hairsteraks, half of the group continued up the mountain and walked up Turkey Run in Summerhaven. The other half of the group searched the buckbrush along the highway as they headed back down the mountain. The roup found 27 species, including at least one individual from each major butterfly family. Species seen:
Pipevine Swallowtail Battus philenor
Two-tailed Swallowtail Papilio multicaudata
Checkered White Pontia protodice
Cabbage White Pieris rapae
Southern Dogface Colias cesonia
Mexican Yellow Eurema Mexicana
Sleepy Orange Eurema nicippe
Dainty Sulphur Nathalis iole
Great Purple Hairstreak Atlides halesus
Gray Hairstreak Strymon melinus
Arizona Hairstreak Erora quaderna
Marine Blue Leptotes marina
Reakirt's Blue Hemiargus isola
'Echo' Spring Azure Celastrina ladon echo
Nais Metalmark Apodemia nais
Black Checkerspot Thessalia cyneas
Texan Crescent Phyciodes texana
Mylitta Crescent Phyciodes mylitta
Satyr Comma Polygonia satyrus
Mourning Cloak Nymphalis antiopa
Painted Lady Vanessa cardui
Arizona Sister Adelpha eulalia
Nabokov's Satyr Cyllopsis pyracmon
Queen Danaus gilippus
Silver-spotted Skipper Epargyreus clarus
Northern Cloudywing Thorybes pylades
Pacuvius Duskywing Erynnis pacuvius