Catalina Mountains

Date & Time: 
June 9, 2018 -
8:15am to 2:00pm
Meeting Place: 
McDonald's/Safeway parking lot at the NE corner of Catalina Highway and Tanque Verde. Food and restrooms are available at the meeting place.
Trip Leader: 
Georgette Mehalik & Cindy Bethard

We will make several brief stops on the way up the Catalina Highway.  We will stop at Molino Basin for Pipevine Swallowtails and other small bugs, if the desert honeysuckle is blooming.  Our next stop will be Gordon Hirabayashi. If the stream is flowing, we will walk to the blooming Seep Willow in the wash. After this we will go up to Chihuahua Pines picnic area to see what is out. We may walk through General Hitchcock campground to look for Red Satyrs, Silver Spotted Skippers and other possible species. If the Ceanothus is blooming, we will proceed further up the mountain to sites near Rose Canyon campground and other places where nectar sources can be found. 

  

Type of terrain: There will be mostly level dirt trails with a little bit of walking through mildly rocky stream beds.  Some roads will require high clearance vehicles.  We may wish to carpool from the bottom for this reason.

 

Photo:  Nais Metalmark (Apodemia nais) by Joanne Finch

 

Trip Butterfly Reports: 

Trip leaders were Cindy Bethard and Georgette Mehalik. The group made stops at various nectar sources heading up Mount Lemmon, including Molino Basin, Bug Springs trailhead, Soller Road, Bigelow Road, and other stops. The butterfly of the day was the Nais Metalmark.  At least eight were counted, nectaring on ceanothus.

19 species in all were seen.

  1. Pipevine Swallowtail                       Battus philenor
  2. Two-tailed Swallowtail                    Papilio multicaudata
  3. Southern Dogface                          Colias cesonia
  4. Mexican Yellow                              Eurema mexicana
  5. Gray Hairstreak                             Strymon melinus
  6. Leda Ministreak                             Ministrymon leda
  7. Arizona Hairstreak                         Erora quaderna
  8. Marine Blue                                   Leptotes marina
  9. Ceraunus Blue                              Hemiargus ceraunus
  10. ‘Echo’ Spring Azure                       Celastrina ladon
  11. Nais Metalmark                             Apodemia nais
  12. Texan Crescent                             Phyciodes texana
  13. Red-spotted Purple                       Limenitis arthemis astyanax
  14. ‘Arizona’ California Sister              Adelpha bredowii
  15. Red Satyr                                      Megisto rubricata
  16. Queen                                           Danaus gilippus
  17. Silver-spotted Skipper                  Epargyreus clarus
  18. Northern Cloudywing                    Thorybes pylades
  19. Funereal Duskywing                      Erynnis funeralis
Leader email: 
cindynik@hotmail.com or 520-429-2650

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.