Date & Time:
October 31, 2015 - 9:00am
Meeting Place:
Patagonia Butterfly Garden
On a beautiful, sunny fall day, the group spent a short time in the gardens in Patagonia, made a quick search for butterflies along Red Mountain Road, and then spent the rest of the trip amidst the rabbitbrush in full bloom in Harshaw Creek Wash. Highlights of the day's sightings are in bold type.
Trip Butterfly Reports:
- Cabbage White Pieras rapae
- Orange Sulphur Colias eurytheme
- Southern Dogface Zerene cesonia
- Cloudless Sulphur Phoebis sennae
- Mexican Yellow Eurema Mexicana
- Sleepy Orange Abais nicippe
- Dainty Sulphur Nathalis iole
- Silver-banded Hairstreak Chlorostrymon simaethis
- Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak Strymon istapa
- Leda Ministreak Ministrymon leda
- Western Pygmy-blue Brephidium exilis
- Marine Blue Leptotes marina
- Ceraunus Blue Hemiargus ceraunus
- Reakirt's Blue Echinargus isola
- Acmon Blue Plebejus Acmon 'texana'
- Fatal Metalmark Calephelis nemesis
- American Snout Libytheana carinenta
- Varigated Fritillary Euptoieta claudia
- Bordered Patch Chlosyne lacinia
- Tiny Checkerspot Dymasia dymas
- Texan Crescent Anthanassa texana
- American Lady Vanessa virginiensis
- Painted Lady Vanessa virginiensis
- Common Buckeye Junonia coenia
- 'Dark' Tropical Buckeye Junonia genoveva nigrosuffusa
- 'Arizona' California Sister Adelpha bredowii
- Common Mestra Mestra amymone
- Queen Danaus gilippus
- Dorantes Longtail Urbanus dorantes
- White Checkered-skipper Pyrgus albescens
- Desert Checkered-skipper Pyrgus philetas
- Clouded Skipper Lerema accius
- Orange Skipperling Copaeodes aurantiaca
- Fiery Skipper Hylephilia phyleus
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.