Northeast Mexico Observations, Butterfly Club

[Dawn, Douglas]

In June, 1997, a new butterfly club was organized in the metropolitan
Monterrey area, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

The acting president and founder is Andres Sada.  The first club
activity was a short field trip to a Pine-Oak preserve today: scientific
quality observations follow.  Observations today represented
approximately 15% of the location's annual species diversity.  If any
taxonomic corrections are appropriate, PLEASE let me know.  (charitonia
? mexicanum?, Zerene vs. Colias?, tharos?? etc.)

As the club does not collect (Mexican Law), all the following are visual
identifications, some caught and released gently with cupped hands as
they nectared on flowers or basked.

Place:  Chipinque Ecological Park,
Sierra Madre Oriental Mountains, Garza-Garcia, N.L., Mexico
Approx. Elevation:  1300 meters
Coordinates:  N 25o37' lat., W 100o22' long.
Vegetation: Pine-Oak
Date: 28 June 1997
Time:  10:00 am to 12:00 noon (2 hours)
Sky: Mostly Cloudy, clouds touching nearby hilltops
Temperature:  88 - 91o F
Weather: Very humid
Wind:  Under 5 mph to none
Participants:  Club de Observadores de Mariposas de Nuevo Leon y
Coahuila
(Nuevo Leon & Coahuila Butterfly Observers' Club)
Field Identifications: Douglas Dawn

Definite identifications:

A.  Species

1.-Autochton cincta (s) (White-banded Skipper)
2.-Epargyreus clarus (s) (Silver-spotted Skipper)
3.-Dione moneta (s) (Mexican Silverspot)
4.-Eurema mexicana (s) (Wolf-face Sulfur; Mexican Yellow)
5.-Zerene cesonia (s) (Dog-face Sulfur)
6.-Autochton cellus (s) (Golden-banded Skipper)
7.-Leptophobia aripa elodia (s) (S-tipped White; Silky-S White)
8.-Adelpha bredowii (s) (California Sister)
9.-Asterocampa celtus (Hackberry Butterfly; Hackberry Emperor)
10.-Mestra amymone (s) (Amymone; Common Mestra; Texas Bagvein; Noseburn
Wanderer)
11.-Pterourus pilumnus (s) (Three-tailed Tiger Swallowtail)
12.-Heliconius charitonius (s) (Zebra Longwing)
13.-Cyllopsis gemma (Gemmed Satyr; Jeweled Satyr)
14.-Megisto rubricata (s) (Red Satyr; Ruddy Satyr)
15.-Agraulis vanillae (s) (Gulf Fritillary)
16.-Papilio palamedes (s) (Laurel Swallowtail; Palamedes Swallowtail)
17.-Celestrina ladon (Spring Azure complex)
18.-Vanessa atalanta (s) (Red Admiral)
19.-Phoicides texana (s) (Texan Crescent)
20.-Anaea troglodyta aidea (s) (Tropical Leafwing)
21.-Phyciodes tharos (s) (Pearly Crescent)

(s) = more than one insect observed.

Genus definitely identified, observation too short to identify species:

1.-Emesis

Other (HELP! No. 2):

1.-Small folded wing skipper UnHW with diagonally well defined border of
frosted white on lower half of UnHW to end of cell almost extending to
margin.  (too short observation).

2.-Skipper (s), Duskywing, large spread wing type (at rest, opened angle
is slightly over 180o and apex to apex wingspan to 1.8 inches, little or
no distinguishing marks, does not have notch of Achlyodes mithridates
(Sickle or Bat-Wing), nor purple tinge.  Drab slate color, sometimes a
little more brown.  Wings extremely fragile (tear, "dissolve", descale
like powder) if attempt to touch, curve on antenna end not very
pronounced nor expanded.  Frequently found "basking" in sun and warm
shade on large leaves at waist level.  Minimizes flight time.  (Any
ideas?)

3.-Hairstreak, small gray with dark-dotted UnFW (Sighting too short),
possibly columella.

4.-Tailed Skipper, observation too brief, perhaps dorantes.

Saludos
Doug Dawn
Monterrey, Mexico
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