Two belated field reports

[Mark Walker]

To all:

I've been sharing my laptop this past week in preparation for some big
presentation, so I've been offline.  Here are two belated field reports of
some interest:

4/17/99 - Twin Pines area near Idyllwild, CA

The temperature was a little colder than I expected, but by the end of the
day I was more than heated up.  After walking along a Nat. Forest access
road, and seeing a few isolated butterflies (including Celastrina ladon,
Callophrys augustinus, Plebejus acmon, and an unidentified Erynnis with
slight mottling, no white scaling on hindwing margin, and a distinct
two-tone coloration with the hindwing upperside a lighter brown), I decided
to do some cross country trekking.  I found a wonderful canyon with large
waterfalls, but very difficult to get down into and traverse.  It made
swinging a net virtually impossible, let alone carrying the stupid thing
while scaling the rocky terrain.  Once down in the canyon, I began seeing
many small white Pierids patrolling the canyon (they were not A. sara).
After several hours, I finally captured one for id - and found that they
were Grinnell's Marble (A. lanceolata).  I saw over 20.  

I also saw many little toads that blended exactly with the granite rock.
Not that it wasn't hard enough to get around, now I was trying to avoid
squishing these very cute little amphibians.  I startled a large water snake
(Garter variety, over 4 feet long) while going down one cliffy area.  The
thing started to slither away, but then "leaped" off the cliff and fell 15
feet into a large pool below.  That was a new one for me...

I made the mistake of deciding to hike downstream rather than back up the
way I came.  After 2 grueling hours, most of which was spent IN the stream,
I finally emerged - scratched, poked, ant-bitten, soaking wet, and with a
future case of poison oak.  I did manage to see the following species,
however, which were mostly laughing at me in my predicament:

A. lanceolata (Grinnell's Marble) - > 20
A. sara (Sara Orangetip) - 1
P. acmon (Acmon Blue) - 2
C. ladon echo (Spring Azure) - 4
Phyciodes mylitta (Mylitta's Crescentspot) - 2
C. augustinus (Brown Elfin) - 8
Erynnis ? (Some Duskywing) - 4
N. antiopa (Mourning Cloak) - 1

and the highlight of the day - 

Speyeria ? (Callipe?)

4/24/99

San Onofre State Beach, CA

In the middle of a very overcast sky, the sun was out strong all day at the
beach.  I hiked in the wetlands here with my son, and saw the following:

P. rutulus (Western Tiger Swallowtail) - 8
A. sara (Sara Orangetip) - 1
P. rapae (Cabbage White) - 2

and the highlight of the day:

L. lorquini (Lorquin's Admiral) - 1

I've never seen this species next to the beach in So. Orange County before.

Anyway, happy hunting!

Mark Walker
presently in Phoenix, AZ