Ironic indeed

[Chuck Vaughn]

Paulette Haywood wrote:
> >
> > I have found the 4th of July Count data very helpful for locating
> > several butterfly species (as well as the people who know where they
> > are). By comparing information from specific counts across several
> > years, I can get a pretty good idea whether the species regularly occurs
> > at that site or was just "flying by" one year.

I have to agree with Rick that a one day count once a year is going to
miss species that are not in the adult stage. I don't think it will give
you a good idea of regularly occuring species.

For a case in point, I've been observing Papilio zelicaon at Coyote Hills
Regional Park in Fremont, CA for almost 15 years now. The adults are not
constantly present during the spring and summer. It's common to see many
adults for a week or two and none at all for a couple weeks until the
next generation reaches adulthood. If the 4th of July happened to
correspond to an inbetween period a few years in a row it would be easy
but incorrect to conclude that zelicaon was no longer there.

I had just such an experience with Papilio eurymedon at Chews Ridge
in the central coast range. I go up there about once a month during 
the summer for astronomy for the past 10 years. I saw eurymedon once
or twice a summer for the first 5 years or so and then none at all for
4 years. Last summer on trip I saw a half dozen in just a few minutes.
I was beginning to think they weren't there anymore but I was wrong.

Chuck Vaughn <aa6g at aa6g.org>