San Benito, TX 1/9/00

[Mark Walker]

Stealing the opportunity to take a leisurely 6 hour drive from Houston
(after the red-eye through Las Vegas) on Sunday morning, I was thrilled to
do some butterflying in early January.  While much of Houston is looking
winter-like, there is still quite a bit that's green down in the Lower Rio
Grande Valley.  Not much in the way of nectar sources, but with afternoon
temperatures going above 70 degrees F, there were a good number of
butterflies on the wing.  A dense fog covered much of South Texas until
after noon, and there was quite a bit of rain on Saturday (so I understand).
But with a little heat, even in patchy sunlight, the butterflies that prefer
flying early in the New Year emerge undaunted.

The most common species appeared to be Phoebis sennae (Cloudless Sulpher)
and Colias eurytheme (Orange Sulpher).  There were also many Satyrs
fluttering about the tall grasses.  The most common species appears to me to
be Hermeuptychia sosybius (Carolina Satyr), but these have radically reduced
eye spots on both the hindwing and forewing below.  Also present was the
adorned Cyllopsis gemma (Gemmed Satyr), with it's flashy eye spots on the
hindwing below.  Other surprises included a fresh Mestra amymone (Common
Mestra) with particularly dark markings on the underside.  A single specimen
of Lerodea dysaules (Olive Clouded Skipper) was also found.

One Checkered Skipper with upperside markings looking mostly like P.
communis, but with dark chocolate markings below (winter form?).  Almost no
white scaling below on this butterfly.  A very small orange skipper(ling?)
with streaked hindwing below (with a large white stripe going from the base
to the margin) which looks like Capaeodes or Pseudocapaeodes was also seen.
Any help with these would be appreciated.  Other species are noted below:

Phoebis sennae (Cloudless Sulpher)
Colias eurytheme (Orange Sulpher)
Zerene cesonia (Southern Dogface)
Kricogonia lyside (Lyside Sulpher)
Eurema lisa (Little Yellow)
Strymon columella istapa (Columella Hairstreak)
Strymon melinus (Gray Hairstreak)
Brephidium exile (Western Pygmy Blue)
Hemiargus isola (Reakirt's Blue)
Hemiargus ceraunus (Ceraunus Blue)
Calephelis nemesis (Fatal Metalmark)
Libytheana carinenta larvata (American Snout)
Phyciodes phaon (Phaon Crescentspot)
Junonia coenia (Common Buckeye)
Anartia jatrophae (White Peacock)
Anaea andria (Goatweed Leafwing)
Mestra amymone (Common Mestra)
Cyllopsis gemma (Gemmed Satyr)
Hermeuptychia sosybius (Carolina Satyr?)
Danaus plexippus (Monarch)
Pyrgus communis (Common Checkered Skipper?)
Lerodea dysaules (Olive Clouded Skipper)
Hylephila phyleus (Fiery Skipper)
(Pseudo)Copaeodes sp?

I may be able to get out again before flying to Rochester, N.Y., where I
will assume most adult butterflies are snoozing.

Mark Walker
back in Houston, TX