Kazabazua, Quebec 6/17

[Mark Walker]

or Netless in Ottawa

Cancelled connection from Chicago to Ottawa, finding my way on other
airlines in the middle of the night, and arriving bagless for an 8:00 a.m.
meeting in Levi's and sandals is not what I call a good time.  I was forced
to live without those bags for another 48 hours.  It's amazing how funky you
can get in 48 hours wearing the same clothes.

Don't try too hard generating a mental picture here:  Crazy bug dude in
nasty old clothes chasing after Satyrinae with a pillowcase.  If that isn't
something to get arrested for, perhaps nothing is.

What a lovely place, Quebec.  This particular area is just north of Ottawa
(which is actually in Ontario), and is characterized by rolling hills, lakes
and wet areas intertwined with mixed pine and deciduous forest.  I
understand that it's been very wet and unusually cooler this spring -
perhaps one of the reasons there were few Leps on the wing.  It rained every
day I was here - including Saturday, my day to explore.

This reminded me very much of my old home in Vermont.  Oh how I've missed
these black flies!  Even now, I'm fondling the 200 welts they left me on the
back of the ears and neck (O.K., fondling is a strong word here - but such a
nice word it is).  Most other entomologists carry repellant - for wimps, I
say - these welts are trophies, great for tokens of conversation during
meetings with customers.  I still can't understand why they stare at me so
while I'm itching and scratching all day long.

Well, at least the pillowcase came in handy as a scarf.  Little White Riding
Hood, I was.  I have no idea how to translate that into French.

I did actually get pretty good at using the thing as a net.  Well, I'm
calling a 35% success rate "pretty good".  Sporty, for sure, but I'm not in
a hurry to trade in my net.  When you catch something, you have to open it
up the pillowcase for a look.  Not a very good collecting technique.  Good
thing I wasn't collecting.

It all made for a nice, intimate day with my favorite fauna.  Me, the Leps,
and the black flies.

Here's what I did manage to see:

Papilio canadensis (Canadian Tiger Swallowtail) very common
Pieris napi (Veined White)
Colias eurytheme (Orange Sulpher)
Colias sp.?  philodice or interior

Lycaena phlaeas (American Copper)
Celastrina ladon (Spring Azure)
Glaucopsyche lygdamus (Silvery Blue)
Phyciodes tharos (Pearl Crescenspot)
Phyciodes batesii (Dark Crescentspot)

Speyeria atlantis (Atlantis Fritillary)
Boloria selene (Silver-bordered Fritillary)

Polygonia comma (Eastern Comma)
Polygonia interrogationis (Question Mark)
Nymphalis antiopa (Mourning Cloak)
Vanessa atalanta (Red Admiral)
Megisto cymela (Little Wood Satyr)
Satyrodes eurydice (Eyed Brown)
Coenonympha tullia (Common Ringlet)

Danaus plexippus (Monarch) * both fresh and worn

Thorybes bathyllus? (Cloudywing with distinct white scaling on ventral hw
margin)
Erynnis icelus (Dreamy Duskywing)
Erynnis juvenalis (Juvenal's Duskywing)
Carterocephalus palaemon (Arctic Skipper)
Poanes hobomok (Hobomok Skipper)
Polites themistocles (Tawny-edged Skipper)
Amblyscirtes hegon (Pepper and Salt Skipper)

Mark Walker