First Sighting, Finally!

[Richard Worth]

Well it's about time!  People have been reporting b'flies flying for 
months now.  While skiing in the Alps for Pete's sake!  You people in 
Florida were sipping lemonades with the leps on January 1!  Stuck way 
up here in the PNW corner of the world, I wonder sometimes if winter 
will ever end.  And the other day I saw it.  We actually had a day 
that hit 60 deg.F.  It was in Salem, Polk Co., Oregon on Friday the 
24th of March and I saw a butterfly.  Yes, I have witnesses.  Of 
course, it was a cabbage white flying near a weedy mustard plant 
that, by the way, is an annual that bloomed all winter(very mild this 
winter) and is still going strong.  So I guess it's time to head out 
to a more remote location and look for Pieris napi.  I can't wait for 
the summer.  I'm looking forward to leading this year's July 4th 
count on Mary's Peak!
Hasta la sunshine!
Rich
Richard A. Worth
Oregon Department of Agriculture
Plant Division
rworth at oda.state.or.us
(503) 986-6461