Dave and Mark's XLNT Adventure

[Mark Walker]

Day One - 4/18  "Dave's Not Here"

An early start to a six day adventure, I ventured north from Oceanside, CA
and attempted to avoid the thick cloud cover.  I had two days to get to Las
Vegas, where I was to pick up the other half of this dynamic lepping duo.
Dave Fine was flying in from Ft. Lauderdale in anticipation of his first
ever desert lepping experience.  To our dismay, a bizarre cold front was
sweeping down the western U.S., promising nothing but nasty weather in the
5-day forecast.  Rain and snow during late April in Southern California?
Who'da thought?

So here I am in the western Mojave desert - just on the edge of the front.
With any luck, I'll have a few hours of unobstructed sunshine.  I drove all
the way to Johnson Valley, on the northeastern edge of the San Bernardino
Mountains.  This is very close to the type locality of the Rock Corral
Checkerspot (Euphydryas chalcedona corralensis), which I'd heard was on the
wing.  I wanted to try a few new canyons - lepping the same old "hot" spots
seemed a bit redundant.  I was not disappointed.  The checkerspot was
emerging on this day, and flying along with it's Chlosyne cousins, C.
neumoegeni and C. californica, both incredibly common.  It took me many
years to see my first California Patch.  It seems a bit unfair to find it so
abundant now.

The western Mojave desert floor is an amazing carpet of wildflowers.  There
was virtually no sand visible - only a sea of flowers.

Suddenly, in my daze, I see a Swallowtail fly down from the piled boulders.
I knew it was different as soon as I saw it.  It flew around a corner and
disappeared into a small protected canyon.  I became the stalker, and
tip-toed my way in as quietly as is possible for a 200 lb. 41 year old
teenager with arthritis.  To my astonishment (and incredible pleasure), I
turned the corner to see an immaculate Papilio indra fordi nectaring on a
small flower.  I had never seen one before - only photos - and this one put
all of those photos to shame.  There is nothing quite like a nectaring
Papilio - the rapid flapping of wings can be seen hundreds of feet away, and
never fails to bring a smile to every lucky lepidopterist within view.
However, this one was four feet away from my nose - and the resulting rapid
increase in heart rate nearly killed me right on the spot.

I don't need to tell you that the butterfly did not end up in my net.  Oh,
I'm not suggesting that I didn't swing.  With heart in mouth, I most
certainly did swing.  I just didn't come up with anything.  "Nothing but
air", as they say.  During the failed attempt, like so many Papilio before
her, she flew two spirals around me and dashed away for greener pastures.
Or drier, arid, God-forsaken pastures, as is the habit-tat of this bug.

I let out an emotional "Argggghhhhhh!".  No kidding - the sound that emitted
from deep within my soul sounded just like it's spelled - "Argggghhhhhh!".

In my dismay, I knew that I had been especially blessed.  The edge of the
front held steady just above my head until about 1:30 p.m. - keeping me in
total sunshine just long enough to activate that beautiful Swallowtail.
After she was gone, the clouds moved in.  The wind picked up and the
temperature dropped.  Nevertheless, I continued to see all three
Checkerspots clinging to nectar sources well into the afternoon.  From here
I headed into Joshua Tree National Park, where I would set up camp for the
night.

Here's the list:

Papilio indra fordi (Ford's Swallowtail)

Pontia beckerii (Becker's White)
Pontia sisymbrii (Spring White)
Pontia protodice (Checkered White)
Nathalis iole (Dainty Sulphur)

Leptotes marina (Marine Blue)
Glaucopsyche lygdamus (Silvery Blue)

Apodemia mormo (Mormon Metalmark)
Chlosyne acastus neumoegeni (Neumoegen's Checkerspot)
Chlosyne californica (California Patch)
Euphydryas chalcedona corralensis (Rock Corral Checkerspot)

Mark Walker

 
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