Arizona mothing

BMW60 bmw60 at aol.com
Mon Apr 30 09:40:39 EDT 2001


Yea, its only April so you sure cant expect much.  Thanks to Jim Tuttle, I had
access to a female Hemileuca haulapai so I figured I had nothing to lose. 
Unfortunately I had to work this night, at least until 8pm so I gave the moth
to my buddy Howard Byrne.  He would go down to Box Canyon in the Santa Rita
Mountains and get all set up and I would join him ASAP.  We decided to set up
two lights also.  The temperature in Tucson was 80 degrees when I got off, so
expectations were high.  I hauled butt to get ther in time to see the show.  We
have found Haulapai to start flying about 8:40 pm so I had to boogie. (Its a 50
minute drive from Ryan Airfield)  After too many broadslides to count I pulled
up at 9:55.  As I turned the corner arriving at the first light I was shocked. 
NOTHING!.  What? It was 80 degrees and we even had a little rain a couple days
ago!  There might have been 3 micro-ids on the sheet.  When I got down in the
wash Howard informed me it was 52 degrees and dropping.  The bitch struck
again. (Thats our nickname for Box Canyon.  She taunts you with the most
spectacular night youve erer seen than skunks you three trips in a row.)  One
ragged Haulapai showed up at the light and none to the calling female.  So, we
figured to shut the lights off and hang around the female and see what happens.
 After packing up, we went down the hill to see what was happening.  To our
surprise, there was a male on the cage.  In the next 30 minutes 9 more males
showed up.  Success!  Not an overwhelming event like the caleta at Pena Blanca,
but good enough.  So, Box Canyon, the Bitch, taunted us once again.  Oh yea, 2
Hemileuca tricolor also came to the light.  This should hold us over until
July.  All the best,  Bill in Tucson

 
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