California tortoiseshells

[Stanley A. Gorodenski]

I really blew it this last weekend.  Every Memorial day weekend I
attend  a conference (not related to leps) at Big Bear Lake in the San
Bernardino Mountains, California.  Every year since 1983 there has never
been any butterflies.  I've taken a net a few times, and a black light,
but never got much and so I didn't bring any this time.  As you would
guess, butterflies were in abundance.  There were varigated
fritillaries, painted ladies, some kind of Chlosyne (californica?),
whites, Phoebis' (?), some large fast flying butterflies with elongated
wings and what looked like black with a yellow bar on the wings, and I
saw what looked like a tortoiseshell.  
Stan

Harobed99 at aol.com wrote:
> 
> Hi Leps Listers,
>     This weekend, driving along a ridge-top dirt road in Yolo County, I came
> across thousands of California Tortoiseshells (Nymphalis californica) flying
> and nectaring.  When driving through two days earlier, there was no sign of
> them.  I read in the Audobon Society Field Guide to North American
> Butterflies, that "the California Tortoiseshell may be rare or absent from
> large parts of its range for several years.  These dearths are followed by
> periods of enormous abundance, involving emigrations over immense areas,
> which seem to be related to population pressures, host plant availability,
> and climate conditions."
>     It was quite an amazing phenomenon to witness.  I was just wondering if
> anyone could give me any more information about them. There seem to be
> reports of explosions of several species this year...Painted Lady's, Red
> Admirals, CA Tortoiseshells.
>     Thanks,
>     Deborah
> 
> 
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