eyeless in gaza

[Bob Thomas]

Excellent report!

I've spent the last two weekends at the American River bikeway parks and the
Pipevine Swallowtail flights are amazing!
I have been driving myself nuts with a conclusive identification of the
"Blue" butterflies laying eggs of the yellow flowering shrubs along the
river.  The undersides really resemble the Silvery Blue - Glaucopsyche
lydamus but above resemble the Common Blue - Icaricia icarioides.  The host
plant was definitely not a Lupine so I guess that rules out the Common Blue
but I really hadn't considered the Spring Azure.  I might have to go back
and actually capture one.  I promise to let it go - relax guys :^)
No Vanessa of any kind so far and it has been quite warm.  Oh well, the
Pipevines are spectacular this year.
--
Bob Thomas

Cameron Park, California

****************************************************************************
*******
"Patrick Foley" <patfoley at csus.edu> wrote in message
news:3CB8D43D.5D0D5B71 at csus.edu...
| Dear lepsters,
|
| Along the American River in Sacramento, the Pipevine Swallowtails,
| Battus philenor, are flying in numbers, at least the males. They are
| mating with the few evident females, and their cute little
| orange-spotted caterpillars are showing up on the
| Aristolochia.californica.
|
| I saw my first spring Anise Swallowtail, Papilio zelicaon, close up
| today, and while his tails were pristine, both hw eyespots had been
| cleanly removed with no other damage. I guess it is springtime for the
| birds also. What will be this bird's next mistake?
|
| Also seen recently here are the western Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio
| rutulus, the Spring Azure, Celestrina ladon, the Eastern tailed blue,
| Everes comyntas, and of course the Orange Sulfur, Colias eurytheme and
| the Cabbage White, Pieris rapae.
|
| Oddly, I have seen few bees along the American river this spring so far:
| a few carpenter bees, Xylocopa , and a few bumble bees, Bombus. Usually
| by now, more small native bees are in evidence. This may be due to
| observer bias; my right eye, while retinally sound, is still plagued by
| unphagocytized red blood cells, so that rapid movements give much the
| same effect as a little shaken snow scene. When the phagocytes have
| finished their work, it will be harder for the bees to hide among the
| floaters.
|
| Patrick Foley
| patfoley at csus.edu
|
|
|
|
|
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