First Lepisode - 2002

[Mark Walker]

Lep Friends,
 
I had a go at net swinging for the first time since my surgery and it went
very well.  Swinging was easier today than at Jamaica in December (before
the cutting), so it's looking more and more like the discotomy was
successful.  A little weak in the legs, but hey!  God is good.
 
Medino County, Texas - (East of San Antonio) February, 16
 
The weather was pleasant here today - in the low 70's, with mostly cloudy
skies.  On the surface, it still looks like winter here - but a closer
inspection reveals the earliest signs of the coming spring.  Not too many
butterflies can be seen crossing the highway (as is often the case in
Texas), but when you get off the road and into the scrubby oak habitat there
is a lot of activity.  Early spring butterflying can sometimes be sparse,
but it often provides for stunningly fresh individuals.  I was quite
surprised to find a pretty good diversity along with near perfection.
 
There is little nectar available, but what little there is can be crowded
with early emergers.  Plenty of green mottled Colias eurytheme (Orange
Sulphur) visiting the available flowers.  Pontia protodice (Checkered White)
was also flying with much green scaling on the underside.  Nathalis iole
(Dainty Sulphur) was common.
 
Walking along the train tracks, I ran across many basking leps.  Dark and
picturesque Junonia coenia (Buckeye), flitting colorful Phyciodes phaon
(Phaon Crescentspot), bronze and tightly checkered P. vesta (Vesta
Crescentspot), and some of the most stunning Vanessa atalanta (Red Admiral)
I've ever seen.  That is one bug that you never get tired of - even though
it flies across much of the planet.
 
The trains are really trucking when they speed past this area.  During my
two hour walk, I had four freight trains thunder past me.  Speeding freight
trains are not good for butterflies.  After the first train, I noticed that
many of the leps I later spooked out of the grass were suddenly beaten,
chipped, and otherwise ragged.  I wondered if there was a correlation, so I
sat back and watched the surrounding countryside carefully during one of the
later trains.  The ground shook violently and was accompanied by a
thundering noise - and suddenly from all around leps were flying up and out
of the grass.  They spiraled about, and eventually wound up flying into the
very long train - only to be quickly rejected.  Interesting.
 
Most of the activity was over by 3:00 p.m., but the experience was a
refreshing break from my long recovery.  The highlight of the day was a
single individual of Amblyscirtes eos (Dotted Roadside Skipper), out and
about in mid February.  Not a bad day, considering I landed in San Antonio
at noon.  Tonight the low will be in the 30's F.  Tomorrow I head for
Houston.
 
Here's the list:
 
Battus philenor (Pipevine Swallowtail)
Pontia protodice (Checkered White)
Colias eurytheme (Orange Sulphur)
Phoebis sennae (Cloudless Sulphur)
Eurema nicippe (Sleepy Orange)
Nathalis iole (Dainty Sulphur)
 
Strymon melinus (Gray Hairstreak)
Calephelis nemesis (Fatal Metalmark)
Libytheana carinenta (Snout)
Euptoieta claudia (Variegated Fritillary)
Phyciodes vesta (Vesta Crescentspot)
Phyciodes phaon (Phaon Crescentspot)
 
Vanessa virginiensis (American Painted Lady)
Vanessa atalanta (Red Admiral)
Junonia coenia (Buckeye)
 
Lerema accius (Clouded Skipper)
Amblyscirtes eos (Dotted Roadside Skipper)
 
Mark Walker
In Texas for awhile
 
"Thou Oh Lord
are a Shield About Me.
You're my Glory,
You're the Lifter of My Head"
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