Midea Day - 2/17/02

Mark Walker MWalker at gensym.com
Sun Feb 17 17:48:50 EST 2002


Colorado County Texas, February 17, 2002

Just south of Ellinger on Highway 71 there is a great spot for finding
Callophrys henrici (lots of foodplant), and so I stopped on my way from San
Antonio to Houston to have a look see.  Because the bug is well known for
doing it's thing before noon, I got an early start and ended up at my spot
by 9:00 a.m.  It was a bit early, but the sun was out strong and it was
shaping up to be a nice day.  I never did see a single elfin, which was
somewhat surprising (especially given that Chris reported it near Austin a
few weeks ago), but the dancing performance given up by the dainty Falcate
Orangetip (Anthocharis midea) couldn't have been topped by another beast.

The first males started showing up by 9:30 a.m., and they were the freshest
and most spectacular looking midea I've ever seen.  By 11:00 a.m. the forest
floor was inundated with gorgeous male Falcates, each one dancing about and
stopping briefly for nectar at the tiniest little wildflowers.
Incidentally, these tiny little wild flowers were the only nectar source to
be seen for miles.  On the other hand, the understory in this oak woodland
was much greener than the scrub habitat I visited yesterday west of San
Antonio.  There were also evergreens here - some sort of juniper and an
occasional pine tree.  There were also little bramble shoots (berry, I
presume) scattered about the woodland floor.

Brambles are a butterflies best friend.  As careful as I could possibly be,
I virtually never failed to snag my net on the thorny shoots.  It was
comical, really, as I would take great care to avoid them but they would
reach out and grab my net just as I was making a critical swing.  It was
already noon before I saw my first female midea, and - you guessed it - she
laughed like a big dog (ok, an itty bitty dog) as my net was engulfed by an
otherwise invisible briar.  Thank God I didn't wear shorts (which I usually
manage to wear), or I'd have been shredded to a pulp.

Certainly not the same diversity I saw yesterday, but what a show the
Orangetips put on.  I saw hundreds of them (only five females all day) by
the time I left at 1:15.  At this time, the clouds moved in and all but
blotted out the butterflies for the remainder of the day.  There were other
species, but none as common as Anthocharis midea.  The highlight of the day
were several fresh looking Anaea andria (Goatweed Butterfly) swooming down
from the tree tops for a quick sip of cow pie.  Immaculate Phyciodes tharos
(Pearl Crescentspot) were also flying, but very, very few indeed.

Now it's time to get to work.  Have a great week.

Today's list:

Anthocharis midea (Falcate Orangetip) > 100
Colias eurytheme (Orange Sulphur) - 1
Eurema nicippe (Sleepy Orange) - 1

Libytheana carinenta (Snout) - 5
Phyciodes tharos (Pearl Crescentspot) - 4
Polygonia interrogationis (Question Mark) - 1
Polygonia comma (Comma) - 1
Nymphalis antiopa (Mourning Cloak) - 1
Vanessa virginiensis (American Painted Lady) - 2
Vanessa atalanta (Red Admiral) - 2
Anaea andria (Goatwing Butterfly) - 4

Pyrgus albescens (White Checkered Skipper) - 1
(these were also common yesterday in Medina County, but were unreported)

Mark Walker.

 
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