Can I have a look in your trunk?

[Mark Walker]

You've probably already deleted this post, with a subject line like this
one.

Here's a report from Fronton, Starr County, Texas on Sunday, February 24,
2002.  The collecting was incredible, with temperatures soaring into the
eighties F.  

As always, I had a most interesting time in the Rio Grande Valley -
particularly in the general vicinity of the U.S.-Mexico border.  After
spending an hour or so looking around the public hunting grounds at Anacua,
near McAllen, I sat in my car looking over the vouchers I collected from San
Benito.  After some time, I drove away heading north on highway 83.  A U.S.
border patrol car came upon me and followed me for about five miles before
turning on it's lights to pull me over.  Not ever having been pulled over by
Border Patrol, I was a bit shaken - so I sped away at high velocity.

Just kidding.  Actually, I quickly pulled over to greet him.  The Border
Patrol officer was very polite, asking me about citizenship, about where I
was from, and about what I was doing parked in that location.  When I
explained everything to him, he politely asked me if he could search my
trunk.  I don't know if he thought I was smuggling drugs or humans, but
after I opened my trunk and showed him my butterfly net and suitcase full of
dirty clothes he promptly sent me on my way.  Just as I was driving away,
though, there were several other patrol cars zooming in for a rendezvous.
Apparently, there was something rather suspicious going on in the vicinity
and I had stumbled into the middle of it (I have a knack for this).

I continued on north into Starr County, and passing Roma, I decided to head
down near the river.  There was some nice habitat accessible from the road,
and I quickly found some nectar sources.  The time was approximately 10:00
a.m., and I immediately began seeing the familiar Hermeuptychia sosybius
(Carolina Satyr) flopping about in the tall weeds.  There were other leps on
the wing - including one very territorial Vanessa atalanta (Red Admiral)
that chased everything away from the surrounding tree trunks.  Lots of
damselflies as well, with varying colors (red, golden brown, blue).  There
were also Asterocampa leilia (Empress Leilia) flying and perching about the
readily available Celtis foodplant.  Many Papilio cresphontes (Giant
Swallowtail) were floating by, and I had captured one when another Border
Patrol vehicle came by to chat.  Shortly after saying goodbye to the pretty
young lady, I got back to my task at hand.  While watching and waiting for
something interesting to fly by, I suddenly noticed several people crouching
down the path a ways - and looking to catch a better glimpse of me.  They
must have figured out that I was non-threatening enough, and finally
approached me - obviously having snuck across the river.  It was a family -
father, mother, and two adolescent children in their early teens.  I greeted
them in Spanish and explained that I was not "Migra" but that they should be
careful.  They didn't want to stop and chat - although the younger boy
looked like he would have loved to stay and watch for awhile.  About two
hours later, a rubber raft with four more immigrants came bouncing in from
the other side.  These people must have been late for work, because they
didn't want to stop and chat either.  In all the years I've lurked around
the border, these were my first close-up glimpses of illegal entry.  I
wasn't sure what the proper response would have been, but under the
circumstances I just didn't feel much like being a rat.  At least I didn't
put any of them in my trunk.

There were also a couple of competitive Anaea aidea (troglodyta?) jumping
from tree trunks to moist soil.  Other leps that went to moisture were
Phyciodes texana (Texas Crescentspot), Kricogonia lyside (Lyside Sulphur),
Papilio cresphontes (Giant Swallowtail), Phyciodes phaon (Phaon
Crescentspot).  I saw two hairstreaks here - one was a tiny specimen of
Strymon istapa (Mallow Scrub Hairstreak), and one tattered and tiny
individual of Strymon melinus - though the latter has two small orange eye
spots on the ventral hindwing instead of the characteristic large orange
area on typical melinus.  Otherwise, it looks like a Gray Hairstreak.

Without a doubt, the highlight of this day was a singleton of the Mexican
stray Adelpha fessonia (Band Celled Sister).  It looked just like a
Lorquin's Admiral in flight, and at first I didn't even get excited.  Then
my head cleared and I remembered where I was - in Texas, and not Southern
California.  It's not a perfect specimen, but I'm pleased to report that I'm
looking at it right now.  I'm not used to finding strays, as I typically
hunt in public or private areas characterized by disturbed habitat - and not
the classic wildlife refuges and state parks where so many of the more
interesting sightings are recorded.

Later in the afternoon I witnessed some interesting behavior from several
male golden grass skippers that I can't yet identify.  At first I noticed
that there were several flying very fast and battling one another, but only
one would come to rest on a single reed hanging out over the road.  It was
very hard to sneak up on, but I finally netted it.  Later, I noticed two
more that were competing - and again only one came to rest and it was on the
very same reed.  I netted this one to compare with the other, and noticed
that it was more tattered than the previous one.  A few minutes later the
third zipped past me and landed on the same reed.  This one I netted as
well, and found it missing much of it's wing edges and in far worse
condition than the other two.  I suspect that the three were in constant
competition - and that the healthier of the three continued to win
possession of the "grand perching spot".  I suspect that a sweet female must
be living in the immediate neighborhood, and that this reed is the spot
where skipper romance is initiated.  As for identification - all I can say
is that the uppers look more like a miniature Euphyes, and the ventral look
like Polites sonora.  I just found a picture in Scott of Mellana eulogius
(also referred to as Quasimellana eulogius), and I'm fairly certain that
this is the skipper.  If so, this is a new bug for me.  I found another
skipper I can't identify - this one has a zabulon-like patchy pattern on the
ventral hindwing.  The ground color on the ventral hindwing is pale yellow,
while the ground color on the ventral forewing is orange.  Any help would be
appreciated.

After leaving the area on Sunday night, I headed to New Orleans - where I
was met by the incredible Canadian cold front that swept down into the
Southern U.S. on Tuesday.  Temperatures in Houston were expected to be in
the low 20's Tuesday night.  Brrrrr!  I feel bad for all the leps that
avoided both my net and the bumper of my car - only to come face to face
with a deep freeze.  I'm home now, having missed swinging the net in
Louisiana (although much was on the wing on Monday, while I drove to Baton
Rouge).

Here's the list:

Papilio cresphontes (Giant Swallowtail)
Battus philenor (Pipevine Swallowtail)
Pontia protodice (Checkered White)
Colias eurytheme (Orange Sulphur)
Zerene cesonia (Southern Dogface)
Phoebis philea (Orange Barred Sulphur)
Kricogonia lyside (Lyside Sulphur)
Eurema lisa (Little Yellow)
Eurema nicippe (Sleepy Orange)
Nathalis iole (Dainty Sulphur)

Strymon melinus (Gray Hairstreak)
Strymon istapa (Mallow Scrub Hairstreak)
Brephidium exile (Western Pygmy Blue)
Hemiargus ceraunus (Ceraunus Blue)

Calephelis nilus (Rounded Metalmark)
Calephelis nemesis (Fatal Metalmark)
Libytheana carinenta (Snout)
Agraulis vanillae (Gulf Fritillary)
Euptoieta claudia (Variegated Fritillary)

Phyciodes texana (Texas Crescentspot)
Phyciodes phaon (Phaon Crescentspot)
Vanessa atalanta (Red Admiral)
Adelpha fessonia (Band-Celled Sister)
Mestra amymone (Common Mestra)
Anaea aidea (Tropical Leafwing)
Asterocampa leilia (Empress Leilia)
Hermeuptychia sosybius (Carolina Satyr)
Danaus gilippus (Queen)

Pyrgus oileus (Tropical Checkered Skipper)
Erynnis funeralis (Funereal Duskywing)
Hylephila phyleus (Fiery Skipper)
Mellana eulogius (Mexican Mellana)
Lerema accius (Clouded Skipper)
Nastra julia (Julia's Skipper)
one unidentified grass skipper

Mark Walker
Oceanside, CA

 
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