Santa Lucia Mountains - Day 2 (6/8/02)

[Mark Walker]

I never did get around to posting my data from a second day out in the Santa
Lucia Mountains.  Ironically, Bill Bouton was in the very same areas on
Sunday - and his sightings were essentially the same as these.  The weather
was perfect again, with a little high cloud formation later in the
afternoon.  I drove all over the San Luis Obispo county areas in and around
the Pozo Road.  The habitat is not the same as the Monterey County locations
I visited on Friday, but there was still an excessive number of leps on the
wing.  I was particularly excited to see so many Euphydryas chalcedona
(Chalcedona Checkerspot) flying about.  The bug has not really had an
explosion in southern California this year (though I haven't been out down
there in over a week).  It is enjoying a nice flight in San Luis Obispo
county.
 
Like Bill, I was pleased to find Colias harfordii (Harford's Sulphur) flying
up on the ridge road.  At first I mistook them for female Zerene eurydice
(California Dogface), which was the second most common butterfly on the wing
this day (Gosh, I just love that bug), but as I got closer to one that had
stopped to nectar, I could see the distinctive Colias markings.  You could
expect to find a male Harford's nectaring as you drove around each corner of
the ridge road (looking down on Lopez Lake).  I never saw a female.
 
Speyeria callipe was flying in numbers around the highest elevations, but
this was the only Fritillary that I saw on Saturday.  It occasionally
battled the equally numerous Papilio eurymedon.  Celastrina ladon echo (Echo
Blue) was everywhere, and I didn't notice any other blues besides Plebejus
acmon (Acmon Blue).  Chlosyne gabbii was seen, but only in few numbers
(unlike farther north).  Adelpha bredowii (California Sister) was very
common, as was Limenitis lorquini (Lorquin's Admiral).  There were more
hairstreaks flying here than farther north.  Most of the June flyers were
present, including Satyrium californica (California Hairstreak), Satyrium
tetra (Mountain Mahogany Hairstreak), Satyrium auretorum (Gold Hunter's
Hairstreak), and Satyrium saepium (Hedgerow's Hairstreak).  There were even
a good number of Callophrys augustinus (Brown Elfins) flying.  These mostly
had a good amount of red scaling on both the uppers and lowers, and are
therefore probably female augusintus (and not mossii).  Still, I was a bit
surprised to see them so common.
 
Skippers were out and about as well, including Ochlodes agricola (Rural
Skipper), Thorybes pylades (Northern Cloudywing), Erynnis tristis (Mournful
Duskywing), Pyrgus albescens (White Checkered Skipper), and Heliopetes
ericetorum (Northern White Skipper).  There was at least one other Duskywing
other than tristis that I couldn't get a positive id on.
 
Here's a complete list:
 
Papilio rutulus (Tiger Swallowtail)
Papilio eurymedon (Pale Swallowtail)
 
Pontia protodice (Checkered White)
Pieris rapae (Cabbage White)
Colias harfordii (Harford's Sulphur)
Zerene eurydice (California Dogface)
 
Lycaena gorgon (Gorgon Copper)
Satyrium californica (California Hairstreak)
Satyrium auretorum (Gold Hunter's Hairstreak)
Satyrium tetra (Mountain Mahogany Hairstreak)
Satyrium saepium (Hedgerow Hairstreak)
Callophrys augustinus (Brown Elfin)
 
Leptotes marina (Marine Blue)
Celastrina ladon (Echo Blue)
Plebejus acmon (Acmon Blue)
 
Speyeria callippe (Comstock's Fritillary)
Chlosyne gabbii (Gabb's Checkerspot)
Euphydryas chalcedona (Chalcedon's Checkerspot)
Nymphalis californica (California Tortoiseshell)
Junonia coenia (Buckeye)
Limenitis lorquini (Lorquin's Admiral)
Adelpha bredowii (California Sister)
Coenonympha californica (California Ringlet)
 
Epargyreus clarus (Silver Spotted Skipper)
Thorybes pylades (Northern Cloudywing)
Erynnis tristis (Mournful Duskywing)
Pyrgus albescens (White Checkered Skipper)
Heliopetes ericetorum (Northern White Skipper)
Ochlodes agricola (Rural Skipper)
 
Mark Walker
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