Anza Borrego Desert

[Michael Klein]

I had some business to attend to in the Anza Borrego area on Thursday, March
6th.  After business was completed I was curious about one of my favorite
spots, Plum Canyon.  We have had some decent rains the past few weeks and so
I had hoped it would pretty green.  Well I was not disappointed in how green
the Canyon was.  Chuperosa, desert lavender, popcorn flower, fiddleneck,
chia all in bloom.  I was maybe a few days to at most a week too early for a
large diversity of leps.  But it was enjoyable,

Butterflies:

Pieris rapae - 1
Anthocharis sara - 12 about 50/50 male to female
Anthocharis cethura - 16 - about 50/50 male to female
Anthocharis stella - 10 - mostly females, I believe I might have 2 males
Philotes sonorensis - 6  (5 males, one female)
Glaucopysche lygadamus australis - 3
Chlysone gabbi - 1
Vanessa cardui - 7
Erynnis funeralis - 1
Alypia sp. - 15 (forester moths were nectaring on desert lavender)

Those who are interested in other insects, it was an explosion of
Bombyliidae and Syrphidae flies.  They were everywhere.
What a little bit or rain can do to a desert.

Michael Klein
San Diego


 
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