Post by reifb on Aug 9, 2011 12:36:37 GMT -8
Colorado collecting trip, August 4 – 7th 2011
My first trip to Rabbit Ears Pass did not disappoint. I had wanted to go collecting there for quite some time and made the most of a long morning before the thunderclouds rolled in. The following were spotted/collected there:
Papilio zelicaon
Pontia occidentalis
Pieris napi
Colias alexandra
Glaucopsyche lygdamus
Plebejus icarioides
Speyeria sp. (I’m really not sure what species. It looks like I might have two different species, but I’ll have to wait until they come off the pinning board before I can tell for sure)
Boloria montinus
Euphydryas chalcedona
Vanessa annabelia
Erebia epipsodea
That afternoon I drove to my friend’s house outside of Kremmling and on highway 134 I had a mountain lion cross the road in front of my car before stopping on the up-slope to peer back at me from the bushes. Needless to say I was quite excited about (1) being in my car at the time, and (2) seeing a mountain lion for the first time! In the aspen valley down from my friend’s house I spotted/collected the following:
Lycaena heteronea
Lycaena helloides
Lycaeides melissa
Speyeria cybele (very excited about this as I got both a male and a female. In my home state of West Virginia I have collected many S. cybele, but seeing the dark female of the western variety for the first time was quite exciting.)
Phyciodes sp.
The second day of the trip took me near Hoosier Pass to the Blue Lakes area. This was my first collecting trip above 12,000 feet. In the alpine meadow and on the trail leading from Blue lakes I spotted/collected the following:
Parnassius phoebus (saw only three)
Colias meadii
Lycaena cupreus (what a tricky butterfly to catch as it is so quick in the air, and kept landing on boulders that are difficult to navigate over)
Plebejus icarioides
Plebejus shasta
Boloria montinus
Euphydryas chalcedona
Erebia epipsodea
Erebia callias
That afternoon I camped west of Fairplay and ventured out along the 4 mile creek road. I spotted/collected the following there:
Colias alexandra
Speyeria sp. (still struggling with identifying the mountain Speyeria)
Phyciodes batesii (I think – very pale underneath)
Polygonia gracilis
Cercyonis oetus
Erebia epipsodea
On day three I went above 12,000 feet again to Lake Emma. Very similar variety to the Leps at Blue Lakes, but in different quantities.
Parnassius phoebus (everywhere along the road leading to the hike)
Colias meadii
Plebejus icarioides
Agriades glandon
Plebejus shasta
Boloria montinus
Euphydryas chalcedona
Nymphalis milbertii
Erebia epipsodea
Erebia callias
That afternoon I went on a hike in the Pike National Forest outside of Grant, Colorado. Some new variety was there including a spectacular copper. I spotted/collected the following:
Colias alexandra
Lycaena rubidus (what a brilliant butterfly!)
Lycaena helloides
Pieris napi
Hemiargus isola
Speyeria aphrodite
Speyeria atlantis (I think)
It was a great trip, and a wonderful mental break at the end of the summer before I go back to teaching next week.
Cheers,
Brant
My first trip to Rabbit Ears Pass did not disappoint. I had wanted to go collecting there for quite some time and made the most of a long morning before the thunderclouds rolled in. The following were spotted/collected there:
Papilio zelicaon
Pontia occidentalis
Pieris napi
Colias alexandra
Glaucopsyche lygdamus
Plebejus icarioides
Speyeria sp. (I’m really not sure what species. It looks like I might have two different species, but I’ll have to wait until they come off the pinning board before I can tell for sure)
Boloria montinus
Euphydryas chalcedona
Vanessa annabelia
Erebia epipsodea
That afternoon I drove to my friend’s house outside of Kremmling and on highway 134 I had a mountain lion cross the road in front of my car before stopping on the up-slope to peer back at me from the bushes. Needless to say I was quite excited about (1) being in my car at the time, and (2) seeing a mountain lion for the first time! In the aspen valley down from my friend’s house I spotted/collected the following:
Lycaena heteronea
Lycaena helloides
Lycaeides melissa
Speyeria cybele (very excited about this as I got both a male and a female. In my home state of West Virginia I have collected many S. cybele, but seeing the dark female of the western variety for the first time was quite exciting.)
Phyciodes sp.
The second day of the trip took me near Hoosier Pass to the Blue Lakes area. This was my first collecting trip above 12,000 feet. In the alpine meadow and on the trail leading from Blue lakes I spotted/collected the following:
Parnassius phoebus (saw only three)
Colias meadii
Lycaena cupreus (what a tricky butterfly to catch as it is so quick in the air, and kept landing on boulders that are difficult to navigate over)
Plebejus icarioides
Plebejus shasta
Boloria montinus
Euphydryas chalcedona
Erebia epipsodea
Erebia callias
That afternoon I camped west of Fairplay and ventured out along the 4 mile creek road. I spotted/collected the following there:
Colias alexandra
Speyeria sp. (still struggling with identifying the mountain Speyeria)
Phyciodes batesii (I think – very pale underneath)
Polygonia gracilis
Cercyonis oetus
Erebia epipsodea
On day three I went above 12,000 feet again to Lake Emma. Very similar variety to the Leps at Blue Lakes, but in different quantities.
Parnassius phoebus (everywhere along the road leading to the hike)
Colias meadii
Plebejus icarioides
Agriades glandon
Plebejus shasta
Boloria montinus
Euphydryas chalcedona
Nymphalis milbertii
Erebia epipsodea
Erebia callias
That afternoon I went on a hike in the Pike National Forest outside of Grant, Colorado. Some new variety was there including a spectacular copper. I spotted/collected the following:
Colias alexandra
Lycaena rubidus (what a brilliant butterfly!)
Lycaena helloides
Pieris napi
Hemiargus isola
Speyeria aphrodite
Speyeria atlantis (I think)
It was a great trip, and a wonderful mental break at the end of the summer before I go back to teaching next week.
Cheers,
Brant