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About a dozen butterfliers travelled up the Beeline Highway on Saturday, March 24, in spite of anticipating very low numbers of butterflies due to the lack of rainfall this winter. The plants certainly showed the effects of the lack of rain with very few blooming annuals and little evidence of new leaves on Desert Hackberry and Chaparral Beardtongue plants. Nonetheless we were not shut out and managed to see 15 species with some notable highlights. We had excellent views of the Yucca Giant Skippers and a Rocky Mountain Duskywing (county record!) in the creek bed in Sunflower Valley, and saw a large number of Brown Elfins foraging on willow catkins. All-in-all a worthwhile trip. Here are the details on the species we saw with rough counts of the number of each in parentheses.
Round Valley (3 species)
Sara Orangetip (3)
Variable Checkerspot (2)
Empress Leilia (4)
Old Sunflower Road (13 species)
Pipevine Swallowtail (5)
Two-Tailed Swallowtail (1)
Dainty Sulphur (1)
Spring White (3)
Sara Orangetip (3)
Brown Elfin (7)
Zela Metalmark (1)
Acmon Blue (1)
Sagebrush Checkerspot (10)
Satyr Comma (2)
Yucca Giant Skipper (2)
Golden-headed Scallopwing (2)
Rock Mountain Duskywing (1)
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Enjoy crafts, cockroach races, and even edible insects as you learn about the world of insects. The Butterfly Wonderland & OdySea Aquarium Foundations present this festival in appreciation of all the many-legged creatures that inhabit our planet. Meet real live bugs up close, plan your butterfly garden and learn about bees and scorpions! It's FREE!! Recommended for all ages! @ Butterfly Wonderland, Sunday March 11, from 10 am- 4 pm.
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Check out Butterfly Wonderland this weekend for their annual Fall Plant Sale October 15th-16th benefiting the Butterfly Foundation from 9am-4pm. Take home beautiful fall plants to boost butterfly, hummingbird and bee friendly gardens. Peruse craft vendors, educational booths and meet master gardeners.
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