LepSoc 2016 - Day 7

Once again I only attended a few presentations this day, spending much of it with three other lepidopterists on a trip to Horseshoe Mountain (a famous collecting location in the butterfly world) and Four Mile Creek (the area on the way up to the mountain). Because all the moth-ers had been out collecting the previous night, they were sorting their catch during the morning lectures. I've always been interested in moths as well as butterflies, but because there's so much to know about butterflies and I'm not much of a night person, I haven't pursued collecting them much. It's much easier to hover over the guys sorting moths and pick up a specimen or two that is common to them so they're eager to hand it off to someone else! I guess you could call me an opportunistic moth collector.

One-eyed Sphinx (Smerinthus ophthalmica) I bummed off a generous moth-collecting lepidopterist.

Willow bog about half way up to Horseshoe Mountain
Parnassius smintheus Mountain Parnassian, 2 males
Pieris marginalis Margined White, 1 male
Colias scudderi Scudder's Sulphur, <5
Eurema nicippe Sleepy Orange, 1
Icaricia saepiolus Greenish Blue, 1 male
Phyciodes pulchella Field Crescent, 1 male
Boloria freija Freija Fritillary, at least 1-2, hard to get close enough to see clearly
Erebia epipsodea Butler's Alpine, 5

Looking for fritillaries and sulphurs in a willow bog with Horseshoe Mountain in the background.

Ridgeline south of the willow bog, east of Horseshoe Mountain

Willow bog and Horseshoe Mountain

Near the end of the road at Horseshoe Mountain (at ~12,000 ft; peak is 13,905 ft)
Polites draco Draco Skipper, 3
Pontia protodice Checkered White, 1 male
Icaricia saepiolus Greenish Blue, 2 males
Icaricia shasta Shasta Blue, 1

Agriades glandon rusticus Arctic Blue, 2 males, 1 female

Euphydryas anicia brucei Anicia Checkerspot, 3 males, 2 females, +10 others
Erebia magdalena Magdalena Alpine, 1
Oeneis chryxus Chryxus Arctic, 3
Oeneis melissa Melissa Arctic, 1

End of the drivable portion of the road up to Horseshoe Mountain

Panorama of Horseshoe Mountain (right) and the southern ridge line

Looking northeast from below Horseshoe Mountain

Elegant Death Camas (Zigadenus elegans)

Dwarf Clover (Trifolium nanum) and Elegant Death Camas (Zigadenus elegans)

Purple Fringe (Phacelia sericea)

The remnants of silver mining buildings were scattered across this area

Looking west at the 13,905 ft high rim of Horseshoe Mountain

Looking east away from Horseshoe Mountain at the amazing view and the dark storm clouds lining the ridges.

Large arid meadow near beginning of Four Mile Creek Road
Pontia protodice Checkered White, 1 male
Callophrys affinis Western Green Hairstreak, 1
Euphydryas anicia eurytion Anicia Checkerspot, >10 males and females
Coenonympha tullia Ochre Ringlet, 1

Wildflower-filled arid meadow near the beginning of Four Mile Creek Road

Looking for a subspecies of Anicia Checkerspots (eurytion) that was originally described from this exact location.