Our Old Butterfly Yard List
Now, for our Butterfly Yard List. Well, actually, it WAS our butterfly yard list. We moved, so now it is a 16 month study of a one acre site 4 mi N.W. of Utopia, TX, in extreme SE Bandera County. Over a dozen new Bandera Co. records were acquired during this period, at this site. Now we have a NEW yard list, which, at 30 months now, is at just over 100 species, but up on Seco Ridge, which is quite different habitat than Thunder Creek.

We got to this site, on North Thunder Creek, at the end of October '03, and stayed until March '05, so enjoyed one full flight season, besides the end of '03. Here at this site, we ended up with about 97 + 7 hypothetical species in the yard; virtually all species seen within an acre of the house on the 22 acre site. That was more than the entire Bandera Co. list when we got here, (92 species), so to see that many in that short a time period, in this small a space (<.001% of the county) and time infers a quite significant diversity locally. About 90% of the species were photographically documented. You just can't catch or shoot everything, no matter what.

Habitat is mixed Live-Oak/Juniper ("cedar" locally), with interspersed areas of grasses/flowers. It is not "cedar cleared" or recently grazed, and therefore in a comparitively natural state. Texas Live Oaks, Scrub Oaks, some hackberry, and a nice compliment of native shrubs, wildflowers and forbs. Several open grass patches of knee high grasses, chiggers, and flowers in season.

As it turned out, the 100th species found for Bandera Co., was the Elada Checkerspot in the yard here!



Our Butterfly Yard List:

E. Tiger Swallowtail

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail



(ph.) indicates photographed here
NCR - NEW or NO county record (however you prefer to see it)

"Swallowtails" - 6 species

Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) abundant (ph.)
Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) common (ph.)
Giant Swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes) one 11/12, 3/20+
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) regular (ph.)
*"Black form female" E.Tiger Swallowtail (P.g.) ph. 6/4
Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus) 4/10 & 4/14
Two-tailed Swallowtail (Papilio multicaudatus) saw a few



"Whites and Yellows"
(and Sulphurs and Oranges)
15 species


Falcate Orangetip (Anthocaris midea) NCR - couple ea. in March & April
Great Southern White (Ascia monuste) NCR - several seen 8-9/04
Orange Sulphur (Alfalfa) (Colias eurytheme) common
Southern Dogface (Zerene (Colias) cesonia) common (ph.)
Lyside Sulpher (Kricogonia lyside)common after 4/04
White-angled Sulphur (Antios chlorinde) one 11/22
Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae) common
Large Orange Sulphur (Phoebis agarithe) 00's fall '03, one 4/5
Orange-barred Sulphur (Phoebis philea) NCR - couple Sept. 04
Little Yellow (Eurema lisa) common (ph.)
Mimosa Yellow (Eurema nise) one seen well on 6/9/04
Mexican Yellow (Eurema mexicana) one 5/24
Sleepy Orange (Nicippe Sulphur) (Eurema nicippe) common
Tailed Orange (Eurema proterpia) common in Nov.-Dec. (ph.)
Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole) common (ph.)
*hypothetical* Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) briefly seen July 1
*hypo* Yellow Angled-Sulphur (Anteos maerula) seen twice



"Hairstreaks" - 6 species
Unfortunately, many "streaked" by too fast to identify

Dusky-blue Groundstreak (Calycopis isobeon) NCR - common (ph.)
Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus) common (ph.)
Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak (Strymon istapa) NCR - one 12/14 (ph.), 4/04
Henry's Elfin (Callophrys henrici) regular March (ph.)
Southern (Oak) Hairstreak (Satyrium favonius) 4/30/04 (ph.)
'Olive' Juniper Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus) abundant (ph.)


Hypothetical Hairstreaks:
(probable/possible identifications)

Clytie Mini-streak (Ministrymon clytie)
Gray Mini-streak (Ministrymon azia) (sure of this one)


"Blues" - 5 species
Many "blew" by, and identification was "blown,"
which made me "blue." The 4 hypotheticals from fall,
are 3 positive and one hypo by the end of April '04


Positive ID's:
Reakirt's Blue (Hemiargus isola) abundant (ph.)
Ceraunus Blue (Hemiargus ceraunus) NCR - (ph.) 4-27-04
Marine Blue (Leptotes marina) 4-29-04, ph. 6-5-04
Cassius Blue (Leptotes cassius) seen June '04
Eastern Tailed-Blue (Everes amyntula) couple in summer


"Metalmarks" - 3 species
Rawson's Metalmark (Calephelis rawsoni) seen once
Rounded Metalmark (Calephelis perditalis) NCR - (ph.)
Fatal Metalmark (Calephelis nemesis) (ph.)


"Brushfoots I": 11 species
Fritillaries, Checkers, Patches, and Crescents
American Snout (Libytheana carinenta) abundant
Zebra Longwing (Heliconius charithonia) NCR - few Aug-Oct
Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) common
Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia) common (ph.)
Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacinia) couple in Nov., April
Crimson Patch (Chlosyne janais) 2 in Nov.; 1 on 4-26-04
Elada Checkerspot (Texola elada) NCR - one May 20, photo 5-31-04
Vesta Crescent (Phyciodes vesta) NCR - 11-5-03, 11/22/03), few in summer
Texan Crescent (Phyciodes texana) couple-few Nov.(ph. May)
Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos) (ph.)
Phaon Crescent (Phyciodes phaon) few 8-9-04


California Sister

Arizona Sister




Brushfoots II: 19 sps.
Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis) 2 on May 20, 1 on 6-1
Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) common
American (Virginia) Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) common
Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) few
Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia) common (ph.)
Common Mestra (Mestra amymone) common 11-12-03 (ph.),1st 6-9-04
Arizona Sister (Adelpha eulalia) (3 Nov/Dec) reg. in spring (ph.)
Viceroy (Limenitis archippus) few in Nov.
Leafwing sps. (Anaea sps.) 3-30-31 & 4-6 so far
Goatweed Leafwing (Anaea andria) NCR - (ph.) few in summer
Hackberry Emperor (Asterocampa celtis) few in Nov., April
Empress Leilia (Asterocampa leilia) NCR - twice in Nov.
Tawny Emperor (Asterocampa clyton) first two on May 12
Common Wood Nymph (Cercyonis pegala) seen 6/9/04, and Sept.
Red Satyr (Megisto rubricata) one in March, ph. 5-11
Little Wood Satyr (Megisto cymela) late March on- common
Carolina Satyr (Hermeuptychia sosybius) NCR - first 4-14, 2nd on 5-3
Monarch (Danaus plexippus) common
Queen (Danaus gilippus) fair #'s - 1st in spring 4-6
Soldier (Danaus eresimus) NCR - couple-few early Nov.


Now for Skippers ...
... a nightmare (or a blast pending your ability to
withstand tedium) for identification, most just "skipping"
by, un-identified. Some even seen well, you can't ID !&%#!*%$!

*32 Skippers so far!!!!*
Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) saw few Oct/Nov. '04
Brazilian Skipper (Calpodes ethlius) saw few Nov. 04'
Long-tailed Skipper (Urbanus proteus)NCR - ph. on 6-9-04
Dorantes Longtail (Urbanus dorantes) NCR - one 7-22 seen only
Zilpa Longtail (Chioides zilpa) NCR - ph. on 5-11-04
White-striped Longtail (Chioides catillus)NCR - ph. on 5-28-04
Sickle-winged Skipper (Eantis tamenund) NCR - ph. on 6-15-04
Mazan's Scallopwing (Staphylus mazans) NCR - seen 7-26-27
Common Checkered Skipper (Pyrgus communis) very common (ph.)
Desert Checkered Skipper (Pyrgus philetas) Nov, and 6-3-04
Tropical Checkered Skipper (Pyrgus oileus) NCR - a couple seen
Eufala Skipper (Lerodea eufala) early Nov., 4-12
Northern Cloudywing (Thorybes pylades) late March, 4-12 (ph.)
*hypo* Coyote Cloudywing (Achalarus toxeus) saw few blast past
Clouded Skipper (Lerema accius) 11-17, ph. on 6-3-03
Southern Broken-Dash (Wallengrenia otho) May (ph.)
Sachem (Field Skipper) (Atalopedes compestris)common (ph.)
Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus) common (ph.)
Whirlabout (Polites vibex) one 5-28, 1 on 6-1
Funereal Duskywing (Erynnis funeralis)common (ph.)
Juvenal's Duskywing (Erynnis juvenalis)common (ph.)
Horace's Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) ph.in May - common
Mournful Duskywing (Erynnis tristis) ph. 5-31-04
*hypothetical* Wild Indigo Duskywing (Erynnis baptisiae) probable
Least Skipper (Ancyloxypha numitor) ph. in June
Orange Skipperling (Copaeodes aurantiaca)(ph.)
Southern Skipperling (Copaeodes minima)(ph.)
Green Skipper (Hesperia viridis) 4-30-04 (ph.)
Dun Skipper (Euphyes vestris) common (ph.)
Julia's Skipper (Nastra julia) common (ph.)
Bronze Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes aenus)May, and 6-4-04
Celia's Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes celia) regular April-May
Dotted Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes eos) regular April-May (ph.)
Nysa Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes nysa) few 4, 5, & 6-04 (ph.)
*hypo in yard: Texas Powdered Skipper (Systasea pulverulenta) 9-04
*NCR - did add it to Bandera Co. list at Lost Maples *
*An UNID'd large White Skipper has been seen, prob. Laviana's


Surely many more species occurred, but were un-ID'd as they blasted past ....
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