Fun With Austin Butterfly Forum

It was my honor to be invited to give a presentation and participate in "bug walks" with the Austin Butterfly Forum in Texas from April 22-24. Special thanks to Mike Quinn for extending the invitation, and to Dan and Linda Hardy for hosting Heidi and myself at their lovely home. We were fortunate to have agreeable weather there, though we left Colorado Springs with snow on the ground and returned to more flurries.

Austin Butterfly Forum members by a pond at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

The turnout for all of the scheduled events was impressive considering that we were looking for insects rather than birds. The Sunday outing included people who drove from as far as Houston to spend about half a day with us. The Monday evening meeting, held at the Zilker Botanical Garden, was likewise well attended, and select ABF members furnished refreshments. You do not go hungry or without entertainment in Austin, at least if the ABF has anything to say about it. Let us start from the beginning, though.

Duskywing skipper caterpillar in leaf "sandwich"

Heidi and I arrived early afternoon on April 21, and Mike Quinn whisked us off for some vittles at Threadgill's, an Austin landmark packed with music memorabilia of rock and country genres. The weather was humid with intermittent drizzle, but we went to visit the Zilker Botanical Garden anyway. This lush park is full of all manner of native and exotic plants, landscaped in a manner that was bird- and bug-friendly. We found several caterpillars, true bugs, beetles, and butterflies despite the overcast skies.

She's in there....tarantula burrow

We then went next door to the Austin Nature and Science Center and the Zilker Nature Preserve behind it. We quickly spotted a Diamondback Watersnake digesting a recent meal on an island in a small pond. One of the naturalists who was leaving for the day described a vireo nest in the preserve, and sure enough we were able to locate that, too, but not before finding a tarantula in her silk-lined lair. The vireo nest looked like it was holding a recently-hatched Brown-headed Cowbird, much to our disappointment.

Yellow-crowned Night-heron along Colorado River

By now we were killing time until the famous bat flight from beneath the Congress Avenue bridge in downtown Austin. Walking along the river we found a few more birds, including a Yellow-crowned Night-heron stalking the shady shore. After a quick bite at Freebirds World Burrito, we were ready to witness the spectacle of over 500,000 Brazilian Free-tailed Bats exiting their haunts from beneath the bridge. We were not disappointed.

Bats exiting from under the bridge. © Mike Quinn
About twenty minutes after sunset, they started streaming from the southern end of the bridge, followed eventually by others farther north. Please go see it for yourself, from both the bridge and from a boat or kayak. There are even commercial boat cruises specifically for this purpose.

Something has our attention at Brackenridge Field Laboratory
© Mike Quinn

Sunday morning we convened with other members of Austin Butterfly Forum at Brackenridge Field Laboratory. Several buildings, greenhouses, and uncovered water tanks occupy the property, but there are also acres of undeveloped property that we prowled for insects. The most startling and exciting organism we encountered was a coral snake, right on a paved path.

Coral snake at Brackenridge Field Lab

After a pizza lunch delivery, we toured the insect collection, a sizeable holding of preserved specimens. They had just received a donation of butterfly and moth specimens that have yet to be integrated into the larger collection. Lastly, we looked in on a greenhouse containing live tropical longwing butterflies (Heliconius and related genera). It was much like the commercial butterfly houses one pays to visit, but with a scientific purpose to analyze genetic lineages in these insects. Some specimens were easily recognizable as a particular species, but others were obvious hybrids.

Captive Heliconius sp. at Brackenridge Field Lab

After lunch, Heidi and I retired to our host's home, where I explored a greenbelt ravine behind their property. The "hill country" is crossed by streams that erode the limestone rock that gives the landscape its topography. Live oak is the dominant tree, but there is a good diversity of vegetation. It is a distinctly arid habitat, but southerly enough in latitude to get animals like anole lizards and, unfortunately, fire ants.

Anole lizard

Monday morning found us strolling along the Barton Creek Greenbelt Trail, west from the Barton Springs Municipal Pool, a popular swimming hole. There were plenty of butterflies and other insects to be seen, including the ever-present Southern Dogface, Pipevine Swallowtail, and Gulf Fritillary. We did manage a splendid White-striped Longtail skipper, which was only the second specimen I'd ever seen.

White-striped Longtail skipper at Barton Creek

We were eventually able to access the nearly dry creekbed, where Heidi spied a local rarity: a Filigree Skimmer dragonfly.

Filigree Skimmer along Barton Creek
There were a handful of other dragonflies, and many damselflies, too. Heidi also pointed out a couple of Six-spotted Fishing Spiders waiting in ambush at the edge of one of the puddles now making up Barton Creek.

Six-spotted Fishing Spider on Barton Creek

The riparian trees are full of birds, and we got to see a White-eyed Vireo collecting spider silk to line its nest. Northern Cardinal, Northern Mockingbird, and Great-tailed Grackles were among the most obvious birds here and within Austin as a whole, at least during our brief visit.

White-eyed Vireo along Barton Creek Greenbelt Trail

Between lunch and dinner I did a bit of exploring in Dan and Linda Hardy's backyard, which is mostly wild, native vegetation and the occasional deliberately installed plant, like "Antelope Horns," a type of milkweed. As luck would have it, it was in partial bloom, and crowded with three Gray Hairstreak butterflies and one gorgeous green Juniper Hairstreak.

Juniper Hairstreak with Gray Hairstreak behind it

A Springtime Darner dragonfly eluded my attempts to get its picture, and the large, red paper wasps were almost equally good at hiding as they hunted for other insects. I was, however, able to repay our host's hospitality, at least in part, by recording the first Banded Hairstreak butterfly in his yard. I hope he has since been able to find one for himself.

Banded Hairstreak

My after dinner presentation "Beyond Birds: the Joys of Bugwatching" was apparently well received, and afterwards I signed copies of the Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America for several appreciative folks.

Wait, there's more....

Enjoying Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
© Mike Quinn
Tuesday morning found us at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, an epic tribute to Texas flora on 284 acres. There is an ongoing invertebrate survey that has, to date, recorded 93 species of butterflies alone at the site. All wildlife is welcome, and our particular visit coincided with the presence of fledgling Great Horned Owls right at the entrance to the whole park.

Great Horned Owl chick at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

After lunch, before our departing flight, Mike took us to Hornsby Bend, a wastewater treatment and research facility that includes large retention ponds frequented by birds and other wildlife. We saw many shorebirds there, as well as Painted Bunting and, finally, a pair of Scissor-tailed Flycatchers as we were exiting. It was a fine conclusion to an exciting, memory-filled trip. Thanks again to everyone who made it possible.

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher at Hornsby Bend

The Zika Virus

The Zika virus, transmitted by mosquitoes, has captured headlines recently and set off something of a panic. This is technically not a "new" virus, as it was first discovered in the course of researching yellow fever in Africa in 1947. A rhesus monkey, caged near the Zika Forest in Uganda, contracted a fever of unknown origin, later (1952) determined to be caused by what we now call the Zika virus.

Aedes aegypti, one vector of Zika virus

The first human case occurred in Nigeria in 1954. It has remained rare and largely innocuous throughout its distribution in Africa and southeast Asia, until 2007 when an epidemic erupted on Yap Island in Micronesia. Subsequent epidemics in the Polynesia, Easter Island, the Cook Islands, and New Caledonia increased concern, but nothing like events in the last two months.

Two concerns have cropped up that have infectious disease specialists alarmed: Zika has jumped the Pacific Ocean and is now found in many countries in South America, Central America, and a few Caribbean nations. It has therefore been classified as a pandemic; there is also evidence the virus may be linked to birth defects, specifically microcephaly. There is also the possibility that the virus can, rarely, trigger Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a type of autoimmune disease.

What we know for certain is that the virus is not contagious. It cannot be spread from one person to another through casual contact. It is transmitted by mosquitoes in the genus Aedes, and possibly by sexual intercourse. Most people who contract the virus exhibit symptoms typical of the flu, and recover quickly.

Cases of the Zika virus in the U.S. are known from Florida, Illinois, Texas, and Hawaii. All victims had returned from travel overseas to countries known to harbor Zika.

This chain of events prompted the Centers for Disease Control to issue a Level 2 Travel Alert for pregnant women on January 15, 2016. Recommendations are that pregnant women avoid traveling to countries where the Zika virus is known to exist. This includes Puerto Rico.

An explosion of 3,500 microcephaly cases in Brazil between October, 2015 and January, 2016 is certainly cause for alarm; and it is at least suspicious that this coincides with the recent infiltration of Zika from the Old World.

Whether mosquito populations in the Gulf Coast states of the U.S. will become carriers of Zika is open to speculation, but considering the other illnesses vectored by mosquitoes, it is always an excellent idea to practice preventive measures such as wearing pants, long sleeves, and hats when outdoors. Repellents with DEET as the active ingredient can be applied per instructions (follow them to the letter). Emptying reservoirs and containers that trap rainwater is also crucial, as these are breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

Sources: Etymologia: Zika virus. Emerg Infect Dis [Internet]. 2014 Jun [date cited]. http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid2006.ET2006
"Zika Virus," Wikipedia

New Mexico Night Bugs

Ok, where were we? Oh, that's right, we had just concluded the fourth and final day, August 30, of the New Mexico Dragonfly Blitz in southwest New Mexico, along the Gila River near Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. After a great dinner at Tienda del Sol, we joined Dave and Shelley Small at the home they rented in Pinos Altos, Grant County, New Mexico. There, Dave had set up some lights to attract moths and other insects.

Female Greater Anglewing Katydid

At 7,000 feet in elevation, the habitat is dry, mixed conifer forest with oaks, too. Since it was after dark when Heidi and I arrived, it was difficult to make out many vegetation details. The insect fauna alone suggested good floral diversity. I am still a relative novice at identifying moths, even to family level, so my apologies if some images here are misidentified. I will update this post as I learn of any errors.

There were more than moths flocking to the blacklights and porch lights, though. Take true bugs for instance. Leafhoppers (family Cicadellidae) made a good showing, including a lovely green Rugosana species with red eyes.

Rugosana sp. leafhopper

Easily mistaken for a leafhopper was a conifer spittlebug in the genus Aphrophora (family Cercopidae or Aphrophoridae, depending on which authority you consult).

Conifer spittlebug, Aphrophora sp.

Beetles, too, were present in fair numbers and diversity. Colorful foliage ground beetles in the genus Lebia are relatively small, but draw attention with often bright metallic wing covers.

Lebia sp. ground beetle

Sap beetles, family Nitidulidae, are frequently drawn to lights at night, but they also come to fermenting sap, fruits, and similar substances at all hours. I guess they are the closest things to "insect alcoholics."

Sap-feeding beetle, Thalycra sp.

Many kinds of scarab beetles find their way to lights, including small chafers in the genus Diplotaxis, and those friendly giants we were seeing everywhere, the rhinoceros beetles Xyloryctes thestalus. Clumsy as they are, I am rethinking wearing a helmet next time we do blacklighting.

Chafer, Diplotaxis sp.

Male rhinoceros beetle

Moths were mostly what Dave wanted to find, and he was not disappointed. Moth diversity is apparently inversely proportional to the size of the insect. "Micros" are where it's at, but good luck with that. Identification rests mostly on characters that are either too small, too concealed, or otherwise invisible to the average human eye or camera lens. Many species, even genera, can only be determined by dissecting the genitalia of the specimen.

Ethmia sp.

With that in mind, my identifications must be regarded as mostly tenuous. Moths in the genus Ethmia, family Depressariidae, are only "depressing" in their uniform black, white, and gray colors. All the species look pretty much alike, and most of the 50-odd species north of Mexico occur in the southwest U.S. Larval host plants are overwhelmingly in the Boraginaceae, Ehretiaceae, and Hydrophyllaceae. The adults are relatively large for micros, 10-15 millimeters from nose to folded wingtip.

Aristotelia sp.

One of the more exotic-looking micros we found were members of the genus Aristotelia in the "twirler moth" family Gelechiidae. They are tiny, but boldly marked. Only 35 named species are known north of Mexico, but there are many more awaiting description by scientists. Each species specializes on a particular plant, but overall many families of plants serve as food for the caterpillars.

If I have the identity of this next one correct, it is a member of the genus Argyresthia, family Argyresthiidae. These are certainly true micros, only 3.2-6.8 millimeters from head to wingtip. Most are white with broad, transverse metallic stripes like the one shown here.

Argyresthia sp.

Larvae are miners of conifer needles or broadleaved plants. That means they feed between the layers of plant tissue. There are over fifty species known in North America.

This last micro is pretty confounding. I think I have it narrowed to Ypsolophidae or Plutellidae. You can't go too wrong because even expert lepidopterists disagree as to whether there are even two families here. "Yps" are split from "plutes" by some scientists, but not by others. Over 300 species, worldwide, fall under one or both of these families. The moths are only 6-13 millimeters long, but the forward-projecting, often banded antennae help to identify them. Caterpillars make loose silk webs on the host plant they feed on.

Ypsolophid moth

Ok, enough "small talk," let's look at some bigger moths. I guess some of these are still technically "micros," but at least they are large enough you can get a decent look at them. Snout moths in the family Crambidae all tend to look like this one: slender, wings often rolled around the body, and with the labial palps are greatly enlarged, heavily scaled, and projecting forward like a "snout." Larvae are associated mostly with grasses, as foliage-, root-, or stem-feeders.

Crambid snout moth

A different crambid, Hydropionea fenestralis, was abundant. The wings, 12-15 mm. long, sport a lovely reticulated pattern. Amazingly, the caterpillar's life cycle remains unknown.

Hydropionea fenestralis

Members of the genus Dioryctria, family Pyralidae, could be called "coneworm moths" because the caterpillars of most feed in conifer cones, but some in foliage shoots or under bark. Twenty-five of the 40 known species north of Mexico occur in western North America. The adults are only 10-15 millimeters long.

Diorycthria sp. coneworm moth

The family Tortricidae, which includes leafroller moths, was represented as usual by our old friend the Filbertworm Moth, Cydia latiferreana, and the Codling Moth, C. pomonella.

Filbertworm Moth

Inchworm moths, family Geometridae, were perhaps the most diverse of the moths at the lights, and the most difficult to identify. Most, in fact, I have yet to place. "Pugs" in the genus Eupithecia are readily recognized by their narrow wings and unique resting posture.

"Pug," genus Eupithecia

"Emeralds" are green, but they represent several genera.

"Emerald" inchworm moth

Here are a few more visitors I could not identify.

Owlet moths in the family Noctuidae were common, too, and included this stunning bird-dropping mimic, Tarache areloides.

Tarache areloides

Equally amazing were two specimens of Plagiomimicus dimidiata. The early life stages of this moth are unknown.

Plagiomimicus dimidiata

Members of the family Erebidae were once placed in other families, and I find it impossible to distinguish many of them from noctuids. However, there is no mistaking the very large underwing moths of the genus Catocala. We were lucky enough to have one specimen grace us with its presence. Normally, underwing moths do not come to lights, or they remain on the fringe of the lighted area if they do fly in. Heidi spotted this one in a tree, and we flushed it to where we could get better pictures.

Catocala sp. underwing moth

There were other insects that are more often heard than seen, too. Tree crickets (genus Oecanthus) were still in abundance. A field cricket nymph (Gryllus sp.) made a brief appearance, too.

Male tree cricket, Oecanthus sp.

Nymph of field cricket, Gryllus sp.

The most spectacular of all was a female Greater Anglewing Katydid, Microcentrum rhombifolium, apparently feeding on the mullein stalk we found her on (see image at top of this post).

Male giant crab spider

This bounty of insect life also attracted predators, most of which took the form of spiders. A huge male Giant Crab Spider, Olios giganteus, prowled one doorway. One missing leg did not make him any less agile, or reduce his ability to easily negotiate the slick surface of the door, which was slightly ajar. Now that we have all returned home, I can safely disclose that the last time I saw this spider it had crawled *indoors.*

Parson spider, Herpyllus sp.

Equally adept at climbing was a parson spider, Herpyllus sp., and what I suspect was a juvenile prowling spider in the genus Syspira.

Ghost spider, Anyphaena sp.

As the clock struck midnight, the increasing cold drove us to take down our set-ups and retire to the cozy confines of our respective residences. Many thanks to Dave and Shelley for their delightful company, hospitality (food and beverages especially), and sharing their blacklights. Never a dull moment. I encourage my readers to find each other and make a point of getting together informally to get to know each other, and explore together our amazing insect fauna.

New Mexico Dragonfly Blitz - Day 4

The plan for Sunday, August 30, was to visit The Nature Conservancy's Mimbres River Preserve, appropriately located on a former ranch along the Mimbres River. The morning dawned bright and warm, but a violent thunderstorm had run over City of Rocks State Park the night before, and many of those camped there were literally swamped by water gushing through their campsites. So, we had fewer party members as a result.

The preserve is located off highway 35, but the entrance is not terribly conspicuous. A wonderful old barn marks the trailhead, and it is a short walk to the edge of the Mimbres River.

We did not see any new dragonflies or damselflies, but there were plenty of other insects to catch our attention. A Questionmark butterfly was basking on the trunk of a cottonwood, for example.

Questionmark butterfly

Caterpillars of the American Dagger Moth, Acronicta americana, were abundant in the vicinity of box elder trees.

American Dagger Moth caterpillar

Largid bugs, Stenomacra marginella, were in extreme abundance on the foliage, stems, and flowers of Seep Willow, Baccharis salicifolia, along with aphids and insects attracted to aphid honeydew (the sweet, sticky liquid waste product of aphids).

Largid bugs mating

I also found a specimen of Yarrow's Grasshopper, Melanoplus yarrowii, a species I had not seen before.

Yarrow's Grasshopper (male)

Would you believe there was a mushroom sprouting in the riparian zone? The contrast between the moist, shady riverbank and the arid grassland adjacent to it was quite stark.

"Shaggy Mane" mushroom

One of the more colorful finds of the morning was this lovely orange owlet moth,Chrysoecia atrolinea.

Owlet moth, Chrysoecia atrolinea

From the Mimbres River Preserve we progressed up the road to Bear Canyon Reservoir. There, we picked up some of the more common and widespread dragonfly species that had eluded us until then. That included a Widow Skimmer and two Eastern Amberwing dragonflies.

Some of our best photo opportunities for Flame Skimmers came here, too.

male Flame Skimmer

Meanwhile, I found the Ridged Grasshopper, Conozoa carinata, occupying the parking area.

Ridged Grasshopper

Also conspicuous were a couple of Plains Lubber grasshoppers, Brachystola magna, the largest grasshoppers in that area of New Mexico.

Plains Lubber grasshopper

Did I mention that Heidi also fished a Wheel Bug, Arilus cristatus, out of the lake? These large assassin bugs are always a treat to find, especially here in the west where they are less common than in the plains and canyons of the southern Midwest.

Wheel Bug

Bear Canyon Reservoir was our last "official" destination, and from there we all went our separate ways, concluding a most successful event in every sense of the word. We found lots of interesting species, some of them county records, and made many new friends. This could well become an annual event.

Heidi and I decided to go back to City of Rocks State Park to explore some more, and find some geocaches. We were rewarded with some spectacular wildlife. Heidi has very sharp eyes, and she spotted a pair of Great Horned Owls in one of the few trees scattered between the rock formations.

One of two Great Horned Owls

We also saw a couple of Northern Mockingbirds, Canyon Towhee, and Blue Grosbeak.

Another stand of blooming Seep Willow near the park's campgrounds was humming with insect activity, including Queen and Bordered Patch butterflies, tarantula hawks and other spider wasps, scoliid wasps, and various flies.

Queen butterfly

Thomas' Two-striped Grasshopper, Melanoplus thomasi, caught my eye due to its rather large size, and the fact that it is blue!

Thomas' Two-striped Grasshopper

We decided to drive up the Observation Road to get a scenic view, but I was quickly distracted by the variety of grasshoppers living on the top of the hill. Heidi managed to spy something even more cryptic: a Texas Horned Lizard. Make that two Texas Horned Lizards. These remarkable reptiles are specialist predators on harvester ants.

One of two Texas Horned Lizards

I could do an entire blog post on the grasshoppers I found in about an hour on that hill, but here is some eye candy to give you an indication of the diversity.

Regal Grasshopper,Melanoplus regalis

Rainbow Grasshopper, Dactylotum bicolor

Wheeler's Blue-winged Grasshopper, Leprus wheeleri

Great Crested Grasshopper

Our entire experience in southeast New Mexico was highly enjoyable, and we still had the evening to come and the drive back home to look forward to. Stay tuned, there is more excitement to come.