The east and west ends of the Rio Grande Valley have been getting quite a bit of rain lately but it's been spotty in the mid Valley. Butterfly numbers are still low after the dry hot spring but maybe things are starting to pick up. I ran out to the La Puerta tract of the Lower Rio GrandeValley NWR yesterday to look for native bees and encountered a few good butterflies. This ragged female Ornythion Swallowtail was my first of the year. They use plants of the family Rutaceae like Colima and Barreta as a host as does the more common Western Giant Swallowtail so hopefull she will find some to her liking.
Here is the similar Western Giant Swallowtail. The easiest field mark is the spot on the "tail" which is lacking on Ornythinon. The first thing I usually notice is the more pale coloration of Ornythion. The wing patterns are different also.
A Pipevine Swallowtail passed through.
While I was photographing the Ornythion a young fellow with a camera approached. It was the first time I've ever encountered anyone at La Puerta. He said he lived just a few minutes away and then he described a blueish butterfly in a bush with white flowers. Wow it sounded like a great Purple Hairstreak in a White Brush. He led me down the trail a short distance and there it was. A bit scruffy but my first of the summer.
This Coyote Cloudywing looks like it's fresh out of the chrysalis. Like so many its hind wing is folded a bit giving it the "stub tailed" appearance of a Jalapus Cloudywing. I wish there ws a better field mark.
Beewise there were plenty of Protoxaea gloriosa out. This one was guarding its territory.
They've also been getting rainin the butterfly producing country to the south. Maybe it will be a good summer.
