Yturria Brush, 7/4/14

After dropping off Honey for work (double time on July 4!) I decided to drive out west to Yturria Brush tract of the Lower Rio Grande NWR to see what was flying. The first half mile in was pretty depressing as the near 100 degree temps of the past couple of weeks have really dried things out. But as I approached the low brushy area I could see butterflies in the distance. Here things were lush with lots of blooming lantana and other stuff. I saw several species that have been missing or very uncommon this year. Best were two Brown-banded Skippers.

This Coyote Cloudywing was my first for the year.

I've seen very few White-patched Skippers this year.

Here's another Two-barred Flasher. They're showing up all over the place after being absent last year.

This small checkerspot got me excited but it's just a beat up Theona.

All the checkered-skippers today were Desert Checkered-Skipper. I saw at least six.

Here's a Sickle-winged Skipper. There's been few of them in the Valley this year.

There were more Texas Powdered Skippers today.

Giant Swallowtail 8
Southern Dogface 3
Large Orange Sulphur 3
Lyside Sulphur 50
Tailed Orange 5
Dainty Sulphur 1
Gray Hairstreak 3
Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak 1
Western Pygmy-Blue 2
Reakirt's Blue 1
American Snout 1
Gulf Fritillary 5
Theona Checkerspot 1
Vesta Crescent 8
Common Mestra 5
Empress Leilia 15
Queen 2
Two-barred Flasher 1
Coyote Cloudywing 1
Texas Powdered-Skipper 3
Sickle-winged Skipper 2
Brown-banded Skipper 2
White-patched Skipper 1
Desert Checkered-Skipper 6
Laviana White-Skipper 1
Turk's-cap White-Skipper 1
Clouded Skipper 1