Big Bend National Park, Pine Canyon, 10/11/14

I had not managed to get out to Big Bend National Park this year, so I took advantage of an opportunity to go this past weekend before the cold front came through.  I really wanted to go up the Emory Peak trail to look for Troy Hibbet's Chisos Giant-Skippers but decided I wasn't up to  the nine mile hike so I decided to make a run up Pine Canyon instead.  It's been a wet fall so far and the flowers were spectacular.

And though I didn't find anything unusual, there were tons of butterflies and I managed to see 32 species on the two mile hike up to the Pine Canyon Pouroff.  Best for me was my first Rawson's Metalmark.

I tried hard to turn this into the regional Chinati Checkerspot.  The under wing pattern agrees but the upper surface looks like the widespread Theona Checkerspot.

I saw more Mexican Yellow's than all my previous sightings combined.

Only one Questionmark, but it was a doozy.

I can't resist a good California Sister.

And there were plenty of Orange Skipperlings.

I searched dozens of Elada Checkerspots hoping to find a Tiny Checkerspot but I failed.

Here's my list for the day.

• Checkered White 20
• Orange Sulphur 1
• Southern Dogface 40
• Cloudless Sulphur 1
• Lyside Sulphur 1
• Mexican Yellow 25
• Sleepy Orange 30
• Dainty Sulphur 25
• Gray Hairstreak 4
• Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak 1
• Marine Blue 2
• Reakirt's Blue 20
• Rawson's Metalmark 1
• American Snout 15
• Variegated Fritillary 30
• Theona Checkerspot 1
• Bordered Patch 10
• Elada Crescent 30
• Texan Crescent 5
• Vesta Crescent 10
• Question Mark 1
• American Lady 1
• Painted Lady 5
• Common Buckeye 2
• California Sister 8
• Common Mestra 15
• Monarch 3
• Queen 4
• Funereal Duskywing 1
• White Checkered-Skipper 1
• Desert Checkered-Skipper 20
• Orange Skipperling 20