Central Arizona Butterfly Association

Phoenix Chapter of the North American Butterfly Association.

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News Articles

Check here regularly for current articles and news items related to Central Arizona Butterfly Association, conservation and nature. If you see an interesting article please let one of our board members know and we will post it here

3/21/2023      Trip report: Apache Trail (Superstition Mountains) 18 March 2023 by Ron Rutowski

Fifteen butterfliers gathered at the beginning of the road to the First Water Trailhead before heading up the Apache Trail looking for butterflies. It was beautifully clear but did not look very promising due to wind and low temperatures. We stopped first at the Weaver’s Needle Vista trailhead and hiked perhaps ¼ mile up the trail. We struck out on butterflies there, but the abundant and diverse wildflowers kept us fully occupied. Next stop was Mesquite Flat which was a bit warmer and a somewhat protected from the wind. We had several good views of American Snouts here and fleeting glimpses of a Common/White Checkered Skipper, what was probably a Funereal Duskwing, and an unidentified blue. It was then on to the Fish Creek Vista. Here we saw hilltopping Desert Orangetips and Checkered Whites that cooperatively perched for photographs. A Sleepy Orange also made a brief appearance. More sleepy oranges and a Two-tailed Swallowtail were seen on along the road on the drive back to First Water Road. Although the butterflies were underwhelming (only 7 species!), the wildflowers were excellent and all participants welcomed the chance to get out in the desert for our first CAZBA trip of the year. read more »

7/23/2022      In memory of Paul Kinslow

We are very sorry to announce that longtime CAZBA member and supporter Paul Kinslow died at the age of 86 on 20 July 2022. Paul was an amazingly multifaceted individual who lived a rich life (mountaineer, adventurer, artist, photographer, lichen lover, etc.). He was an avid supporter of CAZBA and a very engaged participant in our field trips and presentations. He will be greatly missed. At this time there is no information regarding memorial gatherings or suggestions concerning organizations to which donations can be made in Paul's memory. We will disseminate such information when it becomes available. read more »

5/24/2022      Field trip report: Colonel Devin Trail 21 May 2022 by Marceline VandeWater

The weather was very nice with temperatures between 64 and 75 degrees! The trail was rocky and steep in places, but the plants lush and the flowers pretty. Together we observed 30 species of butterflies: Western Tiger Swallowtail (1), Two-tailed Swallowtail (5), Orange Sulphur (4), Southern Dogface (2), Mexican Yellow (3), Queen-Alexandra’s Sulphur (3), Dainty Sulphur (5), Western Green Hairstreak (2) (old name: Bramble), Marine Blue (1), Reakirt’s Blue (2), Spring “Echo” Azure (24), Acmon Blue (4), Zela Metalmark (20), Variegated Fritillary (2), Northwestern Fritillary (4) (old name: Atlantis), Mylitta Crescent (3), American Lady (1), Common Buckeye (14), Tropical Buckeye (1), Red-spotted Purple (2), Weidemeyer’s Admiral (1), Arizona Sister (3), Silver-spotted Skipper (20), Northern Cloudywing (2), Rocky Mountain Duskywing (2), Com/White Checkered-Skipper (2), Northern White-Skipper (3), Golden-headed Scallopwing (1), Orange Skipperling (2), Deva Skipper (1). I want to thank all participants for a great trip! Hope you will come out again soon! read more »

4/26/2022      Field trip report: Rackensack Canyon 23 April 2022 by Adriane Grimaldi.

We had 20 people attend our Rackensack/Sears Kay Ruin Hike this past Saturday, led by Ron Rutowski and Adriane Grimaldi. We had perfect weather and spotted 22 butterfly species. We had some new people attend the hike - some people found out about hike from Audubon Society, others from Facebook, while some were employees from Butterfly Wonderland. We also had a father and daughter and others who brought their fun two dogs. We had participants that represented their favorite animals - birds, people who knew about plants, butterfly experts and some cool people that knew tons about bugs. They even spotted a Blister Beetle. Here is the list of our 22 butterfly species Pipevine Swallowtail, Two-tailed Swallowtail, Dainty Sulphur, Sleepy Orange, Southern Dogface, Checkered White, Marine Blue, Spring Azure, Common Buckeye, Empress Leilia, Queen, Red-spotted Purple, California Patch, Elada Checkerspot, Arizona Sister, Funereal Duskywing, Meridian Duskywing, Common/White Checkered Skipper, Orange Skipperling, Common Streaky Skipper, Northern White Skipper, Golden-headed Scallopwing Not bad for a morning walk in central Arizona! read more »

4/3/2022      NABA Talk - A way to connect with NABA members

NABA has a new feature that's available to all members, NABA Talk, a forum for members to post questions to other NABA members. All you need to do is log into your NABA account and sign up to receive forum messages at NABA Talk. If you haven’t used our new system, click "Forgot password" and follow the prompts. You will be emailed a password link with additional information and will then be able to login. After logging in, you will be able to see your account and subscribe to all the forums or individual topics. To go to the NABA log-in page, click the NABA butterfly logo on the top right of this article! Thanks for helping the butterflies of North America! read more »

4/3/2022      3 Colorado Plateau butterfly counts 2022

The La Sal Mountains butterfly count will be July 2. Meeting at the Moab Information Center (Center & Main St) at 8AM. $3 per participant for NABA administration costs. It’ll probably last until 3PM, but people can leave whenever. Personal collecting allowed on USNFS land. Donated specimens and/or legs may be useful for Dr. Nick Grishin's genome study. The Bryce Canyon butterfly count will be Saturday, July 9 at 9:00 AM, meeting at the Sinclair Station across from Ruby’s Inn. $3 per participant for NABA administration costs. It’ll probably last until 3PM, but people can leave whenever. $35 admission waived. Specimens collected go toward Zion NP Museum Collection. The North Rim Grand Canyon butterfly count will be Saturday, July 16 at 9:00 AM, meeting at the North Rim Visitor Center. $35 admission waived. $3 per participant for North American Butterfly Association administrative cost. Project lead Robb Hannawacker & permit holder hannawacker@gmail.com 435-259-4711 x220 read more »

3/21/2022      National butterfly center reopened to members

The National Butterfly Center reopened for members this week after it temporarily closed in February due to conspiracy-fueled attacks against the center on social media. The center tells MySA it hasn't opened for the public and doesn't have a timeframe yet of when it will. read more »

3/21/2022      Field trip report: Apache Trail 19 March 2022 by Ron Rutowski

Thirteen avid butterfliers traveled up the Apache Trail in the Superstition Mountains on 19 March 2022. We made stops at Tortilla Flat, Mesquite Flat, and the Fish Creek Overlook. High points of the trip were two amazing-looking Viceroy larvae discovered on a willow at Tortilla Flat, many Arizona Powdered Skippers at wet mud in Mesquite Creek, hilltopping California Patches and Meridian Duskywings at the Fish Creek Overlook, and an ovipositing female Southern Dogface also at the Overlook. There were not a lot of butterflies out, probably because of the very limited rain since the first of the year, but enough, along with the spectacular scenery, to keep us well interested and entertained. Here is the list of the 17 species seen and identified: Pipevine Swallowtail, Two-tailed Swallowtail, Southern Dogface, Sleepy Orange, Gray Hairstreak, Spring Azure, Reakirt’s Blue, California Patch, Queen, American Snout, Empress Leilia, Common Buckeye, Viceroy (larvae), Funereal Duskywing, Meridian Duskywing, Northern White Skipper, and Arizona Powdered Skipper. There were also a few individual whites, sulphurs, and blues seen that did not land and so prevented identification to species. read more »

2/16/2022      NABA PRESIDENT GLASSBERG TALKS ABOUT RECENT CLOSURE OF THE NATIONAL BUTTERFLY CENTER

As those of you who are NABA members may know, NABA has been hosting virtual “Chats” mostly with NABA President Jeff Glassberg. The latest one was a week ago, February 8th, and most of it was about the recent closure of the Center, the disturbing reasons as to why it was necessary, what the plan is going forward, and how to help. That chat and the other ones have been recorded and here is the info from NABA about how to access the recordings. Here is the link to NABA Chats, now on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC20WuwIrnm-ELMP4EDsroNA Copy and paste this link into your browser, or click on the picture on the right, and you automatically will go there! I encourage everyone to watch this chat with President Glassberg and to do what you can to help. read more »

2/7/2022      Beginner butterfly training virtual program March 23, 6:00-7:30 pm

Have you ever wanted to learn more about butterflies? Here’s your chance! The Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department is hosting a butterfly training and monitoring program to help determine population trends, species richness, and diversity within the county. Attend the training program and learn: • advanced series butterfly identification, • receive a brief introduction to helpful butterfly apps, • and much more! Beginner Butterfly Training VIRTUAL PROGRAM MARCH 23, 2022, 6:00 PM TO 7:30 PM REGISTRATION REQUIRED: signup.com/go/WWCiqJA LINK TO PROGRAM WILL BE PROVIDED TO REGISTERED PARTICIPANTS Then, put your skills to the test at one of our upcoming butterfly monitoring programs! UPCOMING MONITORING PROGRAMS MARCH 26 • 8:30 AM - 12 PM AT THE FOLLOWING PARKS: • Hassayampa River Preserve • Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area • Estrella Mountain Regional Park • White Tank Mountain Regional Park NOTE: All participants must take the March 23 training to attend the monitoring program. BRING A MASK REGISTRATION REQUIRED: signup.com/go/WWCiqJA Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department 41835 N. Castle Hot Springs Rd. • Morristown, AZ 85342 (602) 506-2930 maricopacountyparks.net read more »