Sighting for May 15, 2018
Jill Gorman
Capitol Reef National Park, Lower Pleasant Creek Trail
Wayne County, UT
- Western Tiger Swallowtail 1
- Melissa Blue 100
- Variegated Fritillary 12
- Field Crescent 30
- Common Checkered-Skipper 8
Variegated Fritillary
Melissa Blue
Variegated Fritillary
Field Crescent
Field Crescent
Field Crescent
Common Checkered-Skipper
Common Checkered-Skipper
Common Checkered-Skipper
Melissa Blue
Melissa Blue
Melissa Blue
This trail followed a small stream through a dry, sandy desert. We were surprised to see hundreds of butterflies, including 6 Variegated Fritillaries laying eggs on Broom Flax (Linum aristatum) and Field Crescents coupling. We saw no other butterflies during other hikes in the park, but this trail was full of them! We also saw thousands of milkweeds (Showy and Utah), so I would imagine that Monarchs will be there soon!