Trip Report Southern Tamaulipas  25 – 30 October 2007

WINGS Birds and Butterflies Jim Brock and Rich Hoyer, co-leaders

Author: Jim Brock

The trip started off with a bang at the Los Indios border crossing. Among the several Clouded/Lerema accius and Fawn-potted Skippers/Cymaenes odilia nectaring on a white morning glory was one fresh Double-dotted Skipper/Decinea percosius (photo on Mariposas Mexicanas).

Traveling south, hundreds of Giant Whites/Ganyra josephina were viewed along the roadside in scrub habitats. A brief stop for lunch at the Rio Corona north of Victora was uneventful as food was consumed and little time was spent watching bugs although participants got their first taste of the tropics with Band-celled Sister/Adelpha fessonia, Malachites/Siproeta stelenes and Cryptic Skipper/Noctuana lactifera.

We arrived late afternoon at Canyon del Novillo just outside of Victoria. We parked at the gravel pit and never made into the canyon. It was that good. A clump of three or four blooming Eupatorium odoratum provided us with a virtual who’s who of Tamaulipan skippers and other butterflies for nearly an hour. It wasn’t necessary to move. Lounge chairs would have come in handy as easily 60 species of butterflies were frequenting this clump of flowers. Creamy Whites/Melete lycimnia were everywhere with good numbers of Florida Whites/Appias drusilla mixed in. Skippers included Tailed Aguna/Aguna metophis, Falcate Skipper/Spathilepia clonius, Mottled Bolla/Bolla clytius, Common Bentwing/Ebrietas anacreon, Hermit Skipper/Grais stigmaticus, numerous Glazed Pellicias/Pellicea arina, Red-studded Skipper/Notuana stator, Starred Skipper/Arteurotia tractipennis, and Dark Mylon/Mylon maimon. Metalmarks included Walker’s/Apodemia walkeri, Red-bordered/Caria ino and Curve-winged/Emesis emesia.

In a gully below the odoratum flowers were a number of blooming seep willows (Baccharis sp.). They were sprinkled with both sexes of Silver and Pavon Emperors/Doxocopa laure and D. pavon plus numerous spectacular hairstreaks. No less than 15 species were found on two of the larger plants. The better finds were six Mexican Cycadians/Eumaeus toxea, two male Schaus’ Streaklets/Ipidecla schausi, Damo Hairstreak/Pseudolycaena damo, Goodson’s Greenstreak/Cyanophrys goodsoni, Gold-bordered Hairstreak/Rekoa palegon, Strophius Hairstreak/Allosmaitia strophius and an unidentified species of Erora (posted on this website). In all we had 109 species in under two hours in about 2000 square feet! That’s the way this canyon can be with the right nectar in bloom!! We drove to Ciudad Mante, our base for the next two days.

Our first day below the Tropic of cancer we followed Richard Lehman’s hot tip and checked the flowering vine on the way into Canon de la Servilleta just off the road to Ocampo. We were rewarded with face to face views of Regal Hairstreak/Evenus regalis (see Mariposas Mexicanas) and no less than eight Arcius Swordtails/Rhetus arcius. Other choice bugs soon arrived with the highlights being Potosi Skipper/Anatrytone potosiensis, both sexes of Painted White/Pieriballia viardi, a female Black-patched Bluemark/Lasaia aegesilas, Great Tanmark/Emesis mandana, Lycortas Skipper/Orthos lycortas, Valde Skipper/Morys valda and Frosted Flasher/Astraptes alardus.

We made our way past Ocampo to km 24 on the road to Tula. Butterflies were everywhere. In addition to the flying horde of Monarchs/Danaus plexippus and Creamy Whites/M. lycimnia there were scads of crescents, nymphalids and pierids. Our lunch spot featured a territorial Mexican Dartwhite/Catasticta nimbice, Common Morpho/ Morpho helenor fly-bys, Eyed Sister/Adelpha paroeca, Purple-stained Skipper/Zenis jebus, Inca Skipper/Vehilius inca and tons of Brown Crescents/Anthanassa atronia. The day ended with close views of a Common Myscelus/Myscelus amystis right along the highway.

On days three and four we toured the Gomez Farias area. A morning breakfast on day three at La Florida yielded numerous Dusky Eusalasias/Eusalasia eubule high up in the canopy and a few Red-bordered Pixies/Melanis pixe on a flowering vine. At La Florida the bamboo died to the roots a couple of years ago so it was good to see it coming back along with the butterflies associated with this plant such as Kendall’s Satyr/Splendeuptychia kendalli and larvae of both Vacerra and Niconiades in leaf nests.

Afternoons were spent on the road to Alta Cima before the turnoff to Rancho Cielo.  Highlights were yet another Regal Hairstreak/E. regalis on a flowering tree along with Pearly Hairstreak/Theritas theocritus and Blue-spot Hairstreak/Parrhasius polibetes. We got decent glimpses of the rarely observed female Band-gapped Swallowtail(aka Torquatus ST)/Papilio torquatus high up on a mala mujer. We also finally got looks at all three of the usual crackers (Gray, Glaucous and Guatemalen)/ H. februa, glauconome, and guatemalena, and added showy nymphalids like Rusty-tipped Page/Siproeta epaphus, Spot-celled and Celario Sisters/A. basiloides and A. serpa, Tiger and Pearly Leafwings/Consul fabius and C.electra plus our first Anna’s 88’s/Diaethria anna.

On day five it was then time to head up the mountain but not before trying the lower Rancho Cielo road where we found Rayed and Pointer Sisters/Adelpha lycorias and A. iphiclus.

When one ascends to 3200’ in a tropical cloud forest the diversity drops. However there are interesting bugs found there and we were not disappointed. Our stay at the field station at Rancho Cielo included two full field days. Never had any clouds and conditions were perfect despite the nighttime chill. Highlights were a yet unidentified Ruby-eye/Carystoides sp., Veined Ruby-eye/Synale cynaxa ,both coming to impatiens,possibly a few East Mexican Banded-Skipper/Autochton siermadror, both Elegant and Stalling’s Flats/Celaenorrhinus stola, stallingsi, Erybathis Hairstreak/Laothus erybathis flashing sky blue in the mid-day sunlight, an unidentified species of Ridens, possibly mephitis, Confusing Sister/Adelpha iphicleola, Stained Greenstreak/Cyanophrys agricolor, a half dozen or more Florida Purplewings/Eunica tatila, Superb Cycadian/E. childrenae and Star Satyr/Oxeoschistus tauropolis.

In all, the trip yielded about 250 species of butterflies.

Author: Kim Garwood, Mission, Texas

We drove straight through to Gomez Farias, after getting the car papers at the border. It takes about 5.5 – 6 hours once you clear the border. There wasn’t much happening at La Florida, so we went on to Gomez and were able to get rooms at Casa Piedras for 500 pesos/room, which includes breakfast. The new hotel, Cumbres Inn, is now open, and we stayed there Monday night on our way back. I enjoy Casa Piedras for the atmosphere, but it doesn’t have air conditioning, which can make a big difference much of the year. It was warm and sticky Friday night, but the rooms are pleasant and the small gardens can be good for bugs.

Saturday morning we stopped at the bus stop right across the dirt turnoff to Bocotama, which is always worth checking if there’s any moisture. There were some leafwings and sulphurs, but not large numbers, so we headed on south. We took the road to Ocampo, went past Ocampo up to the oaks, then doubled back to take the new paved road down to El Naranjo. This road is west of Ocampo and very productive. A very short distance on our left, less than a mile, is a car track off through the woods which had several species of crackers right at the edge of the trees. This was the only place we saw Red Cracker on the whole trip. Lots of Grays, Glaucous and Guatemalan Crackers at other locations, but this was it for a Red. This track looked like it could be quite productive. We had Pale-billed Woodpecker here on our way back.

This road from Ocampo to Naranjo looks very promising. It repeatedly crosses the old winding road, so there are lots of places to pull off and walk the old road. This is tough to find in many areas of Mexico, as the roads tend to not have any shoulders, so you’re always having to watch for trucks and dive into the bushes to get off the road. Makes for difficult photography. But when you can find old abandoned roads where there’s not any traffic it’s great. We had lots of butterflies working the dirt roads and the trash dumped as well. Probably a couple of zillion Pavon Emperors, they were everywhere. Plus many of both species of Sailors and lots of Starred Skippers, more than I’ve ever seen. The road is great about half way, then you get into sugar cane and it gets very rough and torn up by the cane trucks. It comes in near El Salto, at the Y where you normally go to the left to the falls, to the right is where the Ocampo road comes in when you’re coming out of El Naranjo.

Saturday night we couldn’t get rooms in El Naranjo, so had to drive over to Mante to stay at the Hotel Mante, 580 pesos/room. This is always a nice hotel, just in the middle of town and no good habitat nearby. We checked out the nacimiento right west of town and saw some jicanas, one with 4 babies, but not many butterflies. Then we drove back to Naranjo Sunday morning and went up to the falls, which due to all the rains were booming over the usually diverted falls. Mist was everywhere and it was quite cool, even about 10am. A new house has been built and the left side has all been fenced, which used to be a good spot for clearwings. We saw some bugs but not large numbers. Then we went back to Naranjo and west to the bridge, where sometimes there is a good mudding spot. It was dry, so we went straight on the dirt road out to where the bumblebee metalmarks can often be found late in the day. This is where good habitat comes down to the road from both sides, about 2.7 miles up the dirt road. This is a very slow, bumpy road, takes about 45 minutes, but we spent several hours as there was water running down the right side of the road and many butterflies mud puddling. Many dark spreadwings, lots of sulphurs, and the best bug of the day was a brilliant fresh Widespread Myscelus/Myscelus amystis, life butterfly for all of us. And it was very cooperative, posed for all of us to take a couple of hundred shots.
Late Sunday afternoon we went out to Minas Viejas, east and south of El Naranjo. We found out when we got there the owner has now started charging 10 pesos per person, and it was packed with local families swimming and picnicing, so we went on, found another place to get to the river but not many bugs. On our way back to El Naranjo, in a small plot of tropical milkweed inwith some houses, we spotted a dark swallowtail nectaring. We pulled in, put up our glasses, and found another lifer, Victorinus Swallowtail/Pterourus menatius victorinus. Between Willie, Richard and Kim we got some pretty good shots, even though it never stopped.

Sunday night we stayed at the hotel right next to the bridge in El Naranjo, 350 pesos for large, air conditioned rooms. We ate in town at our favorite fajitas place, El Rancho, a small yellowish round building on the north side of the main road. Excellent carne asada and guacamole and cold drinks, all 4 of us for 220 pesos. Monday morning we ate gorditas at a great little spot next to the tortillaria by the pemex, also good coffee. Then fortified we headed back up to the Ocampo road, this time taking most of the day to explore. It was covered w/butterflies. Black-patched Metalmarks, a variety of skippers, and again tons of Pavon Emperors. I’ve never seen so many on a trip before. One pull off to the east where we walked the old road it was flooded, seemed to be a spring, and probably 40+ Ruby-spotted Swallowtails and Variable Swallowtails mud puddling. I’ve never seen so many in one spot. We also had a very fresh Rayed Sister, the furthest north I’ve seen this species, though Ricardo Jimenez at the Cumbres Inn told us he had seen it for the first time at Gomez Farias just 4 or 5 days earlier.

We spent the last night back in Gomez Farias at the new place, Cumbres Inn, for 631 pesos for a double. Their prices are cheaper Monday to Thursday, as they appear to get a lot of weekend visitors from Monterrey. Our meals at the restaurant were very good. This time we all ordered chicken, I had fajitas de pollo, Willie had a fabulous pollo w/salsa de cognac, and Richard had one of the best milanesas de pollo I’ve ever had.

We spent Monday afternoon working the road from Gomez Farias up to the Y and picked up a number of new species for the trip. Tuesday morning we had to head home, but decided to stop off briefly at the Encino road and go to the river, which proved to be a good decision. The low water crossing was open, and the road had been smoothed considerably since the last time I had been across. Willie and Richard had been there in Sept and couldn’t cross due to the raging waters. This time we found a blooming white vine which was bringing in the bugs, and tenaza (?) trees with white puffballs blooming, also great attractants. These were the best butterfly blooms we saw anywhere on this trip. Lots of new trip species and several we had never seen this far north before. Choricus Skipper, even Godman’s Mapwing, which we had only seen in Xilitla, SLP.

Trip Report for Southern Tamaulipas, Mexico, August 31   —  September 2, 2007
Participants: Richard Lehman, Will and Gill Carter, Willie Sekula

The four of us left south Texas early Friday morning motoring directly to Cd. Victoria with a brief butterflying stop at “Banner Blvd.” near San Fernando. The Teneza trees (Pithecelobium pallens) were in full bloom and seemed to be everywhere. Only a moderated number of butterflies were attracted to the flowers while we were there. I don’t think that I’ve ever seen the 200 roadside miles between south Texas and the Sierra Madres at Cd. Victoria as lush and verdant as they were this day. Lots of butterflies were on the move. Radiator inspection confirmed the presence of numerous Lyside and large orange sulphurs and Giant Whites.

Butterflying the canyons at Cd. Victoria was mildly productive. Troncones and Novillo seem to be among the best places in Mexico to see a large variety of swallowtails. There were of course, Giants in numbers but also many, many Ornythions, quite a few Variable and Black Swallowtails, and a sprinkling of Broad-banded, Torquatus, Palamedes, and Dark Kite Swallowtails. In total we had 10 species in the canyons and picked up an additional 2 species the following day at La Florida further south near Gomez Farias. The rivers in both canyons were out of their banks due to the recent rains thus limiting the distance we could drive even with 4-wheel drive. (Note: The road into Novillo Canyon is completely destroyed before reaching the Shrine area.) We arrived in the Gomez Farias region late in the afternoon.

The next morning in the El Encino area near the Rio Sabinas, we had lots of Melwhites busily working to increase their numbers. There were Red-bordered Pixies, a few Pearly-gray Hairstreaks, numerous Malachites, and scads of Pavon Emperors, both male and female. Zebras were the most abundant heliconians. There were a few eratos but no Isabelas. Certainly the best butterfly of the area and also of the the entire trip was that perfect female Arcius Swordtail found and photographed by Willie. The grounds at the new Las Cumbres Hotel in Gomez Farias have lots of flowering plants which normally attact butterflies. Ricardo Jimenez, resident butterfly and birding guide at the hotel pointed these out, but little was flying in the heavy overcast and occasional mist. Normally, he says these plants attract lots of the gaudy metalmarks and hairstreaks   —  alas, not this day.

At slightly lower elevation at La Florida we were surprised to find the Rio Frio flooding most of the park. The usual profusion of butterflies was absent. We did get to watch and photograph a female Variable Swallowtail as she laid eggs. (See photo on Mimoides phaon page.)  And then the rains came, and we took off for El Naranjo in San Luis Potosi hoping for clearer skies the next morning. Boy were we mistaken. The already flooding rivers, creeks, fields, and roadside were on the rampage after a hard all night rain. We gave up and headed for the border in constant rain, sometimes very heavy, all the way back.

So, with less than favorable conditions, over only a few hours of actually butterflying, we had to be happy with the 110 species that we managed to tick off.