The past week or two has been very exciting for butterfly lovers in the easternmost Washington counties. We have developed a great fascination with the Coffeepot Lake and Twin Lakes BLM areas of central Lincoln County. Jeanne Dammarell and Sue Orlowski began reporting Mormon Metalmarks and Hera Buckmoths (Hemileuca hera) during the week of 8/15-8/22. On our way home from the WBA Monarch tagging event on August 23rd, Brenda and I stopped here on the hunch that we would see some of the great sightings reported by our friends, and located not only the Mormon Metalmark, but the Buckeye (Junonia coenia), apparently a first record for the state. Tom Munson visited the same area and got some splendid Metalmark photos and found the moth present as well. Jeanne returned on Sunday, Aug 24th, to locate a lovely fresh Old World Swallowtail, an infrequently seen and impressive scablands species. WBA members may be interested in a tour of the area next season? Call us! John Baumann.

The Common Buckeye was found for the second time this year and the second time ever in WA in Benton County. It is fairly common in Oregon, where there is a bumper crop this year. This one was sighted by Jane Abel on September 16 on Johnson Island in the Columbia River about 6 miles N of Richland.