Watching Washington Butterflies with Bob Pyle: Number Forty One

John Hopfinger’s Lepidoptera of North Central Washington, 1956. Part 2

AUTHOR’S NOTE: John Hopfinger was one of our great pioneer Washington lepidopterists. He lived in Brewster, Douglas County, where he was an orchardist. He often hunted butter- flies with his friend Andy Anderson from Pateros, across the Columbia River. Hopfinger and Anderson accounted for many county and a few state records, such as the first Astarte Fritillaries and Melissa Arctics, both of which they found at Cooney Lake in the Sawtooth Range in the 1930s. What follows is a significant historical document which is still useful today: Hopfinger’s “Lepidoptera of North Central Washington,” prepared for Charles L. Remington of Yale University in 1956, and never published until now. We correct that here, with the last of two parts. His comments concerning conservation are interesting, implicating sheep grazing and insecticides. Oddly, Hopfinger didn’t report Mormon Metalmarks or Cabbage Whites, and omitted any notes on skippers, but a few moths are mentioned. I have edited only very lightly, adding common names and contemporary equivalents for species and a few subspecies names. It is intriguing to see how he coped with nomenclature in those days, and to read the names of a number of major lepidopterists with whom he communicated, two of whom described patronyms in his honor. As a teen in Colorado I corresponded with John Hopfinger, and consider him an important early influence on my own studies. We should remember him as a major figure in the history, field work, and knowledge of Washington butterflies. He was the true amateur: one who does what he does out of sheer love.

Euphydryas colonia [=E. editha, Edith’s Checkerspot]: From 4000 to 8000 feet. Cooney Moun- tain, Crater, Harts Pass, Tiffany Lake, etc. Not sure of this name. Gunder identified this “temporarily” as E. colonia.

E. anicia hopfingeri [the author modestly typed this as E. anicia hopf.] [Anicia Checkerspot]: Lower valleys, Black Canyon, Gold Creek, Alta Lake, up to Camp Gilbert.

Melitaea sterope [=Chlosyne acastus sterope, Great Basin Checkerspot]: Upper Sonoran, Alta Lake, Indian reservation along Columbia in April-May. Female varies greatly in color. Getting scarce the last few years. Sheep over the range.

M. segregata [C. hoffmani, Hoffman’s Checkerspot]: From 3500 feet, west of the Methow River. Camp Gilbert, Mazama, Patterson Lake. Seems to be around snowberry if found at all.

Phyciodes mylitta [Mylitta Crescent]: Lower valleys, from river valley to some 2500 feet. Alta Lake, Black Canyon.

P. campestris [=P. pulchella, Field Crescent]: From Columbia up to 7000 feet, Harts Pass, Gilbert, etc.

Nymphalis californica herri [California Tortoiseshell]: Main breeding grounds seem to be around 3500 feet, in buck- brush country. At Camp Gilbert, and on Crater Creek, I saw acres of brush eaten by the larvae of this, and safe to say, a million of the adult. On top of Crater Mountain, we saw a steady stream coming across the range from the Lake Chelan country. Some years, none are to be seen.

N. milberti [Milbert’s Tortoiseshell]: Rather scarce any time, found this from home up to Salmon Meadows.

N. antiopa [Mourning Cloak]: More common in the lower valleys than higher. Never common. Have not seen it above some 3000 feet.

N. c-album [l-album, Compton Tortoiseshell]: In 40 years of collecting here, I have taken exactly three specimens: Lake Chelan, Gold Creek, and above Mazama, at Gate Creek.

Vanessa cardui, caryi [sic: carye=annabella], atalanta [Painted Lady, West Coast Lady, Red Admiral/Admirable]: A few scattered specimens taken up to Harts Pass, no definite location.

Basilarchia lorquini [=Limentitis lorquini, Lorquin’s Admiral]: from home up to 4500 feet, along creeks and rivers. Lake Chelan, Salmon Meadows, Gold Creek. (From 1908 to 1912, there were some 3000 acres of land planted in young apple trees. L. lorquini, and the then-common L. archippus, took to this new foodplant with enthusiasm, and many is the overwintering larva I found on the tip of a leaf, all snug and rolled up. About 1914, spraying with lead arsenate commenced, which wiped them all out, and none are to be found around the orchard country now.)

Strymon melinus, acadica [=sylvinus], titus, chalcis [=saepium] [= [Gray Hairstreak, Sylvan Hairstreak, Coral Hairsteak, Russet Hairstreak]: From river level to 2000 feet. Any patch of “dogbane” in May-June will yield some of these. Gold Creek, Tar Creek, Alta Lake.

Satyrium fuligonosum [=S. semiluna, Halfmoon Hairstreak]: 1200 feet to the top of Harts Pass, scarce, higher country tends toward Klotz’s lunata.

Incisalia iroides [=Callophrys augustinus iroides, Brown Elfin]: One of the first to come out in the spring. Lower country mostly, feeds on coyote berry (adult).

I. eryphon [C. eryphon, Pine Elfin]: Edges of timber, May-June, from 1000 to 2500 feet.

Callophrys sheridanii, C. affinis [Sheridan’s, Western Green Hairstreaks]: Early in the spring, around a small yellow aster on rocky knobs around Alta Lake. Believe C. sheridanii to be the first thing on the wing, specimens taken in March always old, ragged. Rare any time.

Lycaena mariposa [Mariposa Copper]: At some 5000 feet common on yarrow, below Rogers Lake, scarce at Salmon Meadows. East of the Okanogan River on the road to Republic, seems to run into the form penrosi [sic. penrosae = L. m. cascadia running into L. m. thea].

L. nivalis browni [Lilac-bordered Copper]: Same range as P. anna [below], much rarer. Gilbert, Twisp Pass, Harts Pass, Upper Methow River at Mazama, Early Winters Creek.

L. heteronea [Blue Copper]: From river level to Harts Pass, 7000 feet. Any patch of yarrow will turn up some of these. At higher altitudes, the undersides tend to become spotted, close to Klotz’s gravenotata. June-July.

L. helloides [Purplish Copper]: Same range as the last, nearly all females tend toward flora, being much darker than typ- ical helloides.

L. sirius [=L. rubidus, Bronze Copper]: Low valleys along the Columbia, rather scarce.

Plebejus melissa [Melissa’s Blue]: Nabokov has some name for this, it flies from Alta Lake up to Sal- mon Meadows, 1000 to 4500 feet. Female very hard to find.

Pl. anna ricei [Anna’s Blue]: 3000 to 7000 feet, Harts Pass, Cooney Lake, etc., Salmon Meadows, var- ies greatly.

Pl. aquilo megalo [=Agriades glandon, Arctic Blue]: On top of Cooney Mountain, along trail at some

5000 feet, common on tip of the peak, hard to catch as it flies a couple of inches off the ground, and hardly ever rises above this. A bird came from under a rock when I made a swipe at one of these little butterflies, and went right through my net.

Pl. [=Icaricia] saepiolus [Greenish Blue]: 4000 to 5000 feet. Salmon Meadows, and east of the Okanogan River.

Pl. montis [I. icarioides, Boisduval’s Blue]: Not sure of this name, believe to be three-four different things from home to Harts Pass, Twisp Pass, etc., too many different colors and shapes. Some three months ago, I sent some 50 specimens from different localities to J. F. Gates Clarke at his request, for [William] Field to look over [at the USNM, Smithsonian Inst.]. Never heard any more about it. Always near lupines.

Pl. acmon [=I. lupini, Lupine Blue]: Same range as Pl. montis. Taken on tip of Cooney Mountain, 8000 feet.

Philotes enoptes columbiae [=Euphilotes columbiae and E. “on heracleoides“, Columbia and Cascadia Blues]: This is the name Mattoni put on what I used to call P. battoides oregonensis.

Lower valleys. I have one specimen from Salmon Meadows which is much darker than any other Philotes I have, will try for more this summer, then you can describe it.

Glaucopsyche lygdamus columbia [Silvery Blue]: Skinner described this from specimens I took along the Columbia, in 1917. Material from high country is different enough to warrant a name.

Phaedrotes [=Glaucopsyche] piasus [Arrowhead Blue]: Generally in the lower country, May-June, but I have one small specimen from Salmon Meadows.

Moths

Samia kasolensis [=Hyalophora euryalis, Ceanothus Silk Moth], Telea[ Antheraea] polyphemus [Polyphemus Moth], Pachysphinx modesta [Poplar Sphinx Moth]. A specimen of these moths turns up now and then, scarce any time. A colony of the sphinx used to live on the big tree at my old house, but believe the air spraying killed them all off.

Pseudohazis washingtonensis (Medlar) [=Hemileuca nuttali]: In the sagebrush flats in the lower coun- try. Larva feeds on greasewood, winters in the egg on the tip of small branches, flies about Augist 15.

Cold springs in the last five years hurt this badly, and have not seen it in years.

Ps. hera [=Hemileuca hera]: Same range as above, flies a couple of weeks later, believe this to feed on sage and rabbit brush, scarce.

Ps. eglanterina [Hemileuca eglanterina]: Flies around Gilbert in July, varies greatly, probably feeds on buckbrush or wild roses. [Sheep or Day Moths, going by various common names.]

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