Subject: Re: desert Hyles lineata

From: [email-masked] (Pierre A Plauzoles)
Date: Mon, 25 Nov 1996 07:13:23 GMT

In a previous article, [email-masked] (MS LYNN L MONROE) says:

>>"I have also observed H lineata in broad daylight nectaring at mimbre
>>(Chilopsis linearis) in the Colorado Desert (Box Canyon, some 12-15 miles
>>east of Indio, California).  The numbers?  About 4-8 per minute.  The
>>same situation is also reported by others observing elsewhere in southern
>>California.  Whether this a phenomenon particular to southern California
>>or not I do not know."
>
>In mid-March of 1991, I took a photo of H. Lineata mating during the day in
>Borrego Springs in the Colorado Desert. Mid-April of the same year, after
>heavy rains at the end of February, was an amazing month in Borrego
>Springs.  Tens of thousands of Hyles lineata and Vanessa cardui
>caterpillars were between them devouring almost every wildflower in sight.
>They were thick on the roads as well.  The previous fall I had raised an H.
>lineata caterpillar and its pupation period was two weeks.  I don't know if
>this pupation period is true for the spring brood.  I wasn't around in May
>to see if there was a mass emergence! But seeing adults, about 4-8 per
>minute in daytime, would seem to fit such a mass emergence.

Thanks.  Just the kind of confirmation I wanted.  Now I have another 
question: have you ever seen Manduca rustica?  I am told (and there is a 
pair of adults in the San Diego Museum collection to back this up) that 
Mason Valley is a known breeding locality for it.  I have been there and 
have yet to see anything.  What is the best time to go?  Is it like it is 
for the desert populations of swallowtails (emergence just after rains 
for them, but some other factor could trigger emergence for the rustic 
sphinx) or is their emergence temperature-triggered or what?

Thank you.

-- 
Pierre Plauzoles   [email-masked]
Canoga Park, California

---

From: Eric or Pat Metzler <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 25 Nov 1996 06:42:43 -0500

MS LYNN L MONROE wrote:
> Pierre Plauzoles wrote:

In 1987, mid July, they were abundant along the roadsides, nectaring on
asteraceae, species unknown, in rangeland in west central New Mexico.
Also in mid-afternoon, we would see them to be very common, for miles
and miles as we made our way across dirt roads in and near the Very
Large Array (VLA).

Cheers,

Eric
Eric H. Metzler
1241 Kildale Sq. N.
Columbus Ohio 43229-1306
USA

Phone:  614 888 3642
E-mail: [email-masked]