Rivers of Gold

A few images from my weekend mothing trip down to Shell Creek, San Luis Obispo County. Early spring along the central coast is stunning, and the back roads were packed with flower watchers. There were dozens of cars occupied by families out for a weekend drive, many had packed lunches and sat to watch the flowers grow. While I am happy to see people enjoying the natural beauty, it is difficult to see the damage their trampling can cause. Tuttavia, if more people could get out to appreciate nature, perhaps it would be easier to protect. The flowers were so bright and dense it was difficult to focus on moths, and after a few hours I started to go a little snow-blind (or as it shall forever be now known, flower-blind). Here are a few feeble attempts to capture the beauty.

(more images after the break)

Most likely a Schinia species feeding here.

Heliothodes diminutiva

Heliolonche joaquinensis

Xanthothrix neumoegeni

Questo è Adela thorpella, or a fairy moth. Note the incredibly long antennae.

The full list of Lepidoptera seen for the day:

falene

Heliothodes diminutiva(Noctuidae)

Heliolonche joaquinensis (Noctuidae)

Heliolonche modicella (Noctuidae)

Schinia crotchii (Noctuidae)

Schinia amaryllis (Noctuidae)

Schinia pulchripennis (Noctuidae)

Xanthothrix neumoegeni (Noctuidae)

Axenus arvalis (Noctuidae)

Achyra occidentalis (Crambidae)

Adela thorpella (Adelidae)

Farfalle

Danaus plexippus

Vanessa atalanta

Coenonympha tullia

Anthocharis sara

Colias eurytheme

Everes amyntula

Glaucopsyche lygdamus

Plebejus acmon