________________________________________________________________________________________ Volume 53, Number 3 Fall 2011 www.lepsoc.org ________________________________________________________________________________________ Inside: Idaea asceta (Prout) (Geometridae), new to the U.S. Lepidoptera conserva- tion under a changing climate Karl Jordan Award win- ner: Don Lafontaine Life history of Leona’s Little Blue Tiputini Biological Sta- tion, Ecuador Late Season trip to the Richardson Mountains Membership Updates, The Mailbag, Marketplace... ... and more! ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Contents ________________________________________________________www.lepsoc.org A Late Season Trip to the Richardson Mountains ____________________________________ Michael Leski. ............................................................................................ 75 Volume 53, Number 3 Report on the Southern Lepidoptersists’ Society and Association Fall 2011 for Tropical Lepidoptera Meeting 2011 The Lepidopterists’ Society is a non-profit ed- Jacqueline Y. Miller. ............................................................................. 78 ucational and scientific organization. The ob- Idaea asceta (Prout) (Geometridae: Sterrhinae) from Texas, new ject of the Society, which was formed in May to the North American fauna 1947 and formally constituted in December Charles V. Covell. .................................................................................... 79 1950, is “to promote internationally the sci- Conservation Matters: Lepidoptera Conservation under a ence of lepidopterology in all its branches; to Changing Climate further the scientifically sound and progres- sive study of Lepidoptera, to issue periodicals Astrid Caldas. .......................................................................................... 80 and other publications on Lepidoptera; to fa- From the Editor’s Desk. ........................................................................... 81 cilitate the exchange of specimens and ideas 2011 Karl Jordan Medal Award Recipient: J. Donald Lafontaine by both the professional worker and the am- Jacqueline Y. Miller. ................................................................................ 82 ateur in the field; to compile and distribute Announcements: ......................................................................................... 83 information to other organizations and indi- National Moth Week, July 23-29, 2012 viduals for purposes of education and conser- Website for finding “lost” locations vation and appreciation of Lepidoptera; and Life History of the imperiled Leona’s Little Blue Butterfly, to secure cooperation in all measures” direct- Philotiella leona (Lycaenidae) ed towards these aims. (Article II, Constitu- tion of The Lepidopterists’ Society.) David G. James. ....................................................................................... 84 The Mailbag. ............................................................................................... 86 The News of the Lepidopterists’ Society Ron Robertson (1945-2010): Teacher, Collector (ISSN 0091-1348) is published quarterly by Jerry A. Powell. ....................................................................................... 87 The Lepidopterists’ Society, c/o Los Angeles The Marketplace. ....................................................................................... 90 County Museum of Natural History, 900 Tiputini Biological Station, Ecuador: Canopy Observations, Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007- Incredible Riverside Congregations and . 4057, USA., and includes one or two supple- Steve Fratello. .......................................................................................... 91 ments each year. The Season Summary is published every year as Supplement S1 and Jeremy Holloway, 1995 Recipient of the Karl Jordan Medal, is mailed with issue 1 of the News. In even Honored at Symposium on Borneo Biodiversity numbered years a complete Membership Jacqueline Y. Miller. ............................................................................... 96 Directory is published as Supplement S2 Membership Update and is mailed with issue 4 of that volume of Julian Donahue. ..................................................................................... 97 the News. Please see the inside back cover Membership Information, Dues Rates, Journal of the Lepidopterists’ for instructions regarding subscriptions, Society, Change of Address, Our Mailing List, Missed or Defective submissions to, and deadline dates for, the Issues, Book Reviews, Submission Guidelines for the News. ............... 98 News. Executive Council/Season Summary Zone Coordinators. ................ 99 Periodicals Postage paid at Los Angeles, CA and at additional mailing office (Lawrence, Issue Date: December 9, 2011 ISSN 0091-1348 KS). POSTMASTER: Please send address chang- es to News of the Lepidopterists’ Society, c/o Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007-4057. Front Cover: Asthenidia sp. (Oxytenidae), Tiputini Biological Station, Ecuador, Steve Copyright © 2011 by The Lepidopterists’ So- Fratello and Danusia Antonowicz; see article, page 93. ciety. All rights reserved. The statements of contributors do not necessarily represent the views of the Society or the editor and the So- ciety does not warrant or endorse products or services of advertisers. _____________________________ __________________________________________________________ Fall_______________________________________________________________________________________ 2011 News of the Lepidopterists’ Society A Late Season Trip to the Richardson Mountains Michael Leski 301 N. Riverwalk, Apartment 606, Buffalo Grove, IL 60089 [email protected] It seems odd to include the words ‘Late Season’ in the title Arctic Circle. of an article describing an early August trip, but these words accurately describe my recent trip on the Dempster Monday began chilly and damp. I stopped at Wright Highway. In fact, several of the people that I contacted Pass on the Northwest Territory/Yukon border, took the regarding potential collecting sites simply answered requisite photos, spread my wet belongings, and scrambled “All the bugs will be gone.” And for the most part, they halfway up a nearby peak. The sun had broken through were. However, I was pursuing Polygonia and Nymphalis the clouds, but nothing was flying, save three curious species, and I worried that my arrival date of July 28 in ptarmigans that I disturbed. I scrambled down, collected Whitehorse might be a week too early. my dry clothes and tent, and continued my drive. Just west of Midway Lake, another red butterfly flew across the On Friday, the day after I arrived, I obtained supplies in road. I parked and investigated, and to my delight, a P. town and began the 500 km drive north on the Klondike faunus was feeding in the ditch. Soon after, I took my first Highway to the start of the Dempster, stopping at Polygonia gracilis of the trip. I would collect many more promising sites along the way. The first butterfly that I at this spot until 6 pm, with only an occasional vehicle encountered was an extremely worn Limenitis arthemis disturbing my activities. rubrofasciata, which if in good condition would have made a nice addition to my collection. Immediately afterward, I Continuing my journey, I crossed the Peel River by ferry took a Colias canadensis, a Colias palaeno, and a Plebejus and reached the visitor center at Fort McPherson, where I idas. An hour later along the Takhini River I took a nice learned that the store in town was closed due to Civic Day, Polygonia faunus arcticus, my target species. But the celebrated the first Monday in August in most of Canada. afternoon skies turned dark – a common theme of this Apparently, the holiday had contributed to my collecting trip – and I continued north. A stop along McCabe Creek success that day, as the traffic had been sparse, unlike yielded 3 more P. faunus. Another hour or so north, a my stop at this site a week later, when I would encounter smallish butterfly crossed the road just below a hill. Upon as many as 20 earth movers an hour along this stretch investigating, I found good numbers of Boloria chariclea of the Dempster. I found a small campsite east of town, nectaring along the side of the road. Not a bad start to and enjoyed a beautiful and long evening, taking photos the trip. at midnight before retiring for the night. The next day I continued my journey, crossing the Mackenzie River I reached the Dempster Highway that evening and made by ferry. Near Moose Lake, about 70 km from Inuvik, I camp in a gravel pit. At 64 degrees north, darkness was spied more P. faunus along the road, and collected here for slow to come and the sun quick to rise, so I got an early the remainder of the day. These were wary and hard to start the next day. About 50 km into the Dempster, I approach. I soon located a small puddle party at the base photographed and vouchered several Plebejus saepiolus. of the highway that introduced me to one of the hazards A stop at the Grizzly Creek trailhead parking lot yielded of the Dempster. Built some 4-8 feet above the ground several Lycaena dorcas and another Colias palaeno. More to insulate the underlying permafrost and prevent the C. palaeno were flying, but these were dashing about the road