Observation date: August 19, 2011
Submitted by: Joe Schelling--...
Specimen type: Photograph
Observation notes: None.
Status: Resident
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: October 03, 2011
Coordinator notes: Surprise! This is not the mundane Melissa Blue, but the much more interesting Spalding's Blue. On VHW note the lack of iridescent blue in submarginal black dots; on VFW, note smearing of orange inward along veins. Larvae eat only Eriogonum racemosum. This is a new record for the Sandias and for Bernalillo County. Very exciting! Probably worthwhile to follow up and try to find a nearby stand of the buckwheat, and then get more observations next year. Maybe the most exciting NM report so far in 2011 (for me at least).
