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FRIENDS OF CAVE CREEK CANYON
Our mission is to inspire appreciation and understanding of the beauty, biodiversity and legacy of Cave Creek Canyon through volunteer work and outreach programs.
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Butterfly Explosion!
by Lori Conrad
As you may have noticed, we were recently in the midst of a real invasion of butterflies in our area. This, after a very dry beginning to the year, came to us with the monsoon rains. It would appear, all of these lovelies have been breeding like crazy south of the border, then when the rains moved north, so did they…..in droves! Suddenly there were flowers everywhere, & the butterflies were in nectar heaven. Unfortunately, large numbers met their demise on the grills of our automobiles, but hopefully many more were successfully able to lay their eggs before their already short lives were cut even shorter.
Tailed Orange pictured here:
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Most of the invasion was made up of several types of sulphurs, all those yellow and orange guys, but we also had a huge influx of American Snout butterflies, so named because of their "Jimmy Durante" like probocsis. [Photo by Carol Comeau]
We also had a few rarer butterflies follow the regulars up from the south, including Great Southern White & Dorante's Longtail, a tropical member of the skipper family. [Photos by Lori Conrad]
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Invaders from the west included several California Patch butterflies, seen in our yard and several spots up in the canyons.
[Photo by Lori Conrad]
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The East also had their contribution in the way of the Question Mark butterfly, normally not found west of the Rockies. Several were found here over the past week or so.
Photo by Carol Comeau
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I also found an extremely rare butterfly for our area, a Melissa Blue, for a first Cochise County record! They've never been found south of the White Mountains before. It was recently at the Turkey Creek Junction. |
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Above - Variegated Fritillary by Carol Comeau |
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Above-Red-spotted Admiral
Below-Queen by Carol Comeau
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FOCCC Partners With Forest Service On Local Project
Article by Rolf Koford, photos by Armando Arvizu
Sept. 25 was National Public Lands Day, when volunteer projects throughout the Nation celebrate our public lands. Projects are educational and focus on conservation. This year, Cave Creek Canyon had its first project in ten years. With a recent increase in local Forest Service staffing, this may become an annual event, as the Forest Service takes the lead. FOCCC helped recruit local volunteers. Volunteers did not have to be FOCCC members, but members did not need a separate Volunteer Service Agreement to participate.
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Five local volunteers assisted on two tasks. Old pipe was removed from the South Fork of Cave Creek from the berm to the bridge. This pipe originally carried water to the campground that used to be at the end of the road. The campground became a picnic area, which was devastated by the 2014 flood. The tables, benches, and bathroom were removed and the area is returning to a natural state. Future projects can work their way down the creek-bed. |
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The other project was pulling horehound in the Sunny Flat Campground. It is likely that contaminated dirt from elsewhere was the source of this invasive species. The recent dry period seems to have done a lot of damage to the older, larger plants. With good rains this monsoon period, though, the horehound is making a comeback. We got perhaps a quarter of it. Local work crews may have an opportunity to make more progress in the near future. |
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It was nice to get to know the Forest Service recreation folks, Armando, Derek, Nick, and Trent. They supplied work gloves, goggles, safety vests, and even distributed Smokey buffs to the volunteers. Many thanks to our wonderful volunteers. The willingness of community members to give their time and energy to community projects is a big part of what makes this such a special place. |
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White-lined Sphinx Moth
by Ray Mendez [Photos by Carol Comeau]
These images are of the day flying moth we have seen in our gardens in unusual numbers this year. They can hover like a hummingbird and are fun to watch flitting from one flower to another. The White-lined Sphinx Moth, named after the white lines on the forewings, whose Latin name is Hyles lineata, is a lovely flower nectar feeding animal. These widespread moths occur over most of North America and range up into Canada, Mexico and Central America. Unlike butterflies, when at rest their wings sweep back forming a V and lie flat like some jet fighters.
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The group’s larvae are commonly known as horn worms due to the dark spike that grows above their tail end. For a period of time our roads around Portal seemed to be covered in their striped or yellow blotched 3” caterpillars. This happens when the food plants run out or when they are looking for places to dig in and pupate. The pupae are large and brown. They are not cocoon makers but dig a small horizontal hole just bigger than the pupa to spend the winter. The name sphinx moth comes from the shape of the front end of the caterpillar when it is disturbed and raises itself up in the air. They are a favorite food for many critters including box turtles whom I have seen so fat from eating them that they can't even close themselves up when disturbed. |
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Unlike the larvae of their cousins, the tomato horn-worm, which is a garden pest feeding on tomato plants, the white-line larvae are not agriculturally important. The caterpillars eat purslane, portulaca, wild grape, and a host of weeds and various desert shrubs. This year’s rains gave us a large crop of caterpillars which will insure a strong number of these lovely flying creatures in our gardens for next year. Enjoy watching these harmless aerial acrobats. |
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Red-bordered Satyr above by Carol Comeau |
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Above - California Patch [AZ rarity] |
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Dainty Sulphur by Carol Comeau |
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Above - Fiery Skipper
Black Witch Moth by Carol Comeau
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Painted Lady by Carol Comeau |
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HERITAGE DAYS, SEPTEMBER 11-12
By Kim Vacariu
Despite the cancellation of traditional Heritage Days indoor presentations due to public safety concerns during the current COVID-19 surge, the Saturday outdoor Market and Crafts Fair and the Sunday Mountain Wildflower Walk still took place. Over 100 people attended the outdoor Fair. The live music with Dennis Hanisch and Friends and the great tacos at the on-site Migration Taco Stand were very popular.
The always popular Sunday Mountain Wildflower Walk with Elaine Moisan and Dave Jasper was enjoyed by about 20 participants.
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High Country Wildflowers with John Roser & Carol Comeau |
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Friends of Cave Creek Canyon Board Members |
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Bob Ashley
Sheri Ashley
Geoff Bender
Rick Beno
Rene Donaldson
Rolf Koford
Pat Parran
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Reed Peters
Kim Vacariu
Jeff Wakefield
Alice Wakefield
Cecil Williams
Mike Williams
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Help us thank our Business Members who have given generously to Friends of Cave Creek Canyon. Without their assistance, we would be hard pressed to accomplish our goals. Click on the underlined names to check out their websites.
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A.S.K. Pest Control
Carrie Miller
Ed Newbold Wildlife Artist
Painted Pony
Sky Islands Grill & Grocery
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Daussin & Associates
Migration Taco
OL' Morani Ranch
Sky Island Rolfing
Terry Miller
Umphres Propane
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Would you or a friend like to submit and article for the FOCCC Newsletter? Our goal is to share information about current events in the Canyon.
Always include: your email, pictures w/credits (jpeg format) and text. We can't guarantee your article will be used but all submissions will be reviewed and considered. Remember to keep it relevant, timely, and brief.
Send your plain text article with photos attached via email to
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