Observation date: July 26, 2019
Submitted by: Christian.Nunes
Specimen type: Photograph
Observation notes: There were over a dozen Chryxus Arctics actively raiting over extreme avalanche debris near tree line along the South Fork Silver Creek. There was still a lot of snow/ice cementing the many decimated spruce trees in the avalanche field. Individual O. chryxus would defend depressions in the debris. It was quite apparent that they were capitalizing on this novel habitat, completely devoid of potential host plants.
Status: Resident
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: October 05, 2019
Coordinator notes: Although identified as "chryxus" here, I explained earlier on one of your sightings that this is certainly Oeneis calais (ssp. altacordillera with ref I noted to Papilio (New Series) #12). O. chryxus is a monotypic species that flies only in even years in Colorado and mostly below 10000 ft. I have found both near each other in the even year on Beaver Creek north of Fairplay. J. Scott details characters between each (also see the latest issue of the Lep Soc News in which Scott also discusses these along with life history information on several of the high altitude Oeneis (including O. alberta). Mike
