Pen in Hand: California Sisters decorate Tehachapi canyons
Pen in Hand: California Sisters decorate Tehachapi canyons
By: Jon Hammond
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Posted by editor Tue Nov 30, 1999 00:00:00 PST
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0 responses 0 comments Though most people are unaware of this fact, the Tehachapi area is one of the best places in Kern County to see butterflies. Our higher elevation means that we continue to have flowers blooming (and thus nectar sources) for butterflies when the surrounding Mojave Desert and San Joaquin Valley have little to offer. Right now one of the most prevalent species in our mountain canyons is the beautiful California Sister (Adelpha bredowii).
These attractive butterflies are fairly large with chocolate brown wings marked with a diagonal white stripe and a round bright orange spot near the outer edge of each wing. They also have a lovely triangular cape of iridescent purple and blue that can be seen on recently-emerged individuals when they land.
On the underside of their wings, California Sisters are more muted with some lilac-blue markings and faded looking yellowish orange.
For most butterflies, the top of their wings are the flashy sides, the ones that are designed to attract attention. The undersides are generally the camouflaged part, the area that a butterfly reveals when it doesn’t want to be seen. A brilliantly-marked butterfly can often land and fold its wings up and vanish, its subtle underwing design enabling it to blend in with its surroundings.
This is true of California Sisters: it is hard to miss that pretty dark brown butterfly with the vivid orange wing spots as it sails down a tree-lined canyon, but when it lands and closes its wings vertically, it suddenly becomes hard to locate.
The native habitat of California Sisters is oak woodlands, especially along canyon floors where abundant Canyon Oaks (Quercus chrysolepsis) drop their small straw-colored leaves on the ground below. A pale wing spot on the underside of California Sisters matches these fallen oak leaves perfectly, making them difficult for predators to spot when they are at rest, when the butterflies are most vulnerable.
California Sisters, especially the males, are frequent “puddlers,” meaning they often land on damp or wet ground to drink water along with salts and nutrients.
After a long, depressing day photographing the aftermath of the Oak Creek Canyon fire last week, my spirits were cheered a little by the sight of California Sisters landing to drink moisture sprayed by a water truck to keep the dust down from the scores of passing fire-fighting vehicles.
California Sisters are not hard to find right now, especially in local canyons with trickling creeks or springs. I’ve seen and photographed them in the past three weeks in Water Canyon and Tehachapi Mountain Park, Oak Creek Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Indian Hill Ranch, along Tehachapi Creek, in Sycamore Canyon… they are a great reason for a summer outing into our mountains.
Have a good week.
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