Type: report

Article abstract: This report covers activities performed during our second year of work with Thorne's hairstreak (TH). Activities are summarized with reference to objectives as outlined in our first annual report, and activities for 2011 are projected (field activities for these two central years of the project are very similar). Over the course of 130 field days in 2010, vegetation sampling and butterfly monitoring were carried out as planned. Vegetation was characterized in 249 plots associated with 38 Tecate cypress stands. Butterfly surveys were conducted in 136 plots associated with 33 cypress stands, and juvenile (caterpillar) surveys were conducted in 67 plots in 26 cypress stands. Of those plots surveyed, adult butterflies were seen in 26 plots (18 stands), and caterpillars were found in 5 plots (3 stands). In total, 50 adults were observed and 5 caterpillars were found in the field in 2010. We have also conducted a trial run of habitat modeling analyses, to verify the suitability of our data for the goals of the project. In summary, objectives for 2010 were met, with the primary exception of manipulative experiments for which we were limited by the availability of females in the field, which is unpredictable.