'Waucoba GJVews

Sponsored by The Bishop Museum & Historical Society. Bishop, Ca. 9351L, VOLUME "l
Founded and Edited by Enid A. larson, Box 265, 81g Pine, Ca. 93513 No. m
SubscrIptIon: Four 9" Ion· 5 allped 5el f-addressed envelopes 4 issues per year
B

WAl)COBA: A Paiute word for ''plne tree"; also nlgnest peak In Inyo Mts., 11,027 ft.

A DEFOLIATED BRANCH OF THE

JEFFREY PINE

Mono County, California

Photo by D. Giuliani

June 15, 1979

Near Crestview, Mono County, California, a spectacular natural history event took
place this spring. On June 15, 1979, from the summit of Lookout Mt. east of Highway 395,
I could see a corridor, stretching about 8 miles in an east-west direction and approxi­
mately l~ miles in width, in which most of the Jeffrey Pine trees had been severely or
completely defoliated by the action of the larvae of the Pandora MothJ Coloradia pandora.
This defoliated area lies between Mammoth Junction and DeadmauSummit immediately north
of Dry Creek aud is bisected by the Highway. Caterpillars were of two sizes: most 3-4
inches in length, some only 1 inch long. Most were in the trees, many moving about over
the ground. Lodgepole Pines, though not defoliated, often contained large numbet_ of
larvae,some of which were observed eating the leaves.
The larvae of this moth have had a long history of use by the Paiute Indiafts of
Inyo and Mono counties as a food source. According to the Paiutes here in Big Pine,
both the caterpillar and the prepared dish made from them are known as lip aug gh.~···"'_,
In July 1978 John Derby, Inyo National Forest Ranger, stationed at Mammoth~ reported
large numbers of adult moths clinging to a lighted outside wall of a building at Crest­
view. The moth has a wing span of about 4 inches.
Five caterpillars I picked up from the ground on June 15, 1979 pupated in _
terrarium without soil on June 25. Jack Edell, Bishop, reported that larvae went into
the soil in his terrarium the day afterne col1.ectedthem. Jack made many obserVations
on their movements and behavior. '."" >\

Essig in INSECTS OF WESTERN NORTH AMERICA states that 2 years are required to "-C~~-
plete the full life cycle. Eggs are laid on Jeffrey Pine bark in May-June-July; the
eggs hatch in August, and the young larvae overwinter in the tops of the trees. In the ,
Spring they feed voracl.ously on the leaves, enter the ground and pupate in June and July. "'.."
According to Paiutes and other residents of the area, the numbers were the greatest '.,.
ever seen by them.
--D. Giuliani
Editor's Note: As this issue goes to press in late July, observers have reported that
some of the pines are already regrowing leaves so that the trees no longer looks as
devastated.
 SOME NATURE NOTES FROM ALABAMA HILLS

Feb. 14, 1979 - 2 Swainson's Hawks Buteo May 17 - A flock of 10 gulls, probably
swainsoni observed in Alabama Hills near California, flying N a ~i1e E of Lone Pine.
Lone Pine. A pair of Lazuli Buntings Passerina amoena
Mar 13 - A Swainson's Hawk seen in Ala Hills. and Phainopep1as Phainopepla nitens, and.a
Mar 20 - A Swainson's Hawk noted 1 mi E of Lone small flock of Cedar Waxwings Bombycilla
Pine. A gull, probably California, Larus cedrorum 1 mi N of Lone Pine.
californicus, soaring ~ mi S of Lone Pine. May 19 - A Scott's Oriole Icterus pari­
Mar 21 - 2 Swainson's Hawks soaring in Ala sorum among Joshua Trees Yucca brevifolia
Hills. 4 Turkey Vultures Cathartes aura 2 mi NW of Darwin.
soared north over Lone Pine. May 20 - 2 Turkey Vultures soaring N of
Mar 23 - Black-throated Sparrow Amphispiza Independence.
bilineata in Ala Hills. May 25 - Bullock's Oriole road kill exam­
Mar 31 - A Turkey Vulture soaring over Ala ined in Independence. Barn Owl Tyto alba
Hills. road kill examined 6 mi N of Lone Pine.
Apr 1 - 2 Turkey Vultures soaring over Ala May 28 - Blue Grosbeak Guiraca caerulea
Hills. Ca~yon Wren Catherpes mexicanus singing in Ala Hills.
along Tuttle Creek in Ala Hills. May 29 - Swainson's Hawk soaring in Ala Hills.
Apr 5 - Black-chinned Hummingbird Archilochus May 30 - Turkey Vulture soaring in Ala Hills.
alexandri in Ala Hills. Jun 1 - Turkey Vulture soaring in Ala Hills.
Apr 7 - Bullock's Oriole Icterus bulloc1di June 12 - Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis
seen in Lone Pine. nest high up a cliff in Ala Hills. The pair
Apr 12 - Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila were quite disturbed by my presence nearby
caerulea in Ala Hills. below the nest. Turkey Vulture in Ala Hills.
Apr 14 - American Goldfinches Spinus trlstus Jun 14 - Lesser Nighthawk Chordeiles acuti­
and Orange-crowned Warbler Vermivora celata pennis in Ala Hills.
in Ala Hills.
Apr 17 - 16 gulls, probably California, Vincent Yoder, Lone Pine
soaring S of Bishop.
Apr 18 - 20 Bonaparte's Gulls Larus phil­
adelphia rafting on Diaz Lake S of Lone Pine. E. GANN, Bishop: Reported that he located and
Apr 20 - Empidonax sp.and Chipping Sparrow observed 6 nests of the Long-eared Owl
Spizella passerina in Ala Hills. during early Spring, 1979
Apr 23 - An hour's visit to Diaz Lake pro­ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
duced the following observations:
2 male, 1 female Western Tanagers Piranga RECOMMENDED READING
ludoviciana A report from the ongoing research of Sherman
Many Western Kingbirds Tyrannus verticalis. and Morton gives an introduction to the natur­
2 MacGillivray's Warblers Oporonis tolmei. al history of the Belding Ground Squirrel.
Many Wilson's Warblers wilsonia pusilla. See: Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. MagaztneJUQe/Ju1y
A Myrtle Warbler Dendroica coronata. 1979, vo1.88, no. 6. This magazine is avail­
2 Great Horned Owls Bubo virginianus, able in county libraries. Sherman and Morton
first seen Feb. 24, Female still on the nest, based this account on their 10 years of field
male roosting in large cottonwood nearby. observations of colonies of ground squirrels
3 Ash-throated Flycatchers Hyiarchus near Tioga Pass. The Belding lives in the
cinerascens. high subalpine meadows of the Sierra and its
1 male, e female Black-headed Grosbeaks individuals are commonly seen standing as
Pheucticus melanocephalus.
"picket pins" or darting into their underground
Apr 24 - Sma},l' flock of Pinyon Jays Gymno­
burrows. The photographs of this squirrel which
rhinus cyanoc~phalus flying N over Ala Hills.
accompany the article are excellent. A biblio­
Turkey Vultur,~ soaring 5 mi N of Independence.
graphy of the published papers by these authors
A Sphinx Moth" ? Celerio sp. in Ala. Hills
has been included; their scientific papers may
hovering around Lycium Cooperi and feeding
be consulted by requesting the publishing
by iD&erting long tongue into blossoms.
journal on interlibrary loan.
Apr 30 - 3 flocks of Pinyon Jays (100+)
Among the interesting findings of these field
flying N through Ala Hills. Mourning
workers reported in FOUR MONTHS OF THE GROUND
Dove Zenaidura macroura in Ala Hills.
SQUIRREL:
May 1 - Flock. of 17 Pinyon Jays flying N
Females spend their lives near their female kil
through Ala Halls.
Belding females recognize their close kin
May 3 - 6 f1~1ts (335+, 1 flock over 200)
Food is not cached; energy stored as body
Pinyon Jays flying N through Ala Hills.
fat carries them through long hibernation
Townsend's ~arb1er Dendroica townsendi
Cooperation is a part of their way of life.
and Warbling Vireo Vireo gilvus in Ala
--Reviewed by Enid A. Larson
Hills.

May 4 - 7 floc1ts (330+, 1 flock over 100)

iiiiUiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
of Pinyon Jays flying N through Ala Hills.
WAUCOBA NEWS is prepared and printed at the ex­
,May 5 - 4 Turkey Vultures circling over
pense of the editor as a PUBLIC SERVICE and
Lone Pine.
as a contribution to the NATURAL HISTORY of
May 11 - 5 flocks (115+) of Pinyon Jays
the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada.
flying N through Ala Hills. Yellow Warbler
Donations allow for the photos.
Dendroica petechia noted at' Diaz Lake.

May 12 - A flock of 10+ Pinyon Jays flying

The Bishop Museum and Historical Society aids
N over Lone Pine.
by distributing copies to its paid members:
May 16 - 2 Pinyon Jays flying N over Lone
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