Posted on Sep 21, 2024

This is the second year I went to the Sky Islands to look for D. grantii. My goal was to collect at least five individuals per population and to explore and discover additional mountain ranges where D. grantii might be living. Also, visiting Payson, where the highest number of D. grantii are found, was on my bucket list.

My first stop is always Fort Davis. This time I arrived here around 2 pm and it was very windy so I decided I was not going to do light sheeting. Instead, I visited the observatory.

The next day I went to Portal and camped there for a night. I did not need more individuals from here but this one of the Sky Islands I really like. It was a rainy day and I turned on mercury vapor pretty late due to the rain. Just 5 min after setting up, I got my first D. grantii of the year. It was so worth it, so I did not stay up too late.

The second location was Sierra vista. This was a new spot, and I assumed that D. grantii should live here. The roads got washed out very badly on the way to the top. I checked a few other potential places but they were not good and the elevation was not high enough so I decided to give that road another try. I saw a lot of people coming down so I stopped to ask them. “ It's very rocky, and I didn’t make it to the top. “ was the answer I heard from multiple people. I told myself that I’ll keep driving until it’s not drivable. On the way to the top, a U.S. Forest Service vehicle coming down, I flagged it and asked the driver. She looked at my truck and asked, "Is that four wheel drive?” “Yes” , I replied. She told me I should be able to make it and there’s a big hole. Most people would try to stay close to the wall, but if you want to make it you need to drive close to the cliff side. I kept her words in mind. When I saw that big hole, holy bucket my right wheels were just a couple inches off the cliff.

I made it all the way to the top and I met a couple. I talked to them about my research and what I was doing. They seemed really cool and were interested. They invited me to join them for dinner. They had some good food but I was busy setting up so I just chucked my canned food. Even though they would have shared their food with me, they mentioned they didn’t have enough water. I had plenty of water so I insisted the guy take some. He really appreciated it and wanted to pay me. But without internet service we only exchanged the number. I stayed there for 2 nights but I didn’t get any D. grantii but some Chrysina spp.. I still don’t know if I just had bad luck or there’s not many D. grantii in that area.

Next, I went to Mt. Lemmon, the place where I caught the only male last year and this is my favorite Sky Island. Once I got back service again, I received a text from the medical doctor I met on the top of Sierra vista. He told me if I was heading to Mt. Lemmon I could crash at his place in Tucson. I told him that I’m going to stay at the mountain for 2 nights but if the first night I got at least 2 individuals (plus the 3 from last year) I’d meet him in Tucson. At Mt. Lemmon I met another family from Utah. They were traveling all over the place. Daniel, the father, asked me if they could join me in light sheeting because they have never seen it before. I even let his son start the generator, and the boy got really excited. That night we observed some cool moths and caught 3 D. grantii, including one male individual. After that we camped together.

Next morning we exchanged contact and I went to Sumerhesven to get food and drinks before heading to Tucson. I texted Jonathan if his offer still stood. We then went to a bar and grabbed drinks before dinner. After dinner I finally took a shower and slept indoors after days of fieldwork. Next day I said bye to him and headed toward Payson, Phoenix. On the way to Payson, I had brunch with Cassi. We went to grad school together and she studied the immune system in opossums. Now, she’s a teacher. It was really nice to catch up and see old friends while you are doing fieldwork in different places. That afternoon I arrived at Payson, I didn’t realize it was Labor Day weekend and the traffic was terrible. All camping spots were taken so I tried to find a hotel and managed to book the last available room. At night I met up with Jay. We met online because of out mutual interest in beetles. Coincidentally, we also went to the same school, Eastern Illinois University, but years apart. In Payson you didn’t need any equipment for D. grantii. All you need is to walk around with a flashlight. We went to Walmart, Home Depot and some shopping plazas. As a result, I collected and kept around 15 individuals just right before 10 pm.

The last stop was Mt. Graham. It is one of the highest mountains in the region, reaching about 10,700 ft. There were no previous records from this mountain so I did not have much expectation. I found a primitive open area to set up lightsheet and camped at one of the recreational areas. It was a windy night and very slow. I did not see many moths or other beetles. But suddenly, I heard a loud noise and something dropped about 10 yards away from the sheet. I pointed my flashlight in that direction and I saw a big beetle. It was a male D. grantii. Even though I only caught one, it was still exciting to confirm that D. grantii are present here. And this one was a large male with beautiful coloration and a humongous horn.

The big difference between Mogollon Rim and Sky Islands, I believe, is population size and the habitat. In the Sky Islands, I had to set up everything and wait all night just to catch a single individual. If I got more than 1, it was a super lucky night. But in Payson, I only need to walk around to find dozens of individuals in just a couple of hours.

In conclusion, this is another successful fieldwork expedition. I collected enough samples (hopefully) for my study, met new friends, and caught up with old friends. Now I am back in Texas, it is going be a super busy semester. I will be extracting DNA, sending out samples for sequencing, and prepare for qualifying exam (to determine if i become a PhD candidate). So please stay tuned for what I’ll discover and uncover, both in the lab and out in the wild.