# travel tips for AZ



## NevularScorpion (Mar 20, 2011)

Hello guys I'm planning to go to AZ and camp at the grand canyon for 3 days does anyone know a good place to see a lot of inverts and wild life ?


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## ftorres (Mar 21, 2011)

Hello All,
Hey Will, I would recomend you wait and save some cash to attend the ATS conference in AZ. You can find a lot more inverts,reptiles and other stuff around Tucson

regards

francisco

PS let me know if you are interested


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## AzJohn (Mar 21, 2011)

I'm not sure what is in that part of the state. I know north of the Grand Canyon you can find some real cool scorpions. If you dont mind driving look at the Payson or Sedona areas. PM me for more general directions if you plan on going that way.


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## NevularScorpion (Mar 22, 2011)

Thanks John and Francisco,

I'm probably just gonna go to ATS conference since the weather this week is not looking good.


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## josh_r (Apr 14, 2011)

You could always look for aphonopelma phasmus at the bottom of the grand canyon. supposed to be a smaller species.


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## Bugs In Cyberspace (Apr 17, 2011)

I shot this video two summers ago within an hour of the ATS conference. You're going to have an AMAZING time in Arizona! I'm moving to Tucson this summer. Words cannot express my excitement, so I won't even try.

[YOUTUBE]kETVllF95Ls[/YOUTUBE]


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## josh_r (Apr 19, 2011)

Hey Peter, you were down by nogales weren't you? Go down there in june and set up sheets like that. You will be AMAZED at what flies into your lights


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## campj (Apr 19, 2011)

CBP comes to mind.


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## Bugs In Cyberspace (Apr 22, 2011)

@josh_r: Yeah, I've set up lights at Pena Blanca Lake a few different times over the years, but never so early as June when all the big Saturniids fly through. I've seen the photos on the Moths of SE Arizona Website though, and I will certainly be spending some time in prime habitat there in the next couple years since I'm moving down there this summer. Do you make it back to AZ for a visit?

@campj: what does "CBP"stand for?


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## Inverts4life (Apr 23, 2011)

I go to southern AZ every monsoon season. The highlight of my year. Will be moving to Tucson too once I'm done with the navy.  Here some of my pics.


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## afronate (Apr 23, 2011)

I lived in Flagstaff, Az for 14 years and pretty much everywhere is a great place for creature hunting. Take sanfrancisco street all the way north till it ends at elks lodge. North of elks lodge is a series of trails that lead as far as mt. Elden at the base of the sanfrancisco peaks. Along the way you'll see everything from praying mantis species to woodland scorpions. Just east of the elks lodge on the corner of cedar and turqoise street you'll find J. Lively memorial ice rink/park. Take the dirt road or trails 2 miles further east and you're in buffalo park. That's where I witnessed my first tarantula migration as a kid and fell in love with them. Although a lot of the forests that I used to wander as a kid are now gone, Flagstaff is one of those cities where you don't necessarily need to go too far into woodland areas to instantly run into something amazing.


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## AzJohn (Apr 23, 2011)

I was out this morning and figured I'd post a few pictures from central Az mainly Queen Creek near Superior.


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## AzJohn (Apr 23, 2011)

Few more pictures


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## AzJohn (Apr 23, 2011)

Few more, notice the open mine. This is one of the safer ones. Others are bottomless pits. None are covered. Also S donensis and the rock it was under. My favorite US scorpion.


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## josh_r (Apr 24, 2011)

@ inverts4life, I love those phaeneus dung beetles! they are too cool! nice find. 

Peter, I try to get back down to AZ every summer. I will hopefully make it this year. Can't guarantee it. When you get settled down there, we should go on a bug hunt next time I am in the area. I have yet to catch me a unicorn mantis. seen one, but no catch


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## Inverts4life (Apr 24, 2011)

Thanks they are one of my favs! that pic was a couple years back. Didn't find them last year. I went too early i think. Cant wait to go back, planning a trip in mid august when i get back from deployment.


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## Bugs In Cyberspace (Apr 29, 2011)

Yeah, let's all get together for a night of blacklighting! Thanks for sharing all these photos guys. It's like being a kid and knowing it's Xmas Eve. I've been stuck up here in Oregon for 36 years (my whole life) and I still wander out into my backyard in the middle of winter to look for bugs, sometimes with a flashlight, at night. I find stuff, like a tiny green weevil last week that I've never seen before and a small, red-legged spider with a shiny abodomen like a drop of oil.

It's never like being in AZ though. I'm coming "home" in 3 months!

We've corresponded on YouTube, Inverts4Life. I know I enjoyed a few of your videos. I also got to meet Francisco and dodge bugs flying towards the lights with him down at Pena Blanca, two summers ago. I think I may have done an exchange with you, AZJohn as some point. And josh_r, I know you have some sweet localities to share;-)

I wish they'd announce the speakers for the conference this year. I think I'm going to miss being down there by a week or so, but we'll see.


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## zonbonzovi (Apr 29, 2011)

Bugs In Cyberspace said:


> Yeah, let's all get together for a night of blacklighting! Thanks for sharing all these photos guys. It's like being a kid and knowing it's Xmas Eve. I've been stuck up here in Oregon for 36 years (my whole life) and I still wander out into my backyard in the middle of winter to look for bugs, sometimes with a flashlight, at night. I find stuff, like a tiny green weevil last week that I've never seen before and a small, red-legged spider with a shiny abodomen like a drop of oil.


Yes, blacklighting is a must! I can sympathize with the X-mas Eve fever...except I have to come back home when all is said and done.  I'm running out of novel finds here & you've gone and made me giddy again  2 months is an eternity.  Hope to see y'all in July...


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## BrettG (Apr 29, 2011)

Best bit of advice I can give about Az is get out and see as much as possible.The diversity here is amazing.


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## Inverts4life (Apr 30, 2011)

Yes I run into people down there every year. Can't wait to go back. Im stuck in Kuwait till early august so my trip will be a little later but i will definitely be there from mid to late august.  CAN'T WAIT!


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