Are the Dynastes grantii flying yet in Payson?

[chanda]

I'm planning a trip to Payson in the next few weeks, and I was wondering if the Dynastes grantii are out yet - or if they're running a bit later this year?

I'll most likely be going either the last weekend of August or the second weekend of September (not going Labor Day weekend - far too crowded then) and I'd like to collect a few beetles. I'm trying to decide which would be the better weekend to go. Anyone in Arizona have any advice for me?

Thanks!

 

[pannaking22]

Yes, just saw someone one Facebook post a couple pics of one. Not sure if it's peak season or anything yet, but they're at least active.

 

[Ficusfarmer]

I drove out to Payson last weekend ( 16 hrs roundtrip) and didn't find a single beetle. Searched at gas stations, Home Depot, Walmart, etc. Assuming it's still too early for them?

 

[chanda]

I drove out to Payson last weekend ( 16 hrs roundtrip) and didn't find a single beetle. Searched at gas stations, Home Depot, Walmart, etc. Assuming it's still too early for them?

Oh, man! That sucks! I'm planning on driving up for the weekend on the 28th (roughly 12 hour round trip) and I'd really hate to come up empty! I wonder if I should put it off for a couple of weeks? I don't want to go up on Labor Day weekend because it's just insanely crowded then, but I could go the weekend after - I was just afraid of going up later than usual and finding out that I was too late.

 

[mochisauce]

Found 3 males and 5 females last weekend on the 21st. I believe this week is about the peak of the season. In the past 5 years, this year has been the best so far. I am also heading to Payson again this weekend, and this time I'm going to set up a mercury vapor light trap at our campsite. I highly recommend going there in the next few days to find some D. Granti, anything past Labor Day weekend would be too late. Good luck!

 

[chanda]

Found 3 males and 5 females last weekend on the 21st. I believe this week is about the peak of the season. In the past 6 years, this year has been the best so far. I am also heading to Payson again this weekend, and this time I'm going to set up a mercury vapor light trap at our campsite. I highly recommend going there this weekend to find some D. Granti, anything past Labor Day would be too late. Good luck!

Dang! That's what I was afraid of! My sister-in-law wants to come with me, and she's busy this weekend, so I already cancelled my hotel room and re-booked for the weekend after Labor Day, because Labor Day weekend is too crowded - I made that mistake once before. I hope there are still some beetles to find by then! Maybe I'll see if I can sneak away mid-week for a quick overnighter?

Please let me know how you do this weekend!

 

[mochisauce]

I have heard of a few people finding Dynastes Granti in late September. It really depends on the weather. The first and second year I went beetle collecting, was in late September and we found nothing but dead beetles, not to mention it was very cold. You might have better luck looking down South in the Tucson area at the time you're going, since the temperatures are much warmer. Our trip last week was a quick one-night trip, but the traffic delayed our arrival by two hours due to a rodeo in Payson, and my family only lives about an hour and a half away. We only spent about 2-3 hours there. You could definitely make a quick trip as long as you can get there at about 7 to 9, when they are most active. I will keep you updated!

 

[chanda]

I have heard of a few people finding Dynastes Granti in late September. It really depends on the weather. The first and second year I went beetle collecting, was in late September and we found nothing but dead beetles, not to mention it was very cold. You might have better luck looking down South in the Tucson area at the time you're going, since the temperatures are much warmer. Our trip last week was a quick one-night trip, but the traffic delayed our arrival by two hours due to a rodeo in Payson, and my family only lives about an hour and a half away. We only spent about 2-3 hours there. You could definitely make a quick trip as long as you can get there at about 7 to 9, when they are most active. I will keep you updated!

In Tucson? Really? I grew up in Tucson, and I never saw a single one! My hope this year was that the long, cool spring and later onset of hot weather might delay the grantii slightly, so they'd still be flying in mid-September, but all my previous trips were in August except the one year we went Labor Day weekend (where it took over an hour to travel the last 11 miles into Payson because of the bumper-to-bumper holiday weekend traffic) so I really don't know what to expect. Last year we were up mid-August (around the 23rd) and people said we were too early and the beetles hadn't peaked yet. I did find a few, but they were not plentiful - and the Xyloryctes were pretty sparse, too. Usually, there are tons of those!

 

[mochisauce]

Yeah, Dynastes Granti can be found in Gila, Coconino, Navajo, Apache, Pima, and Pinal County. They are pretty wide spread throughout the State, you just have to find the hotspots. I have heard of many people collecting them in the southern areas of Tucson and slightly further down in Madera Canyon, and west in the Benson area. They are even pretty common near Flagstaff and Sedona as well. Although I assume you reside much closer to Payson. Its funny because, Dynastes Granti have a natural lifespan of about 2-4 months, yet it seems that they're season only lasts about 3 weeks before they're all dead from the cold. For me personally, late August (20th-31st) at the right time of the day is the prime time (in Payson of course). For 3 years now, we have had great success finding Dynastes Granti, Xyloryctes Thestalus, Chrysina Gloriosa, and Polyphylla decemlineata at around the same time of the month. I still want to find a lucanus mazama though haha.

 

[mochisauce]

Correction, in 2017 we spent a night in Payson around September 20th and after about four hours of searching we did find 2 female Granti and about 5 xyloryctes.

 

[chanda]

Correction, in 2017 we spent a night in Payson around September 20th and after about four hours of searching we did find 2 female Granti and about 5 xyloryctes.

If I recall correctly, when I was there in 2017 (in late August) they weren't terribly plentiful then, either. In 2018, on the other hand, I found tons of them! (Also late August - probably the weekend before Labor Day weekend.) Last year was ok - hardly found anything Friday night - maybe one or two? - but Saturday I found a several females and a couple of males.

 

[mochisauce]

2018 was also when I first found over a dozen in one night, and same goes with last year. Although the majority of them were always females. I'm hoping this weekend combined with last weekend will set the record haha. I'll let you know how it goes this weekend, and hopefully you'll get to find some on your trip!

 

[mochisauce]

Update: So it rained on both nights that I was in Payson, so there wasn't too many bugs flying around. We found 7 Dynastes granti, but they were all females, so we left a few. I did find two dead males. I bet there were many beetles after we left because the rain had stopped haha. Good news is, the males I caught from the previous week have been successfully mating with the females in the enclosure, so I am expecting eggs in the next month or so.