Erik:

I am an amateur much as are most individuals on these forums but simply have taken my hobby seriously enough to conduct basic

investigations into various aspects of C. bottae life history. My current emphasis deals with taxonomic issues and sample size can be very important in such an endeavor.



I made two trips to S. Calif. this spring. Weather conditions were mostly unsuitable for conducting searches during the first three week effort and I was able to record data on only 9 C. bottae. I returned later in May, released a number of those specimens, and continued searches in a variety of regions including southern Oregon. I only spent 6 days during that trip from Corvallis, Oregon to as far south as Alamo Mt. in Ventura County, about 900 or more miles distant. I was able to examine and release about 7-8 specimens during that time. But most of my time was spent driving between regions and making searches leaving little time to examine the specimens I found. It takes anywhere from about 20 to 30 minutes to examine and record data on each specimen. Hence my returning with more specimen this year. Now that they have been examined, most will released where found later in the year when I return to Calif. as has been the case since 1994.



And 38 specimens is not even a drip let alone a drop in the bucket when it comes to this species and sample size. Those specimens represent 7-8 different regions. To collect a reasonable sample from each area takes a number of years and in most regions, the sample size will remain small. To increase samples size, I also examine preserved specimens from a number of institutional collections.



This is only a partial explanation but hope it satisfies your inquiry.



Richard F. Hoyer

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