Site Report: Reserva Tapichalaca

Tapichalaca

Jocotoco Antpitta (Grallaria ridgelyi)

Skeletonizing Leaf Beetle (Paranapiacaba dorsoplagiata)

Chestnut-breasted Coronet (Boissonneaua matthewsii)

Stink Bug (Pentatomidae sp)

Skeletonizing Leaf Beetle (Isotes sp)

Cutworm Moth (Noctuidae sp)

Carpet Moth (Eois cobardata)

Spittlebug (Ischnorhinidae sp)

Cutworm Moth (Noctuidae sp)

Skeletonizing Leaf Beetle (Isotes sp)

Leafhopper (Cicadellidae sp)

False Owlet Moth (Thyatira sp)

Pug Moth (Geometridae sp)

Geometer Moth (Geometridae sp)

Cutworm Moth (Eriopyga sp)

Spittlebug (Ischnorhinidae sp)

Yellow-breasted Brushfinch (Atlapetes latinuchus)

Sphinx Moth (Xylophanes crotonis)

Geometer Moth (Melinodes saeta)

Cutworm Moth (Pastona sp)

Erebid Moth (Erebidae sp)

False Owlet Moth (Drepanidae sp)

Geometer Moth (Oxydia platypterata)

Carpet Moth (Psaliodes sp)

Spider Cricket (Phalangopsidae sp)

Long-jointed Beetle (Statirina sp)

Leafhopper (Paromenia sp)

Undulated Antpitta (Grallaria squamigera)

Geometer Moth (Nephodia sp)

Amethyst-throated Sunangel (Heliangelus amethysticollis)

Cutworm Moth (Psaliodes sp)

Erebid Moth (Erebidae sp)

Geometer Moth (Hymenomima sp)

Litter Moth (Rejectaria sp)

Spittlebug (Paromenia sp)

Soldier Beetle (Cantharidae sp)

Leafhopper (Cicadellidae sp)

Katydid (Pleminiiti sp)

Common Earwig (Ancistrogaster mixta)

Pearl Moth (Anarmodia sp)

Caddisfly (Trichoptera sp)

Erebid Moth (Erebidae sp)

Little Sunangel (Heliangelus micraster)

White-throated Quail-Dove (Zentrygon frenata)

Chestnut-breasted Coronet (Boissonneaua matthewsii) - Male

Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant (Ochthoeca rufipectoralis)

Bearded Guan (Penelope barbata)

Geometer Moth (Oxydia platypterata)

Carpet Moth (Geometridae sp)

Cranaid Harvestman (Phareicranaus sp)

Lichen Moth (Agylla sp)

Caddisfly (Trichoptera sp)

Crambid Snout Moth (Crambidae sp)

Geometer Moth (Geometridae sp)

Beetle (Coleoptera sp)

House Fly (Muscidae sp)

Cockroach (Blattellidae sp)

Soldier Beetle (Cantharidae sp)

Cutworm Moth (Noctuidae sp)

Leafhopper (Cicadellidae sp)

Erebid Moth (Erebidae sp)

Gray-hooded Bush-Tanager (Cnemoscopus rubrirostris)

Equatorial Antpitta (Grallaria saturata)

Moth Fly (Quatiella sp)

Pearl Moth (Crambidae sp)

Rainy forest

Visits

2025-07-12: When we finally arrived at Tapichalaca, it was still raining. We tried to walk around in the mud, but it wasn't really worth it. In addition, the rumor was that it had become a challenge to find the Jocotoco Antpitta that this reserve is famous for. The antpitta was "discovered" by some foreign birder, but in reality the locals already knew about the bird and had a name for the it. It was looking like the trip to Tapichalaca was going to be a wash as well. The positive side-effect of rain is that it usually results in more moths at night. Sure enough, we were about to find a bunch of cool looking moths after the sun set.
2025-07-13: Amazingly, there was no rain by the time morning rolled around. It was virtually sunny. That didn't mean the trails were not mud, however.

Species Seen

Kingdom: Animals (93 records)

Phylum: Arthropods (51 records)

Class: Arachnids (1 record)

Order: Harvestmen (1 record)
- Family: Cranaid Harvestmen
- Cranaid Harvestman (Phareicranaus sp)

Class: Insects (50 records)

Order: Beetles (8 records)
- Family: Darkling Beetles
- Long-jointed Beetle (Statirina sp)
- Family: General Beetles
- Beetle (Coleoptera sp)
- Family: Soldier Beetles
- Soldier Beetle (Cantharidae sp)
- Soldier Beetle (Cantharidae sp)

Order: Butterflies and Moths (27 records)
- Family: Crambid Snout Moths
- Pearl Moth (Anarmodia sp)
- Crambid Snout Moth (Crambidae sp)
- Crambid Snout Moth (Crambidae sp)
- Family: Cutworm Moths and Allies
- Cutworm Moth (Noctuidae sp)
- Cutworm Moth (Pastona sp)
- Cutworm Moth (Noctuidae sp)
- Cutworm Moth (Eriopyga sp)
- Cutworm Moth (Noctuidae sp)
- Family: Hooktip and False Owlet Moths
- False Owlet Moth (Thyatira sp)
- False Owlet Moth (Drepanidae sp)
- Family: Sphinx Moths
- Sphinx Moth (Xylophanes crotonis)
- Family: Underwing, Tiger, Tussock, and Allied Moths
- Erebid Moth (Erebidae sp)
- Erebid Moth (Erebidae sp)
- Litter Moth (Rejectaria sp)
- Lichen Moth (Agylla sp)
- Erebid Moth (Erebidae sp)

Order: Caddisflies (2 records)
- Family: Trichoptera
- Caddisfly (Trichoptera sp)
- Caddisfly (Trichoptera sp)

Order: Cockroaches and Termites (1 record)
- Family: Wood Cockroaches
- Cockroach (Blattellidae sp)

Order: Earwigs (1 record)
- Family: Common Earwigs
- Common Earwig (Ancistrogaster mixta)

Order: Flies (2 records)
- Family: House Fly
- House Fly (Muscidae sp)
- Family: Moth Flies and Sand Flies
- Moth Fly (Quatiella sp)

Order: Grasshoppers, Katydids and Crickets (2 records)
- Family: Katydid
- Katydid (Pleminiiti sp)
- Family: Spider Crickets and Allies
- Spider Cricket (Phalangopsidae sp)

Order: True Bugs (7 records)
- Family: Spittlebugs and Froghoppers
- Spittlebug (Ischnorhinidae sp)
- Spittlebug (Ischnorhinidae sp)
- Family: Stink Bugs
- Stink Bug (Pentatomidae sp)
- Family: Typical Leafhoppers
- Spittlebug (Paromenia sp)
- Leafhopper (Cicadellidae sp)
- Leafhopper (Cicadellidae sp)
- Leafhopper (Paromenia sp)

Phylum: Chordates (42 records)

Class: Birds (41 records)

Order: Doves and Pigeons (2 records)
- Family: Pigeons and Doves
- Band-tailed Pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata)
- White-throated Quail-Dove (Zentrygon frenata)

Order: Hummingbirds and Swifts (6 records)

Order: Owls And Nightjars (1 record)
- Family: Typical Owls
- Rufous-banded Owl (Strix albitarsis)

Order: Parrots (1 record)
- Family: New World Parrots
- Scaly-naped Parrot (Amazona mercenarius)

Order: Perching Birds (27 records)
- Family: Cardueline Finches and Allies
- White-capped Tanager (Sericossypha albocristata)
- Family: New World Sparrows
- Yellow-breasted Brushfinch (Atlapetes latinuchus)
- Family: New World Warblers
- Spectacled Redstart (Myioborus melanocephalus)
- Black-crested Warbler (Myiothlypis nigrocristata)
- Russet-crowned Warbler (Myiothlypis coronata)
- Family: Old World Buntings
- Rufous-collared Sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis)
- Family: Swallows
- Blue-and-white Swallow (Pygochelidon cyanoleuca)
- Family: Tapaculo
- White-crowned Tapaculo (Scytalopus atratus)
- Chusquea Tapaculo (Scytalopus parkeri)
- Family: Thrushes and Allies
- Great Thrush (Turdus fuscater)
- Family: Tyrant Flycatchers
- White-banded Tyrannulet (Mecocerculus stictopterus)
- Olive-chested Flycatcher (Myiophobus cryptoxanthus)
- Rufous-breasted Chat-Tyrant (Ochthoeca rufipectoralis)
- Family: Wrens
- Plain-tailed Wren (Pheugopedius euophrys)
- Mountain Wren (Troglodytes solstitialis)

Order: Trogons (1 record)
- Family: Trogons
- Masked Trogon (Trogon personatus)

Order: Turkey-like birds (1 record)
- Family: Chachalacas, Guans, and Curassows
- Bearded Guan (Penelope barbata)

Order: Woodpeckers, Barbets, Toucans, and Honeyguides (2 records)
- Family: Piculets and Woodpeckers
- Bar-bellied Woodpecker (Dryobates nigriceps)
- Golden-olive Woodpecker (Colaptes rubiginosus)

Class: Mammals (1 record)

Order: Bats (1 record)
- Family: New World Leaf-nosed Bats
- Handley's Nectar Bat (Lonchophylla handleyi)

Lifelists

Trips

Southern Ecuador