Ronto, Dean 2009 Journal Jan. 7 F Erica claxsoniana on Yolambijoch - Rio Seco road, Dept. Huehuetenango, Guatemala (sat) ... Boldoglossa stuarti. The forest here looks secondary, or at least quite disturbed; the understory is mostly Heliconia. We then drove to Rio Seco and onto a flat-topped hill with good forest on both sides of the road and continued the excursion about 2km from the Mexican border crossing (unofficial). The forest behind the town looked very nice and seemed like it was at a good elevation to look for Boldoglossa jacksoni (1000-1100m). The people seemed wary of us, and the mayor told us they were under Zapatista control, and that it would be better if we left. We drove to Yalanhuitz, where we got a more welcome reception but saw much less forest. We then tried to ask permission in Rio Seco to work in their municipal forest, but were told forcefully (and almost rudely) to leave at once before something happened. We later learned that 2 entomologists collecting butterflies in the forest here had been attacked and driven out. There appears to be no government presence here (including police), so the communities are in complete control of everything. We gave up and decided to work in Erica claxsoniana instead of looking for a new site. Jan. 8 We returned to Erica claxsoniana this morning. Ted and Carlos went to the manager's house to find someone to watch the bird team's mist nets; two were stolen last night. Jacobo and I started searching at in some really nice forest 10km (rd) from Yolambijoch. While there has been logging of some of the big trees, many are left and the forest structure appears intact - this is better than where we were yesterday, where the forest was somewhat disturbed. I quickly