Butterfly watching

Last updated

Butterfly watching is a hobby concerned with the observation and study of butterflies. It also includes the "catch and release" of butterflies. There are clubs, handbooks, checklists, and festivals devoted to the activity.

Contents

The Canada Day and Fourth of July annual butterfly count, a census of species by butterfly watchers throughout North America, is an example of citizen science.

Equipment used

Locations

A person can watch butterflies almost everywhere but some well-known butterfly-watching areas include Costa Rica, the Amazon Basin, and sub-Saharan Africa.

Counting butterflies

Projects in Sweden, the United Kingdom, Finland, the Netherlands, North America, and other countries provide a framework for reporting butterfly sightings in an attempt to understand the factors that threaten or favor European butterflies.

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Papilio glaucus</i> Species of insect

Papilio glaucus, the eastern tiger swallowtail, is a species of butterfly native to eastern North America. It is one of the most familiar butterflies in the eastern United States, where it is common in many different habitats and travels as far North as Winnipeg Manitoba, Canada. It flies from spring to fall, during which it produces two to three broods. Adults feed on the nectar of many species of flowers, mostly from those of the families Apocynaceae, Asteraceae, and Fabaceae. P. glaucus has a wingspan measuring 7.9 to 14 cm. The male is yellow with four black "tiger stripes" on each forewing. Females may be either yellow or black, making them dimorphic. The yellow morph is similar to the male, but with a conspicuous band of blue spots along the hindwing, while the dark morph is almost completely black.

<i>Protographium marcellus</i> Species of butterfly

Protographium marcellus, the zebra swallowtail, is a swallowtail butterfly native to the eastern United States and southeast Canada. It is the state butterfly of Tennessee. Its distinctive wing shape and long tails make it easy to identify, and its black-and-white-striped pattern is reminiscent of a zebra. The butterflies are closely associated with pawpaws, and are rarely found far from these trees. The green or black caterpillars feed on the leaves of various pawpaw species, while the adults feed on flower nectar and minerals from damp soil.

<i>Eumaeus atala</i> Species of butterfly

Eumaeus atala, also known as the Atala butterfly or coontie hairstreak, is a small colorful butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in southeastern Florida in the United States, and the Bahamas, Cuba, and the Cayman Islands in the West Indies. Its coloration and habits are unique among butterflies within its range.

Halloween pennant Species of dragonfly

The Halloween pennant is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. It is native to eastern North America, including Ontario in Canada and the United States as far west as Colorado.

Theclinae Subfamily of butterflies

The subfamily Theclinae is a group of butterflies, often referred to as hairstreaks, with some species instead known as elfins or by other names. The group is part of the family Lycaenidae, the "gossamer-winged butterflies". There are many tropical species as well as a number found in the Americas. Tropical hairstreaks often have iridescent blue coloration above, caused by reflected light from the structure of the wing scales rather than by pigment. Hairstreaks from North America are commonly brown above. Few Theclinae are migratory. Members of this group are described as 'thecline'.

<i>Speyeria hydaspe</i> Species of butterfly

Speyeria hydaspe, the Hydaspe fritillary, is a species of orange-brown butterfly found in the western portions of the United States and Canada. A small fritillary, it usually has cream-colored underwing spots, but the Vancouver Island subspecies has silver spots. It is similar to S. zerene and S. atlantis, but may be distinguished by the smooth and even appearance of its postmedian spotband. The caterpillars feed on violets including Viola glabella. A single brood flies from July through September and feeds on flower nectar. They may be found in moist forests, in clearings and subalpine meadows.

Dragonhunter Genus of dragonflies

The dragonhunter is a clubtail dragonfly of the eastern United States and southeastern Canada.

<i>Gomphurus lynnae</i> Species of dragonfly

Gomphurus lynnae, the Columbia clubtail, is a species of clubtail dragonfly in the family Gomphidae. It is found in western North America, with most known populations in Columbia River tributaries.

Pearl crescent Species of butterfly

The pearl crescent is a butterfly of North America. It is found in all parts of the United States except the west coast, and throughout Mexico and parts of southern Canada, in particular Ontario. Its habitat is open areas such as pastures, road edges, vacant lots, fields, open pine woods. Its pattern is quite variable. Males usually have black antenna knobs. Its upperside is orange with black borders; postmedian and submarginal areas are crossed by fine black marks. The underside of the hindwing has a dark marginal patch containing a light-colored crescent.

Melissa blue Species of butterfly

The Melissa blue is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in western North America, from Canada to Mexico. The Karner blue is a subspecies of the Melissa blue, and was described by the novelist/lepidopterist Vladimir Nabokov.

<i>Achalarus lyciades</i> Species of butterfly

Achalarus lyciades, the hoary edge, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae which can be seen throughout the eastern United States in open woodlands, deciduous mixed forest and sandy areas. Achalarus lyacides come from the Eudaminae subfamily of skippers, they are uncommon butterflies that are known after an underlying whitish patch on the hindwing patch.

<i>Euptoieta claudia</i> Species of butterfly

Euptoieta claudia, the variegated fritillary, is a North and South American butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. Even though the variegated fritillary has some very different characteristics from the Speyeria fritillaries, it is still closely related to them. Some of the differences are: variegated fritillaries have two or three broods per year vs. one per year in Speyeria; they are nomadic vs. sedentary; and they use a wide range of host plants vs. just violets. And because of their use of passionflowers as a host plant, variegated fritillaries also have taxonomic links to the heliconians. Their flight is low and swift, but even when resting or nectaring, this species is extremely difficult to approach, and, because of this, its genus name was taken from the Greek word euptoietos meaning "easily scared".

<i>Autochton cellus</i> Species of butterfly

Autochton cellus, the golden banded-skipper, is a North and Central American butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. There are two populations, one in the eastern United States and the other in the southwestern United States and Mexico. The eastern population is rare and local and uses only one host plant, the thicket bean. The southwestern population is uncommon to common and uses more than one host plant. The golden banded-skipper is most active mid-morning and late afternoon. Their flight is sluggish and low to the ground, compared to closely related species.

<i>Ancyloxypha numitor</i> Species of butterfly

Ancyloxypha numitor, the least skipper, is a North American butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. They have a weak, Satyrinae-like flight.

Agathymus neumoegeni is commonly referred to as the orange giant-skipper, Neumogen's giant-skipper, Neumogen's agave borer, Neumogen's moth-skipper, and tawny giant-skipper.

<i>Papilio joanae</i> Species of butterfly

Papilio joanae, the Ozark swallowtail, is a North American butterfly species in the family Papilionidae. It was once considered a synonym of the black swallowtail.

<i>Chlorostrymon simaethis</i> Species of butterfly

Chlorostrymon simaethis, the silver-banded hairstreak, is a North and South American butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is also known as St. Christopher's hairstreak and the Key lime hairstreak.

<i>Aeshna eremita</i> Species of dragonfly

Aeshna eremita is a species of dragonfly in the family Aeshnidae. It is found in Alaska and northern United States and across Canada. It is similar in size and markings to the Canada darner, but has a black line across its face.

Jeffrey Glassberg is an American biologist and author. Following a distinguished academic career he pioneered and patented work in DNA Fingerprinting. Later he founded the North American Butterfly Association (NABA) and is the leading proponent of moving interest in butterflies from hobbyist collecting and nets to butterflying with binoculars and cameras. He has written a number of field guides as well as numerous articles.

<i>Tramea insularis</i> Species of dragonfly

Tramea insularis, the Antillean saddlebags, is a species of skimmer in the family Libellulidae. It is found in the Caribbean, Central America, and North America.

References