NABA Butterfly Counts

The NABA Butterfly Counts, a program for the North American Butterfly Association, is a compilation of all butterflies observed at sites within a 15-mile diameter count circle in a one-day period. The annually published reports provide a tremendous amount of information about the geographical distribution and relative population sizes of the species counted. Comparisons of the results across years can be used to monitor changes in butterfly populations and study the effects of weather and habitat change on North American butterflies.

For 2007, 483 butterfly counts were held (28 Spring Seasonal counts, 419 4th/1st of July & 16th of September counts, and 36 Fall Seasonal counts). The 447 counts in the U.S. were held in 48 states (counting DC as a state), with no counts reported from Kentucky (which had one count in 2005), Hawaii (last count in 1989), or North Dakota (one count in 2006). Florida led in number of counts (57, 2 more than last year), followed by Texas (37, down 1), and California (35, up 3). Thirteen other states submitted 12-20 counts, while eight states reported only one.

The 31 Canadian counts in 2007 occurred in 5 provinces, including a new count in Newfoundland—which had a great start by contributing a new butterfly species for the Count Program! Ontario reported the most counts, 21 (one more than last year). Mexico submitted 5 counts from 2 states.

We welcome 29 new counts this year: 26 in the U.S., two in Canada, and one in Mexico.

The 2008 NABA Butterfly Count Report (to be published in spring 2009) may be ordered from the address below. The first printing of the count reports has sold out and the second printing, which is coil bound (rather than perfect bound, as was the first printing) is now available for $11 for NABA members and for $16 for non-NABA members.

NABA Butterfly Count
4 Delaware Rd.
Morristown, NJ 07960

Copies of the previous NABA Butterfly Count Reports (years 1982-1987, 1989-2007 are also available). Each report is $11 for NABA members and $16 for non-members. Shipping and handling is $2 for the first item and $1 for each additional item. Please make check payable to NABA and order from the address below).

The count forms and instructions for the 2009 NABA Butterfly Counts are available for downloading (U.S., Canada, and Mexico). All documents are Portable Document Format (PDF) files which may be viewed and printed by any program that can open and print PDF files. Adobe's Acrobat Reader is recommended and is available free from the Free Adobe Acrobat Reader Software page. You will need to download and install the Acrobat Reader software on your computer.

2007 NABA Butterfly Count Report

Editors

Sharon Wander

Administration

Jeffrey Glassberg, Jane Hurwitz and Jane V. Scott

Regional Editors Southern California - Chet McGaugh (S CA)
Northern California - Paul Johnson (N CA)
Northwest - Don Rolfs (BC, OR, AK, WA)
Southwest - David Richman (AZ, NM)
Southern Rocky Mountains - Lynn Monroe (CO, UT, NV)
Northern Rocky Mountains - Chris Tonkinson & Jeremy Roberts (ID, MT, WY)
Texas - Wallace Ward & Ednelza Henderson (TX)
Plains - Babs Padelford (KS, NE, OK)
Northern Plains - Marilyn Lutz (MB, ND, SK, SD)
Southeast - Marty Floyd (AL, AR, LA, MS)
Central Midwest - Mary-Eileen Rufkahr (IL, IA, MO)
Upper Midwest - Mike Reese (MN, WI)
Appalachians - Bill Haley (KY, TN, WV)
Great Lakes - Greg Oskay (IN), Timothy Nowicki (MI), Jerry Wiedmann (OH)
Florida - Elaine Nuehring (S FL), Don Stillwaugh (N FL)
South Atlantic - Harry LeGrand (NC, SC), Mike & Cathy Chapman (GA)
Mid-Atlantic - Carolyn Henley (VA), Rick Cheicante (DC, MD)
New Jersey-Pennsylvanvia - Jason & Annie Brueck (PA), Chris & Paula Williams (NJ)
New York - Charles Smith & Colleen Wolpert (NY)
Southern New England - Mark Fairbrother (CT, MA, RI)
Northern New England - Jason & Annie Brueck (ME, NH, VT)
Eastern Canada - Bob Bowles (NB, NF, NS, ON, PQ)
Neotropics - Fred Heath (Mexico)