Greater Washtenaw County Butterfly Survey Homepage

Greater Washtenaw County Butterfly Survey is an ongoing study of butterfly populations and important habitats in southeast Michigan. It was started by John Swales in 1994 at the suggestion of the late professor and lepidopterist Warren H. Wagner of the University of Michigan. Special emphasis is placed on finding and monitoring of populations of butterflies at risk as designated by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Michigan Natural Features Inventory. Secondary emphases are placed of finding southern immigrant butterflies and early and late species sightings which may be indicators of global warming.

The area covered in the study includes all of Washtenaw county and parts of Wayne, Monroe, and Lenawee counties. Some of the principal butterfly sites in this region are Crosswinds Marsh in Western Wayne county, Petersburg State Game Area in southwest Monroe county, Embury Swamp in northwest Washtenaw county, Sharon Valley and the Noggles Road area in southwest Washtenaw county.

Each year coverage and butterflying expertise has improved greatly as indicated by the growth of yearly species totals and known breeding locations. This year a greater effort will be made to document the habitats and hostplants used by the rare and uncommon species of the area.

Most butterfly records are sight records only. Binoculars and butterfly nets are carried into the field as aids to identifications. A few butterflies are vouchered to either seek expert opinion on questionable ids or to document a rare find for Michigan Lepidoptera Survey and Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Main Observers:   Barb Barton, Martin Bialecki, John Farmer, Roger Kuhlman, Chris Rickards, John Swales, Roger Wykes

Butterfly News--Early 2008 Season Butterflies

The 2008 Butterfly season got off to a late start in southeast Michigan. Temperatures in late February and March were much below normal and very few days reached up into the 50's let alone the 60's with sunny conditions. For the first time in the history of the Greater Washtenaw County Survey we almost recorded no butterflies in the March. Fortunately I received a report from Ellie Cox. of seeing a Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) in northeast Ann Arbor on March 31. The next series of butterflies showed up on April 2 and 3. Faye Stoner found two Mourning Cloaks in Leonard's Preserve in southwest Washtenaw. The next day I found one Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma) and twelve Mourning Cloaks in Dhu Varren Woods in Ann Arbor. On that day the Mourning Cloaks were extremely active and for a time I saw a whirling mass of nine Mourning Cloaks chasing one another. This spectacular sight was probably composed of all male Mourning Cloak mistakenly believing that some of the other Mourning Cloaks were fertile females.

Slow butterflying conditions continued into mid-month with the first chrysalis-emerging butterflies Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) and Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon) being seen April 14 and April 17. The Cabbage White Sighting was one day off the record late first sighting date, the Spring Azure two days off.

Notable butterfly sightings for April included Gray Comma (Polygonia progne) on April 6, Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) April 15, Brown Elfin (Incisalia augustinus) April 21, Mustard White (Pieris napi) April 25, American Painted Lady (Vanessa virginiensis) April 26, and Eastern-tailed Blue (Everes comyntas) April 26. The Eastern-tailed Blue find by Martin Bialecki was very impressive since it was only second time this species has been sighted in April.

For the full month of April a total of 10 butterfly species were found. This total is very low for typical Aprils. Since 2000 April Species totals have ranged from a low of 13 in 2004 to a high of 22 in 2005. Things began to change in May as the next report will show.

NABA and Other One Day Butterfly Counts in the Survey Area.

Sightings Data of the Greater Washtenaw County Survey

Butterfly Season Reports

Butterfly Resources--General

Website maintained by Roger Kuhlman