2011 North American Butterfly Association –NABA July Counts for Rhode Island:  Saturday, June 25 for East Bay and Saturday, July 9, for West Bay.  Contact July Lewis jlewis@asri.org or Eugenia Marks emarks@asri.org for details. 

The final results for the Audubon Society of Rhode Island's 7th annual North American Butterfly Association Count have been released (click here). Sites in the East Bay were surveyed on June 19, and sites in the West Bay were surveyed on July 10. The 61 participants ranged from amateurs to Audubon naturalists to professional lepidopterists. Over the two survey dates a total of 7,221 butterflies were counted, more than double the previous maximum of 3,521 butterflies counted in 2008.

"We had terrific results!" said July Lewis, Audubon's Volunteer Coordinator. "We counted 51 species of butterflies. It was a good year in general because of the warm weather, but the reason we had such a huge jump in total numbers is all due to the Baltimore Checkerspot." Several years ago, Audubon received permission to survey a privately owned field in Bristol on the Butterfly Count, and discovered it was teeming with a beautiful, striking orange and black butterfly called a Baltimore Checkerspot. "It was a challenge to count them all," said Lewis. "But this year we were determined to do it. We were joined by Dr. M. Deane Bowers, a Colorado University Professor on sabbatical at Brown University who studies this butterfly. We got a large team together, surveyed the entire field in transects, and counted 3,240 Baltimore Checkerspots. That's as many as we usually get for the entire state, for all butterflies combined!"

"In over 30 years of studying the Baltimore Checkerspot, I have never seen a population this size," said Dr. Bowers. "The caterpillars had exhausted the host plant, Ribwort Plantain, and were moving out of the field and across the road in an attempt to find more food.  Really amazing!"

"This is a perfect example of why we do the Butterfly Count," said Lewis. "Not only can beginners can learn how to identify butterflies and land managers learn about the wildlife on their property, but the scientific community can learn about unique populations like this one and trends over time."  Other notable Rhode Island sightings this year include the American Snout Butterfly, a rare migrant to RI that has never been recorded on the count before; and the Broad-winged Skipper, a butterfly which usually does not emerge until after the count but which likely emerged early due to the warm spring and summer.

The Rhode Island Butterfly Count is part of a larger effort, coordinated by the North American Butterfly Association, to survey butterflies in North America. More information, the results of previous year's counts, and links to resources such as Ocean State Butterflies online discussion group, can be found at Butterflying with Audubon. The Rhode Island count is open to anyone with an interest in butterflies, and Audubon Society provides butterfly identification workshops for beginners in the early summer. Anyone interested in participating next year may contact July Lewis or call 401-949-5454 x3044.