Results of the 15th Annual Sewanee butterfly count

Number of species detected: 24 (a little lower than most years)

Number of individuals detected: 414 (way higher than most years)

Average temp: also approx 414

We found almost no butterflies over the majority of the areas surveyed. It is much too dry and baking. But in areas that had been irrigated or that were near bodies of water, we found impressive aggregations of butterflies supping on nectar. By far the most abundant species was the sachem (Atalopedes campestris). We saw 213 of these little skippers; the previous record for the species was 26 in 2001. This species thrives in disturbed areas where its caterpillars feed on grass.

Female sachem (photo from a previous year)

We also came across this spectacular pipevine swallowtail (judging from its freshness, it was newly emerged from its chrysalis):

Thank you to my co-leader, David Coe, and to brave heat-defying participants Louise Kennedy and Tam Parker.

Complete results are summarized below:

Common name	Scientific name	2012 count
Pipevine Swallowtail	Battus philenor	2
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail	Papilio glaucus	1
Spicebush Swallowtail	Papilio troilus	4
Cabbage White	Pieris rapae	13
Orange Sulphur	Colias eurytheme	7
Gray Hairstreak	Strymon melinus	1
Red-banded Hairstreak	Calycopis cecrops	4
Eastern Tailed-Blue	Everes comyntas	47
Spring Azure	Celastrina ladon	5
American Snout	Libytheana carinenta	5
Gulf Fritillary	Agraulis vanillae	3
Variegated Fritillary	Euptoieta claudia	6
Great Spangled Fritillary	Speyeria cybele	1
Pearl Crescent	Phyciodes tharos	7
American Lady	Vanessa virginiensis	4
Red Admiral	Vanessa atalanta	1
Common Buckeye	Junonia coenia	1
Common Wood-Nymph	Cercyonis pegala	1
Silver-spotted Skipper	Epargyreus clarus	74
Horace’s Duskywing	Erynnis horatius	1
Least Skipper	Ancyloxypha numitor	2
Fiery Skipper	Hylephila phyleus	10
Little Glassywing	Pompeius verna	1
Sachem	Atalopedes campestris	213