In 2021, this count was tops in the nation with 79 species found and an amazing 134,929 individuals recorded. The 15 mile diameter count circle includes Montosa, Madera, Florida, Box and Gardner Canyons along with the higher mountain trails accessed from Madera Canyon.
Please contact compilers Gerry & Vicki Wolfe if you wish to participate in this count. Everyone is welcome to participate!
The day was dry, mostly clear and relatively calm day, with temperatures ranging from 80˚ F to 100˚ F. 17 individuals in 8 parties found and identified 5472 individual butterflies in 69 species. The 2 species in bold were new for the count. The 8 species with * were a new high number of individuals for the count. Thanks to all who braved the scorching day and participated in the count!
- Pipevine Swallowtail Battus philenor 12
- (Western) Giant Swallowtail Papilio cresphontes (Rumiko) 1
- Checkered White Pontia protodice 8
- Orange Sulphur Colias eurytheme 35
- Southern Dogface Colias cesonia 167
- Cloudless Sulphur Phoebis sennae 182
- Large Orange Sulphur Phoebis agarithe 1
- * Lyside Sulphur Kricogonia lyside 4
- * Boisduval's Yellow Eurema boisduvaliana 6
- Mexican Yellow Eurema Mexicana 923
- Tailed Orange Eurema proterpia 225
- Eurema sp. 2
- Sleepy Orange Eurema nicippe 42
- Dainty Sulphur Nathalis iole 105
- Great Purple Hairstreak Atlides halesus 6
- Gray Hairstreak Strymon melinus 61
- Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak Strymon istapa 3
- Leda Ministreak Ministrymon leda 17
- Western Pygmy-Blue Brephidium exile 78
- Marine Blue Leptotes marina 11
- Ceraunus Blue Hemiargus Ceraunus 44
- Reakirt’s Blue Hemiargus isola 54
- ‘Echo’ Spring Azure Celastrina ladon 28
- * Acmon Blue Plebejus acmon texana 15
- Fatal Metalmark Calephelis nemesis 10
- Arizona Metalmark Calephelis arizonensis 80
- * Mormon Metalmark Apodemia mormo 28
- Hepburn's Metalmark Apodemia hepburni 2
- Palmer's Metalmark Apodemia palmeri 497
- American Snout Libytheana carinenta 1888
- Gulf Fritillary Agraulis vanilla 16
- Variegated Fritillary Euptoieta claudia 14
- * Mexican Fritillary Euptoieta hegesia 3
- Bordered Patch Chlosyne lacinia 48
- Elf Microtia elva 1
- Tiny Checkerspot Dymasia dymas 4
- Elada Checkerspot Texola elada perse 6
- Texan Crescent Phyciodes texana 23
- * Pearl Crescent Phyciodes tharos 6
- Question Mark Polygonia interrogationis 1
- American Lady Vanessa virginiensis 11
- Painted Lady Vanessa cardui 12
- West Coast Lady Vanessa Annabella 1
- Red Admiral Vanessa Atalanta 2
- Common Buckeye Junonia coenia 16
- Red-spotted Purple Limenitis arthemis astyanax 29
- ‘Arizona’ California Sister Adelpha bredowii 101
- Tropical Leafwing Anaea aidea 1
- Hackberry Emperor Asterocampa celtis 17
- Empress Leilia Asterocampa leilia 149
- * Tawny Emperor Asterocampa clyton 84
- Nabokov's Satyr Cyllopsis pyracmon 10
- Red Satyr Megisto rubricata 1
- Red-bordered Satyr Gyrocheilus patrobas 10
- Monarch Danaus Plexippus 1
- Queen Danaus gilippus 25
- Dorantes Longtail Urbanus Dorantes 1
- Golden-headed Scallopwing Staphylus ceos 8
- * Arizona Powdered-Skipper Systasea zampa 21
- Funereal Duskywing Erynnis funeralis 176
- Duskywing (Erynnis?) sp. 4
- Common/White Checkered-Skipper Pyrgus communis/albescens 29
- Desert Checkered-Skipper Pyrgus philetas 9
- Erichson's White-Skipper Heliopyrgus domicella 4
- Northern White-Skipper Heliopetes ericetorum 1
- * Tropical Least Skipper Ancyloxypha arene 14
- Orange Skipperling Copaeodes aurantiacus 69
- Fiery Skipper Hylephila phyleus 2
- Atrytonopsis sp. 1
- Eufala Skipper Lerodea eufala 1
- Arizona Giant-Skipper Agathymus aryxna 9