ABOUT BOM SPECIES LIST BUTTERFLY HISTORY PIONEER LEPIDOPTERISTS METHODS
The Butterflies of Massachusetts
a new look at their history, status, and future
Welcome to Butterflies of Massachusetts. The website offers a comprehensive review of the status of butterflies in the state. It is designed for everyone interested in these beautiful insects, including butterfly enthusiasts, conservationists, biologists, land managers, and wildlife professionals.
Species Accounts cover most butterfly species normally occurring in the state. Click here to choose a Species. Each account includes (1) History and Abundance in the 1800s and 1900s; (2) Host Plants and Habitat; (3) Relative Abundance Today (change since 1900; chart of Massachusetts Butterfly Club sightings per trip 1992-2009); (4) State Distribution and Locations (Map of sightings by town); (5) Broods and Flight Periods; and (6) Conservation Outlook, including the probable impact of climate warming.
NEW! Species of Conservation Concern The thirty butterfly species of most conservation concern in the state today. Are they present on your property or on a sanctuary near you? How can they be protected?
*******
Methods explains the procedures and definitions used to produce the tables, charts and maps. Included is a short history of the Massachusetts Butterfly Club (MBC) and its records. Includes Table 4: MBC Trip Reports and Records used in this study; Table 5: MAS Butterfly Atlas-MBC Relative Abundance Comparisons.
Butterfly History and Future Dramatic changes in the New England landscape over time have meant changes in butterfly habitats. This section will describe the Ice Age, postglacial re-colonization by butterflies, the impact of agriculture 1600-1850, and urban and suburban growth to the present. Today, our land conservation and management efforts need be more targeted toward monitoring and conserving uncommon and at risk butterflies. Climate change may lead to range contractions in some vulnerable species, but range expansions in others. This section currently includes
Table 1: Butterflies which may have Increased or Decreased 1650 - 1850 as a result of agricultural and other development. Table 2: Butterflies which may have Decreased 1900-2000 due to loss of open habitat, or Increased due to immigration, adaptation to new host plants, or re-growth of early successional habitat. Table 3: Switchers: Butterflies known to have switched to a non-native or doubtfully native host plant—in addition to, or instead of, the original host. Table 6: Species likely to increase or decrease in Massachusetts as a result of climate warming.
Pioneer Lepidopterists The earliest Massachusetts lepidopterists, Thaddeus W. Harris (1795-1856) and Samuel H. Scudder (1837-1911) were describing a butterfly fauna already heavily impacted by early agricultural development. In this forthcoming section, the works of Harris, Scudder and Thoreau will be used to show what butterflies were known and what can be said about their abundance at the end the 19th century.
*******
The Butterflies of Massachusetts is produced in cooperation with the Massachusetts Butterfly Club, a chapter of the North American Butterfly Association. Abundance, distribution and flight time data are based on the 1992-2010 observational records of the Massachusetts Butterfly Club (MBC). Photographs of each species are taken in Massachusetts by photographers associated with the group. Butterflies of Massachusetts is written by Sharon Stichter, with the assistance of Lynette Leka (data analysis), Erik Nielsen (records and analysis), and Joe Teixeira (maps). Contact author is sharonstichter2@comcast.net
*******
ABOUT BOM SPECIES LIST BUTTERFLY HISTORY PIONEER LEPIDOPTERISTS METHODS
All material on this website © Sharon Stichter 2010, 2011.
Banner photo: Bog Coppers at Tully Dam, Royalston, Massachusetts. © Sue Cloutier 6-25-2010. Used with permission.
Page updated 10-23-2011.