Butterflies of Massachusetts

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! This website offers a comprehensive review of the status of butterflies in the state. It is designed for everyone interested in these beautiful creatures, 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; (4) State Distribution and Locations, including Maps 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?

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Methods explains the procedures and definitions used to produce the tables, charts and maps. Abundance, distribution and flight time data are based on the 1992-2012 observational records kept by the Massachusetts Butterfly Club (MBC), as well as other reports from the 'masslep' listserve, the BAMONA website, and the season summaries of The Lepidopterists' Society. Historical data are based on an extensive review of all Massachusetts specimens in the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology and other major museums, plus various private collections. Included is a short history of the Massachusetts Butterfly Club (MBC). 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. 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. The works of Harris, Scudder and Thoreau will be used to show what butterflies were known and what can be said about their distribution and abundance at the end the 19^th century.

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 adapted to a non-native host plant in addition to, or instead of, their original native host. Table 6: Species likely to increase or decrease in Massachusetts as a result of climate warming.

Today, our land conservation and management efforts need be more targeted toward monitoring and conserving uncommon and at risk butterflies. Among the greatest risks is climate change, which is already leading to range contractions in northern-based species and range expansions of more southerly species.

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Butterflies of Massachusetts is written by Sharon Stichter, Ph.D., with the assistance of Lynette Leka (data analysis), Erik Nielsen (records and analysis), and Joe Teixeira (maps). Contact author is sharonstichter2@comcast.net . The Butterflies of Massachusetts is produced in cooperation with the Massachusetts Butterfly Club, a chapter of the North American Butterfly Association.

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ABOUT BOM SPECIES LIST BUTTERFLY HISTORY PIONEER LEPIDOPTERISTS METHODS

Page updated 2-1-2013.

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