Where are the butterflies?
That was the big mystery last weekend during our daylong butterfly count at Panola Mountain State Park in Rockdale County. “I can’t remember a count with so few species,” said our disappointed team leader, Phil Delestrez, one of Georgia’s top butterfly experts.
At the end of the hot, sunny day (the kind of day butterflies like) and a 9-mile trek, we had tallied only 33 butterfly species — way below previous years. Two years ago, the total was 52 species.
The numbers of individuals in each species also were near record lows. The most common butterflies seen during our count were tiny fiery skippers (79) and Carolina satyrs (40).
Our effort was part of the annual Monastery of the Holy Spirit (near Conyers) butterfly count started some 20 years ago by the Rev. Francis Michael Stiteler, the monastery’s abbot. During the event, counting teams fanned out within a 15-mile diameter circle centered near the monastery to tally every butterfly seen during the day.
The other teams’ results were about as dismal as ours.
“The numbers are way down everywhere as far as I am hearing and seeing,” Stiteler said. His assessment came from several other butterfly counts held earlier this year in the state. Totals in those counts also were down considerably.
No one knows the reasons for the missing butterflies and if it’s a sign of things to come. Climate change, rainy weather this spring, pesticide spraying and development all could be factors.
Hoping for much better results are the sponsors of next weekend’s (Aug. 20-21) Great Georgia Pollinator Census coordinated by the University of Georgia. Your help is needed. During the two-day count, simply observe and tally all of the insects by type that visit a single bush during a 15-minute period. You may conduct as many 15-minute observations as you like.
Identify the insects according to these types: carpenter bees; bumblebees; small bees; honeybees; wasps; flies; butterflies/moths; all other insects.
For guidance in counting and identifying the insects and reporting results, visit ggapc.org.
IN THE SKY: From David Dundee, Tellus Science Museum astronomer: The moon will be first quarter on Sunday. Venus sets in the west a few hours after sunset. Jupiter and Saturn are in the east at dark.
Charles Seabrook can be reached at charles.seabrook@yahoo.com.
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