Hi everyone! Some butterflies are really hard to distinguish and so sometimes you have to turn to the experts. I've been going to Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA) at www.butterfliesandmoths.org/ Click on Identify and follow the instructions to report a sighting by submitting a photo. You can guess at the butterfly or just leave it blank if you don't know. Their experts will confirm your sighting and add it to the sighting list for your county. This helps with research and those field guides we all love to buy. Also, once you have your photo confirmed, you can add it to the BugFiles knowing with confidence that you're adding it to the right species.
A lot of rural areas don't have many reports so if you live somewhere where there aren't many amateur lepidopterists, go ahead and submit your photos. I added a lot of new species while visiting Grandma in West Virginia. Also, if you travel and take pictures of butterflies, make sure you know what county you're in so you can report your sightings to BAMONA. The more information we can compile, the more we can help researchers help the butterflies we love. You can also add comments about weather conditions, nectar plants, and other information that might be valuable.
Melanie
Identifying and Reporting your Butterfly Sightings
Great info!
cool