Butterflies of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania ---- Sightings in 2012
Photographs of Lancaster County Butterflies from 2012    (2011 photos)    (2010 photos)
 

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    The butterfly species with dates have been seen in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania this year. There are records of 109 species for Lancaster County. The list below includes all those seen in 2009 through 2012, a total of 88 species.  New species seen in 2012, but not in 2009 to 2011 are added in red. Nine species were added to the list in 2012.   Printable list of the 109 species at (Lancaster Butterflies). NOTE #58, Henry's Elfin, is the first Lancaster County record ever. Found and photographed by Tom Raub on April 8, 2012. 

     This is the second year we are recording the first sighting for each month in order to have data over the season. 
If you have a reliable sighting not on this list for 2012, please send an email to . If you are not sure and have a photograph, send it. We appreciate your help. 
Sightings in 2012   ( 79 species)  ---  In December 1 species.                 Updated Jan 12, 2013.
This is the largest number of species in the four years of the Lancaster County listings. 
Thanks to all of our contributors listed below.
The day of the first sighting is listed for each month .
Family HESPERIIDAE Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Last
1 Silver-spotted Skipper 8 1 2 1 1 1 1 Oct 7
2 Long-tailed Skipper 31 22 1
3 Southern Cloudywing 
4 Northern Cloudywing
5 Dreamy Duskywing  14
6 Sleepy Duskywing 14
7 Juvenal's Duskywing  3 5
8 Horace's Duskywing  13 26 4 11 12 Sep 12
9 Wild Indigo Duskywing 7 11 22 1 1 1 1 Oct 19
10 Common Checkered Skipper  11 2 10 12 17 1 Nov 12
11 Common Sootywing 19 27 5 1
12 Swarthy Skipper 28 6 14 1 1
13 Clouded Skipper 2
14 Least Skipper  9 1 1 4 1 Sep 5
15 European Skipper  13
16 Fiery Skipper  8 3 1 1 Oct 27
17 Leonard's Skipper 21
18 Cobweb Skipper  16
19 Indian Skipper  28
20 Peck's Skipper  3 3 4 1 1
21 Tawny-edged Skipper 19 14 1
22 Crossline Skipper  10 1
23 Long Dash 
24 Northern Broken Dash  1
25 Little Glassy Wing 1 3 1
26 Sachem 16 1 4 1 1 Oct 27
27 Delaware Skipper  4
28 Mulberry Wing 30
29 Hobomok Skipper  13 2
30 Zabulon Skipper  5 1 10 1 1
31 Broad-winged Skipper 15
32 Black Dash 
33 Dun Skipper  4 3 1 1
34 Dusted Skipper  5
35 Ocola Skipper 30 1 1
Family PAPILIONIDAE Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Last
36 Pipevine Swallowtail  13 12 7 4 10
37 Zebra Swallowtail  28 7 5 2 1 1 1
38 Black Swallowtail  6 5 2 1 1 1 1
39 Giant Swallowtail 
40 Eastern Tiger Swallowtail  3 11 1 1 1 1 19 Oct 19
41 Spicebush Swallowtail  7 5 1 5 1 1 Sep 8
Family PIERIDAE 
42 Cabbage Butterfly = Cabbage White   Feb 28 10 3 5 1 1 1 1 1 Nov 11
43 Falcate Orangetip 30 7
44 Clouded Sulphur  7 12 2 3 3 1 1 Oct 18
45 Orange Sulphur 14 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 Dec 4
46 Cloudless Sulphur 13 19 27 3 1
47 Little Yellow 17 20 4 1 1 Oct 27
48 Sleepy Orange  24 12 1 Sep 23
49 Dainty Sulphur 
Family LYCAENIDAE
50 Harvester 
51 American Copper  8 10 1 4 2
52 Bronze Copper 14
53 Coral Hairstreak  10
54 Banded Hairstreak  25 1 Jul 2
55 Red-banded Hairstreak 10 5 6 14 1 1 1 Nov 11
56 Juniper Hairstreak  16 13 14
57 Brown Elfin  7
58 Henry's Elfin COUNTY RECORD Tom Raub 8
59 Pine Elfin  7
60 White-m Hairstreak  7 14 1 1 Oct 27
61 Gray Hairstreak  22 31 17 1
62 Eastern Tailed Blue 30 7 5 1 1 1 1 1 Oct 27
63 Spring Azure  23 3
64 Summer Azure  16 1 4 1 1 Sep 8
65 Appalachian Azure
Family NYMPHALIDAE
 Subfamily LIBYTHEINAE 		 Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Last
66 Snout Butterfly  9 19 5 17
Subfamily HELICONIINAE
67 Variegated Fritillary 8 13 2 1 1 1 1 Oct 27
68 Great Spangled Fritillary 6 1 18 8 Sep 8
69 Regal Fritillary 3
70  Meadow Fritillary 3 3 1 1 1 1 1 Oct 27
71  Silvery Checkerspot 13 1 1 1 1 Sep 1
Subfamily NYMPHALINAE
72 Pearl Crescent 30 6 5 2 1 1 1 1 Oct 27
73 Baltimore 
74 Question Mark  6 3 1 1 1 1 1 Oct 27
75 Eastern Comma  11 8 3 1 4 1 1 1 Nov 22
76 Mourning Cloak  11 6 11 14 4 17 1 Nov 11
77 American Painted Lady  8 1 10 1 18 1 1
78 Painted Lady  1 15 4 1 1 21 Oct 21
79 Red Admiral 6 1 1 1 1 1 1 Nov 22
80 Buckeye  30 5 10 1 3 1 1 Nov 11
81 Red-spotted Purple  11 1 1 1 1 1
82 Viceroy 4 18 1 Sep 6
Subfamily APATURINAE
83 Hackberry Butterfly 26 1 1 1 1 Sep 16
84 Tawny Emperor  19 1 1 Aug 24
Subfamily SATYRINAE
85 Appalachian Eyed Brown  26 26
86 Little Wood Satyr  12 2 1
87 Common Wood Nymph  14 1 18 2
Subfamily DANAINAE
88 Monarch 5 3 1 1 1 1 Nov 11
Monthly Totals 10 34 41 49 56 53 50 29
Yearly butterfly species sightings in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
2009 (67)
2010 (72)
2011 (70)
2012 (79)
2013 (__)
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Contributors to this year's sightings for Lancaster County are: Fred Habegger, Tom Raub, Jon Campbell, Ray Uhlig, Mike Slater, Denis Quinn, Al Spoo, and Karl Gardner.
A site with data on butterfly distributions by county (and photographs) for North America can be found at Butterflies and Moths of NA.   (http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/)