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The Rochester Butterfly Club is an independent club formed to promote the study of butterflies in Western New York. We focus on habitat, environment, life cycles, education, and reporting our findings.
Your help is needed to preserve the Auburn Trail. Information on what you can do can be found here.

Club Officers:
President: Carol Southby Vice President / Secretary: Shirley Shaw Treasurer: Lucretia Grosshans Statistics: Bill McCleary Editor Norma Platt For information about the Rochester Butterfly Club, contact Lucretia Crosshans.
ROCHESTER BUTTERFLY
CLUB
2009 FIELD TRIPS and
ACTIVITIES
Our field trips will take place rain or shine, but not during thunder storms. On cloudy or showery days, we will have a general nature walk, and look for caterpillars, hiding butterflies and plants that butterflies use. With luck the sun will come out and with it, the butterflies.
Most of our field trips last about 2 hours. Some continue into the afternoon, especially those that are further away, shown by the driving time from Rochester. Bring a cold drink and for the longer trips, your lunch. Long pants and appropriate footgear are recommended, as there is often poison ivy.
We have provided contact numbers in case you would like more information about a field trip. For most of our field trips, just come along to the meeting place listed. A few field trips do require pre-registration, as noted.
Please bring close focusing binoculars, a field guide and your camera, but leave your butterfly nets at home, because they can injure wings, legs and antennae.
Non-members are welcome to join our activities. All field trips by Rochester Butterfly Club except as noted.
| APRIL
27 |
INDOOR TALK “BUTTERFLIES OF THE WILD WEST” *** NEW *** By Steven Daniel |
Mon 7:30 pm
|
In the main Auditorium at Brighton Town Hall, 2300 Elmwood Avenue, west of Twelve Corners. The Auditorium is at the upper level at the front of the building, near the main entrance on Elmwood Ave. Steven Daniel, local naturalist, will highlight the extraordinary, diverse butterflies that are found across the spectacular landscapes of western North America. |
| MAY - SEPT | VOLUNTEER WORK PARTIES AT MENDON PONDS PARK |
To volunteer for one or more of these, please contact us for details. |
|
| MAY 3 | ROME SAND PLAINS |
Sunday
|
This trip will take place in fair weather only |
| MAY 16 | CHAUMONT BARRENS near Watertown |
Saturday
|
This trip will take place in fair weather only. Rain dates May 17, 18 |
| MAY 16 | GENESEE LAND TRUST NATIVE PLANT SALE |
| Saturday 8:30 am to 2:00 pm |
At the Brighton Town Hall located at 2300 Elmwood Ave., Rochester 14618 Arrive early for best selection. For more information, email Margaret Potter at info@geneseelandtrust.org or call (585) 256-2130. |
| MAY 30 | BURROUGHS AUDUBON NATURE CLUB NATIONS ROAD |
Saturday
|
We are invited to join this outing to look for birds, butterflies and blossoms Then we will tour the lovely garden at Palmiter's Garden Nursery in Avon and have time to make purchases for our home gardens. Nations Road is about 45 minutes from Rochester. Meet in the NE corner of the parking lot of the Double Tree Hotel, 111 Jefferson Rd. Bring lunch. |
| JUNE 6 | POWDER MILLS PARK and AUBURN TRAIL |
Saturday |
Meet at the Fish Hatchery parking lot on Park Road, which is off Route 96, just south of Bushnell’s Basin. We will drive from here to explore Powder Mills Park, then continue on to the nearby Auburn Trail. Bring lunch or a snack. |
| JUNE 9 | WESLEY HILL PRESERVE, Anna Brown Tract |
Tuesday
|
Meet at the Park and Ride parking lot by the Bushnell’s Basin Exit of Route I-490. |
| JUNE 13 | ADIRONDACK MOUNTAIN CLUB OUTDOOR EXPO MENDON PONDS PARK |
Saturday |
At the Beach Area at Hundred Acre Pond. Activities promoting many different types of outdoor related topics will take place throughout the day. Web site for more info: http://www.adk-gvc.org/expo |
| JUNE 20 | BURROUGHS AUDUBON NATURE CLUB: IROQUOIS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE |
| Saturday 8:00 am |
We are invited to join this outing to look for birds and butterflies. Meet at 8:00 AM near the entrance of the parking lot of Home Depot, 2361 Buffalo Road just east of I-490, exit 7A, to carpool, or meet the group at the refuge headquarters at 1101 Casey Road in Alabama, NY at 9:00 AM. Iroquois NWR is about 1 ½ hours from Rochester. Bring insect repellent and lunch. |
| JUNE 20 | Back Yard Habitat Tour, sponsored by Genesee Land Trust (GLT) |
| Saturday 9:00 am to 4:00 pm |
Visit gardens planted to attract butterflies and wildlife in Fairport, Pittsford, Henrietta and Brighton. Tickets go on sale in May with member discounts sold at the Land Trust office. Tickets also available at all Wegmans That’s The Ticket locations. For more information call Margaret Potter at GLT, 256-2130 or http://www.geneseelandtrust.org. |
| JUNE 23 | WEBSTER WELL FIELD *** NEW *** |
| Tuesday 10:00 am |
Meet in parking lot at St. Martin Lutheran Church, 813 Bay Road, Webster. Directions: From 104, exit at Bay Road (the first exit east of the Bay Bridge). Turn right / north on Bay Road and go a short distance past Volk Road (there is a little grocery on the corner). The next intersection is Park, where the church is on the left. Turn left on Park to get to the entrance of the parking lot, meet near entrance. |
| JUNE 27 | ROCHESTER AREA “4th OF JULY” COUNT (Rain Date, Sunday June 28) |
Saturday |
Several different locations, including Mendon Ponds Park, Powder Mills Park, High Acres and Thousand Acre Swamp. We team new butterfliers with more experienced leaders. Lots of fun and a great way to learn about butterflies. If you would like to participate, contact us for details. |
| JUNE 30 | HI TOR AREA, near Naples |
Tuesday
|
Meet at the Park and Ride parking lot by the Bushnell’s Basin Exit of Route I-490. Directions, Take 490 East to Bushnell’s Basin / route 96 exit. At light, turn left, the parking lot is on the left. We will car pool from there, about one hour drive to Hi Tor. Bring lunch. |
| JULY 4 | LETCHWORTH STATE PARK 4th OF JULY COUNT (Rain Date, Sunday July 5) |
Saturday |
Several different locations. We can team new butterfliers with more experienced leaders, and car pool from Rochester. If you would like to participate, contact Douglas Bassett, Park Naturalist at 493-3625. |
| JULY 4 | LETCHWORTH STATE PARK |
| Saturday 10:00 am |
One of the Letchworth State Park programs. Butterfly walk, meet at Lower Falls restaurant near south end of park. About 1 ½ hours drive from Rochester. |
| JULY 7 | BLACK CREEK PARK |
Tuesday
|
Directions: Take Route 490 west to exit #4 Go south on Union Street about ½ a mile. Entrance to the park is on your right. At the T-junction, turn right and continue to parking lot. Meet near the rest rooms. About a half hour drive from Rochester. Bring lunch. |
| JULY 11 | GANARGUA CREEK MEADOW PRESERVE |
Saturday |
Joint trip with Genesee Land Trust. Meet at the end of Bunker Hill Drive in Macedon, about 40 minutes from Rochester. Directions: From Route 31 in Macedon, turn south onto Route 306 (Wayneport Road). Turn east onto Wilkinson Road. At crest of hill, turn south onto Bunker Hill Drive and park at the end of Bunker Hill. The preserve trail begins near the water tower. |
| JULY 16 | PRIVATE PROPERTY near RUSH OAK OPENINGS |
Thursday |
Meet at #677 Five Points Road. Directions: Take I-390 south to Rush exit 11, left at exit, go south on Rt. 15 about 3 miles. Turn left onto Honeoye Falls-Five Points Road. Turn right onto Five Points Road. Meet at # 677. About 30 minutes drive from Rochester. We will car pool from here and explore several different areas nearby. Bring lunch. |
| JULY 19 | RATTLESNAKE HILL WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA |
Sunday |
Meet at the Park and Ride lot at Rt. 15 and Rt. 251 off I-390, exit 11 for Rush. The area is about a one hour drive from Rush. Bring Lunch. |
| JULY 22 | GANONDAGAN STATE HISTORIC SITE |
Wednesday |
Meet in parking lot at corner of Rte 444 and Boughton Hill Rd. Directions: Take Rt 490 East to Victor exit (last exit before Thruway). Continue east / south on Rt 96 to the light in the middle of Victor, then right on Rt 444 (East St.) up the hill to light at intersection, then right onto Boughton Hill Rd. Parking lot is on the right. Lunch optional. |
| AUG 5 | MENDON PONDS PARK |
| Wednesday 10:00 am |
Meet in the Visitors Center parking lot on Pond Road just off Clover St. (Rt. 65). We will explore the butterfly garden and then car pool to explore other areas. |
| AUG 18 | BURGER PARK |
| Tuesday 10:00 am |
Meet in the parking lot at Braddock Bay Park, near the lodge. Directions: Take Lake Ontario Parkway west and exit at East Manitou Road. Go north to the park entrance, then follow park road to the north. About 30 minutes drive from Rochester. We will car pool from here. Lunch optional. |
| AUG 1 thru OCT 15 | MONARCH COUNT |
| Keep a count list and send it to us. | |
**** Please remember to send all your butterfly sightings ****
Whenever you go out butterflying or are just sitting on your back porch, keep a list of the butterflies you see and how many of each. Be sure to record the location and date of each sighting and the observers. If the town and county of the sightings are not well known, record those also. Finally, if you see any other interesting things such as caterpillars (if you can identify them) or a female butterfly laying eggs, see if you can also identify the plant and send this information along as well.
You can send your records to Bill either as you make them or at the end of the season. Send them on our standard checklist record sheets or in any other form that you prefer. You can send your records to us by contacting us via this web site.
Lots of information about the Monarch Butterfly
North American Butterfly Association
Greg Lasley Nature Photography
North American Insects and Spiders
Robert Michael Pyle's account of his butterfly big year in Orion Magazine.
Help preserve the Auburn Trail. Information can be found here.
Butterfly and Dragonfly Books, 2004
With notes by Norma Platt and Carol Southby
GIFT BOOKS AND GENERAL INTEREST
Eisner, Thomas, 2003. For Love of Insects, Belknap Publishing of Harvard University Press.
(from the coverleaf) ‘Eisner’s book makes readers participants in the grand adventure of discovery on a scale infinitesimally small and infinitely surprising.’Halpern, Sue, 2002. Four Wings and a Prayer: Caught in the Mystery of the Monarch Butterfly, Vintage (paperback). An exploration into the life and migration of the monarch butterfly.
Pyle, Robert Michael, 1992. Handbook for Butterfly Watchers, Houghton Mifflin.
A very readable introduction to many aspects of butterfly watching and the lives of butterflies.Pyle, Robert Michael, 1999. Chasing Monarchs: Migrating with the Butterflies of Passage, Houghton Mifflin.
A butterfly expert follows monarchs in the west as they migrate and makes some new discoveries.Russell, Sharman Apt, 2003. An Obsession with Butterflies: Our Long Love Affair with a Singular Insect, Perseus Publishing. Interesting presentation of human and butterfly behavior and natural history.
Schappert, Phil, 2002. A World for Butterflies: their lives, behavior and future, Firefly Books.
A large format book with lots of glossy photos and fascinating information.Stokes, Lillian and Donald, Ernest Williams, 1991. The Butterfly Book: An easy Guide to Butterfly Gardening
Identification and Behavior, Little Brown.
An inexpensive large format book with lots of color pictures. A good general introduction to butterflies.CHILDRENS BOOKS - for children of all ages !!!
Kellerman, Holly, 2002. Farfellina and Marcel, Harper Collins. Charming story of friendship and transformation.
Sabuda, Robert, and Matthew Reinhart, 2001. Young Naturalist’s Pop-Up Handbook of Butterflies, Hyperion Books for Children. Pop-up’s and text discuss butterfly behaviors.
Sandved, Kjell. 1996. The Butterfly Alphabet, Scholastic, Inc.
Closeup photographs of Lepidoptera wings show the alphabet.FIELD GUIDES, Butterflies
Brock, Jim P. and Kenn Kaufman, 2003. Butterflies of North America, Kaufman Focus Guides; Houghton Mifflin. If you only want to take one field guide when traveling, this would be a good choice. It includes virtually all species from North America, including many tropical strays seen near the Mexican border, in a book that is smaller than most of the Glassberg series.
Glassberg, Jeffrey, 1993. Butterflies through Binoculars: a field guide to butterflies in the Boston, New York, Washington region, Oxford University Press. For our area, this is still the easiest one to use in the field. It includes nearly all the species in western New York without too many extra ones to deal with. Not usually in stores, so needs to be special-ordered.
If you are traveling further afield, the following three books also by Jeffrey Glassberg are very useful.
Glassberg, Jeffrey (all through Oxford University Press)
1999. Butterflies through Binoculars: the East.
2001. Butterflies through Binoculars: the West : a field guide to the butterflies of western North America.
With Marc C. Minno and John V. Calhoun, 2000. Butterflies through Binoculars: Florida.
Holland W.J. 2003. The Field Guide to Butterflies, Main Street.
An updated version of a classic. Includes most of the common species from our area. The photographs in the book were taken by Rochester Butterfly Club members Steven Daniel and Carol and David Southby.BUTTERFLY GARDENING
Tekulsky, Mathew, 1985. The Butterfly Garden: Turning your garden, window box or backyard into a beautiful home for butterflies, Harvard Common Press.
An excellent introduction to the subject of butterfly gardening and about butterflies too.Xerces Society/Smithsonian Institution, 1990. Butterfly Gardening: Creating summer magic in your garden, Sierra Club Books. Each chapter is written by a different butterfly specialist. This book will entertain, with information about lives of butterflies and moths as well as helpful information on butterfly gardening.
CATERPILLARS
Allen, Thomas J., James P. Brock and Jeffrey Glassberg, due out in 2005. A Field Guide to Caterpillars (Butterflies Through Binoculars Series), Oxford University Press.
Wagner, David L., Valerie Giles, Richard C. Reardon and Michael L. McManus, 1997. Caterpillars of Eastern Forests, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Forest Service, Publication # FHTET-96-34.
Over 130 species of the eastern region's most frequently encountered species in color.
Single copies can be obtained free of charge from the following phone number, (970) 295-5839
Or order online; http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/technology/order.shtml. And specify order no. FHTET-96-34Wright, Amy Bartlett, 1992. Caterpillars: Peterson First Guides, Houghton Mifflin.
A small but useful book with illustrations of caterpillar, adult, and some eggs and pupae of common butterflies and moths of North America.
DRAGONFLIES, Field Guides
Dunkle, Sidney W., 2000. Dragonflies through Binoculars, A Field Guide to Dragonflies of North America, Oxford University Press. Includes photographs, range maps and descriptions of dragonflies (no damselflies) from all of North America. The large number of species and rather small photos can make identification difficult.
Legler, Karl and Dorothy, and Dave Westover, revised 2003. Common Dragonflies of Wisconsin, Published by the author. An easy to use guide that includes many species from our area. Lots of photos and good text.
To obtain this book, contact Karl Legler, 429 Franklin St., Sauk City WI 53583 Phone (608) 643-4926. website (with order form) http://userpages.chorus.net/karlndot/Nikula, Blair, Jackie Sones, and Donald and Lillian Stokes, 2002. Beginner’s Guide to Dragonflies, Little, Brown and Company.
This also covers damselflies. A handy guide to many of the common dragonflies and damselflies in our area.DRAGONFLIES, Gift books
Brooks, Steve, 2003. Dragonflies, Smithsonian Books.
Lots of glossy photos of dragonflies and damselflies. A good introduction to the lives of these creatures.Silsby, Jill, 2001. Dragonflies of the World, Smithsonian Institution Press.
A large format book with lots of glossy photos and fascinating information. Covers families of damselflies and dragonflies and detailed information about their lives and behavior.
|
Red Admiral |
Butterfly host plants:
| Butterfly Species | Caterpillar Plants | |||
| Trees and Shrubs | ||||
| Tiger Swallowtail | American hornbeam | ash | tulip tree | wild cherry |
| Spicebush Swallowtail | sassafras | spicebush | ||
| Harvester | woolly aphids on alder | |||
| Coral Hairstreak | black cherry | choke cherry | ||
| Acadian Hairstreak | small willows | |||
| Banded Hairstreak | oaks | |||
| Hickory Hairstreak | hickory | |||
| Striped Hairstreak | American hornbeam | black chokeberry | hawthorn | |
| Spring Azure | flowering dogwood | maple-leaf viburnum | New Jersey tea | shrubby dogwoods |
| Question Mark | elm | (and herbaceous) | ||
| Eastern Comma | elm | (and herbaceous) | ||
| Compton Tortoiseshell | birch | |||
| Mourning Cloak | elm | poplar | willow | |
| White Admiral | American hornbeam | black cherry | cottonwood | oak |
| Red-spotted Purple | American hornbeam | black cherry | cottonwood | oak |
| Viceroy | small poplars | small willows | ||
| Hackberry Emperor | hackberry | |||
| Tawny Emperor | hackberry | |||
| Silver-spotted Skipper | black locust | |||
| Dreamy Duskywing | birch | poplar | ||
| Juvenal's Duskywing | oaks | |||
| Butterfly Species | Caterpillar Plants | |||
| Herbaceous | ||||
| Black Swallowtail | dill | fennel | parsley | Queen Anne's Lace |
| West Virginia White | toothwort | |||
| Cabbage White | cabbage family | |||
| Clouded Sulphur | clovers | |||
| Orange Sulphur | alfalfa | |||
| American Copper | sheep sorrel | |||
| Bronze Copper | swamp dock | |||
| Eastern-tailed Blue | pea family | |||
| Great Spangled Fritillary | violets | |||
| Aphrodite Fritillary | violets | |||
| Atlantis Fritillary | violets | |||
| Silver-bordered Fritillary | violets | |||
| Meadow Fritillary | violets | |||
| Butterfly Species | Caterpillar Plants | |||
| Herbaceous | ||||
| Harris' Checkerspot | flat topped aster | |||
| Pearl Crescent | asters | |||
| Baltimore Checkerspot | English plantain | white turtlehead | ||
| Question Mark | hops | nettle species | ||
| Eastern Comma | nettle species | |||
| Milbert's Tortoiseshell | nettle species | |||
| American Lady | pearly everlasting | sweet everlasting | ||
| Painted Lady | bull thistle | nodding thistle | ||
| Red Admiral | nettle species | |||
| Monarch | common milkweed | swamp milkweed | butterflyweed | |
| Hoary-edge Skipper | tick trefoils (Desmodium) | |||
| Southern Cloudywing | tick trefoils (Desmodium) | |||
| Northern Cloudywing | bush clovers (Lespedeza) | tick trefoils (Desmodium) | ||
| Wild Indigo Duskywing | wild indigo (Baptisia) | |||
| Common Checkered Skipper | mallow family | |||
| Butterfly Species | Caterpillar Plants | |||
| Grasses and Sedges | ||||
| Northern Pearly Eye | grasses | |||
| Eyed Brown | sedges (Carex) | |||
| Appalachian Brown | sedges (Carex) | |||
| Little Wood Satyr | grasses | |||
| Common Ringlet | grasses | |||
| Common Wood Nymph | grasses | |||
| Arctic Skipper | grasses | |||
| Least Skipper | grasses | |||
| European Skipper | Timothy grass | |||
| Leonard's Skipper | grasses | |||
| Peck's Skipper | grasses | |||
| Tawny-edged Skipper | grasses | |||
| Crossline Skipper | grasses | |||
| Long Dash | grasses | |||
| Northern Broken Dash | grasses | |||
| Little Glassywing | grasses | |||
| Delaware Skipper | grasses | |||
| Hobomok Skipper | grasses | |||
| Dion Skipper | sedges (Carex) | |||
| Broad-winged Skipper | Phragmites | |||
| Dun Skipper | sedges (Carex) |
Home of the Rochester Butterfly Club photo gallery. Members of the Rochester Butterfly Club can register and post their pictures of butterflies, and other related things, after their gallery is set up.
Right now I'm in the testing stage. If you're willing to help with the testing, just go the gallery and register. Then email the webmaster and let me know that you are willing to help with the test. I will then create your album and you can start uploading your photos (jpegs only).
Note: Rochester Butterfly Club members only.
Please limit your photos to around 100kb or less as we have very limited space on the server.
The best way to upload and resize your photos is to use the "Upload Applet". Make sure that the "Resize pictures before upload" is checked. When you start the upload for the first time you will get a popup warning about Imagemagic not being found. Check the "Don't display this warning again" and click "OK". You will then get another popup warning. Check "Don't display this warning again" and click "Resize in GR". This will automatically resize the photos for you. As long as you checked "Don't display this warning again", you sould not get the popups again.
To get to the gallery, click here.