Butterflies of Berks County, Pennsylvania ---- Sightings in 2015
Butterfly walks in Berks County - 2015  Note change to Aug 1 location. (4-21-15)

Photos of Berks Butterflies from 2012    (2011 photos)

Return to Berks County Nature     Go to Lancaster Butterfly Sightings

    The butterfly species with dates recorded have been seen in Berks County, Pennsylvania this year. There are records of 108 species for Berks County. The list below includes all those reported from 2003 through 2013 plus this year, a total of 93. New species (not seen during 2003 - 2013) will be added in red . One species was added in 2013. No data was collected in 2014.

      Again this year we are recording the first sighting for each month plus a last date for the year. If you have a later report than the "Last" date posted, please send it to the email below. 
       If you have a reliable sighting not on this list for 2015, please send an email to . If you are not sure, but have a photograph, please send it. We appreciate your help. 
Sightings in 2015 - 71 species,  December - 1
(Latest butterfly sighting: Orange Sulphur on Dec. 12.)

The 2016 sightings page lists 12 months and is now available.
Updated 12/13/15

Latest additions for 2015 - Ocola Skipper, Harvester, Fiery Skipper, and Pipevine Swallowtail.
Some highlights for 2015. With 71 species sightings 2015 ranks 6/12 for the years we have been keeping these records (2003 -2015). The Pepper and Salt Skipper found by Mike Slater at Hawk Mountain this year was the first in this period and was added to the list. The American Painted Lady late sighting by Reno Unger this November is the latest date for Pennsylvania.

 The day of the first sighting is listed for each month plus the last date for the year.

Family HESPERIIDAE Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Last
1 Silver-spotted Skipper 11 6 1 1 1 6 Oct 16
2 Long-tailed Skipper
3 Hoary-edged Skipper 25 1
4 Northern Cloudywing 25 6
5 Dreamy Duskywing  10
6 Sleepy Duskywing 3
7 Juvenal's Duskywing  4
8 Horace's Duskywing  2 1 4
9 Wild Indigo Duskywing 9 17 1 1
10 Common Checkered Skipper  11 7 10 4 Nov 9
11 Common Sootywing 19
12 Swarthy Skipper 7
13 Least Skipper  31 1
14 European Skipper 
15 Fiery Skipper  6 Oct 8
16 Leonard's Skipper
17 Cobweb Skipper 
18 Indian Skipper
19 Peck's Skipper  26 16 1 1 5 Oct 12
20 Tawny-edged Skipper 12 17 1
21 Crossline Skipper 6 18
22 Long Dash 
23 Northern Broken Dash  21 1
24 Little Glassy Wing 23 1 3
25 Sachem 10 12 1 8 4 Nov 4
26 Delaware Skipper 
27 Mulberry Wing
28 Hobomok Skipper  23 3
29 Zabulon Skipper  12 17 26 1 1 Sep 13
30 Broad-winged Skipper 26 3
31 Black Dash 
32 Dun Skipper  6 3 5
33 Dusted Skipper  24
34 Ocola Skipper 12 Oct 12
35 Pepper and Salt Skipper 5 Jun 5
Family PAPILIONIDAE Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Last
36 Pipevine Swallowtail  6 Sep 6
37 Zebra Swallowtail  8 26 1 2
38 Black Swallowtail  4 11 11 1 4
39 Giant Swallowtail  19 24 17
40 Eastern Tiger Swallowtail  4 6 1 1 1 8 Oct 12
41 Spicebush Swallowtail 10 19 1 1 Sep 27
42 Palamedes Swallowtail
Family PIERIDAE Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Last
43 Cabbage Butterfly=Cabbage White  12 2 6 1 1 1 5 1 Nov 9
44 Falcate Orangetip
45 Clouded Sulphur  2 12 1 2 7 3 Nov 16
46 Orange Sulphur 3 11 1 1 6 1 6 Dec 12
47 Cloudless Sulphur
48 Little Yellow
49 Sleepy Orange 
Family LYCAENIDAE
50 Harvester  6 Oct 6
51 American Copper  10 11 Oct 12
52 Coral Hairstreak  11
53 Edward's Hairstreak 
54 Banded Hairstreak  14 1
55 Striped Hairstreak 10
56 Red-banded Hairstreak 29 1 2
57 Juniper Hairstreak  11
58 Brown Elfin  29 4
59 Pine Elfin 
60 White-m Hairstreak  3 1 7 Sep 7
61 Gray Hairstreak 3 20 1 8 Oct 8
62 Eastern Tailed Blue 9 24 1 2 11 Oct 11
63 Spring Azure  15 2
64 Northern Spring Azure  28
65 Summer Azure  17 19 1 1
66 Appalachian Azure 29
Family NYMPHALIDAE
 Subfamily LIBYTHEINAE 		 Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Last
67 Snout Butterfly  21 25 28
Subfamily HELICONIINAE
68 Variegated Fritillary 11 1 7 3 Nov 9
69 Great Spangled Fritillary 31 6 1 1 1 8 Oct 10
70  Aphrodite  28
71  Meadow Fritillary  3 19 1 2 7 Oct 11
Subfamily NYMPHALINAE
72 Pearl Crescent 5 10 1 1 5 4 Nov 9
73 Baltimore  11
74 Question Mark  7 6 9
75 Comma  6 2 10 8 Nov 20
76 Gray Comma
77 Compton's Tortoiseshell  3
78 Mourning Cloak  2 2
79 Milbert's Tortoiseshell  21
80 American Painted Lady  24 30 1 3 8 8 Nov 8
81 Painted Lady  23
82 Red Admiral  7 1 3 1
83 Buckeye  16 14 12 3 Nov 16
84 Red-spotted Purple  7 1 1 2 11 Oct 11
85 Viceroy 22 29 4
Subfamily APATURINAE
86 Hackberry Butterfly/Emperor 6 1 5 1
87 Tawny Emperor  12 2
Subfamily SATYRINAE
88 Northern Pearly Eye 
89 Appalachian Brown  11 15
90 Little Wood Satyr  22 3 10
91 Common Ringlet  14
92 Common Wood Nymph 
Subfamily DANAINAE
93 Monarch 4 1 1 1 6 1 Nov 9
Monthly Totals 6 40 25 44 42 29 23 11 ----

Yearly butterfly sightings in Berks County, PA
2003 (63)
2004 (63)
2005 (62)
2006 (61)
2007 (64)
2008 (67)
2009 (73)
2010 (80)
2011 (72)
2012 (78)
2013 (74)
No data
2015 (71)
2016 (61)
2017 (62)
2018 (65)
2019 (67)
2020 (68)
2021 (63)
2022 (60)
2023 (58)
2024 (--)
.
Contributors to this year's sightings are: Joe Beatrice, Debbie Doaty, Jay Drasher, Holly Hartshorne, Carole Hickey, Rudy Keller, Ken Lebo, Jim Mulkey, Robert Noll, Tony Schoch, Mike Slater, Reno Unger, Lois Vedock, Ryan Woolwine, and Karl Gardner.
For Lancaster County, PA butterfly sightings go to Lancaster Butterfly Sightings - 2015.

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/)

There is a small informal group of local butterfly collectors/observers in Berks Co., Pennsylvania If you are interested in butterflies and would like to meet this group, contact Karl Gardner maintains this page.

Return to Berks County Nature home page.