Butterflies of Berks County, Pennsylvania ---- Sightings in 2016
(Updated 3/27/19)
Butterfly walks in Berks County - 2016
Butterfly walks in Berks County - 2017

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 2015 plus this year, a total of 93. New species (not seen during 2003 - 2015) will be added in red . One species was added in 2013 and another in 2015 (Pine Elfin by Mike Slater). No data was collected in 2014.
      We are recording the first sighting for each month plus the last date for the year in order to have data over the season. 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 2016, please send an email to . If you are not sure of the species, but have a photograph, please send the data and photo.   Contributors are vital to this data page. We appreciate your help.

Sightings in 2016 - 61 species;   (November 11 species.)
(July and August reports now included.)
Click here for photos of the LATEST SIGHTINGS this year on NOVEMBER 19, 2016 (7 species)
Added Common Sootywing to August on 1-22-17.)
THIS YEARS CONTRIBUTORS are listed below.
Some highlights for 2016.
Ken Lebo reported two Orange Sulphurs at Breneman Quarry on Jan. 3.
The April 12 sighting by Rick Shultz of a Gray Hairstreak is the earliest in the 9 years for which we have dates.
The April 19 sighting by Rick Shultz of a Red-spotted Purple is the earliest in the 9 years for which we have dates.
Nathan Lewis photographed a White Admiral (Banded Purple form with no red) on August 4.
Mike Slater saw a Zabulon Skipper on November 5 and 6. David Wright, complier of the "Atlas of Pennsylvania Butterflies" reports that is the late-date for the entire state!
The November 19 sightings for the Gray Hairstreak and Pearl Crescent are the late dates for the entire state! (They remain the state records when this information was added on 27Mar2019.)
Last known sightings of year: November 19 (8 species). See link above and last dates column.

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

Family HESPERIIDAE Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Last
1 Silver-spotted Skipper 15 2 4 2 1 7 Oct 17
2 Long-tailed Skipper
3 Hoary-edged Skipper
4 Northern Cloudywing 6
5 Dreamy Duskywing 
6 Sleepy Duskywing
7 Juvenal's Duskywing  23
8 Horace's Duskywing  30
9 Wild Indigo Duskywing 17 2
10 Common Checkered Skipper  20 5 7 4 Nov 19
11 Common Sootywing 23 13
12 Swarthy Skipper 26
13 Least Skipper  25
14 European Skipper 
15 Fiery Skipper  18 Oct 18
16 Leonard's Skipper
17 Cobweb Skipper 
18 Indian Skipper
19 Peck's Skipper  28 30 5
20 Tawny-edged Skipper
21 Crossline Skipper 25
22 Long Dash 
23 Northern Broken Dash  25 21
24 Little Glassy Wing 18 18
25 Sachem 28 1 7 5 Nov 6
26 Delaware Skipper 
27 Mulberry Wing
28 Hobomok Skipper  20 4 13
29 Zabulon Skipper  28 2 14 1 5 Nov 6
30 Broad-winged Skipper 24
31 Black Dash 
32 Dun Skipper  15 10 12
33 Dusted Skipper 
34 Ocola Skipper
35 Pepper and Salt Skipper
Family PAPILIONIDAE Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Last
36 Pipevine Swallowtail 
37 Zebra Swallowtail  19 25 24 15
38 Black Swallowtail  24 5 24 6 6
39 Giant Swallowtail  8 9
40 Eastern Tiger Swallowtail  12 11 1 1 1 1
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (black phase)  (19) (1)
41 Spicebush Swallowtail 24 28 1 2 1 1
42 Palamedes Swallowtail
Family PIERIDAE Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Last
43 Cabbage Butterfly=Cabbage White  23 12 9 1 4 1 1 3 4 Nov 19
44 Falcate Orangetip
45 Clouded Sulphur  25 23 5 7 5 Nov 19
46 Orange Sulphur 3 24 12 25 30 18 3 2 Nov 19
47 Cloudless Sulphur 18 7 Oct 7
48 Little Yellow 16 25
49 Sleepy Orange 
Family LYCAENIDAE Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Last
50 Harvester 
51 American Copper  24 29 12 5 7
52 Coral Hairstreak 
53 Edward's Hairstreak 
54 Banded Hairstreak  20
55 Striped Hairstreak
56 Red-banded Hairstreak 19 2 29 1 1
57 Juniper Hairstreak  24
58 Brown Elfin 
59 Pine Elfin 
60 White-m Hairstreak 
61 Gray Hairstreak 12 24 1 12 19 Nov 19
62 Eastern Tailed Blue 14 25 12 2 5 7 Oct 7
63 Spring Azure  24 14 9
64 Northern Spring Azure  23
65 Summer Azure  4 11 13
66 Appalachian Azure 26
Family NYMPHALIDAE
 Subfamily LIBYTHEINAE 		 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Last
67 Snout Butterfly  23 18
Subfamily HELICONIINAE
68 Variegated Fritillary 5 5 2 4 Nov 19
69 Great Spangled Fritillary 6 1 2 1 Sep 21
70  Aphrodite 
71  Meadow Fritillary  1 11 Oct 11
Subfamily NYMPHALINAE
72 Pearl Crescent 24 19 2 1 1 1 6 2 Nov 19
73 Baltimore  21 1
74 Question Mark  1 29 10 8
75 Comma  28 8 24 13 1 6 Oct 28
76 Gray Comma
77 Compton's Tortoiseshell 
78 Mourning Cloak  8 17 12 14
79 Milbert's Tortoiseshell 
80 American Painted Lady  30 14 14 5
81 Painted Lady  24 27
82 Red Admiral  12 4 11 5
83 Buckeye  10 25 5 7 2 Nov 19
84 Red-spotted Purple  19 10 4 5 7
85 Viceroy 18
Subfamily APATURINAE
86 Hackberry Butterfly/Emperor 6 3 12 1
87 Tawny Emperor  15 8
Subfamily SATYRINAE
88 Northern Pearly Eye  10
89 Appalachian (Eyed) Brown  25 1
90 Little Wood Satyr  22 1 7
91 Common Ringlet 
92 Common Wood Nymph  10
Subfamily DANAINAE
93 Monarch 24 13 2 2 1 6 2 Nov 11
Monthly Totals 1 1 4 22 21 31 33 24 32 18 12 0

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, Jay Drasher, Jim Eckert, Janis Good, Rudy Keller, Amy Dreibelbis Langman, Ken Lebo, Joanne Kintner, Nathan Lewis, Robert Noll, Tony Schoch, Richard Schultz, Mike Slater, Peter & Jane Wolfe, Lois Vedock, Ryan Woolwine, and Karl Gardner.
For Lancaster County, PA butterfly sightings go to Lancaster Butterfly Sightings - 2016.

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.