Butterflies of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania ---- Sightings in 2021
Photographs of Lancaster County Butterflies from 2013

(2012 photos)  (2011 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 2020, a total of 89 species.  New species seen in 2021, but not in 2009 through 2020 (No data recorded in 2014) will be added in red. No species were added to the list in 2020.  Download the 109 Lancaster species at (Lancaster Butterflies). 
If you have a reliable sighting not on this list for 2021, please send an email to . If you are not sure, but have a photograph, please send it. Contributors are vital to this data. We will appreciate your help. 
Beginning in 2009 and since 2016 covering 12 months
Sightings in 2021 - 61 species (December 2, November 8, October - 24, September - 34,
August - 46, July - 41, June - 44, May - 29, April - 15, March - 5, February - 0, January - 0)
(Latest new for year sightings: Ocola Skipper.)
Updated 2/28/22
with a September Long-tailed Skipper sighting by Jonathan Campbell, December 26 updated sighting by Bruce A Carl and Fred Habegger, 44 new late dates from Fred Habegger, an August record of Pipevine Swallowtails by Warren Wolf, and an additional contributor (Gayle Steffy) who's name should have been added last spring.
THIS YEAR'S CONTRIBUTORS (12) are listed at the bottom of the page.
Some highlights for 2021.
First butterfly of the year: Eastern Comma near Brickerville on 9 March by Fred Habegger. One year to the day from the first Lancaster sighting of an Eastern Comma in 2020.
Monarch photographed on 26 April by Dan Knarr at Middle Creek.
Monarch observed laying eggs on 26 April by Bob and Nancy Schutsky.
Monarch observed laying eggs on 28 April by Gayle Steffy.
Very worn Mourning Cloak from last year on 18 May by Fred Habegger.
Long-tailed Skipper on 2 September by Jonathan Campbell ovipositing on red bean.
Last of the year Orange Sulphur seen by Fred Habegger and Bruce A Carl on December 26.
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 21 2 4 4 2 2 1 Oct 7
2 Long-tailed Skipper 2 Sep 2
3 Hoary-edged Skipper
4 Southern Cloudywing 
5 Northern Cloudywing
6 Dreamy Duskywing 
7 Sleepy Duskywing
8 Juvenal's Duskywing  15
9 Horace's Duskywing  1 16 3 10 Aug 29
10 Wild Indigo Duskywing 24 10 3 2 2 Sep 2
11 Common Checkered Skipper  24 18 19 8 3 1 1 Nov 5
12 Common Sootywing 26 8 Aug 21
13 Swarthy Skipper 20
14 Clouded Skipper
15 Least Skipper  23 1 10 2 3 Sep 27
16 European Skipper 
17 Fiery Skipper  29 24 3 1 Nov 8
18 Leonard's Skipper
19 Cobweb Skipper 
20 Indian Skipper
21 Peck's Skipper  13 1 10 2 2 8 Oct 8
22 Tawny-edged Skipper 2
23 Crossline Skipper
24 Long Dash 
25 Northern Broken Dash  5
26 Little Glassy Wing 16 3 Jul 3
27 Sachem 18 5 6 2 1 Oct 27
28 Delaware Skipper  Aug 25
29 Mulberry Wing 26
30 Hobomok Skipper  18
31 Zabulon Skipper  15 6 27 2
32 Broad-winged Skipper 7
33 Black Dash 
34 Dun Skipper  6 21 Aug 27
35 Dusted Skipper 
36 Ocola Skipper 15 1 Nov 1
Family PAPILIONIDAE Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Last
37 Pipevine Swallowtail  28
38 Zebra Swallowtail  4 1 18 10
39 Black Swallowtail  24 4 1 2 2 1 Oct 3
40 Giant Swallowtail 
41 Eastern Tiger Swallowtail  20 1 6 2 2 Aug 24
42 Spicebush Swallowtail 2 6 3 2 6 Sep 6
Family PIERIDAE Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Last
43 Cabbage Butterfly = Cabbage White  10 4 1 1 3 2 2 1 Oct 28
44 Falcate Orangetip
45 Clouded Sulphur  10 7 1 12 3 6 2
46 Orange Sulphur 2 9 3 2 2 1 1 16 Dec 26
47 Cloudless Sulphur 29 21 14 Sep 27
48 Little Yellow
49 Sleepy Orange  22 7 5 2 2 4 Oct 7
50 Dainty Sulphur 
Family LYCAENIDAE Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Last
51 Harvester 
52 American Copper  18 29 4 21 3 Oct 3
53 Bronze Copper
54 Coral Hairstreak
55 Banded Hairstreak  3 Jul 3
56 Red-banded Hairstreak 15 18 31 5 2 15 Oct 15
57 Juniper Hairstreak 
58 Brown Elfin 
59 Henry's Elfin
60 Pine Elfin
61 White-m Hairstreak  8 2 Sep 2
62 Gray Hairstreak  23 4 21 2 3 Oct 16
63 Eastern Tailed Blue 1 7 3 2 2 1 Oct 7
64 Spring Azure  12 4 1
65 Summer Azure  1 3 3 12 15 Oct 15
66 Appalachian Azure
Family NYMPHALIDAE
 Subfamily LIBYTHEINAE 		 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Last
67 Snout Butterfly  3 2 26 1 Oct 3
Subfamily HELICONIINAE
68 Variegated Fritillary 25 10 6 2 1 1 Nov 1
69 Great Spangled Fritillary 16 4 7
70 Regal Fritillary
71  Meadow Fritillary 24 2 8 7 8 3 1 Oct 15
72  Silvery Checkerspot 6 30 10
Subfamily NYMPHALINAE
73 Pearl Crescent 10 1 9 3 2 2 1 Nov 1
74 Baltimore  14
75 Question Mark 5 10 10 2 2 Sep 27
76 Eastern Comma 9 28 7 4 6 16 18 15 Dec 15
77 Mourning Cloak  22 5 18 20 9 28 Sep 28
78 American Painted Lady  5 5 10 3 3 Sep 24
79 Painted Lady  6 25 3 1 Oct 28
80 Red Admiral 4 7 4 2 2 15 Oct 15
81 Buckeye  29 8 21 2 1 1 Nov 8
82 Red-spotted Purple  21 16 3 6 6 Sep 10
83 Viceroy 14 13 Aug 21
Subfamily APATURINAE
84 Hackberry Butterfly = Hackberry Emperor 23 8 3 Sep 11
85 Tawny Emperor  10 6
Subfamily SATYRINAE
86 Appalachian Eyed Brown  16 6 7 Aug 7
87 Little Wood Satyr  15 23
87 Common Wood Nymph  25 4 21 Aug 21
Subfamily DANAINAE
89 Monarch 26 1 6 3 2 2 1 1 Nov 8
Monthly Totals 5 15 29 44 41 45 34 24 8 2

Yearly butterfly sightings in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
2009 (67)
2010 (72)
2011 (70)
2012 (79)
2013 (75)
2014 (__)
2015 (60)
2016 (62)
2017 (61)
2018 (57)
2019 (58)
2020 (53)
2021 (61)
2022 (56+)
2023 (58)
2024 (--)
Contributors to this year's sightings are: Jonathan Campbell, Bruce A. Carl, Fred Habegger, Beth Katz, Dan Knarr, Randall J. Nett, Bob and Nancy Schutsky, David Sonnen, Gayle Steffy, Dennis Weaver and Warren Wolf.
For Berks County, PA butterfly sightings go to Berks Butterfly Sightings - 2021.

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/)