Butterflies of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania ---- Sightings in 2024
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 2018, a total of 89 species.  New species seen in 2024, but not in 2009 through 2023 (No data recorded in 2014) will be added in red. No species were added to the list in 2023.  A printable list of the 109 species at (Lancaster Butterflies). 
If you have a reliable sighting not on this list for 2024, 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 2024 - 30 species so far (August - 25, July - (-), June - (-), May - (-)
April - 2, March - 5, February - 1, January - 0)
(Latest new for year sightings: )
(-) means reports are saved for the month, but not yet compiled or posted here.
August is up to date. Working on backlog.
Updated 8/7/24
THIS YEAR'S CONTRIBUTORS (2) are listed at the bottom of the page.
Some highlights for 2024.
First butterfly of the year: Mourning Cloak by Fred Habegger on February 26, 2024.
David Sonnen photographed a Striped Hairstreak on July 2, 2024 at Middle Creek. This is a new species for this web page which began in 2009. Total species are now 90.
The day of the first sighting is listed for each month.
Family HESPERIIDAE Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Last
1 Silver-spotted Skipper 2
2 Long-tailed Skipper
3 Hoary-edged Skipper
4 Southern Cloudywing 
5 Northern Cloudywing
6 Dreamy Duskywing 
7 Sleepy Duskywing
8 Juvenal's Duskywing 
9 Horace's Duskywing  1
10 Wild Indigo Duskywing 6
11 Common Checkered Skipper  3
12 Common Sootywing 2
13 Swarthy Skipper
14 Clouded Skipper
15 Least Skipper  2
16 European Skipper 
17 Fiery Skipper 
18 Leonard's Skipper
19 Cobweb Skipper 
20 Indian Skipper
21 Peck's Skipper  2
22 Tawny-edged Skipper
23 Crossline Skipper
24 Long Dash 
25 Northern Broken Dash 
26 Little Glassy Wing
27 Sachem 1
28 Delaware Skipper 
29 Mulberry Wing
30 Hobomok Skipper 
31 Zabulon Skipper  1
32 Broad-winged Skipper
33 Black Dash 
34 Dun Skipper 
35 Dusted Skipper 
36 Ocola Skipper
Family PAPILIONIDAE Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Last
37 Pipevine Swallowtail 
38 Zebra Swallowtail  20
39 Black Swallowtail  2
40 Giant Swallowtail 
41 Eastern Tiger Swallowtail  1
42 Spicebush Swallowtail 2
Family PIERIDAE Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Last
43 Cabbage Butterfly = Cabbage White  3 7 2
44 Falcate Orangetip
45 Clouded Sulphur 
46 Orange Sulphur 2
47 Cloudless Sulphur
48 Little Yellow
49 Sleepy Orange  1
50 Dainty Sulphur 
Family LYCAENIDAE Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Last
51 Harvester 
52 American Copper 
53 Bronze Copper
54 Coral Hairstreak
55 Banded Hairstreak 
New Striped Hairstreak  2
56 Red-banded Hairstreak
57 Juniper Hairstreak 
58 Brown Elfin 
59 Henry's Elfin
60 Pine Elfin
61 White-m Hairstreak 
62 Gray Hairstreak 
63 Eastern Tailed Blue 1
64 Spring Azure  16
65 Summer Azure  2
66 Appalachian Azure
Family NYMPHALIDAE
 Subfamily LIBYTHEINAE 		 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Last
67 Snout Butterfly 
Subfamily HELICONIINAE
68 Variegated Fritillary 1
69 Great Spangled Fritillary
70 Regal Fritillary
71  Meadow Fritillary
72  Silvery Checkerspot
Subfamily NYMPHALINAE
73 Pearl Crescent 2
74 Baltimore 
75 Question Mark
76 Eastern Comma 3
77 Mourning Cloak  26 1
78 American Painted Lady  7 1
79 Painted Lady  6
80 Red Admiral 6
81 Buckeye  2
82 Red-spotted Purple 
83 Viceroy
Subfamily APATURINAE
84 Hackberry Butterfly = Hackberry Emperor
85 Tawny Emperor 
Subfamily SATYRINAE
86 Appalachian Eyed Brown  6
87 Little Wood Satyr 
87 Common Wood Nymph 
Subfamily DANAINAE
89 Monarch 1
Monthly Totals 1 5 2 25

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 (60)
2022 (56+)
2023 (58)
2024 (--)
Contributors to this year's sightings are: Fred Habegger, Beth Katz, David Sonnen.
For Berks County, PA butterfly sightings go to Berks Butterfly Sightings - 2024.

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/)