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Last updated: April 20, 2025
The Lancaster Butterfly and
Entomological Club
2025 Our 29th year!
More information will be added when available.
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Sachem 7 May 2024
Wheel Bug Nymphs 3 Sep 2023
Mourning Cloak 4 Mar 2024
Photographs by Fred Habegger
Next Event
Held At the North Museum
400 College Avenue at Buchanan Avenue, Lancaster, PA
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Monday, May 5, 2025 7:00 PM
Held at the North Museum
" Program on Bees" by LB&EC member and past President of the
Lancaster County Beekeepers Society Jim Pinkerton.
We all recognize them in our gardens—but what and how much do we REALLY know about
these creatures? Come out, and learn from a person who’s spent the past 25 years in
intimate acquaintanceship with them! He also works with The Pennsylvania State Beekeepers
to set up
and maintain the Beekeeping Learning Center at the PA State Farm Show. And he also helps to
maintain the Observation Hive in the North Museum in Lancaster. His own apiaries have grown
to average about 35 hives and are located around the Mount Joy area.
Non-members welcome. Free
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For meeting and field trip information including weather cancelation contact Karl
Gardner at  .
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The regular meetings
of the Lancaster
Butterfly & Entomological
Club are held on the first Monday of every month from April through October (except
September when we meet on the second Monday).
Meeting Location:
Kinsey
room on the second floor of the North
Museum of Natural History & Science, at the corner of College
Avenue and Buchanan Avenue, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Time: --- 7:00 to 9:00 P.M.
Everyone is invited to the meetings, which are free to all.
Please use the Main entrance
(which faces the intersection) and bring a friend.
The purpose of the club is to study butterflies and insects and to share that information
at our meetings. Catch the enthusiasm and attend our lively club meetings. Most meetings
include a lecture, discussion, and show-and-tell of books, bugs, host plants, or photos.
Members and friends are invited to field trips in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania throughout
the season. Learn what can be found in this area and meet other enthusiasts.
Members and friends are also welcome to participate in 3 butterfly walks, 2 of which
are part
of the North American Butterfly Association's nationwide Fourth of July Butterfly Count
program which require a nominal participation fee by NABA. They are listed below.
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*** Butterfly sightings by year & month ***
Local butterfly sightings are at:
2025 Lancaster County butterfly sightings.
7 species seen in Lancaster County so far in 2025.
Updated 4-18-25.
The first sigting date for each month is listed for the 90 species seen in
Lancaster County since 2009.
Information on contributing to this data base is on the page.
The 30+
butterfly species seen in Lancaster County in
2024.
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Membership Information: If you wish to join the club, annual dues
are $15 per household, payable at club meetings or by mail. Lancaster Butterfly and
Entomological Club, Jan Schaefer, 154 Pinetown Rd, Leola,
PA 17540. Jan Schaefer at 
Dues Form
Unless otherwise noted, photographs on this page are by Karl Gardner.
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Activity Dates for 2025
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Monday, April 7, 2025 7:00 PM
Held at the North Museum.
"A Container Garden for Butterflies" by members Margaret and Stuart Frentz.
Before coming to Willow Valley, Margaret was an avid gardener, having turned what had
been a plain grass yard in Birmingham into a variegated plot with a Japanese rock garden,
native shrubbery, pollinator plants and herbs. Stuart’s photography hobby and sideline
included an extensive collection of closeup photos of backyard birds.
At SouthPointe, their focus shifted to plants and pollinators native to South-Central
Pennsylvania. Margaret researched the types of host and nectar plants that would attract
Monarchs, Black Swallowtails and other beneficial insects, and Stuart developed his macro
and telephoto skills to begin recording the many visitors to their garden. They learned
the hard way, starting virtually from scratch, making some mistakes along the way, but
ultimately having a lot of success. In 2023, their first full year of butterfly gardening,
they raised and released more than 40 Black Swallowtails and 20 Monarchs.
Among the challenges they faced were the Community’s restrictions on perennials (which
meant using containers), and the difficulty of finding native pollinator plants grown
free of insecticides and neonicotinoids.
<--- Photograph by Stuart Frentz.
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Monday, May 5, 2025 7:00 PM
Held at the North Museum
"Honeybees, Just Remarkable Insects" by LB&EC member and past President of the
Lancaster County Beekeepers Society Jim Pinkerton.
We all recognize them in our gardens—but what and how much do we REALLY know about
these creatures? Come out, and learn from a person who’s spent the past 25 years in
intimate acquaintanceship with them!
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Monday, June 2, 2025 7:00 PM
Held at the North Museum
"Collecting Butterflies and Moths Throughout the USA" by member Steve Johnson.
More information soon.
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Saturday, June 28, 2025 1:00 PM
FIELD TRIP
"Furnace Hills Fourth of July Butterfly Count".
We will meet at 10:00 AM at the Warwick Municipal and rail trail parking lot near
Lititz.
(Last year, because of construction, this was held at Middle Creek.)
This is part of
the North American Butterfly Association's Fourth of July Butterfly Count program. A $3.00
fee is required which goes to NABA. Leader and compiler Fred Habegger (Weather/cancelation
or questions: 717-859-2521).
Non-members welcome.
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Monday, July 7, 2025 7:00 PM
Held at the North Museum
"Monarch Research Results" by member Gayle Steffy
More information soon.
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Saturday, July 12, 2025 10:00 AM
FIELD TRIP
"The 26th Annual Holtwood Fourth of July Butterfly Count."
Meet at the Muddy Run Park visitor's center at 10 AM.
$3.00 fee required which goes to NABA. Leader, compiler: Fred Habegger
(Weather/cancelation info.717-859-2521).
Address: 172 Bethesda Church Rd W, Holtwood, PA
Photograph by Fred Habegger.
Non-members welcome.
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Monday, August 4, 2025 7:00 PM
Held at the North Museum
“Following the Trail of the Cicada throughout the USA” by Dean Evans.
More information soon.
Non-members welcome. Free
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Saturday, August 16, 2025 10:00 AM FIELD TRIP
"Furnace Hills Rerun Butterfly Count."
Meet at 10 AM at Middle Creek WMA visitor's center. No fee. Leader: Fred Habegger
(Weather/cancelation info.717-859-2521)
Non-members welcome. Free
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Monday, September 8, 2025 7:00 PM
Held at the North Museum.
Non-members welcome. Free
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Monday, October 6, 2025 7:00 PM
"Members' Night". Held at the North Museum.
Non-members welcome. Free
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