January 2023 Sightings
Ron & Lori Smith
Navy-Wells
Miami-Dade County, FL
- Barred Yellow 7
- Ceraunus Blue 4
- Baracoa Skipper 5
Ron & Lori Smith
Everglades National Park
Miami-Dade County, FL
Got lucky on the first day of the year. It was high up in a stand of gumbo limbos and vines. Poor photo, but it was what it was.
- Large Orange Sulphur 3
- Gulf Fritillary 2
- Florida Leafwing 1
Ken Wilson
Escondido Backyard
San Diego County, CA
Despite receiving up to 2 inches of rain today an adult Monarch and Monarch cat were rescued from the rain and placed under a porch.
- Monarch 1
- Checkered White 4
- Cloudless Sulphur 3
- Large Orange Sulphur 1
- Lyside Sulphur 3
- Boisduval's Yellow 1
- Little Yellow 2
- Dusky-blue Groundstreak 5
- American Snout 2
- Gulf Fritillary 4
- Vesta Crescent 2
- Phaon Crescent 1
- Red Admiral 1
- Carolina Satyr 8
- Monarch 1
- Queen 1
- Brown Longtail 2
- Funereal Duskywing 1
- Tropical Checkered-Skipper 5
- Laviana White-Skipper 2
- Turk's-cap White-Skipper 1
- Clouded Skipper 4
- Fiery Skipper 1
- Common Mellana 1
- Eufala Skipper 2
Ron & Lori Smith
North Key Largo
Monroe County, FL
(7-44) Mostly sunny. Mosquitoes moderate. Florida Purplewings are always a highlight.
- Giant Swallowtail 2
- Large Orange Sulphur 5
- Ceraunus Blue 5
- Julia Heliconian 16
- Zebra Heliconian 1
- Florida Purplewing 14
- Fiery Skipper 1
Ron & Lori mith
E-111 Canal & Lucky Hammock
Miami-Dade County, FL
Native porterweed was blooming and was a primary nectar source. Sunny skies. A one-hour visit.
- Cloudless Sulphur 1
- Barred Yellow 5
- Ceraunus Blue 2
- Zebra Heliconian 2
- Common Buckeye 2
- Tropical Buckeye 3
- White Peacock 6
- Monarch 1
- Queen 3
- Long-tailed Skipper 1
- Dorantes Longtail 3
- Clouded Skipper 2
Ron & Lori Smith
John Stretch Park
Palm Beach County, FL
(15-119) Partly sunny and warm. Plenty to see in a short walk along the park’s north edge below the dike. FL-28.
- Great Southern White 30
- Barred Yellow 8
- Ceraunus Blue 4
- Gulf Fritillary 5
- Julia Heliconian 2
- Zebra Heliconian 27
- Cuban Crescent 7
- Phaon Crescent 2
- Red Admiral 1
- White Peacock 16
- Dorantes Longtail 6
- White Checkered-Skipper 6
- Tropical Checkered-Skipper 1
- Three-spotted Skipper 2
- Clouded Skipper 2
Steve Carbol
Three Mountains Natural Area
Broward County, FL
- Cloudless Sulphur 2
- Zebra Heliconian 14
- White Peacock 5
- Monarch 12
- Long-tailed Skipper 5
- Horace's Duskywing 2
Brian Ahern
John Stretch Memorial Park
Palm Beach County, FL
0900-1130, too cold when I first arrived for butterflies but the two hours was great. walked the northern edge of the park by the base of the dike going west from the picnic area on the north side of the pond
- Great Southern White 20
- Orange-barred Sulphur 1
- Barred Yellow 6
- Dainty Sulphur 2
- Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak 1
- Ceraunus Blue 8
- Gulf Fritillary 8
- Julia Heliconian 4
- Zebra Heliconian 18
- Cuban Crescent 1
- Phaon Crescent 1
- Pearl Crescent 2
- Red Admiral 6
- Common Buckeye 2
- White Peacock 28
- Monarch 1
- Long-tailed Skipper 2
- Dorantes Longtail 3
- White Checkered-Skipper 6
- Tropical Checkered-Skipper 2
- Clouded Skipper 11
- Least Skipper 1
- Southern Skipperling 1
john heyse
at home, Palatka
Putnam County, FL
My first butterfly of the year and the first at my new home in Palatka.
The Monarch was large and had androconial spots. Obviously, it was a male, but it was unusual. It was dark, like a female. I’ve never seen one like it.
- Monarch 1
Brian Ahern
Dinner Island Ranch WMA
Hendry County, FL
1000-1300. Spot checking several areas along the long loop road. Many Thanks to Ron Smith for the helpful pointers to finding Hayhurst’s Scallopwing. This species has been a nemesis of mine and is probably my last Lifer in Florida.
- Great Southern White 4
- Barred Yellow 8
- Little Yellow 2
- Ceraunus Blue 1
- Gulf Fritillary 5
- Zebra Heliconian 3
- Cuban Crescent 3
- Phaon Crescent 1
- Pearl Crescent 1
- White Peacock 12
- Viceroy 2
- Carolina Satyr 8
- Monarch 30
- Queen 11
- Long-tailed Skipper 4
- Dorantes Longtail 1
- Hayhurst's Scallopwing 6
- White Checkered-Skipper 1
- Clouded Skipper 3
- Fiery Skipper 9
- Sachem 1
- Ocola Skipper 12
- Cloudless Sulphur 1
- Little Yellow 1
David H. Bartholomew
Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve
Santa Clara County, CA
Just enough sunshine today to bring out a single Spring Azure. First butterfly of the year for me.
- Spring Azure 1
- Atala 1
- Zebra Heliconian 17
- Ruddy Daggerwing 1
- Large Orange Sulphur 20
- Lyside Sulphur 3
- Barred Yellow 70
- Little Yellow 6
- Martial Scrub-Hairstreak 2
- Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak 15
- Cassius Blue 8
- Ceraunus Blue 5
- Gulf Fritillary 4
- Zebra Heliconian 1
- Phaon Crescent 3
- Mangrove Buckeye 1
- Queen 4
- Hammock Skipper 5
- White Checkered-Skipper 5
- Fiery Skipper 9
- Southern Broken-Dash 3
- Sachem 2
Ron & Lori Smith
Dinner Island Ranch WMA
Hendry County, FL
(16-73) Very dry. Specifically sought the scallopwings and found a only a few. FL-46.
- Barred Yellow 2
- Ceraunus Blue 1
- Zebra Heliconian 3
- Phaon Crescent 3
- Pearl Crescent 5
- White Peacock 12
- Carolina Satyr 12
- Monarch 2
- Queen 8
- Dorantes Longtail 2
- Hayhurst's Scallopwing 5
- Horace's Duskywing 1
- Tropical Checkered-Skipper 3
- Three-spotted Skipper 1
- Fiery Skipper 7
- Ocola Skipper 6
David H. Bartholomew
Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve
Santa Clara County, CA
Sunny, and just warm enough to bring out several Spring Azures and a Tortoiseshell.
- Spring Azure 7
- California Tortoiseshell 1
- Little Yellow 1
Karl and Dorothy Legler
National Butterfly Center
Hidalgo County, TX
About 76 degrees and sunny. Somewhat windy but OK in protected areas. 30 species in 2 hours.
- Pipevine Swallowtail 2
- Giant Swallowtail 3
- Checkered White 8
- Orange Sulphur 4
- Southern Dogface 2
- Large Orange Sulphur 2
- Lyside Sulphur 6
- Little Yellow 5
- Sleepy Orange 2
- Dainty Sulphur 2
- Gray Hairstreak 2
- Dusky-blue Groundstreak 5
- American Snout common
- Zebra Heliconian 1
- Bordered Patch 2
- Texan Crescent 25
- Phaon Crescent 13
- Question Mark 2
- Red Admiral common
- Common Mestra 2
- Tawny Emperor 1
- Monarch 2
- Queen 15
- Brown Longtail 2
- White Checkered-Skipper 2
- Tropical Checkered-Skipper 3
- Clouded Skipper 1
- Southern Skipperling 4
- Fiery Skipper 4
- Common Mellana 1
David H. Bartholomew
Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve
Santa Clara County, CA
After just a few days of warmer dry weather the Spring Azures are already seeking the mud puddles.
- Spring Azure 15
- California Tortoiseshell 1
- Mourning Cloak 4
- Red Admiral 1
John and Nancy Crosby
Captain's Cove Road
McIntosh County, GA
It was a brisk 54 degrees with full sun and a light breeze. The Red-banded Hairstreak was our first butterfly to photograph this year. (We’ve seen a couple of Cloudless Sulphurs and Little Yellows earlier that didn’t stop for photos.) And guys that’s NOT snow but sand on the ground! :)
- Red-banded Hairstreak 1
- American Lady 1
- Cabbage White
- Large Orange Sulphur
- Monarch
- Becker's White
- Spring White
- Orange Sulphur
- Painted Lady
- White Checkered-Skipper
- Cloudless Sulphur 1
- Little Yellow 2
Karl and Dorothy Legler
Estero Llano Grande State Park in Weslaco
Hidalgo County, TX
Temperature in low 80s. Sunny. 24 species in a small portion of the park. Highlight was Banded Peacock which is rare in the Rio Grande Valley. It looks like it travelled a long distance to get here.
- Giant Swallowtail 1
- Southern Dogface 1
- Cloudless Sulphur 1
- Large Orange Sulphur 2
- Lyside Sulphur 5
- Little Yellow 1
- Cassius Blue 1
- Rounded Metalmark 2
- American Snout 4
- Gulf Fritillary 1
- Texan Crescent 3
- Vesta Crescent 1
- Phaon Crescent 1
- White Peacock 3
- Banded Peacock 1
- Queen 1
- White-striped Longtail 1
- Brown Longtail 2
- Mournful Duskywing 1
- White Checkered-Skipper 1
- Tropical Checkered-Skipper 4
- Laviana White-Skipper 2
- Southern Skipperling 1
- Eufala Skipper 2
John Heyse
at home, Palatka
Putnam County, FL
- Cloudless Sulphur 3
- Little Yellow 2
Steven Glynn
Whitewater Draw WMA
Cochise County, AZ
- Checkered White 1
- Mourning Cloak 1
- Cloudless Sulphur 4
- Little Yellow 1
- Sleepy Orange 2
Mostly overcast, very dry. A short visit.