Our 7th annual Blitz was outstanding, with 60 participants submitting a record 3116 butterfly observations from Coles County to iNaturalist of 46 different species. Top observers were colbylikethecheese, mlemmerich, alexkerley, and tcanfam. Huge thanks to Bike & Hike-Charleston for once again providing very generous prizes and thanks to everyone who participated!

 

If you submitted an observation to iNaturalist for the Blitz but haven’t yet picked up your embroidered, commemorative 2025 Blitz patch, please stop by the Charleston Carnegie Public Library soon to pick it up at the main desk.

 

This year was an interesting one, butterfly-wise. Although several of the top 10 submitted species were similar – pearl crescent was #1 for the second straight year - for the first time in 7 Blitzes, no swallowtail species was in the top 10. The highest-ranking swallowtail was the pipevine swallowtail at #12. Also notably less common this year were fiery, Peck’s, and huron sachem skippers (no hurons were found). Sulphurs – with the exception of orange and clouded sulphurs – were much less common, and no little yellows or cloudless sulphurs were submitted at all.

 

On the other hand, Hackberry emperors, eastern commas, wild indigo duskywings, and Delaware skippers were unusually common relative to previous Blitzes.  The biggest rise in rank relative to the previous 6 Blitz years was the Delaware skipper, which moved up 20 spots from its average, while the biggest drop was the eastern tiger swallowtail - dropping 21 spots from its average -  and the aforementioned little yellow and cloudless sulphurs, which dropped from average ranks of about 23rd to out of the ranking entirely.

 

For complete results, visit the iNaturalist page for the Blitz:  www.inaturalist.org/projects/charleston-butterfly-blitz-2025