During the summers of 2013 and 2014, the Zephyr Society of Lake Simcoe (ZSLS) participated in the Durham/York Region north Sunderland Butterfly Count. With over 20 participants, the Durham Region butterfly counts aimed to characterize butterfly populations as teams would spend the entire day catching and identifying butterflies. The ZSLS has actually contributed to the Durham/York Butterfly surveys for a decade in the Sunderland Count.
In the larger 2013 Counts, a total of 98 hours and 110 km were catalogued on foot between all 14 parties within the span of two days; one in Oshawa and another in Sunderland. A total of 54 species of butterfly were identified in Sunderland with the most common species being Common Wood Nymph (882), Great Spangled Fritillary (457) and Eastern Tailed Blue (395) reported by the Durham Field Naturalists.
Species of significance which were identified by the ZSLS researchers include: Acadian Hairstrek (Satyrium acadica), Coral Hairstreak (Satyrium titus) and Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui). The results from the 2014 Butterfly Count are listed below:
2014 Butterfly Count – Zephyr Society of Lake Simcoe
Least Skipper (Ancyloxypha numitor) 8
European Skipper (Thymelicus lineola) 3
Tawny Edged Skipper (Polites themistocles) 1
Long Dash Skipper (Polites mystic) 3
Dun Skipper (Euphyes vestris) 4
Eastern tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) 2
Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) 41
Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice) 41
Harvester (Feniseca tarquinius) 1
American Copper (Lycaena phlaeas)
Acadian Hairstrek (Satyrium acadica) 1
Coral Hairstreak (Satyrium titus) 1
Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon) 1
Silvery Blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus) 15
Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele) 1
Aphrodite Fritillary (Speyeria aphrodite) 3
Silver-bordered Fritillary (Boloria selene) 1
Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos) 3
Northern Crescent (Phyciodes cocyta) 1
Tawny Crescent (Phyciodes batesii) 1
Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis) 1
Compton Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis vaualbum) 1 (East of Park Rd.)
Morning Cloak (Numphalis antiopa) 1
Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) 1
Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) 1
White Admiral (Limenitis arthemis) 4
Viceroy (Limentis archippus) 1
Northern Pearly Eye (Enodia anthedon) 4
Little Wood Satyr (Megisto cymela) 4
Common Ringlet (Coenonympha tullia) 1
Common Wood Nymph (Cercyonis pegala) 13
Monarch (Danaus plexippus) 2
Insect Research – Butterflies of South Lake Simcoe
