IDENTIFICATION & GENERAL BIOLOGY

Ohio is fortunate in having an excellent publication on its butterflies and skippers (Iftner et al., 1992). Several other useful guides to identification and natural history are listed at the end of this booklet.

It is essential to know as much as possible about the habits and distribution of the butterflies which occur on the transect route. For example, are they single- or double-brooded, common or rare? Do they overwinter as an egg, larva, pupa, or adult butterfly? Are the butterflies recorded breeding in the area, or are they breeding some distance away? A familiarity with this sort of information will enable fuller interpretation of the data.

Many butterflies remain in the vicinity of their larval host plant or near available nectar sources. Familarize yourself with the common flowers and host plants in your area using an appropriate field guide (Newcomb, 1977).