Butterfly and Odonate Survey
One of the best indicators of the health and diversity of a property is the population of butterflies and odonates—damselflies and dragonflies—because each species has its particular habitat requirements of food, water, shelter, host plants, and mating conditions. The more species you have, the more diverse your habitat.
Survey Fees
Up to 100 acres: $100 per survey
100-200 acres: $200 per survey
Fees for larger properties determined on request.
Owners are welcome to walk the property with us during all or part of the survey.
Butterfly and Odonate Survey Data Provided to You
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Complete list of all butterfly and odonate species seen during the survey time.
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Common and species names provided on the list.
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Comments on caterpillars seen during the survey.
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Comments on butterfly host plants seen during the survey.
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Comments on the Monarch, a Species of Concern.
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Digital photographs of species caught on camera during the survey provided on request.
Survey Dates and Times
Warm sunny days (70+ degrees), Spring through Autumn, are optimal.
Butterflies are most active on warm sunny days, especially in the late morning or afternoon, and when nectar flowers are abundant. Odonates don't mind cloudy days, but their identifying details are best seen in sunshine. If you are combining a bird census with a butterfly survey, the two can be done on one day extending into the afternoon.
Spring and summer are the best seasons for finding the most species, and though the hardier butterfly species can be seen during warm spells in the winter, most emerge in spring and are found throughout the warm moths. Certain species, such as Henry's Elfins, only appear in early spring.
Damselflies and dragonflies are critical bug-eaters and although less often seen in winter, they are common throughout the warm months. Some species like stagnant ponds, others prefer fast-flowing streams, and many surprise you by hanging out away from water in grassy or shrubby areas, so you don't need water on your property to see them.
Butterfly Facts
Butterflies have two sets of wings, and some butterflies can hold their forewings vertical while holding their hindwings horizontal.
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The largest butterflies in Central Texas are the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and the Giant Swallowtail. The smallest is the Western Pygmy-Blue.
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Most butterflies, if desperate enough, will scavenge on decaying animal matter. Some species, though, rely solely on alternative foods, including sap, rotting leaves, and rotting fruit. One can make a mixture of rotting bananas and beer yeast to attract these butterflies.
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Different flowers attract different butterflies: Variegated Fritillaries like Hymenoxys, royals and grass skippers like thistles, hairstreaks like Antelope Horns Milkweed and Yarrow, and blues like Medicago (bur clover) species. Blue Mistflower and Prairie Verbena attract many butterflies, but the former brings in mainly the royals--Queens and Monarchs, and the latter ladies, swallowtails, skippers, and sphinx moths.
Odonate Facts
Damselflies are very small with long, slender, patterned abdomens and two pairs of wings often held together above the abdomen. Many species inhabit a wide variety of habitats, and they are not particularly shy—just hard to spot because of their tiny size.
Dragonflies are larger with long, thick abdomens that are distinctively patterned and two pairs of large wings held out to the sides. In some species the wings have dark or white patches, while others are clear but can catch the sparkling sunlight.
Odonates, the term for damselflies and dragonflies together, are a fascinating group of very many species in our area, each species having its own identifying colors and patterns, with distinct colors used by males, females, and often immatures.
Dragonflies are said to be among the fastest creatures on Earth, which you can understand if you ever try to follow the flight path of one while you look through binoculars or a camera.
