Butterfly diversity in the northern Chihuahuan Desert is extraordinary. Over 90 species have been documented on the 507-acre Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center alone (compare this with the 133 species found in the entire state of Ohio!). For several years, CDRI staff and citizen scientists have conducted butterfly surveys to compile a list of the butterflies found at the Nature Center and in the Davis Mountains region.

Now we want to do more.

We want to better understand the ecology and population dynamics of the butterflies in the Davis Mountains region. We’ll gather data to help answer questions such as:

• What are the local distribution patterns of our butterflies? Are these patterns stable year after year or do they fluctuate annually? Can we see gradual shifts in the distribution patterns through time?
• What role does colonization and extinction of butterfly populations play in the Davis Mountains region? Do populations stay relatively stable through time or are there frequent extinctions and foundations of populations?
• What effect does weather have on annual abundance and distribution of butterfly populations? What triggers a “good” or “bad” butterfly year?
• Can we see the effects of long-term climate change? Are some butterflies extending their range northward or to higher elevations? Are there more frequent sightings of Mexican species in the northern Chihuahuan Desert? Have any of our documented species disappeared from this range?

As you can see, there are lots of questions. For the answers, we need to continue collecting data and looking for patterns. 

Our data-collection priorities include:

1. Conducting seasonal Fort Davis Butterfly Counts to document the species and numbers of butterflies in the region.
2. Begin a butterfly monitoring project to better understand the ecology and population dynamics of butterflies at the Nature Center.
3. Investigate the distribution and life historyof the Poling’s Hairstreak (Fixenia [Satyrium] polingi).