Browder Ridge Count 2026 Report
On July 18, nearly perfect weather prevailed for the Browder Ridge Count. A group of 5 observers led by John Sullivan climbed Iron Mountain and identified 29 species and counted 478 individuals. A second group of 9 observers, led by Alison Center, drove the roads along Frissell Ridge and identified 34 species and counted 639 individuals. Altogether, 42 species were identified and 1,117 butterflies were seen. Species with record high counts included Acmon Blue (10), Echo Azure Blue (16), and Hedgerow Hairstreak (9). For a complete list, see below.
| Common Name | Last | First | Iron Mt | Frissell Ridge | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lorquin's Admiral | Admiral | Lorquin's | 20 | 19 | 39 |
| Great Arctic | Arctic | Great | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Acmon Blue | Blue | Acmon | 10 | 10 | |
| Anna's Blue | Blue | Anna's | 27 | 43 | 70 |
| Boisduval's Blue | Blue | Boisduval's | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| Eastern Tailed Blue | Blue | Eastern Tailed | 7 | 7 | |
| Western Tailed Blue | Blue | Western Tailed | 1 | 1 | |
| Echo Azure Blue | Blue | Echo Azure | 6 | 10 | 16 |
| Dotted Blue | Blue | Dotted | 8 | 1 | 9 |
| Unidentified Blue | Blue | Unidentified | 50 | 50 | |
| Edith's Checkerspot | Checkerspot | Edith's | 10 | 10 | |
| Hoffman's Checkerspot | Checkerspot | Hoffman's | 3 | 3 | |
| Northern Checkerspot | Checkerspot | Northern | 2 | 2 | |
| Snowberry Checkerspot | Checkerspot | Snowberry | 166 | 180 | 346 |
| Hoary Comma | Comma | Hoary | 2 | 2 | |
| Blue Copper | Copper | Blue | 12 | 1 | 13 |
| Lilac-bordered Copper | Copper | Lilac-bordered | 22 | 23 | 45 |
| Mariposa Copper | Copper | Mariposa | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Field Crescent | Crescent | Field | 8 | 8 | |
| Mylitta Crescent | Crescent | Mylitta | 17 | 17 | |
| Persius Duskywing | Duskywing | Persius | 5 | 5 | 10 |
| Propertius Duskywing | Duskywing | Propertius | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Brown Elfin | Elfin | Brown | 1 | 1 | |
| Unidentified Fritillary | Fritillary | Unidentified | 15 | 1 | 16 |
| Hydaspe Fritillary | Fritillary | Hydaspe | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Northwestern Fritillary | Fritillary | Northwestern | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Pacific Fritillary | Fritillary | Pacific | 4 | 4 | |
| Gray Hairstreak | Hairstreak | Gray | 1 | 1 | |
| Hedgerow Hairstreak | Hairstreak | Hedgerow | 1 | 8 | 9 |
| Sylvan Hairstreak | Hairstreak | Sylvan | 1 | 1 | |
| Thicket Hairstreak | Hairstreak | Thicket | 2 | 2 | |
| Painted Lady | Lady | Painted | 8 | 1 | 9 |
| Clodius Parnassian | Parnassian | Clodius | 45 | 140 | 185 |
| California Sister | Sister | California | 15 | 15 | |
| Arctic Skipper | Skipper | Arctic | 1 | 1 | |
| Dun Skipper | Skipper | Dun | 1 | 1 | |
| Silver-spotted Skipper | Skipper | Silver-spotted | 4 | 4 | |
| Western Branded Skipper | Skipper | Western Branded | 4 | 4 | |
| Orange Sulphur | Sulphur | Orange | 16 | 55 | 71 |
| Pale Swallowtail | Swallowtail | Pale | 3 | 9 | 12 |
| Western Tiger Swallowtail | Swallowtail | Western Tiger | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| California Tortoiseshell | Tortoiseshell | California | 27 | 60 | 87 |
| Pine White | White | Pine | 9 | 9 | |
| Unidentified White | White | Unidentified | 1 | 1 | |
| Common Wood Nymph | Wood Nymph | Common | 2 | 2 | |
| 478 | 639 | 1117 | |||
| 29 | 34 | 42 |