Brisbane's Big Butterfly Count 2020-2021

Brisbane Catchments Network started its highly successful citizen science project Brisbane's Big Butterfly Count in Spring of 2020. The project was taken up by member groups with a lot of enthusiasm and stunning results.

We set out to evaluate butterfly communities in Briisbane and compare them with historic results. Our surveys were designed to capture butterfly diversity rather than numbers. Queensland Museym kindly provided us with a list of species previously recorded and we chose different habitat types across Brisbane, were supported by entomologists Dr Trevor Lambkin and Dr Justin Cappadonna and butterfly specialist Cliff Meyer in our endeavours and with the verification of data. 

Three surveys per chosen site were intended, however, not all of the 25 sites surveyed could be assessed that way for reasons of weather and availability of volunteers and support scientists. 58 surveys were conducted. They resulted in confirmed records of 92 species (Two of the records would require confirmation as the species are unlikely to be encountered in Brisbane). The result was excellent in comparison with the approx. 160 species recorded and listed with the Queensland Museum. 

A highlight was the discovery of a Tawny Coster (Acraea terpsicore), sighted during a Brisbane's Big Butterfly Survey at Boondall Wetlands in February 2021. This was a first sighting for Brisbane. The butterfly has since (during the 2021/2022 survey) been recorded at Moggill Conservation Reserve. 

Please check out our survey results here.