Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network

The Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network engages community scientists in the process of collecting quantitative data on butterfly populations. Their goal is to provide data collected with a standardized protocol that allows land managers and researchers to evaluate long-term trends in a changing landscape. The Network also offers opportunities for fellowship, mentorship, and continuing education between community scientists and professional biologists.

Monitoring Activity Tracker

Snapshot

Coordinator: Taron, Doug
Program Started: 1987
Institutional Affiliation: Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum
Institution Type: Museum
Species Focus: All butterfly species
Program website
Contact URL: https://ibmn.org/one-page-express/contact-us/

Protocol

Protocol Type: Restricted search, Pollard
Data Type(s): Abundance
Survey Focus: Adults
Incidental Data Collected: Weather, Habitat notes
Effort Tracking: Time spent monitoring each route is recorded.
Protocol Notes: A typical pollard protocol but with detections allowed up to 20 ft (~9m) on either side and in front of observer. Route length varies and contains multiple sections divided by habitat. Volunteers must complete at least 6 visits between Jun1 and Aug 7, but higher frequencies and visits outside these dates are encouraged. All butterflies observed during each survey are recorded.

Program Results

Publications:

Collin B. Edwards, Elise F. Zipkin, Erica H. Henry, Nick M. Haddad, Matthew L. Forister, Kevin J. Burls, Steven P. Campbell, Elizabeth E. Crone, Jay Diffendorfer, Margaret R. Douglas, Ryan G. Drum, Candace E. Fallon, Jeffrey Glassberg, Eliza M. Grames, Rich Hatfield, Shiran Hershcovich, Scott Hoffman Black, Elise A. Larsen, Wendy Leuenberger, Mary J. Linders, Travis Longcore, Daniel A. Marschalek, James Michielini, Naresh Neupane, Leslie Ries, Arthur M. Shapiro, Ann B. Swengel, Scott R. Swengel, Douglas J. Taron, Braeden Van Deynze, Jerome Wiedmann, Wayne E. Thogmartin, Cheryl B. Schultz.  2025.  Rapid butterfly declines across the United States during the 21st century. Science 387, 1090–1094

Collin B. Edwards, Cheryl B. Schultz, Steven P. Campbell, Candace Fallon, Erica H. Henry, Kelsey C. King, Mary Linders, Travis Longcore, Daniel A. Marschalek, David Sinclair, Ann Swengel, Scott Swengel, Doug J. Taron, Tyson Wepprich, Elizabeth E. Crone.  2024. Phenological constancy and management interventions predict population trends in at-risk butterflies in the United States. Journal of Applied Ecology 61:2455–2469

Kucherov, NB, ES Minor, PP Johnson, D Taron, and KC Matteson. 2021. Butterfly declines in protected areas of Illinois: Assessing the influence of two decades of climate and landscape change. PloS one, 16(10), e0257889

Saunders, S.P., L. Ries, K.S. Oberhauser, and E.F. Zipkin. 2016. Evaluating confidence in population-level predictions from climate impacts: Summer abundances of the monarch butterfly. Global Ecology and Biogeography

Ries, L., Taron, D.J., Rendon-Salinas, E.  2015. The Disconnect Between Summer and Winter Monarch Trends for the Eastern Migratory Population: Possible Links to Differing Drivers. Annals of the Entomological Society.

Matteson, K.C., D.J. Taron, E.S. Minor. 2012. Assessing citizen contributions to butterfly monitoring in two large cities. Cons. Biol. 26:557-564.

Ries, L., K. Oberhauser, D. Taron, E. Rendon-Salinas. 2015. Connecting eastern monarch population dynamics across their migratory cycle. In (K. Oberhauser, ed.) Monarchs in a changing world: Biology and conservation of an iconic insect. Cornell University Press. Ithaca, NY.