The counts are important in discovering trends and the effects of weather and development on certain species of butterflies and was part of the National Butterfly Association's Fourth of July Butterfly count. Coordinating the Fourth Annual count in the Luray area was Mara Meisel of Shenandoah National Park. These delicate insects that are so fragile, come in this fantastic diversity of color and form . Volunteers would look into certain areas that attract butterflies, and then they identify and count the different number of species they discover. Finding butterflies in their habitats is not difficult, if one thinks like a butterfly.
Butterflies are cold blooded creatures that are most active on warm sunny days.
By being familiar with particular plants butterflies crave, one can easily find the butterflies of their choice. Identifying the butterflies can be more of a challenge, because many of the species look similar to each other. To accurately name a butterfly, experience is the best tool to use. Coloration, shape, size, and flight patterns are all ways to tag a fly-by. Last year participants in the Luray count identified 56 species from over 5,570 butterflies.