FAQ

What is the North America Butterfly Lists Digest?

We recommend you bookmark this web site as a favorite. It is the easiest way to read the up-to-date news from lepidopterists, butterfly and dragonfly watchers from coast to coast. With a growing number of email lists dedicated to butterflies, moths and odonates across the U.S, it is often difficult to know where to find the latest lep and ode information for particular states or regions without subscribing to each. The Butterfly Digest was created to help you find out "what's going on lately" across the United States with a minimum of hassle. The Digest automatically compiles all posts from all the featured email lists and organizes them by region, by day, and by list. You can view the current day's messages, or browse messages back through the last 30 days. Hopefully, this system will allow you to find information about rare sightings or read questions and answers about all aspects of lepidoptery.

Which email lists are included in the digest?

Individual List owners were contacted and gave approval for including their group in the digest. There are currently 18 lepidoptera lists and 7 odonate lists included. Regional lists are organized into West/Southwest, East/Southeast, Midwest regions and lists of a general scope follow. You can view the directory of included lists by clicking on this link.

How long are messages kept in the Digest?

Messages are kept for 30 days. The digest is not meant to be a comprehensive archive of the email lists it includes. It is intended to be a log of the current and recent happenings nation-wide. All of the lists included in the Digest have official archives. If you would like to view older messages for a list, you must go to the official archive for that list. Links to those archives will appear on by going here .

What can listing software help me do?

Butterfly and Dragonfly listers can use Wildlife Computing's software to keep personal sightings, just as birders have done since 1986. Users of Bird Recorder Software get North American Butterflies and North American Dragonflies databases with the purchase of Bird Recorder 32. Sort your lists and download your state's butterfly list or ode species list to your palm or Pocket PC device. Then keep your sightings and transfer them back to your computer. For more information, contact support (at) butterflydigest.com

What should I do if I find a bug with the Digest, or have a question or comment?

The Butterfly Digest was created by Dave Ranney following the success of his California Birding Lists Digest. If you find any bugs I would love to hear about them. Suggestions for improvement or additional features are also welcome. You can email here: dave@sialia.com