You might spot a pipevine swallowtail.
Or maybe a soapberry hairstreak. Or a cloudless sulphur, a sleepy orange or an American snout.
Those are butterfly species - and some of them are likely to flutter by during the Sixth Annual Butterfly Count Saturday at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum near Superior.
The public is invited to join in the count with members of the sponsoring group - the Central Arizona Butterfly Association.
"We have people in the group who have done quite a bit of butterfly identification and watching, but it's good to have more eyes to help with the count," said Ron Rutowski, education director for the association.
Rutowski said the event is part of a nationwide butterfly count program overseen by the North American Butterfly Association.
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"People do these counts at about 200 locations nationwide," he said. "The purpose is to generate a database on butterfly abundance and diversity."
Rutowski said there are some 20,000 species of butterflies around the world. Seventy-nine species are on the arboretum's checklist.
"We try to identify as many species as we can in this one-day count," Rutowski said.
The pipevine swallowtail and sleepy orange are among species commonly seen. More rare are ones such as the soapberry hairstreak and American snout.
Count participants are to meet at 8:30 a.m. at the arboretum visitor center. Counting will continue into midafternoon with a break for lunch. Volunteers will be assigned to a leader and will work part of a "count circle" with a 15-mile diameter.
Data from counts can be useful to scientists studying biological and environmental topics.
"From the standpoint of the public, it is that butterflies are colorful, conspicuous animals," Rutowski said. "You're likely to see them in your backyard. They provide a sort of touchstone for the local environment."
If you go
• What: Sixth Annual Butterfly Count at Boyce Thompson Arboretum
• Where: The arboretum is at milepost 223 on U.S. 60 west of Superior.
• When: Participants are to meet at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at the arboretum visitor center.
• Cost: Arboretum admission is $9 for adults. Volunteers are asked to make an additional $3 donation to help with the count.
• Bring: water, hat, sturdy shoes and binoculars.
• Information: 1-520-689-2723
Contact reporter Doug Kreutz at dkreutz@azstarnet.com or at 573-4192. On Twitter: @DouglasKreutz
