Austin, Texas, is home to about 170 species of butterflies. It is also the home of the Austin Butterfly Forum, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to butterfly conservation and to enriching people's lives through butterflies. The Austin Butterfly Forum is a club that organizes field trips, conducts butterfly counts, promotes native gardening, performs conservation activities, and meets monthly for an educational presentation. We are a community of butterfly enthusiasts who also enjoy dragonflies & damselflies, bees, beetles, spiders and arthropods in general, and our meeting presentations span this gamut as well. Join Us!

Luna Moth by Valerie Bugh

Meetings are held in the Zilker Garden Center, 2220 Barton Springs Rd., Austin, TX, 78746 at 7:00 PM on the fourth Monday of each month except December.

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Oct. 23, 2017, 7 PM meeting: Moths: The Mysterious Majority, presented by Valerie Bugh.

Of about 2000 species of lepidoptera found in the Hill Country, only 150 are butterflies. Moths are far more numerous and diverse than butterflies, including more varied lifestyles, far greater size range, and some rather surprising survival strategies. This program will cover both caterpillars and adults, identifying the major families as well as some oddities, and a look at the beauty of these often overlooked insects.

Val Bugh is a local naturalist specializing in the arthropods of the Austin area, with interests in taxonomy and photography. She runs the Fauna Project at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, leads insect discovery walks, teaches entomology courses, provides insect/spider identifications, gives talks to local organizations, and has published pocket guides to "Butterflies of Central Texas" and "Spiders of Texas." Website: Austin Bug Collection

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Oct. 28, 2017: Butterfly Count

The Butterfly Forum’s annual butterfly count is Saturday, October 28, 2017. To participate meet at the Zilker Botanical Garden Center (2220 Barton Springs Rd.) parking lot at 8:00 am. Everyone is welcome, including all skill levels. We count within a 15 mile diameter circle centered at Mount Bonnell. In addition to Zilker, we visit many of the best butterfly-finding locales around town, including the Barton Creek Greenbelt and St. Edward's Park. We usually work as a single group. Our focus is butterflies, but we are interested in moths and other insects.

This is the butterfly equivalent of the Audubon Christmas Bird count. The results are submitted to the North American Butterfly Association (NABA).

Be prepared to walk through brush and wet areas. Bring close-focusing binoculars if you have them. Long pants, hat, sunscreen, and insect repellent are recommended. The count typically lasts until mid afternoon, although you may leave at any time. We have lunch at a restaurant between stops.

If it rains Saturday, we may re-schedule to the following day. For more information contact . (512.656.5848).

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Nov. 27, 2017, 7 PM meeting: Member's Show & Tell.

This is a fun meeting that we have every year. Any member can show their favorite photos of the year or to tell about their a trip or butterfly experience. You have 5-10 minutes. There will be a projector and laptop so just bring your flash drive. If you plan to participate contact .