Identify that butterfly
Curious to know the name of that beautiful butterfly you saw in your backyard? Or do you want to find out where else in Guyana it occurs?
Share with us
Help build our database of local butterflies by sharing a picture or description of that butterfly you saw, where you saw it, or what it was doing at the time you saw it.
Newsfeed
Want to know something cool about butterflies? Learn how they inspire us every day? Or about that new butterfly species that was discovered?
Rationale of the Website
A Citizen Science Approach to Butterfly Conservation in Guyana
Butterflies are a group of insects belonging to the order Lepidoptera. Most of them are active during the day, unlike their moth cousins who are also Lepidopterans but are mostly active at night. Butterflies are primarily herbivores during the baby/caterpillar stage of their life cycle, eating the leaves of plants and collecting nutrients to continue their development. During this period, the excrements of caterpillars help to fertilize the soil, which benefits plants. Adults are pollinators and, like caterpillars, are also a food source for other organisms (e.g., ants, spiders, birds, lizards, etc.).
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Butterfly-Life-Cycle-874083
Butterflies are critical to the functioning of many ecosystems, yet not much is known about local butterflies. Records of investigation of butterflies within Guyana date back as far as the 19th century and continue to present day. Additionally, these records indicate that investigations were conducted within the four natural regions and ten administrative regions of Guyana, from as low as 8 meters below sea level to as high as 1,676 meters above sea level. However, they are dispersed within various organizations in Guyana as well as abroad within host organizations of visiting researchers. Most of these documentations are in the form of field reports, organization reports and unpublished lists. Additionally, there is still lots more to learn about local species biology, behavioral ecology, seasonal and altitudinal variations and distributions, impacts of different land uses on butterfly populations, etc.
This website 1) features all accessible records of butterflies in Guyana, and 2) serves as a tool to engage and enlist the assistance of the general public to monitor Guyana's butterfly diversity. Information featured here can be useful to the local scientific community, visiting researchers, environmental impact assessment consultants, biodiversity authorities, tourism operators, and members of the general public.
We are working to continuously update this website and provide accurate information. If you notice any errors on our part, kindly contact us and we will make any necessary corrections.