Over and over again this year I've heard the same lament from butterfly gardeners, watchers and collectors. "Where have all the butterflies gone? I don't have nearly as many as I did last year at this time."

Numbers definitely appear to be down from recent years. The reasons for this are many and complex and are by no means completely understood. An increase level of predators due to last year's plethora of butterflies is one possible reason. Pathogens (viral and bacterial) are also "predators" and which infected many butterfly larvae. May and October are the two peak months for butterfly activity in North Texas, but our spring was something of a disappointment. Some of our single-brooded hairstreaks which are normally on the wing in May, made a pitiful showing this year compared to last year. Normally flower-heads of Bluets (Hedyotis sp.) are covered with Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus) and Soapberry Hairstreak (Phaeostrymon alcestis) during mid-May, but that was not the case this year.

Passion-vine and Dill, two of the most reliable butterfly host plants in any garden, have sat idle waiting for Gulf Fritillaries and Black Swallowtails to find them. Instead of getting phone calls from people asking where they can get more of these plants to feed the voracious caterpillars that devour them, I'm getting calls asking why the plants aren't being eaten.

The paucity of lepidoptera appears to have affected most species in the area. Whatever the factors are that have come together to cause this decrease in numbers, it should be remembered that this sort of "ebb and flow" is perfectly natural and has happened countless times in the past. Populations rise and fall with changes in the environmental conditions and other factors - and nature is never static. Already, at least in my backyard, numbers seem to be increasing over the past few weeks. Let's hope the rest of the year will be better than Spring.