A new community science project, the Oklahoma Butterfly Atlas, is compiling all Oklahoma butterfly observations made on the free nature sharing site iNaturalist, and will help scientists learn more about where species occur in the state and assess population trends.
While many large and showy butterflies draw attention, the smaller and less colorful species are often overlooked, making data on these species especially valuable. The atlas is geared to eliminate butterfly blindness and further build a community of butterfly and nature enthusiasts. Already, the project has compiled more than 850 butterfly records of 70 species made by 307 iNaturalist contributors in 2025.
Butterfly observations shared on iNaturalist that are made within the state and accompanied by photographs will automatically be added to the Oklahoma Butterfly Atlas, but iNat users may join the project to keep tabs on the sightings, easily contribute to observations made by others in the community, and view leaderboards. Participants are encouraged to use the tag #FindMyButterfly when uploading their butterfly observations to further engage with the Oklahoma Butterfly Atlas community.
Need ID help? iNaturalist makes AI-based recommendations when sighting details are uploaded, and others in the iNaturalist community can help confirm the identification or make recommendations once the observation is shared.
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