Trailside Naturalist – Butterfly Abundance, Richness and Diversity at Gateway Trailhead

Location: Gateway Trailhead – 18333 N Thompson Peak Pkwy, Scottsdale, AZ 85255

Time: ~2.5 hours

Stop by anytime between 8:30 and 11:00 A.M. to find out all about the many species of butterflies that live in the Preserve.

Pipevines and sulphers and skippers, oh my! The Sonoran Desert is home to over 250 species of butterflies. The Conservancy in conjunction with the Central Arizona Butterfly Association has documented over sixty of these species in the Preserve during annual spring and fall butterfly counts. Butterflies are important pollinators and good indicators of the ecological quality of the desert in which we live. They are also beautiful bursts of color that miraculously metamorphize from egg to caterpillar to pupa to flying adult. Stop by and learn all about these spectacular winged insects.