Are you new to butterfly identification and feeling a little overwhelmed by the hundreds of species in a field guide? You’re not alone—and local naturalist and coordinator of the Baker Ponds Butterfly Count, New Hampshire’s longest running butterfly count, George DeWolf, has created a thoughtful new tool to help.

George recently developed New Hampshire–specific indices for two popular butterfly field guides: the Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America and the Swift Guide to Butterflies of North America. These printable indices are designed to be folded and glued right into the blank pages inside the back cover of each book—putting New Hampshire–relevant species information exactly where you need it.

Why this is helpful

These NH indices are especially valuable for:

🦋 Beginners, who want to focus on butterflies they can realistically encounter in New Hampshire

📍 Local exploration, highlighting species with limited regional distributions (like seacoast specialists)

🔍 Quick reference, making it easier to find species without flipping through hundreds of pages

Each index includes notes on:

  • Common, rare, and very rare species (based on iNaturalist observations)
  • Species with specific regional affinities
  • Recent name changes or taxonomic updates
  • A small number of species not yet recorded in NH—but plausible to find here

The project also corrects a couple of known page-number errors in the original guides, making these indices even more useful in the field.

A living, evolving resource

The indices are based entirely on research-grade iNaturalist observations and are intended to be updated over time as:

  • Climate change shifts species ranges
  • New species are recorded in New Hampshire
  • Taxonomy continues to evolve

George welcomes feedback, corrections, and suggestions—and is even happy to help others in New England create similar indices for their own states. You can email him at bakerpondsbutterflies@gmail.com.

Download the indices

👉 Click here for the Kaufman Guide NH Index

👉 Click here for the Swift Guide NH Index

We’re excited to share this practical, place-based resource with the NHEE community. Whether you’re just starting out or deepening your butterfly practice, these indices make exploring New Hampshire’s butterfly diversity a little more approachable—and a lot more fun. Click here for some helpful tips from George about how to use these NH-specific indices.

Thanks to George DeWolf for sharing his work with our community!