Record your butterfly observations with eBMS App!
This ButterflyCount App enables you to contribute to butterfly conservation by providing important information on where different species occur and the abundances in different places across Europe. Contribute with your counts of butterfly species alongside accurate location information, added via a dynamic map or via GPS acquired route information. You can add photos to support your observations, comments and many other functions provided by the app.
This free resource makes it easy to keep track of what you see while making your data openly available for scientific research, education and conservation.
What options does the application give?
- Make visits to your eBMS transects directly with the app. You just need to log in to the app with your eBMS account
- 15-minute Counts: a method for counting butterflies for 15 minutes wherever and whenever you want.
- 15-minute Single Species Count: the same methodology applied to register one species; useful for threatened or protected species
- Small Picture guide with photos of species per country
- Possibility of registering butterflies, moths, bumblebees and dragonflies from Europe in the species list (need to be selected in the settings)
Every registered individual through the ButterflyCount app will be stored its coordinates, providing more detail information.
Guide to the ButterflyCount App
This is a guide for using the eBMS mobile application for doing 15-minute counts of butterflies and many other methods of monitoring. The app can be used at any time in any location. The app works offline, although upload of sightings requires a data connection (i.e. wifi of 3/4/5G coverage). Please follow these steps to get full use of the app.
Step 1. Install the app
- For Apple devices (iPhones, iPads) - https://apps.apple.com/ie/app/ebms/id1461711373
- For Android devices - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.ac.ceh.ebms&hl=en_GB
Or search for ‘ButterflyCount’ via the App store.
Step 2. Set your language and country
Choose your language and country. This will give you the app in your preferred language. If you want to do butterfly counts in other countries and see the characteristic species on the guide, you should change the country to see different butterfly species on the Picture Guide. You can change it whenever you want
going to the Menu, then in Settings “App” and change the “Country”.
If you are missing a language and you would like to contribute to its translation, please contact ebms@ceh.ac.uk for details on how to get involved. After you’ve then clicked through the welcome screens, you are ready to get started.
Step 3. Register a user account, or log in to the eBMS system
This step is important to keep track of your own records by submitting them to our database that keeps your data secure and available for you to access at any time.
If you already have an account (e.g. for transect recording), you can log in using the same details on the "Menu" section.
If you need to register, follow the instructions on the app on the "Menu" page.
- Fill out your email, name, and password
- Read and agree with the Terms and Conditions
You will need a data connection (3/4/5G or Wifi) for the registration step, but when successful you will see this screen.
**Important. You can use the app straight away but it is important to fully activate your account by clicking on the link that will be sent to the email used for registration. This step is needed to confirm a valid email and to prevent spam accounts from being set up.
Step 4. Start a 15-minute count
After registration, you can start directly a 15-minute Count. You may be asked to agree to the app accessing your phone location, to record the area searched, or switch on your phone GPS. At any other time, click on the (+) button at the bottom-middle of the screen to start a 15-minute count (First picture).
A new window will appear and the app will start timing the count (counting down from 15 minutes), but the time can be paused at any time (e.g. to check identification or take a picture).
The app will use the phone GPS to track your route as you walk to sample butterflies. You can also draw, edit the map of the area sampled during the 15-minute count or after completion.
Step 4.1. Build up a list of butterflies seen and a count for each species
To add butterflies seen, click on the ‘Add’ button (see screenshot below).
You can search for any butterfly on the European list. To minimise typing we have set up various shortcuts for finding the right name. Two of the most effective ways of finding species names are:
- Typing the ‘species’ part of the scientific name, e.g. "tithonus" finds Pyronia tithonus
- Adding the first two letters of the genus, space, first two letters of the species name (e.g. "van at" quickly narrows the list to Vanessa atalanta)
As you type, a suggested list appears and you can select the right species. Add additional species in the same way. If a species has already been added to your list it will not appear in the search list.
Common names are available in English and many other languages. If you would like to add common names in other languages, please contact ebms@ceh.ac.uk to discuss.
To increase the count of individuals seen of each species, click on the number to the left of the species name. Each tap adds +1 to the count.
If you click on the type name will open a new window showing all the individuals with their coordinates and time. You can remove an individual swiping to the left on the individual row. Here you can also add comments, attach photos (to help confirm identification), change the species name... Clicking on the species name will allow you to edit it.
As you build up a list of names, you can order the species list alphabetically or by order added to the list (most recent at the top).
Step 4.2. Complete your 15-minute count
As you record an area/route for 15 minutes, you should build up a list of species and the numbers counted. As you near the end of the time period, the timer will change colour (amber with 3 minutes remaining, red with 1 minute left) and then finish with the message “Time’s up”. You can add any final species, counts or additional details.
Checking the recorded area: If you GPS doesn't work or you don't use it, you can draw the recorded area. You can draw a route (first upper-right button) or an area (second upper-right button).
- For drawing a route, draw the whole route touching the screen to place the starting point and the ending point. Then, you need to click the third button to edit the route. Several markers will appear part of your route and it allows you to move every mark to the correct place. Click save when you finish editing your route.
- For drawing an area, touching the screen to place the first mark and continue touching to create different marks. To complete your area, you need to touch the first mark you placed and then the area is closed.
After checking the species and the recorded area, you can click on the ‘Finish’ button on the top right of the screen to finish your 15-minute Count
Step 4.3. Submit your 15-minute count
Once the 15-min count is complete, the form needs to be ‘SENT’, otherwise your data will not be visible in the central database. Even with the completed sample, you can still correct by adding tracked species, the number of individuals tracked, changing tracking area, or route.
When you are happy with your 15-minute count, click on the ‘Upload’ button at the top-right of the screen.
**Important: It is essential that your user account has been activated prior to upload. You should have received an email link on registration. Please contact ebms@ceh.ac.uk if you experience any difficulties with this.
Once uploaded the survey can no longer be edited within the app, although further edits can be made via the eBMS website. We strongly recommend uploading your 15-minute count as soon as possible as your sightings are more secure within the central database that is regularly backed up; phone storage can be unreliable.
**Important: if you do a 15-minut count without any butterfly observation, it is really important that you submit this survey too. Zeros also count.
Step 4.4. Review your sightings via the eBMS website
Once your 15-minute count has been uploaded, you can view it on the eBMS website. To view your own sightings you first need to log in at https://butterfly-monitoring.net/user/login, using the same details (email and password) as for the mobile app. Then visit the [My Data – My samples] via the menu or go directly to the page via this link: https://butterfly-monitoring.net/mydata/samples. The page allows you to visualise your counts on the map, edit your 15-minute count and see the individual species
Download your data at the following link: https://butterfly-monitoring.net/mydata/downloads
Step 5. Start a eBMS Transect
If you belong to a Butterfly Monitoring Scheme with transect on eBMS website you can register your transect walk with ButterflyCount App.
First, you need to log in with your eBMS account, to enable to relate your account with the App and load all your transect(s) there.
Second, on the main page of ButterflyCount App you need to long-press on the (+) button at the bottom-middle of the screen to start an eBMS Transect (picture). If you just do a normal click you will enter on the 15-minute Count. Be aware, long-press on the (+) button for selecting eBMS Transect.
Step 5.1 Fill the environmental variables and select the transect
A new window will appear with different sections to fill. Firstly, fill the different environmental variables as temperature, wind speed/direction, cloud. The start time is filled automatically and the recorder name is by default your name but you can change it.
Then you need to select the transect you are going to do. Click on “Sections”, if you click on it you will enter in a new window with your transect(s) loaded (always if you are log in). Select the transect you want to do and select the first section to start adding butterfly species.
**Important: if you select a transect and you did a mistake, you cannot come back and select another transect. You need to remove this eBMS transect and start a new eBMS transect walk again to select properly the transect you want to do.
Step 5.2. Build up a list of butterflies seen and a count for each species per section
You need to fill your transect walk as you normally do by sections. In every section, you have the possibility to include the cloud percentage and reliability of your observation. To add butterflies seen, click on the ‘Add’ button (see screenshot below).
You can search for any butterfly on the European list. To minimise typing we have setup various shortcuts for finding the right name. Two of the most effective ways of finding species names are:
- Typing the ‘species’ part of the scientific name, e.g. "tithonus" finds Pyronia tithonus
- Adding the first two letters of the genus, space, first two letters of the species name (e.g. "van at" quickly narrows the list to Vanessa atalanta)
As you type, a suggested list appears and you can select the right species. Add additional species in the same way. If a species has already been added to your list it will not appear in the search list.
After finishing the first section, you can come back and select the second section to fill the butterflies seen. Continue filling the rest of the sections. You can click on the ‘Finish’ button on the top right of the screen to finish your transect walk (automatically the End time will be added).
You can check the species list per section and edit something of your transect walk.
Step 5.3. Submit your transect walk
Your transect walk will show as ‘Pending’ in the Survey section, which means it is not yet submitted to the central database. You can review your transect walk by clicking on the survey titled showing the date of the survey and the number of species. You can alter any details of the transect walk, such as adding additional species (i.e. after confirming identification).
When you are happy with your transect walk, click on the ‘Upload’ button at the top-right of the screen.
Once uploaded the survey can no longer be edited within the app, although further edits can be made via the eBMS website. You will see your transect walk as normally in your eBMS account, go to My Data -> My transect walk to see your walk.
We strongly recommend uploading your transect walk as soon as possible as your sightings are more secure within the central database that is regularly backed up; phone storage can be unreliable.
**Important: if you do a transect walk without any butterfly observation, it is really important that you submit this survey too. Zeros also count.