Central Tablelands residents are being asked to become citizen scientists to help researchers monitor one of Australia's rarest butterflies.
The endangered purple copper butterfly is found around Bathurst, Oberon and Lithgow and will be active when the butterfly flying season begins in late August and finishes in October.
The tiny butterfly's stunning iridescent purple-blue wings make it easier to spot while in flight on sunny, calm spring days.
The butterfly's picky eating habits give more clues on where butterfly hunters should look, as the purple copper only lives on and around native blackthorn, the favourite food of the caterpillars.
Anyone who spots the butterflies is asked to record their sightings to help scientists understand when and where the species occurs.
Scientists are especially keen to uncover more populations as the purple copper is currently only known in a small number of areas within the Central Tablelands.
Citizen scientists can report their sightings to the Counting Coppers project, which is run by Butterflies Australia and the NSW Government's Saving our Species program.
The free Butterflies Australia app can be downloaded from the Apple app store.
