Rare or Endangered Butterflies

Miami Blue Butterfly

Zestos Skipper

South Florida is truly a geographical region where many rare, critically imperiled or endangered butterflies occur, so a strong conservation position is needed. One of the strongest components of the Miami Blue Chapter is our diligence on butterfly conservation issues.

If you are interested in South Florida butterfly conservation, contact MiamiBlue@Bellsouth.net.

IMPERILED BUTTERFLIES WORKGROUP

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has formed the Imperiled Butterflies of South Florida Workgroup (IBWG) to directly address the significant declines experienced by multiple south Florida butterflies. 

Our Miami Blue Chapter of NABA  and our Vice President for Conservation Dennis Olle have taken a vigorous collaborative role in this project. Composed of local, state, and federal agencies, NABA, and the University of Florida, the IBWG was borne out of efforts to deal with conservation and management issues surrounding the state-endangered Miami blue (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri) including habitat management, mosquito control pesticide application, and captive breeding and reintroduction.  Important lessons have been learned in the process and valuable partnerships have been established.  The IBWG hopes to build on these accomplishments by facilitating the regular exchange of information between agencies, identifying research priorities and educational needs, and catalyzing the development of additional critical partnerships that are needed to assist with butterfly recovery. 

MIAMI BLUE BUTTERFLY

Miami Blue Chapter members have attended all of the Miami Blue Working Group meetings conducted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission to support the conservation of the Miami Blue, Hemiargus thomasi, butterfly and its habitat.

Our now famous and much heralded namesake butterfly, the Miami Blue, after presumed extinction, now ranks as a State Endangered butterfly (as of 2002) thanks to successful petitioning to the U. S. Department of Interior by Jeffrey Glassberg and the North American Butterfly Association.

In addition to this butterfly’s only natural sites on Bahia Honda Key and in the Marquesas, efforts are presently underway by researchers at the University of Florida to reestablish this tiny butterfly to several of its former haunts. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope for success on this re-introduction project.

More on the Miami Blue

MOSQUITO CONTROL VS. BUTTERFLIES

Edsel M. Fussell, director of the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District, recently wrote that mosquito control does not harm butterflies.
Read his piece.

NABA's Jeffrey Glassberg wrote a rebuttal, voicing his concern that mosquito control harms butterflies and humans.
Read his piece.

Silver-banded Hairstreak
Chlorostrymon simeathis
Perched on Fiddlewood, Crocodile Lake Community Butterfly Garden
Photo by David L Lysinger

MONARCHS

While South Florida's monarchs live here year-round, most monarchs migrate. A scientists has documented that resident and migrating monarchs are differently shaded.

What he discovered

LETTERS FROM OUR VICE PRESIDENT FOR CONSERVATION

Letter on the Jetport area (DOC)
January 2010

Big Cypress Management Plan (DOCx)
October 2009

Comprehensive Conservation Plan for Lower Florida Keys Wildlife Refuges (PDF)
(The Plan referred to in the letter)
2008

Mosquito Spraying in the Key Deer National Wildlife Refuge (PDF)
June 2008

Key Deer National Wildlife Refuge (PDF)
2008

Silver-banded Hairstreaks (PDF)
September 2007

Everglades National Park (PDF)
August 2007

SCHAUS' SWALLOWTAIL

Our only Federally Endangered butterfly, Schaus’ Swallowtail, Papilio aristodemus, is a significant success story.

During the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, under the guidance of Dr. Thomas Emmel, at the University of Florida, larva of this spectacular butterfly was collected and hand-raised in Gainesville to bolster already small natural populations on Elliott Key and  Key Largo. After Hurricane Andrew devastated the Keys populations, this exceedingly rare butterfly was returned to its natural ecosystem.

During May and June, Schaus’ Swallowtail can again be seen consistently along the paths and roads of its former haunts.

ZESTOS SKIPPER

We have also been instrumental in raising awareness of the rapidly vanishing Zestos Skipper, Epargyreus zestos, on the Lower Keys, as well collecting seeds and growing the only known host plant for this butterfly.

The Zestos Skipper is in a far worse plight than the Miami Blue. To our knowledge, since January 2004 this large and impressive Skipper has not been recorded from its last stronghold, The Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden. It may no longer be an extant member of our North American butterfly fauna.

More on the Zestos Skipper

Zestos Skipper
From The Butterflies of the West Indies and South Florida, Plate 26 Figure 11, by Smith, Miller and Miller, Oxford University Press.