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Home , Elliott Key, Miami blue

Marc Averette James L. Monroe Feeling Blue in Miami as We Watch the Largest Extinction of by Dennis Olle

Right: A 1923 photograph of Brickell W.A. Fishbaugh Hammock, where Schaus’ Swallowtail was Introduction Although, the decline of butterflies in first found in 1911. “We protect what we love, we love what we southern has been ongoing for many understand, and we understand what we are years, here I share my personal notes (both Above: A 2010 photograph of the northern taught.” J.Y. Cousteau. biased and prejudicial) on how we got to this point. end of Brickell Hammock that provides I was recently asked to write an article Any analysis of conservation clues to the demise of Schaus’ Swallowtail for these pages regarding the state of butterfly in southern Florida needs to begin with the and other south Florida butterflies. conservation in southern Florida in response understanding that there are tremendous, to an ever-rapidly disappearing suite of continuing human-inspired pressures on a Opposite page: One of the last Miami butterflies, some of which are found nowhere very fragile and now considerably reduced Blues seen at Bahia Honda SP. Jan. 23, 2010. else in the world. Candidly, many of our landscape: pine rocklands interspersed with butterflies are gravely imperiled and the Antillean hardwood hammocks and finger outlook for them is grim. glades of fresh water, the latter flowing to Miami Blues are the only named On a personal note, in 2001 I was on a This development may not come as a North America’s only , with the for the city (and now county) of Miami: nature walk along the Silver Palm Trail at surprise to those who have been following the exposed remnants of that reef system forming a metropolis of relatively recent origin Bahia Honda State Park in when I was shown status of butterflies in recent years, either in the bulk of the . (incorporated in 1896) with a population of a my first — I was hooked on Florida (as previously discussed three years few thousand souls at the turn of the previous butterflying. ago, separately in these pages by Marc Minno Miami Blues — Revived? century, now burgeoning with a population Since my article on the demise of Miami and myself [American Butterflies 18:3].) The A discussion of the current state of South of 2.6 million just in Miami-Dade County Blues appeared in the aforementioned edition best I can say is that we are now in a position Florida butterfly conservation must begin with (not counting contiguous Broward or Monroe of American Butterflies (at pp. 4-14), Miami to monitor and perhaps measure their decline. the “ebb and flow” of Miami Blues. counties). Blues, which now occur only within the 4 American Butterflies,Fall/Winter 2013 5 Google Maps

Going Going: Miami Blue, Schaus’ Swallowtail, Florida Leafwing, Bartram’s Scrub-Hairstreak, ‘Keys’ Pilatka Skipper, Florida White, Florida Purplewing Holly L. Salvato Gone: Zestos Skipper, ‘Rockland’ Meske’s Skipper remote islands of the National reason, circa late 1990s, the United States Fish Wildlife Refuge, was finally listed by the and Wildlife Service (USFWS) (the agency federal government as an endangered species. responsible administering the Endangered The path traveled to this now “protected” Species Act) decided to take the Miami Blue Above: A map showing the last two colonies of Schaus’ Swallowtail in the United States, status was a rocky one, and a nightmare of off the waiting list. North — from which Schaus’ Swallowtail may now be gone — and . bureaucratic bungling and red tape. The I imagine their thinking was “that Miami Blue (along with other butterflies butterfly’s status was unknown, let’s just Opposite page: A forlorn Schaus’ Swallowtail. May 19, 2011. Elliott Key, Miami-Dade Co., FL. discussed below) was in line for endangered sweep it under the rug, I mean who’s going status long ago. However, for whatever to notice anyway, right?” Well, actually, the 6 American Butterflies,Fall/Winter 2013 7 Miguel Vieira Jeffrey Glassberg Jeffrey Holly L. Salvato Jeffrey Glassberg Miami Blue’s status was known, and was in Federally endangered (endangered-August, dire need of protection. Actually, some thought 2011; full listing-April, 2012). it was already extinct. As a result, a recovery plan for Miami Then a lone population was encountered Blues is now being drafted, which may in Bahia Honda State Park in 1999 (see provide a path forward toward bringing this American Butterflies Spring 2000). butterfly back from the brink; or perhaps it Immediately thereafter NABA petitioned the will just sit on the shelf and collect dust, as so USFWS to emergency list the butterfly as many recovery plans nationwide do. endangered. Nothing was done in response; however, against all odds the State of Florida’s Top: A Florida Leafwing is superimposed Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, over an image of its former habitat on Big perhaps in cognoscente of the fact that they Pine Key, Monroe Co., Florida. This may were the keepers of the last population, did act be the only way to see Florida Leafwings in response to NABA’s entreaties, and the blue in this habitat in the future. Feb. 6, 2003. was State-listed as endangered shortly after their rediscovery. Opposite page top: Some remaining In 2006 a second Miami Blue population pine rockland habitat at Long Pine Key, was discovered, flying in the Key West . Jan. 2012. National Wildlife Refuge (see American Butterflies Summer 2006), and more than a Opposite page bottom: Florida decade after NABA’s original petition, the Duskywings are also in decline. Mar. 26, USFWS belatedly listed the Miami Blue as 1999. Big Pine Key, Monroe Co., FL

8 American Butterflies,Fall/Winter 2013 9 In an attempt to increase the next chemical pesticides, etc.). Fortunately, both species; note, I generally come down on the generation of swallowtails, the University the leafwing and hairstreak were reinstated as side of listing and resulting governmental of Florida was allowed to harvest eggs and candidates for federal protection in 2006, and involvement. caterpillars during the spring 2013 flight now are currently proposed for endangered Having said that, know that just season, in the hopes of rearing swallowtails species status, with the contingent prospect identifying the governments (each with their in the safety of the greenhouse and laboratory of critical habitat being designated for their separate bureaucracies) that are routinely environment and then releasing them into the recovery. Although formerly widespread in involved in “butterfly conservation” is wild. South Florida and on the Keys, as it stands daunting: the USFWS, including the However, historic attempts at bolstering now, Florida Leafwings occur only within individual wildlife refuges, e.g., National the wild populations by releasing captive Everglades National Park. As recently as six Refuge as well as the USFWS bred individuals had, at best, only fleeting years ago there was a significant population regional field offices (Vero Beach, FL); the success, largely because the main factors on Big Pine Key, mainly in the National (including Everglades that caused the swallowtails’ decline were Key Deer Refuge, but this population now and Biscayne National Parks); the State of never rectified; in fact, the factors were never appears to be extirpated due to habitat Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection, really identified, let alone fixed. Aside from mismanagement. Bartram’s Scrub-Hairstreak including its Division of State Parks (and the the obvious range-wide loss of habitat, one maintains a handful of small, localized individual South Florida parks in that system); derivative “habitat loss” theory potentially populations within the southern Florida the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission; explaining the swallowtails decline, even mainland, as well as on Big Pine Key. The University of Florida (McGuire Center on conservation lands, was the need for for and Biodiversity); Monroe substantial habitat restoration. In particular, 7. With respect to the Florida White it has County Mosquito Control District; Miami- more hardwood hammocks, with larger been increasingly clear that the endemic Dade County Parks Dept. Just arranging from a time when rafts of Wood densities of the swallowtail’s host plants — subspecies can no longer be reliably found in meetings (apart from consensus) of these Storks drifted over the Everglades torchwood and wild lime — were probably Florida. Only a few populations remain. “stakeholders” is an exercise in itself, since required. Ideally, such efforts would have you cannot assume they talk to each other; in been undertaken decades ago, but better late 8. Florida Purplewings, which once fact, you should assume the opposite. than never once habitat is restored, and once maintained an extensive range in southern With this in mind, one relative bright spot Who’s next? Schaus’ Swallowtails’ host plants are more Florida and the Keys, are now quite localized that occurred during the Miami Blue debacle 1. Unfortunately, Miami Blue is just one of abundant on these islands it is hoped that the on a few islands in the Florida Keys. over the last decade was the creation of the several severely imperiled butterfly species in swallowtails may better disperse. Imperiled Butterfly Working Group (discussed (or formerly in) South Florida: It’s a good plan, but can the butterfly below). hold on that long, given its low population Government Of particular concern is the oft- 2. In June 2013 the USFWS acknowledged numbers? Time will tell. In my experience, one of the biggest tools encountered bureaucratic mind-set, that both Zestos Skipper for, and impediments to, the protection and exemplified by the following three 5. Florida Leafwing and maintenance of healthy butterfly populations examples: it took more than a year to get a 3. and the Florida Keys subspecies of Meske’s is “the government” as you can no doubt tell “memorandum of understanding” between Skipper were likely extirpated or extinct. 6. Bartram’s Scrub-Hairstreak, were also on from my tone above. While National Parks, state agencies to reintroduce Miami Blues that 1990s waiting list with Miami Blue for National Wildlife Refuges, National Forests, into Bill Baggs State Park (on ) 4. Over the last several years, populations consideration as endangered species status, U.S. military bases, etc. are crucial to protect only to have both the wild and captive of Schaus’ Swallowtail have precipitously when they too got booted off, again based land from development and the Federal populations wink out before any restorative declined within and on some USFWS bureaucrat stating “their Endangered Species Act is a valuable tool in efforts could be undertaken; we watched northern Key Largo. Only four individuals status was uncertain at the time.” Really, my the somewhat limited arsenal of weapons to the Miami Blue population in Bahia Honda were recorded, range-wide, during the review indicates that actual USFWS-funded protect imperiled species, if you think that the State Park evaporate due to a subspecies’ 2012 spring flight period, all on studies, along with numerous papers from listing of a species is tantamount to species population run amuck and then saw seemingly Elliott Key within Biscayne National Park. In around that time-frame provided far more recovery, you would be sorely disappointed. meaningful implementation of iguana controls 2013, thirty adult butterflies were observed, than slightly awareness that the leafwing and In fact more than one robust debate has after the butterfly had disappeared; everyone, again, only on Elliott Key, suggesting that the hairstreak were not only in dire straits, but been sparked at Imperiled Butterfly Working including the regulators, routinely waited for swallowtail has become extirpated from the also identified some of the factors in their Group meetings (see below) as to the value the University of Florida’s McGuire Center remainder of its already diminished range. demise (habitat loss, habitat mismanagement, v. inhibitions created by the “listing” of a researchers to release information on the 10 American Butterflies,Fall/Winter 2013 11 for that state park) is better, at least to the Imperiled Butterfly Working Group skeptical eye, than what appears to be active (IBWG) mismanagement at the various locations The travails of Miami Blues had at least described above. Simply put, do not assume one positive product: the formation of Jeffrey Glassberg Jeffrey that because an imperiled butterfly flies in a the Miami Blue Working Group in 2004. national wildlife refuge or even in a national Under the direction of the Florida Fish park that it is safe — it most certainly is not in and Wildlife Commission (FWC), this is a South Florida. loose affiliation of resource managers and Finally, government(s) are too reactive, butterfly conservation stakeholders; the group clumsy, and unpredictable, especially includes representatives from many of the when pitted against the vagaries of nature, governmental bodies mentioned above, as and each other. Such as the Miami Blue well as other interested persons/groups, most examples above, where the State and Federal particularly NABA chapter representatives. agencies were compelled to ultimately list the Shortly after the Miami Blue crisis was butterfly as endangered when forced with the addressed, it became clear that several other realization that they had the last population of Florida butterfly species were imperiled (see something and a “heck, maybe we should do species list following this article); so the something about that, shouldn’t we?” attitude. name was changed to the Imperiled Butterfly In other words, they tend to “fight the last Working Group (“IBWG”). war” and what is more important, it doesn’t This may be an unfair expectation, but a seem to even learn from that. downside of the group is that we are all talk Another example, is that there has been and little action. Another disadvantage of the a long-standing, dust-gathering management “cooperation” fostered by the IBWG is that

Miguel Vieira plan in place for Schaus’ Swallowtails (see you can get “sandbagged.” After one of the A Florida Purplewing magically hovers over the Mahogany Hammock Trail in South Florida Multi-Species Recovery Plan, first meetings of the group, the Florida Keys Everglades National Park. Main photo: Jan. 12, 2012. 1999) which treated the butterfly as “rescued” Mosquito Control District (a participant) when, in reality, the butterfly was in steady promptly sued the FWC, the University of decline before the Plan was even finalized. Florida, et al., to stop the release of captive- captive population, only to find out by email also the loss of the few remaining hammocks The USFWS didn’t realize this until very reared Miami blues in the Florida Keys. (at least that’s how this author found out) and pine rockland habitats within Everglades recently and now it may be too late. Needless to say this had a “chilling effect” on that the University of Florida’s population National Park, within National Wildlife As discussed above, as of this writing, all future releases, and allowed politics rather had been allowed to die out. All this occurred Refuges (including the National Key Deer Schaus’ Swallowtails have once again than science to dictate the location of releases. while there was a management plan in place. Refuge), and on other conservation lands (i.e. undergone a population crash, with the wild The “good news” is that the IBWG has Fortunately for many of the individuals Miami-Dade Parks), due to inadequate land population in critical condition (a handful identified imperiled butterfly species which involved (except for Miami Blues) it’s a management practices. of individuals seen in the spring [and only] is the first necessary step to mitigating the good thing that these events took place on the The butterflies also face unregulated and brood) and a captive population (in diapause) risk of a butterfly species going extinct (or government’s “watch”, because I can assure unpermitted mosquito pesticide spraying, at the University of Florida’s McGuire Center. being extirpated) without anyone knowing, you that if such hijinks had occurred in the nonexistent or inconsistent fire regimes, We find ourselves in the same much less doing something to stop avert it private sector “heads would have rolled.” unnatural flooding, and a general lack of predicament: we don’t know what went (the fate of Zestos and of ‘Rockland’ Meske’s Further, watching the government as land reasoned management plans. These actions wrong, and, in large in part, I suspect that this Skippers). manager has not been a pretty picture. When and inactions can render what is seemingly is because we do not understand the butterfly’s The further good news is that the IBWG, you hear the stated reason for some butterfly good habitat unusable, if not toxic, to biology despite the fact that this species has and others, have gotten the benefit of yeoman- species’ disappearance as “loss of habitat,” imperiled butterfly species. been on the federal endangered species list like efforts of the Florida Natural Areas know that in the case of Florida Leafwings and Perhaps the “benign neglect” employed for almost 30 years (August 31, 1984) and Inventory. A key product of this multi-year Bartram’s Scrub-Hairstreaks that it’s not just at (Monroe Co.) regarding that much of the hundreds of thousands of 2010-13 effort was the recent release of the conversion of more than 90% of the native Florida Purplewings (the last time I looked, dollars (if not more) that have been spent on Developing Land Management Guidelines for pine rocklands to concrete (suburban sprawl) this extraordinarily rare species wasn’t its “recovery” has gone to researchers at the Imperiled and Declining Butterfly Species. in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties; it is even discussed in the management plan McGuire Center. Proper land management on properties 12 American Butterflies,Fall/Winter 2013 13 that are already “protected” lands (national Change in the status of any captive colony, Swift Guide to parks, national wildlife refuges, designated e.g., the occurrence of disease, should be Now! Questions? 973-285-0890 Visit our websites “natural areas”, etc.) is crucial to the survival required to promptly and publicly be reported. Mexican Butterflies [email protected] www.sunstreaktours.com and prosperity of these imperiled species. www.sunstreakbooks.com Interestingly, one of the issues not faced by Any captive colony should be intensely these efforts (particularly under the federal studied with a commitment to understand Endangered Species Act) is that very few if the biology of the species. In conjunction any of the imperiled species fly on private with careful studies of the wild population, lands, as a result much of the “heartburn” a special emphasis should be placed on caused by the Endangered Species Act’s understanding the factors limiting the species’ alleged trampling for private property rights is success in the wild. a non-factor in Florida. For more information about the efforts of the IBWG visit its The prompt publication of the results of those SharePoint site: http://share2.myfwc.com/ studies, preferable in scientific journals but IBWG/default.aspx also in other publically available venues, should be required. What Have We Learned? Of course, the real question is: What have we Conclusion learned about butterfly conservation in the last “Never doubt that a small group of committed decade? Respectfully, I would recommend the citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the following, so as not to the repeat the mistakes only thing that ever has.” M. Meade. of the past: photo by Susan Brown In conclusion, I am sanguine that if Wild populations should, where possible, be we learn from the mistakes of the past, Not photoshopped! used to generate a “head-start” program in particularly the mistakes that have been made Five species on one leaf (Ecuador). situ, by expanding suitable habitat around the with respect to Miami Blues, and to a lesser periphery of the wild population so that it can extent Schaus’ Swallowtails, Zestos Skippers, colonize new areas. and ‘Rockland’ Meske’s Skippers, we can make real efforts in maintaining and restoring If there are releases into the wild from a butterfly populations in South Florida. Sunstreak captive colony should to be monitored Actually, despite the dire tone of this continuously and not episodically. article the prospects for butterfly conservation Tours in Florida are on the upswing: a loose If you want to see and The location of any releases from captive network for butterfly population monitoring learn about butterflies colonies should be dictated by science and not has been established, imperiled species have — come with us! by politics. been identified, a formal forum of government stakeholders and others (principally local The creation and care of captive colonies NABA chapters) has been set up with regular should be entrusted to persons/institutions meetings to address butterfly concerns, with appropriate skills and a reliable track and several species have been added to the record of successful reintroductions. federal endangered species list. A lot has been accomplished, and lot remains to be done. Any captive colony should be maintained The fight to save our butterflies goes on! in perpetuity or until responsible parties are released from their maintenance commitment by the appropriate authorities (with notice to stakeholders).

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