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WINGS ESSAYS ON INVERTEBRATE CONSERVATION

THE XERCES SOCIETY FALL 2010 CONTENTS

Introduction Scott Hoffman Black Page 3.

Assessing the Status of the World’s Owen T. Lewis Completing an assessment of the status of the world’s butterflies might seem as though it would be a straightforward task, until you realize that there isn’t even a comprehensive list of . Page 4.

Butterflies in ’s Kaçkar Mountains Evrim Karaçetin and Hilary Welch Construction of an oil pipeline brought new attention to a remarkable fauna — and to the threat posed by planned hydroelectric dams. Page 8.

Conservation of Butterflies in Japan’s Changing Environments Yasuhiro Nakamura Japan’s traditional rural landscape of small fields and woodlands —the satoyama— is home to many species of butterflies. Page 13.

Florida Butterflies Jaret Daniels ’s butterfly populations have always fluctuated, due in large part to the vaga- ries of tropical weather, but recent events may be pushing them into decline. Page 18.

Butterfly Conservation in 2010: How We Got Here Robert Michael Pyle Events in Britain a century and a half ago resulted in the first concerted efforts to conserve butterflies, and led indirectly to the creation of the Xerces Society.Page 22.

Xerces News The Xerces Society assumes a new role in worldwide ; Xerces is a partner in the Monarch Joint Venture; we offer a new book on pollinator con- servation and launch a three-year project presenting short courses on pollinators; and reprints are available from former Xerces president Thomas Eisner. Page 28.

 WINGS Introduction

Scott Hoffman Black

In 1971, Robert Michael Pyle founded pose a risk to this precious resource; how the Xerces Society with the intent of the loss of traditional farming methods protecting butterflies. Although the may be threatening some species in Society has broadened its interests over Japan; and how formerly common but- the ensuing four decades and now works terflies in Florida have been declining. on behalf of a wide variety of inverte- We also have articles on the history of brates — beetles, dragonflies, caddisflies, global butterfly conservation and on snails, to name just a few — butterflies methods for assessing the global status have remained at the core of our work. of butterfly species. We hope the essays Whether supporting Pyle’s efforts as the and photographs will encourage you to first chair of the Specialist get engaged in butterfly conservation in Group of the International Union for your local area and beyond. Conservation of Nature (IUCN) from 1976 to 1982, using legislation to protect at-risk species, or working with farmers and land managers to create or manage habitat, the Xerces Society has main- tained a focus on butterflies. We continue to advocate for the most endangered butterfly species and have reinvigorated our monarch- ­protection program, working to better understand and protect monarch over- wintering areas in California and the native milkweed species that support summer populations. We have also re- cently expanded our international role, as I begin chairing the IUCN’s newly re- formed Butterfly Specialist Group. This issue of Wings is dedicated to global butterfly conservation, high- lighting the partnership between the Long recognized as symbols of fragility IUCN and the Xerces Society and illus- and beauty, butterflies are indicators of a trating some of the threats facing butter- healthy environment. Concerted conser- vation efforts are needed to ensure that flies — and the inspiring efforts that are they retain their position in both our being made to protect them. We have imaginations and our landscapes. Green- essays on butterfly diversity in Turkey underside blue ( alexis), pho- and how dams and other developments tographed by Evrim Karaçetin.

FALL 2010  Assessing the Status of the World’s Butterflies

Owen T. Lewis

I remember vividly my first experience status formally assessed by the Interna- of the extraordinary diversity of tropi- tional Union for Conservation of Nature cal rainforests. Spectacular butterflies highlights this disparity. filled the air, and each individual I en- Butterflies are probably the best- countered seemed different from the known group of terrestrial invertebrates, last. In fact, habitats such as tropical for- but we still understand remarkably ests are home to at least half of all spe- little about their cies on Earth. These are also among the globally. In comparison with birds and most threatened habitats globally, and mammals — for which high-quality in- it seems likely that many tropical for- formation on species distributions, sta- est and other invertebrates are tus, and threats is often available — our threatened with . We often knowledge about butterflies is slight. hear about endangered birds, whales, or Thus, it is hardly surprising that verte- primates, but how many of us can name brates rather than invertebrates are typi- a globally endangered butterfly? That cally used to set conservation priorities fewer than four hundred of the planet’s and to monitor trends in . eighteen thousand or so butterfly spe- For example, indices showing changes cies have had their global conservation in the status of birds, mammals, and amphibians are now used to track prog- ress toward achieving the conservation commitments made by nations under the Convention on Biological Diversity. We know, however, that invertebrates are key players in many ecosystem func- tions and services, and that they are sensitive bellwethers of environmental change, so it would be helpful if they too could be included in these conservation indices. To address this data gap, the IUCN is mounting a new effort to assess the The IUCN is undertaking an assessment status of the world’s butterflies, the Red of the world’s butterflies, based on a ran- List Index for Butterflies (sampled ap- dom sample of fifteen hundred species. proach), funded by the Esmée Fairbairn This may include rare butterflies as well as Foundation and the Institute of Zoolo- common ones such as the orange tip (An­ thocharis cardamines), shown here. Photo- gy, part of the Zoological Society of Lon- graph by Silaev Andrey Aleksandrovich, don. The project draws together contri- iStockphoto. butions from an informal network of

 WINGS The purple sapphire ( epicles) has a dramatically different appearance with wings closed and open. Photographed in West Malaysia by Adrian Hoskins. approximately thirty butterfly experts tion and are considered “Threatened.” from all over the world. Currently we Typically, these Red List assessments do not know what fraction of butterflies can be carried out from a desk rather globally is at risk of extinction, whether than in the field, drawing together in- levels of peril vary geographically or formation from scientific publications taxonomically, what the major threats and expert knowledge. Systematic com- to butterflies are, and whether these dif- pilations of data on conservation status fer from those affecting other taxa. As for groups such as butterflies can allow coordinator of this project, I hope that conservationists to identify taxa, re- our work will help to answer all of these gions, or habitats that are of particular questions and will push butterflies, as conservation concern. Furthermore, if flagship invertebrates, higher up the the assessment process is repeated regu- worldwide conservation agenda. larly, then trends can be measured over The IUCN provides a standardized time. This is the logic applied in calcu- method for carrying out assessments lating Red List indices for use as a con- of the conservation status of individual servation monitoring tool; by compar- species and publishes them in the Red ing the number of in List. Species are assigned threat catego- repeated re-assessments, conservation- ries —“Least Concern,” “Near Threat- ists can determine whether the global ened,” “Vulnerable,” “Endangered,” or regional status of sets of species is im- “Critically Endangered”—based on such proving or deteriorating. factors as rates of population decline, With eighteen thousand species, population size, area of geographic dis- there are too many butterflies on Earth tribution, and the degree of fragmen- for us to assess the conservation status of tation of population and distribution. them all. Instead, our strategy is to focus Those species in the categories “Criti- on a random subset of fifteen hundred cally Endangered,” “Endangered,” and species. A genuinely random sample “Vulnerable” are at high risk of extinc- should be representative of butterflies

FALL 2010  of the world, including, for example, the entire . These lists provided the starting point for compil- ing a global species list. The next challenge is to sort out some of the taxonomic confusion sur- rounding butterfly names. It is not easy to assess the conservation status of a spe- cies when its identity is uncertain! But- terfly is in a constant state of flux, and much of the information avail- able on particular species may be linked to incorrect or obsolete names. In par- ticular, a great many butterfly names are synonyms — different names applied to the same species. Furthermore, histori- cally, many species have been misclassi- fied, and in many cases individuals have been misidentified, providing mislead- The Indian fritillary ( hyperbius) ing information on distributions. All has a wide distribution from East Africa across South and Southeast to Japan, of these problems require considerable and south to New Zealand. Photograph by detective work to resolve. Masaki Ikeda. Once these taxonomic problems have been adequately addressed, the more widely in terms of the geographic next stage is to gather relevant infor- and taxonomic spread of species as well mation on the selected species, by con- as being indicative of their conservation sulting experts and by using whatever status, and thus should provide an unbi- sources of information are available in ased assessment of butterflies as a whole. the literature. For the relatively well- For example, we do not set out to investi- studied butterflies of and North gate rare species that may be more likely America, this is often straightforward; to be threatened, nor do we sample fixed abundant information is typically avail- numbers of species from different coun- able and experts are very familiar with tries or continents. the targeted species, even rare ones. In There is no up-to-date inventory of these cases we are able to calculate the all butterfly species, which may surprise area of distribution of each butterfly some people. Compiling such an inven- species, and in some cases we can even tory provided the first challenge in ap- calculate approximate population sizes plying the Red List index approach, be- and trends. All of this information is cause a random subset of species for as- useful for placing species into one of sessment purposes must be drawn from IUCN’s threat categories. a comprehensive list. Fortunately, vari- The great majority of species, how- ous butterfly experts have documented ever, are little-known inhabitants of regional butterfly faunas for many parts tropical forests, areas that are among

 WINGS the most data-poor and most difficult to ciety executive director Scott Hoffman study. For example, around 20 percent of Black. It may also inspire surveys in the the world’s butterfly species occur in Co- field targeting particular species or sets lombia, which represents less than 1 per- of species that may be at risk: what but- cent of Earth’s land area. Many tropical terfly enthusiast could resist the urge forest species are known from a handful to travel to a remote rainforest in an at- of records, and some from a single speci- tempt to rediscover a long-lost species? men alone. If, for instance, a species is In the longer term, I hope that our work known from one remote location in will ensure that butterflies get the recog- the forests of Central Africa but has not nition they deserve in terms of conser- been recorded for fifty years, it is very vation planning and action — and that difficult to know whether it is extinct, people will find it as easy to name a but- or is very rare, or has simply been over- terfly that is globally endangered as they looked. This is where evidence provided do other more charismatic species. by regional butterfly experts can be in- valuable. Even if they have never seen a particular species, they may know the Owen Lewis is an ecologist at the Uni- localities where it has historically been versity of Oxford, UK. A lifelong butterfly recorded, whether the forest at these enthusiast, he is particularly passionate sites has been destroyed, and whether about tropical rainforests and the processes butterfly collectors (who are to thank generating and threatening their extraordi- for the large majority of records for these nary biodiversity. species) have searched the right loca- tions at the right time. Many of these poorly known species may prove, with better study, to be much more widely distributed and experts may be able to infer from the behavior of related but- terflies whether they are likely to have been overlooked elsewhere. The results from the project should be ready by the end of the year, thanks to the participation and help of butter- fly enthusiasts worldwide. One of the most rewarding aspects of this work has been the contacts I have been able to make with fantastically committed and knowledgeable lepidopterists, both amateur and professional, all around the world. In the short term I hope that the Well-camouflaged butterflies like the aptly named magnificent leafwing Coe( ­ project will serve as a catalyst for further nophlebia archidona) can be hard to spot. data sharing. It has already achieved one Such simple things can influence esti- aim, formation of a new IUCN Butterfly mates of population size. Photographed Specialist Group, chaired by Xerces So- in by Adrian Hoskins.

FALL 2010  Butterflies in Turkey’s Kaçkar Mountains

Evrim Karaçetin and Hilary Welch

Surveying butterflies in Turkey’s Kaçkar Çoruh River, up leafy valleys past sun- Mountains was a once-in-a-lifetime ex- drenched hay meadows, through sub- perience, though at times rather a nail- alpine pastures and forests, and finally biting one. On the narrow, cliff-hugging to sparsely vegetated peaks, traversing roads, confronting oncoming traffic was a diversity of ecosystems that provide a test of the driver’s reversing skill— and niches for many different species. of the passengers’ nerves. However, the The Kaçkars rise steeply from the steep mountainsides, deep valleys, and Black Sea’s southeast coast and lie at the fast-flowing rivers that make driving crossroads of two continents. They are hazardous also help make this region part of the southwestern arm of the Cau- of northeast Turkey important for but- casus Mountains, a formidable range ris- terflies. A three-hour journey will take ing to 18,500 feet (5,640 meters), which you from hot dry shrublands along the spans the gap between the Black Sea and

The stunning landscape and flower-filled meadows of the Kaçkar region are a big attrac- tion to butterfly watchers as well as to the butterflies themselves. A butterfly camp held in 2009 was attended by enthusiasts from Turkey and four other countries, and partici- pants saw more than 140 species of butterflies. Photograph by Hilary and Geoff Welch.

 WINGS The higher areas of the Kaçkar Mountains are dominated by subalpine and alpine meadows. The Russian heath ( leander) is a species limited to these open habitats. Photograph by Evrim Karaçetin. the Caspian Sea and forms a major phys- han, a Turkish port on the Mediterra- ical and ecological divide between Asia nean coast, the pipeline passes through and Europe. Politically, the re- northeastern Turkey. The pipeline com- gion includes Georgia (which shares the pany’s Environmental Investment Pro- Black Sea coast with Turkey), gramme funded a project to identify the and in the south, and Azerbaijan priority areas for conservation on the Caspian to the east. To the north, in the Turkish Lesser Caucasus, an area the mountains extend into Russia. of 13,500 square miles (35,000 square ki- The Caucasus is recognized as a lometers). This project studied data for global hotspot for wildlife. Twenty-five wildlife — including butterflies — and percent of the plant species in the region, found that the 700-square-mile (1,800- 23 percent of the reptiles, 17 percent of square-kilometer) area around the town the amphibians, and 13 percent of the of Yusufeli in the Kaçkar Mountains was mammals, are found nowhere else in the a remarkably rich center of biological di- world. In northeastern Turkey, there are versity: a hotspot within a hotspot. clusters of sites that are internationally This concentration of biodiversity recognized as important for birds and demands conservation action. Conse- plants. Despite global awareness of the quently, the Lesser Caucasus team initi- region’s wildlife, no assessment of the ated a follow-on project to help people in overall importance of the Caucasus for the area develop sustainable livelihoods butterflies had been made until about that would actively conserve the region’s five years ago, when construction began wildlife. Supported by 1.8 million euros on the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline. of funding from the European Union’s Built to transport crude oil from Environment in Developing Countries oil fields in the Caspian Sea to Cey- Programme (roughly equivalent to 2.25

FALL 2010  The Apollo ( apollo) is found in high-altitude areas across Europe and Asia. As global warming causes temperatures to rise and habitats to change, this species has little room to move higher in the mountains, and so is at risk. Photograph by Evrim Karaçetin. million dollars), the project was imple- but a relative newcomer to butterflies. mented by a partnership of nongovern- To fill the knowledge gap, the support mental organizations with a university of experienced field people was need- and a government ministry. ed. Welch and Karaçetin thus counted A driving force behind the effort to themselves extremely lucky when three protect butterflies has been Dog˘a Ko- of Europe’s top butterfly conservation- ruma Merkezi (DKM, the Nature Con- ists — Dirk Maes of Belgium, Szabolcs servation Centre). In 2008, in her role as “Safi” Sáfián of Hungary, and Simon senior with DKM, Spencer from Britain — agreed to join one of the authors of this article, Hil- them for different periods. ary Welch, was given responsibility for The study area is located within the organizing the biodiversity fieldwork in watershed of the Çoruh River, which the Yusufeli region for the EU-funded drains the south and east slopes of the project. Welch saw the task of forming Kaçkar Mountains before emptying into the butterfly field team as both an excit- the Black Sea on the Georgian coast. The ing opportunity and a serious challenge, Çoruh watershed includes the Barhal, and from the start planned that lepi- Güngörmez, Çevreli, and Hatila rivers. dopterist Evrim Karaçetin and herself The team of core members and rotating would be core members, so as to build specialists, with logistical support from their own experience and knowledge of local project staff, carried out six weeks Turkey’s butterflies. Despite being born of tough but extremely rewarding field- and brought up in Turkey, Karaçetin work in this fabulous region. had never had the chance to visit the far Along the Çoruh River and its tribu- northeast before; the region was not new taries the hot, relatively dry climate has to Welch, who is an experienced birder created a Mediterranean enclave, pro-

10 WINGS viding habitats for steppe butterflies. ests. Violet fritillary ( dia) and Among the species observed only here pearly heath () were the Turkish fiery copper ( were among the species recorded only ochimus), with its blazing tangerine in this bioregion. wings, and the little tiger blue ( During the survey, the team record- balkanicus), a delightful butterfly with ed 180 species of butterflies —nearly half both silver-blue spots and black stripes of Turkey’s total — including 21 species on the white underside of its wings. A that were new to the region. Since 2008 butterfly which was always good to see additional species have been recorded; even though not brightly colored was the Yusufeli-Artvin area alone now has the Anatolian tawny rockbrown (Pseu- a list of 201 species, a total that few Eu- dochazara mamurra). The valleys along ropean countries can beat! the Çoruh are also home for the Hi blue Not all of the news is good, howev- (Polyommatus merhaba), which seems to er. After completion of fieldwork at Yu- be endemic to this river system. sufeli it was learned that there are plans Northward and up into the Kaçkar for hydroelectric developments that Mountains, the dry grasslands and will affect every valley and watercourse shrublands give way to subalpine and al- the team surveyed. These are part of the pine meadows. It was here that the team Turkish government’s plan to generate found the Apollo (Parnassius apollo), the more electricity and less carbon dioxide false ( diamina), through promoting renewable-energy and the Russian heath (Coenonympha initiatives countrywide. While such ini- leander), easily identified by a neat row tiatives are to be welcomed, the effect of of eyespots and silver marginal lines. In addition, the Caucasian clouded yellow ( caucasica) and Lederer’s heath (Coenonympha symphyta), both endem- ic to the Lesser Caucasus, were spotted. These meadows have been managed by people living a pastoral existence for more than ten thousand years, and this has created a rich mosaic of habitats from forests to pastures. Finding ways to encourage people not to abandon tradi- tional farming patterns in these moun- tains is crucial for maintaining the eco- system and the butterflies it supports. Moving northeast, the land drops into the Hatilla Valley. Here, the orien- tation of the valley and proximity of the Black Sea produce greater precipita- Within the Kaçkar region, the little tiger tion, and the extensive grasslands are blue (Tarucus balkanicus) is found only in reduced to small openings and pastures the hot, dry climate of the Çoruh water- in extremely varied and lush mixed for- shed. Photograph by Evrim Karaçetin.

FALL 2010 11 the projects on natural water cycles and enthusiasts and conservation experts to on this mountainous landscape — and enjoy the Yusufeli area’s butterflies. The therefore on the area’s local people and camp also served as an example of re- on its biodiversity—will be devastating. sponsible nature-based tourism. With While the places most directly im- everything organized through local pacted will be the valley bottoms and people, it demonstrated the potential watercourses — sections of which are that such tourism has as a source of ad- likely to become completely dry at cer- ditional income. During the seven days tain times of year — the surrounding of the camp the group of eighteen, com- landscape will also be affected, as riv- prising Turkish butterfly watchers and ers are channelized to follow the con- experts from the , Belgium, tours of mountainsides, tunnels are the , and , recorded dug to pipe water through mountains, a phenomenal 142 species, and proved generating stations are built, pylons are that a camera, close-focusing binocu- installed to carry electricity out of the lars, and patience are all that is needed region, and roads are built for construc- to enjoy, photograph, and, if desired, tion and future maintenance. These study the finer differences between eu- will destroy areas of habitat over a much rypilus and argyrognomon, anteros and wider area and cause immediate butter- artaxerxes, corydonius and dorylas. . . . fly population losses, but more insidious Looking forward, it is to be hoped will be the fragmentation of the remain- that these efforts — both to assess the ing populations and the resulting local status of the butterflies and to help the isolation and slow but steady declines. people in the region see possibilities for For example, the large dam to be built active participation in conservation — on the Çoruh River at Yusufeli (part of a will lead to many more people having separate and already partly implement- the opportunity to enjoy the butterflies ed large-scale hydroelectric scheme) will of the Kaçkar Mountains. wipe out some populations of the en- demic Hi blue, fragmenting and isolat- ing those subpopulations that remain. An assistant professor in the Environmen- Of course, since the plans for the dams tal Science Program at Erciyes University, and hydroelectric projects in the Kaçkar Turkey, Evrim Karaçetin completed her Mountains are not clear, their precise Ph.D. at Oregon State University in the impact on butterflies is also unclear, but United States. it is certain that butterfly populations Hilary Welch has been involved in will be negatively affected. in Britain and the The authors had an unforgettable Middle East for more than thirty years. She time in the field in 2008 and wanted to is a senior conservation officer at DKM, a share with others what they had discov- Turkish NGO based in Ankara. ered. So, in 2009, DKM, building on the Following Butterfly Conservation’s previous year’s experience (and with sixth international symposium in Reading, funding from the Dutch government’s UK, a petition was launched in opposition BBI-Matra program), organized a but- to the hydroelectric developments. To learn terfly-watching camp, bringing together more, please visit www.savekackars.com.

12 WINGS Conservation of Butterflies In Japan’s Changing Environments

Yasuhiro Nakamura

The Japanese butterfly fauna includes spot a significant proportion of Japan’s at least 240 species. A few of them have butterflies. worldwide distribution and would be Some 15 percent of butterfly spe- easily recognized by American and Eu- cies, though, are at risk and are listed in ropean visitors. These include the Old the Red Data Book of Japan. Grassland World swallowtail ( machaon), the butterflies are most threatened. For ex- cabbage white (Pieris rapae), the small or ample, the populations of the check- American copper (Lycaena phlaeas), and erspot Melitaea scotosia and the fritillary the painted lady ( cardui). Other nerippe have both declined species would be less familiar to visi- by more than 90 percent in the last half tors, even though there is considerable century. Development and pesticide use overlap at the level between the have contributed to this dramatic loss. Japanese, American, and European fau- Another major cause of grassland butter- nas. By exploring the major habitats of fly decline is change in traditional land Japan— semi-natural grassland, marshy uses that have occurred, mainly since grassland, oak woodland and forests, the 1950s, in areas known as satoyama. beech forests, and alpine grassland—the Literally translated, satoyama means more intrepid visitor would be able to village (sato) mountain (yama), and re-

More than 240 species of butterflies can be seen in Japan, including some that have global distribution. Old World swallowtail (Papilio machaon), photographed by Lisa Nead.

FALL 2010 13 fers to the countryside around settle- tion of shiitake and other mushrooms. ments as it transitions from residential Woodland mushrooms were also col- areas into the surrounding mountains. lected. Grasslands were maintained as This highly diverse landscape is domi- hayfields and pasture, providing ani- nated by small fields, and can include mal feed, roof thatching, green manure grasslands, coppice woodlands, rice pad- for crop fields, and fuel. In addition to dies, pine groves, and irrigation ponds, a sustainable supply of such resources, as well as the villages themselves. The the mosaic satoyama landscape provid- satoyama once covered about 20 percent ed important semi-natural habitat for a of the total land area of Japan, and has variety of plants and , including been maintained by traditional forms of butterflies. farming and forestry. In the temperate Now, changes in rural culture and region of Japan, satoyama woodlands are populations are altering the satoyama. generally oak (species such as Quercus Their economic value has been lost to serrata and Q. acutissima). These wood- waves of industrialization, the increased lands were typically managed by cop- use of oil for heating, and the introduc- picing, in which the trees are cut to the tion of chemical fertilizers. Consequent- stump at intervals of ten years or more. ly, most satoyama ecosystems have been They regrow with multiple stems that abandoned or destroyed, a trend that are harvested for use as firewood and has accelerated in the last thirty or forty charcoal or as the substrate for cultiva- years. The abandonment of traditional

Social and economic changes are altering traditional farming practices in the satoyama, countryside around villages and towns in Japan. The resulting habitat changes place many butterflies at risk. Photograph by Yasuhiro Nakamura.

14 WINGS Due to predation by the non-native green anole lizard, the Ogasawara blue (Celastrina ogasawaraensis) is now found on just one of the islands in the Ogasawara archipelago. Photograph by Yasuhiro Nakamura. management has placed a question (1,000 kilometers) south of the Japanese mark over the future of the butterflies mainland. As is typical of isolated oce- and other wildlife of the satoyama. anic islands, a considerable proportion Grasslands have been hit worst. In of wildlife species are endemic — ap- the Edo Period (1603 –1868), grasslands proximately 30 percent of insects on covered more than 30 percent of Japan. the Ogasawaras are found nowhere else Work done by Dr. Jun-ichi Ogura of — but many foreign plants and animals Kyoto Seika University demonstrates are now established. The Ogasawara that by the early 1900s grasslands had blue (Celastrina ogasawaraensis), a but- declined to about 13 percent of the terfly endemic to the Ogasawaras, was country. Now they are less than 1 per- relatively common until the 1970s but cent of the land, resulting in the ex- declined rapidly and is now found on treme decline of grassland butterflies. only one island. The main cause of de- Woodland butterflies have fared better, cline is predation by the green anole at least for now. Although more than (Anolis carolinensis), a non-native lizard forty species breed in actively managed from that is thought to coppice woodlands, only a few species have arrived in the islands during two are listed as threatened, and the rate of decades of U.S. occupation following decline remains at a relatively low level. World War II. Efforts are now being Threats to Japan’s butterflies are not made to eradicate the green anole to limited to the mainland. The Ogasawara protect the butterfly, but elimination Islands (also called the Bonin Islands) of the lizard, with an estimated popu- are a volcanic archipelago of more than lation of more than six million in the thirty islands that lie about 620 miles Ogasawaras, is considered to be almost

FALL 2010 15 impossible. Thus, as a practical matter, says Mr. Mitsuhiko Toda of the Japan Wildlife Research Center, exterminat- ing the lizard is a high priority only in certain areas where it is thought to have the most likelihood of success. Despite the various pressures on Japan’s butterflies, we are fortunate that none of them have gone extinct. The Ogasawara blue and the checkerspot Melitaea scotosia are in extreme peril, however, and the need to prevent their extinction has contributed to the de- velopment of a butterfly in Japan. The first step was taken in 1965, when the Lepidopterological Society of Japan founded the Research Group of Nature Conservation, now the Con- Since the middle of the twentieth century, servation Committee. The Society has populations of the fritillary Fabriciana undertaken a number of additional nerippe have declined by some 95 percent. measures to protect butterflies, includ- Photograph by Yasuhiro Nakamura. ing putting on seminars and generating publications about butterfly conserva- and their conservation, publicity and tion, creating a Red List of threatened educational activities, and providing butterflies in each prefecture (roughly advice on butterfly conservation to ad- equivalent to a state in the United States, ministrative agencies, citizen groups, or to a British county), developing a na- and the general public. The Society has tionwide survey of garden butterflies, undertaken monitoring and conser- petitioning for butterfly conservation, vation activities for more than fifteen and managing habitat for threatened endangered species, including organiz- species. Despite these efforts, the decline ing volunteer work parties to restore of butterflies has accelerated over recent and manage habitats. The Society also decades, mainly because of a shortage promotes the importance of conserva- of specialists doing actual conservation tion in general, and, through various work. educational activities — including an In 2004, feeling a sense of urgency annual butterfly-conservation sympo- about the state of Japan’s butterflies, I sium attended by about three hundred called some colleagues and established people — emphasizes the value of butter- the Japan Butterfly Conservation Net- flies as an indicator of the health of the work, which subsequently became the natural environment. Japan Butterfly Conservation Society. Public awareness about environ- The work of this organization focuses mental conservation has been increas- on research into endangered species ing. Activities to conserve the satoyama

16 WINGS — aimed at preserving wildlife as well as swallowtails was relatively low in most at improving the landscape and forests of the country, probably due to the un- and expanding recreational opportuni- seasonally cool weather in April. In ad- ties — have also grown. There are now dition, at least ten species may be shift- more than a thousand organizations re- ing their distribution northward; in an lated to caring for the satoyama. island nation this could significantly Governmental policy on biodiver- damage biodiversity, because there is a sity in Japan is framed by the National limit on how far distributions can move Biodiversity Strategy, which was first in response to climate change. All of this published in 1995 in accordance with places a greater urgency on conserving the Convention on Biological Diver- and restoring the satoyama. In particu- sity, the international treaty agreed to lar, a new approach is needed to main- at the Earth Summit in June 1992. This tain this landscape in an economically strategy is reviewed periodically, and, sustainable manner. Projects using na- under its guidance, national biodiver- tive grasslands and coppice woodlands sity projects are making substantial as biomass resources are already under- progress. The Third National Biodiver- way, and such efforts could well play a sity Strategy, published in 2007, has as role in combating climate change. one of its three targets the conservation My own interest in insects, particu- of “region-specific animals, plants, and larly butterflies, began when I was in ele­ ecosystems in accordance with regional mentary school. I would roam the forests characteristics.” Local prefectural gov- and paddy fields near Tokyo, watching ernments also speak publicly about the the abundant insects and fishes in sa- importance of conserving threatened toyama that has now become a residen- species. Even so, it is clear that current tial neighborhood, with the attendant measures are insufficient, and that not loss of many good butterfly sites. For me enough resources are dedicated to pre- it would be a great pleasure to bring back serving biodiversity. the wildlife that once inhabited this en- The Japan Butterfly Conservation vironment. Although my work with the Society sets targets at the national and Japan Butterfly Conservation Society is prefectural levels to protect threatened just beginning, with a few projects ac- butterflies from extinction. The Soci- complished so far, I live in hope of prog- ety recognizes that we need to address ress toward the coexistence of humans conservation from both the scientific and butterflies in our near future. and social points of view, as these are closely linked. We also need to improve the wider landscape for butterflies, and The executive director of the Japan But- not focus only on threatened species. terfly Conservation Society, Yasuhiro Na- Global warming is a particular issue: kamura has a particular interest in the the impact of changes in vegetation and of butterflies. He was of extraordinary or unseasonal weather previously a researcher at the Japan Wild- on Japan’s butterflies is of increasing life Research Center and an assistant pro- concern. In the spring of this year, the fessor at the Gifu Academy of Forest Sci- number of adult japonica ence and Culture.

FALL 2010 17 Florida Butterflies

Jaret Daniels

On a recent butterfly-monitoring trip have suffered the consequences, butter- to south Florida, it occurred to me that I flies included. have made this long and at times mind- The butterfly fauna of south Florida numbing drive down the peninsula is strongly influenced by the presence from Gainesville approximately sixty- of the West Indies island chain to the five times over the past twenty years. south and has long been a destination Since my first trip, much of the sur- for collectors seeking local rarities or the rounding landscape has changed, and odd tropical vagrant. Today, it appeals to not for the better. Roadsides and natu- butterfly watchers for the same reasons. ral areas used to be alive with butter- The Florida Keys in particular boast a flies, but these days, unfortunately, such remarkably diverse fauna—more than a sights are more the exception than the hundred recorded species in a relative- rule. As with a great many other areas, ly small geographic area. In addition, the environment of south Florida and some sixteen subspecies are endemic, the Florida Keys has been significantly or nearly so, to tropical Florida. Collec- altered and continues to face many new tions, surveys, and other observations emerging threats. Numerous species offer a wealth of valuable information

Change is a constant for butterflies in south Florida and the Keys. The gray ministreak ( azia) may be encountered one year and then not seen for the next two or three. Photograph by Kim Davis and Mike Stangeland.

18 WINGS Evidence suggests that an increasing number of Florida’s butterflies are in trouble. The Florida duskywing ( brunnea floridensis) is a species in decline. Photograph by Bill Bouton. about the past, present, and future of For those who have spent time in this unique community of butterflies. the Florida Keys, or in any place in ex- Unfortunately, within the last several treme south Florida for that matter, decades, approximately thirty butter- it is quite clear that there is a tremen- fly species have experienced alarming dous turnover of species from month to declines, a loss of diversity that has re- month and from year to year. Butterflies ceived surprisingly little attention. such as the Cuban crescent (Anthanassa Change is nothing new to south frisia frisia), the amethyst hairstreak Florida environments. They are by na- ( maesites), and the gray ture dynamic systems that regularly ex- ministreak () remain perience disturbances from tropical cy- unseen for extensive periods and then, clones and other natural events, as well seemingly out of nowhere, pop up only as from human activity. Florida’s prox- briefly and in just one site. The same imity to the West Indies has also brought inconsistencies can often be witnessed about change by the colonization of for more widespread south Florida spe- new butterfly species from the islands, cies, such as the barred yellow (Eurema as evidenced by an ever-expanding list daira), Julia (Dryas iulia), malachite of species records. Island populations, ( stelenes), and Florida white whether inhabiting a true archipelago (Glutophrissa drusilla). A monitoring trip or defined as living within pockets of to Matheson Hammock Park in Miami remaining habitat surrounded by inhos- or to Key Largo may turn up numerous pitable landscapes, are inherently vola- individuals of these species, while sub- tile. They go through constant change sequent visits to the same location may in which extinction is balanced by the result in no sightings. Still other butter- regular influx of immigrants. flies —the atala (Eumaeus atala) and the

FALL 2010 19 The great southern white (Ascia monuste) is one of a variety of spe- cies that are common in many years but scarce in others. The rea- sons for this are little understood. Photograph by Bill Bouton. great southern white (Ascia monuste), for destruction caused by Hurricane Wilma example — undergo considerable popu- in 2005, known populations of the nick- lation fluctuations, experiencing boom erbean blue ( ammon) and the and bust years, more or less cyclical for Florida leafwing (Anaea troglodyta) were some commoner species but variable lost on Big Pine Key. Most alarming, and little understood for others. though, has been the likely extirpation Over the years, researchers and but- of the Rockland grass (Hesperia terfly enthusiasts have gotten used to meskei pinocayo), endemic to Florida, this inherently unpredictable fauna, and the Zestos skipper ( zestos but recently the changes have become zestos), found nowhere else in the Unit- all too predictable. Survey after survey ed States. If indeed gone, they would seem to support the same trend of low represent the first documented losses numbers and limited sightings, and the to Florida’s butterfly fauna and would resulting data suggest a system-wide de- be among the few butterfly cline. By the early 1980s, butterflies such known to have occurred in the entire as the little metalmark (Calephelis virgini- United States. ensis), Hayhurst’s scallopwing (Staphylus Many other south Florida butter- hayhurstii), and the palmetto skipper flies are in very serious trouble. The ( arpa) had disappeared from the well-publicized collapse of the Miami Florida Keys. In the years that followed, blue (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri) other butterflies, including the Baha- from a widespread, locally common mian swallowtail (Papilio andraemon), butterfly to a critically imperiled can- apparently winked out. Soon after the didate for federal listing exemplifies the

20 WINGS situation. Today, the barely wild and intentional), exotic predators clings to existence in the Lower Keys, and , and inadequate habitat despite considerable and aggressive ef- management, along with the typical as- forts at conservation. What may be even sortment of demographic, genetic, and more disturbing, though, is that such environmental influences on the persis- declines are occurring on conservation tence of small, widely separated popula- lands, even in historic stronghold loca- tions. Moreover, basic species-specific tions. Populations of the tropical buck- data — regarding the general , eye (), the Florida purple population dynamics, threats, habitat wing ( tatila), Bartram’s hairstreak requirements, and best management ( acis), the Florida white, Klot’s practices — are incomplete, and there- palatka skipper (Euphyes pilatka klotsi), fore obtaining these data must be a high the Dina yellow (Pyrisitia dina), the priority for future research. Florida duskywing ( Despite the many problems, not floridensis), and Schaus’ swallowtail (Pa- all the news is bad. The magnitude of pilio aristodemus ponceanus) are either in these declines sparked the formation decline or are critically habitat-limited, of a statewide working group to address or both. butterfly conservation and recovery The primary factors triggering the needs in Florida more effectively. Initi- losses are poorly understood at best. A ated in 2007 and led by the Florida Fish variety of anthropogenic and biologi- and Commis- cal factors have been implicated, in- sion, the Imperiled Butterflies of Florida cluding habitat loss and fragmentation, Workgroup represents the first such ­mosquito-control spraying, fire (both coalition in the Southeast to focus on insects. The workgroup intends to pro- mote the regular exchange of informa- tion among agencies, identify research priorities and educational needs, and catalyze the development of additional partnerships for butterfly recovery. With this renewed interest and engagement, I am optimistic that, in another twenty years, the landscape seen out of the win- dow during trips across Florida will once again dance with butterflies.

Jaret Daniels has more than sixteen years of experience working with imperiled butterflies in the United States and the The Miami blue (Cyclargus thomasi beth­ ­Caribbean. He is the assistant director for unebakeri) is one of Florida’s best-known butterflies, thanks largely to campaigns research for the Florida Museum of Natural to protect it and save it from extinction. History’s McGuire Center for Lepidoptera Photograph by Jaret Daniels. and Biodiversity.

FALL 2010 21 Butterfly Conservation in 2010: How We Got Here

Robert Michael Pyle

No one who has followed the two best- ulace. Since he wrote the book, world known strands of Paul R. Ehrlich’s mul- population has doubled, from about tifaceted life should be surprised by the three and a half billion people to nearly condition we find ourselves in with re- seven billion. Put the two together, and spect to butterflies and their conserva- what do you get? A perfect example of tion today. Stanford professor and Xer­ Ehrlich’s impact formula, or IPAT: I = P x ces counselor Ehrlich’s first book was A x T (where I is Environmental Impact; the brilliant and pioneering field guide P is Population; A is Affluence; and T is and key, How to Know the Butterflies, pub- Technology). In other words, butterflies lished in 1961 with Anne H. Ehrlich; and in a world of hurt. his laboratory has made Edith’s checker­ Yet, as painful as it is to recognize spot (Euphydryas editha) one of the most the many ways in which butterflies well-studied organisms in the scientific (and other invertebrates) have come into world. The second strand appeared in grave jeopardy through the demands 1968 with publication of his landmark made by our own abundant kind upon volume The Population Bomb, in which the land, it is also exhilarating to see the he forecast disastrous ecological effects many responses — energetic, sophisti- from the rapidly growing human pop- cated, often effective —from those who

Edith’s checkerspot is one of the best-studied butterflies. This subspecies, Taylor’s checkerspot (Euphydryas editha taylori), is found only to the west of the Cascade Range in Oregon, Wash- ington, and British Columbia. Photograph by Dana Ross.

22 WINGS The loss of the from Britain in the middle of the nineteenth century sparked early conservation efforts for butterflies. In192 7, a reintroduction was attempted at Wood- walton Fen with individuals of the Dutch subspecies (Lycaena dispar batavus, shown here). Photograph by Adrian Hoskins. care. Of course we also fumble and stum- cades, inspired much comment. In 1925 ble in territory and among organisms we the first group dedicated to the cause barely know, let alone comprehend. But arose: the Committee for the Protection the vigor and results of butterfly con- of British Lepidoptera, organized under servation today are far greater than we the Royal Entomological Society of Lon- might have imagined in the 1960s. don (and chaired by Lord Walter Roth- In fact, the modern movement to schild, uncle of the late Xerces counselor protect our butterflies got going just Dr. Miriam Rothschild). about the same time that The Population Parallel events occurred in the Bomb appeared. But first, let’s go back United States during the same era. In farther, to the draining of the English 1875, San Francisco lepidopterist Her- Fens, the great marshes of East Anglia. man Behr wrote to his friend Herman Begun by the Romans nearly two mil- Strecker in Pennsylvania: “Glaucopsyche lennia ago and perfected by the Dutch xerces [the Xerces blue] is now extinct as in the eighteenth century, the drainage regards the neighborhood of San Fran- was largely complete by the middle of cisco. The locality where it used to be the nineteenth. Soon, entomologists found is converted into building lots, began to notice the absence of wetland and between German chickens and insects they had come to know and Irish hogs no can exist besides love. One in particular, the large cop- louse and flea.” On the opposite coast per (Lycaena dispar dispar), a brilliant in 1876, A. R. Grote expressed concern and beloved butterfly, became extinct for the famous White Mountain but- in Britain around 1848. Its loss, and that terfly (Oeneis melissa semidea) on New of several other species over the next de- ’s Mt. Washington. “What

FALL 2010 23 time, on Bigelow’s Lawn,” he wrote, “I McCorkle who proposed the original see the ill-advised collector, net in hand, conservation committee of the Lepidop- swooping down on this devoted colony, terists’ Society at its 1967 annual meet- of ancient lineage and more than Puri- ing in Corvallis, Oregon, at which I pre- tan affiliation, I wonder if, before it is sented a paper on “Conservation and the too late, there will not be a law passed Lepidopterist.” In that same year, Wil- to protect the butterflies from the cu- liam Sieker published a paper entitled pidity of their pursuers. I commend this “The Importance of Protecting Natural colony to the protection of all good citi- Habitats — NOW!” It was clear that some- zens of the state of New Hampshire.” It is thing was brewing. doubtful that collectors could threaten Desiring to pursue the science of this elusive butterfly of difficult terrain. butterfly conservation, I found the only Nevertheless, Grote’s plaint must be place to go was England, where it all considered—along with Behr’s nearly si- began. Under a Fulbright-Hays Scholar- multaneous lamentation for the Xerces ship, I studied under John Heath and blue —as the beginning of butterfly con- a half-dozen other British scientists at servation awareness in North America. the Monks Wood Experimental Station. Although butterflies benefited inci- John was developing the British Butter- dentally from the creation of America’s fly Recording Scheme, which led to con- first national parks, it was the middle servation mapping for butterflies. Eric of the twentieth century before active Duffey was investigating the ecology of steps were taken to protect them. The reintroducing continental large coppers ordinance passed by the City of Pacific to Woodwalton Fen. Jack Dempster was Grove, California in 1952 to protect doing the same with British swallowtails monarchs (later joined by an ordinance at Wicken Fen (Darwin’s favorite beetle- protecting overwintering sites) repre- collecting grounds), and Jeremy Thomas sented a growing appreciation of but- was working with him as a graduate stu- terflies. But the earliest concrete efforts dent studying the autecology of black to conserve them may have been two ac- and brown hairstreaks. Ernie Pollard tions in the 1960s. The first was George was launching his now-famous “Pol- Rawson’s attempt to reintroduce the lard Walk” butterfly transect method. atala (Eumaeus atala), then exceedingly The place was a hotbed of cutting-edge rare (and, later, the namesake of the Xer­ science in service of rare insect conser- ces Society’s erstwhile journal), into Ever­ vation and restoration; it was exciting to glades National Park in Florida. Soon be there! But when I left I had no notion after came the creation of what may what to do with it all. well have been the first habitat reserve It was a lecture on the conservation set aside for an American butterfly, the of the British large blue (Maculinea arion Moxee Bog preserve in Yakima County, eutyphron) by Grahame Howarth at the Washington, established on behalf of a Linnaean Society that gave me the idea. relict population of the silver-bordered Howarth said, “If we lose the large blue, fritillary (Boloria selene atrocostalis) by let’s let it be a symbol that we should , thanks to the never lose another British butterfly.” On work of Dr. David McCorkle. It was also the way north on the train that night,

24 WINGS December 9, 1971, I realized that we had bator. The first Xerces meeting, at Yale in already lost a blue in the United States— 1974, featured Miriam Rothschild and the Xerces blue, which had passed from Alexander B. Klots; the second, at Cor- Earth in about 1943. “X” also stood for nell, included Roger Tory Peterson as a extinction. “Let’s have the Xerces Soci- great supporter. It was again back at Yale ety,” I thought, and began sending out in 1985 when the board hired Xerces’ postcards. About that time the beloved first executive director, Melody Mackey lepidopterist Jo Brewer published an ar- Allen, and American butterfly conser- ticle on butterfly conservation in Audu- vation entered the professional arena. bon. I wrote to her, and she joined me as Allen recruited an extraordinary succes- co-director. Xerces was underway. sion of presidents, including Drs. E. O. One of the postcards went to Yale Wilson and Thomas Eisner, who vastly University professor Charles Reming- enhanced Xerces’ credibility. That tra- ton, co-founder of the Lepidopterists’ dition continues today with our distin- Society in 1947. He staged a symposium guished president, Dr. May Berenbaum. on “Endangered and Extinct Lepidop- Meanwhile, on the world stage, the tera” at the group’s meeting in San An- International Union for Conservation tonio in 1972, and asked me to present of Nature extended its remit to inver- the Xerces idea there. This resulted in tebrates. I became the first chair of the my undertaking doctoral studies with IUCN Lepidoptera Specialist Group. him at Yale, which became Xerces’ incu- The Group (including several of my

Wicken Fen in eastern England may be considered a crucible of butterfly conservation. Much visited by Charles Darwin, it was home to early conservation attempts and is now protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Photograph by Tim Laughton.

FALL 2010 25 Monks Wood mentors) met at the In- elis), have since become federally listed. ternational Congress of Entomology in Whereas the articles published in the Washington, D.C., in 1976, and declared sixties were lonely exceptions, you can the migratory monarch winter roosts in no longer open an issue of the News or — then only recently located! — Journal of the Lepidopterists’ Society (or and California to be the top priority in any like publication) without finding world butterfly conservation. The next much of the content relating to conser- year I studied conservation needs of the vation ecology. The same is true of the giant birdwing butterflies in Papua New agendas of all of the major meetings Guinea, and, at the 1978 IUCN General of the learned biological societies, and Assembly in Ashkhabad, Turkmenistan, many labs besides Ehrlich’s are working Queen Alexandra’s birdwing (Ornithop- on questions of butterfly and moth ecol- tera alexandrae) and its rainforest habi- ogy and management. tat joined monarchs as a top priority. The British Butterfly Conservation Thanks to the vision of Sir Peter Scott, Society has grown into Butterfly Conser- the first Invertebrate Red Data Book was vation, a powerhouse of conservation in compiled and published by the IUCN the and Europe, with and the World Wildlife Federation, and Sir David Attenborough as its president. butterfly conservation came of age. Most European countries and others The subjects of many of Xerces’ across the globe have equivalent organi- earliest campaigns, such as the Oregon zations, but few are as influential. Many silverspot (Speyeria zerene hippolyta) and American states have agency officials the Karner blue (Lycaeides melissa samu- detailed to monitor and protect small- elis, recently revised to Plebejus samu- scale animals and their habitats, though

Not all species that are federally listed as endangered are limited to a single area. Small populations of the Karner blue are scattered across a thousand miles from Minnesota to New York. Photograph by Bill Bouton.

26 WINGS The Oregon silverspot (Speyeria zerene hippolyta), now listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, was the sub- ject of an early Xerces campaign. Photograph by Dana Ross. a number of states lack legislation that America’s, but of the entire world’s rich protects insects. A recent meeting of heritage of butterflies and moths. There the Imperiled Butterfly Conservation is no escaping that Paul Ehrlich’s predic- and Management program in Oregon tions have largely come to pass, and that brought together dozens of butterfly butterflies, like ourselves, stand at great conservation professionals from all over risk from the baleful effects of human the country. I’m not sure whether I was excess. In the fifty years since his book more dumbfounded by that or by a visit by that name, we still desperately need with entomology graduate students at to learn “how to know the butterflies.” a western university, who all wanted to But the history of our efforts in that know how they could get jobs with Xer­ direction is also rich, with many dedi- ces or in butterfly conservation. We’ve cated scientists and others taking part come a long way from the early days along the way. We may take courage in when grad students in certain entomol- the progress we’ve made together, all of ogy departments called us “the Jerkses us who care about these bright wings of Society.” summer, and the world they so enliven. And now Xerces executive director Scott Hoffman Black is taking on the duties of chairing the IUCN Butterfly A student of Lepidoptera for fifty years Specialist Group. This can only serve and their conservation for more than forty, to strengthen the Xerces Society’s in- Bob Pyle writes and studies nature in tidal ternational ties and the sharing of in- southwest Washington. His most recent formation, knowledge, and expertise book is Mariposa Road: The First Butterfly for the conservation not only of North Big Year.

FALL 2010 27 XERCES NEWS

Xerces Society Takes a Global Lead on Butterfly Conservation With nearly twenty thousand species hopes that the Butterfly Specialist Group worldwide, butterflies as a group are will prioritize work in countries and re- not at risk because most species are gen- gions traditionally underserved by but- eralists or are widely distributed. A sig- terfly conservation organizations, so nificant number of species, though, are that meaningful progress can be made highly specialized or are restricted to without duplicating their efforts. one or a few small patches of habitat. In Over the next six to eight months, addition, recent studies show that some a steering committee will be identified species that were formerly widespread or and developed. One of the first tasks to common are now declining. This puts a be undertaken by the Specialist Group question mark over the future of many is a questionnaire to be sent to butterfly butterfly species across the globe. researchers and conservationists world- With that in mind, the Internation- wide to identify species or regions in al Union for Conservation of Nature most need of help. Once this needs as- (IUCN) has re-formed its Butterfly Spe- sessment is complete an action plan will cialist Group to bring together scientists be developed to prioritize individual and conservationists in a cooperative species status assessments, surveys, and effort to facilitate butterfly conserva- direct conservation action. tion projects worldwide. Scott Hoffman The Xerces Society has agreed to Black, executive director of the Xerces make its staff members available to help Society, was appointed as chair of this drive the process forward, especially in Specialist Group. the early stages while the global network At a recent meeting of the IUCN is being assembled. For more informa- Species Survival Commission Inverte- tion or to become involved in this pro- brate Conservation Subcommittee in cess, please contact Ashley Minnerath, Cambridge, England, Scott discussed his [email protected].

Xerces is a Founding Partner in the Monarch Joint Venture When monarch butterflies come up in not as extensive as their Mexican coun- conversation, we usually think of the terparts, these winter roosts may con- epic journey they make to their winter tain tens of thousands of butterflies. roosts in the hills of Michoacan, Mex- Reports on the status of overwin- ico, where they gather by the millions, tering populations of monarchs are blanketing trees. What people often do concerning. Annual counts on the Cali- not realize is that many monarchs west fornia coast have revealed a nearly 90 of the Continental Divide overwinter percent population decline across most along the coast of California. Although sites — and some sites have fared signifi-

28 WINGS cantly worse. For example, overwinter- and academic programs, that are joining ing populations at Natural Bridges State together to protect monarchs and the Beach near Santa Cruz have plunged habitat they need to survive. Xerces and from 120,000 monarchs in 1997 to only the Monarch Joint Venture are assessing 1,300 in 2009. Population declines at the current condition of overwintering overwintering sites in Mexico have also sites in California, developing manage- been well documented. ment guidelines for the overwintering The precise cause of these losses is groves, and reviewing the laws regulat- unknown, but scientists believe that ing the management of these sites. We they are due to changes in both over- are also working across the southern wintering areas and summer breeding and southwestern United States to de- habitat. Overwintering sites in Mexico velop sources of locally native milkweed have been impacted by deforestation seed that can be used to restore habitat and catastrophic winter storms, and for monarchs. some California sites have been lost to You can help monarchs by planting encroaching development; California’s milkweed and other nectar-rich native remaining overwintering sites are also flowers and by eliminating or reducing changing due to aging trees. In summer pesticide use. If you live in California, breeding areas, long-term drought and you can join the annual Thanksgiving urban and agricultural development counts of overwintering monarchs and have reduced the amount of milkweed. encourage your elected officials to pro- The Xerces Society is a founding tect overwintering sites. You can also member of the Monarch Joint Venture, help by donating to the Xerces Society’s a partnership of federal and state agen- Monarch Campaign. For more informa- cies, nongovernmental organizations, tion, contact [email protected].

Monarch overwintering sites in California are typically groves of eucalyptus, shown here, or Monterey cypress. Thousands of butterflies spend the winter months in sites along the California coast. Photograph by Ryan Poling, iStockphoto.

FALL 2010 29 Announcing the Publication of Attracting Native Pollinators We are excited to announce that our new book, Attracting Native Pollinators: Protecting North America’s Bees and But- terflies, will be published in February by Storey Publishing, North Adams, Mas- sachusetts. Attracting Native Pollinators is coauthored by four Xerces staff mem- bers — Eric Mader, Matthew Shepherd, Mace Vaughan, and Scott Black—in col- laboration with Gretchen LeBuhn, a San Francisco State University botanist and director of the Great Sunflower Project. Since Xerces published the ground- breaking Pollinator Conservation Hand- book in 2003 conservation practices have evolved, and that book has begun to show its age. At 380 pages, Attracting Native Pollinators provides dramatically expanded breadth and detail, reflecting the latest understanding about creating and managing pollinator habitat. Illustrated with hundreds of color detailed profiles of more than thirty photographs and dozens of specially commonly encountered genera. created illustrations, Attracting Native Pollinators is divided into four sections: ◆ Creating a Pollinator-Friendly Land- scape shows how various kinds of land, ◆ Pollinators and Pollination explains including urban gardens, suburban the value of pollinators, and includes in- parks, and farms, can be enhanced to formative chapters on the natural histo- support diverse pollinator populations. ry and habitat needs of bees, butterflies, Sample planting designs and fifty pages flies, beetles, and wasps. of illustrated plant lists facilitate selec- ◆ Taking Action provides comprehen- tion of the best plants for any region. sive information on ways to help pol- According to Douglas W. Tallamy, au- linators and on creating nest sites and thor of Bringing Nature Home, “Attracting safe foraging areas. It includes guidance Native Pollinators belongs on the book- on conserving pollinators in all kinds shelf of everyone who values the future of landscapes: gardens, natural areas, of the natural world.” farms, recreation land, even ecoroofs. To pre-order your copy, visit www. ◆ Bees of North America provides help xerces.org. Xerces Society members re- with identifying the more abundant ceive a discount. Books will be shipped and important bee species, and supplies in late February.

30 WINGS Pollinator Short Courses Presented Across the Country Xerces’ Pollinator Conservation Pro- over the next two years, bringing the gram has launched a three-year project number of states visited to three dozen. to provide training to U.S. Department Each short course equips attendees of Agriculture conservation staff, part- with the latest research-based approach- ners, and farmers on ways to improve es to reversing the trend of pollinator conditions for pollinators. In the past decline, particularly on working farms. six months, our staff has presented six- Funding has been provided by the USDA teen day-long pollinator short courses to Natural Resources Conservation Service more than six hundred people in eleven and Sustainable Agriculture Research states, from Oregon to New Hampshire. and Education’s Professional Develop- We will continue these presentations ment Program.

Reprints of Publications by Thomas Eisner Now Available A love of insects has been the foundation Tom’s work includes writings on sci- of Thomas Eisner’s professional life, and entific research, conservation, human drew him to serve as Xerces president rights, and other issues. To view his bib- for fourteen years. Retired now from liography, visit www.nbb.cornell.edu/ Cornell University, where his prolific neurobio/Eisner/eisner.html. To request research and teaching career spanned reprints, send an email to te14@cornell. more than five decades, he is offering edu, by May 1, 2011. Include the publi- reprints of his publications to fellow cation number(s), as well as a complete insect enthusiasts for a limited time. mailing address.

WINGS, Fall 2010 Volume 33, Number 2 Wings is published twice a year by the Xerces Society, an international, non- profit ro ganization dedicated to protecting the diversity of life through the ­conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. A Xerces Society membership costs $30 per year (tax-deductible) and includes a subscription to Wings. Copyright © 2010 by the Xerces Society. All rights reserved. Xerces Society Executive Director: Scott Hoffman Black; Editors: Scott Hoffman Black, John Laursen, and Matthew Shepherd; Design and Production: John Laursen. Printed on recycled paper. For information about membership and our conservation programs for native pollinators, endangered species, and aquatic invertebrates, contact us: THE XERCES SOCIETY FOR INVERTEBRATE CONSERVATION 4828 Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard, Portland, OR 97215 telephone 503-232-6639 fax 503-233-6794 [email protected] www.xerces.org

FALL 2010 31 The painted lady (Vanessa cardui) is one of the world’s most widespread butterflies, being found on all continents except and . Sadly, recent studies are showing that even such common species are in decline. Photograph by Bill Bouton.

THE XERCES SOCIETY FOR INVERTEBRATE CONSERVATION 4828 Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard, Portland, OR 97215

Board of Directors Counselors Dennis Paulson May R. Berenbaum Paul R. Ehrlich Robert Michael Pyle President Boris Kondratieff Michael Samways Linda Craig Claire Kremen Cheryl Schultz Treasurer John Losey Robbin Thorpe Sacha Spector Thomas Lovejoy Scientific Advisors Secretary Jerrold Meinwald Thomas Eisner David Johnson Michael G. Morris E. O. Wilson Scott E. Miller Piotr Naskrecki Marla Spivak Paul A. Opler

A $30 per year Xerces Society membership includes a subscription to Wings.

Our cover photograph shows a malachite (Siproeta stelenes). Many butterflies live in ­environments subject to ceaseless change by natural events and human activities; pop- ulations of malachites in southern Florida are in constant flux and may or may not be found in the same site from one year to the next. Photograph by Bill Bouton.