Wings of Fancy Docent Study Guide Outline of Contents Introduction Duties and responsibilities Schedules A Word or Two about Wings of Fancy USDA Permit Requirements Butterfly Biology Classification Life Cycle Life Span and time of flight Parts of the Body Caterpillar Adult Butterfly or Moth? Colorful Wings The Senses Sight Smell Taste Touch Hearing Butterfly Behavior Behaviors You May See Nectaring Spiraling Roosting Puddling Basking Thermo-regulating Eating, Chewing Butterfly Reproduction Strategies for finding a mate Courtship Mating Laying Eggs Butterfly Defense Caterpillar Adult Examples of Mimicry Species Profiles Learning Their Names Tips for Identifying Butterflies 2004 Butterfly Species List Flight House Plant List 2005 Frequently Asked Questions and Answers Bibliography, Sources Introduction Thank you for volunteering for the Brookside Gardens’ butterfly show, Wings of Fancy. This handbook is designed to be a primer on butterfly natural history and on butterfly gardening, so that you, the volunteer can quickly and accurately answer questions from the visiting public. Training sessions have been scheduled to help new volunteers learn about butterflies and returning volunteers can update their information. You will also need to be familiar with the show layout, location of signs and what they say, and the location of plant labels. Read this handbook carefully and be ready for a quiz! (Don’t worry – you’ll pass). Duties and responsibilities: Prevent accidental or intentional removal of butterflies from the exhibit Share interpretive information with visitors Answer visitors’ questions concerning butterflies and plants in the exhibit Assist with care of butterflies in the exhibit Perform minor tasks related to show upkeep Ensure posted rules are followed to protect butterflies in the exhibit. Schedules The volunteers play a critical role in this exhibit: enforcement of the USDA/MDA permit guidelines (next page) for Brookside Gardens’ butterfly show. As part of the permit guidelines, employees or volunteers throughout operating hours must monitor the show. We are scheduling at least two volunteers per time slot. The calendar and sign-up sheets are in the conservatory office, as is the volunteer time log. Please check your schedule and choose times that you are sure are convenient for you. We realize that emergencies occur. If you must reschedule we need at least a day’s notice so a substitute can be found. Please call Cheryl Beagle at Brookside Gardens’ Conservatories (301) 962-1438 if you need to change your time. A Word or Two about “Wings of Fancy:” The South Conservatory has housed this popular exhibit since 1996. All of the butterflies come from butterfly breeder farms, mostly in Texas, Florida and Costa Rica. • First year of operation of Wings of Fancy: 1996 • First year showing Costa Rican species: 2003 • Number of butterfly species shown per season (US): 40-45; (CR): 35-38 • Number of moth species shown per season (US): 4-6 • Total number of species shown in 2004: 78 • Average number of species in flight on any day: 40 • Ave. number of butterflies in flight on any day: 600 (400 in spring, 800 in late summer) • Number of pupae received per week: 500 Butterflies live, on average, about 2 weeks. We stop receiving pupae in August in order to allow the number of butterflies to drop naturally. Even so, in 2003 we captured over 800 specimens after the show was closed, and in 2004, we captured about 400 specimens. Each butterfly was carefully placed in a special envelope, designed for the purpose, and placed in a cooler with a little ice. This treatment keeps them calm and sleepy. They were then packed, along with any healthy pupae, and sent via overnight express post to another butterfly exhibit to live out their lives. USDA PERMIT REQUIREMENTS The US Department of Agriculture and the Maryland Department of Agriculture have the authority to inspect the premises to see that Wings of Fancy, Brookside Gardens’ Butterfly Exhibit, complies with the primary performance criteria. They have the authority to close the Exhibit if any of the criteria are not met. The most important responsibility as a volunteer is to enforce the USDA permit requirements. Please read the information below carefully. PRIMARY PERFORMANCE CRITERIA: Lepidoptera Display The inspection and permitting procedures of the USDA APHIS are intended to prevent the release of non-indigenous Lepidoptera into the environment of the United States. Accidental or purposeful release of these Lepidoptera is a violation of the Federal Plant Pest Act. As a consequence, the following conditions will result in actions listed below: 1. If an official of USDA APHIS finds a single individual of an exotic species of Lepidoptera (adult or immature) in the environment surrounding a facility, then the facility will be immediatedly closed to public access. No further Lepidoptera will be received by or released in the facility until the escape problem is corrected. Adult Lepidoptera in the facility may be captured and killed. The facility will not be reopened to the public until it is re-inspected. A second incidence of escape from a facility may result in the permanent withdrawal of all Permits. 2. If an official of USDA APHIS finds more than two living Lepidoptera adults at any time in any interior vestibule, then the facility may be closed to public access until the escape problem is corrected. 3. If an official of USDA APHIS finds that no employee of the facility is monitoring the activities of visitors in the display or entry/exit areas of the facility when open to the public, then the facility may be closed to public access until security is reestablished. BUTTERFLY BIOLOGY Classification Most courses in biology begin with classification of the creatures being studied based on structure. All living things have a two-part Latin name, which is internationally recognized, and one or more common names, which are locally recognized. You need not learn all the Latin names, but understand that we may all know the same butterfly by different common names. The broadest category that an animal fits into is the Animal Kingdom. A kingdom is divided into phyla. A phylum is divided into classes; a class is divided into orders, an order is divided into families; a family is divided into genera, and a genus is divided into species. Example: Monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus Species: plexippus Genus: Danaus (all milkweed butterflies) Family: Nymphalidae (all butterflies who hold up the first pair of legs around the head as organs for smell) Order: Lepidoptera (all insects with scale-covered wings) Class: Insecta (all arthropods with 3 distinct body sections, 3 pairs of legs, antennae) Phylum: Arthropoda (jointed appendages, external skeleton) Kingdom: Animal Example: Mexican Milkweed, Asclepias curassavica Species: curassavica Genus: Asclepias (all milkweeds) Family: Asclepiadaceae Order: Gentianales Class: Dicotyledonae Phylum: Anthophyta Kingdom: Plant Life Cycle The life cycle of Lepidoptera is well known. Look at the figure of the monarch’s life cycle (next page). There are four stages: egg, larva, pupa, adult. An adult female butterfly will lay her eggs on a preferred host plant, a term referring to the food plant of the caterpillar. About a week later, a larva, or caterpillar, will chew its way out of the egg. This is the first instar of the caterpillar. A caterpillar begins feeding voraciously. After a few days, the caterpillar will appear to rest as it prepares to shed its skin (exoskeleton). After shedding its skin, the caterpillar is considered in the second instar. See Figure 1. While it is shedding its skin, the caterpillar appears dead or at least not healthy so be careful not to disturb it. Some butterfly species have only 3 instars, others have 5 or even 7 instars, before pupation. The butterfly pupa is called a chrysalis, the moth pupa is called a cocoon. During this stage of the life cycle Lepidopterans go through complete metamorphosis, changing from a wormlike larva to a birdlike butterfly. The process is not fully understood by scientists, but tissues within the caterpillar’s body reorganize to form long legs, 2 pairs of wings and a proboscis (among other things). The adult emerges and the tissues of the wings fill with fluid until fully expanded, permitting flight. Butterflies at this stage are vulnerable to damage and attack by predators. Read “The Butterfly Emerges,” attached. The life cycle of a typical butterfly can take as little as one month, depending on weather and other environmental factors. See the calendar of the Life Cycle of the Painted Lady, following. Figure 1 The Butterfly Emerges When the butterfly first emerges, the wings are small and soft and slightly crumpled. The butterfly positions itself so that the wings hang downward. It then contracts its body, which forces fluids into the wings and makes them expand. In about 2-3 hours the wings are fully expanded and the butterfly is ready to fly. You will notice a red liquid coming from the tail end of the butterfly. This is meconium, or waste tissue left over from metamorphosis and not blood. Parts of the Body Caterpillar At first glance the caterpillar looks somewhat like an attractive worm. Closer examination reveals that the caterpillar has 6 tiny legs, plus 10 prolegs, each with little hooks for a good grip, a head with fine hairs (may not see these), mouth parts and 12 tiny simple eyes, and a long body with spines, tentacles or hairs. Some caterpillars are colorful. The tiny holes for breathing, called spiracles, are not always easy to see. The sketch below is very simplified. Figure 2: Adult Look at the drawings below. The adult butterfly has the typical insect body parts: head, thorax and abdomen and 6 legs. Some species hold the front legs up close to the head as pictured here.