THE PROJECT The Butterfly Project at America’s The Palos Verdes blue butterfly was listed as an ButterflyTeaching Zoo provides a endangered species in 1980. eclosion secondary captive rearing The Palos Verdes blue thrives on two host plants, site for the endangered locoweed and deerweed. This butterfly goes through Palos Verdes blue butterfly. one generation per year, with the adults emerging in The primary site is in San early spring, synchronously with the flowering of its foodplants. In the wild, the adults will live around 10 Pedro on federal land. Both days, during which time they will mate and lay eggs. sites are funded through The The eggs are oviposited mostly on Urban Wildlands Group by the the flowers of the foodplant US Defense Logistics Agency which is the preferred wings larval diet. The larvae (USDLA), and the US Navy hatch within 10 days expanding (USN). and eat for around a month, molting A recent shift in the care and several times. handling of the butterfly at The larvae will then seek out the primary site resulted in a sheltered a quadrupling of the captive space in which population. This provided to pupate. The an opportunity to open a adult males and mating females may be secondary site at America’s distinguished Teaching Zoo. by a difference in wing color, the males’ Students and staff of upper wing surface Moorpark College, including being iridescent blue and the the Exotic Animal Training females’ a darker charcoal gray. and Management Program at The butterfly’s coastal scrub habitat on the Palos America’s Teaching Zoo, joina Verdes Peninsula has been shrinking under pressure distinguished team of partners from urban development. Other factors in the decline eggs of the habitat include weed control, off-road vehicle including the USDLA, USN, use, and non-native plant invasion. The Urban Wildlands Group, US Fish and Wildlife Service, To ensure the future of the Palos Verdes blue butterfly, successful re-establishment of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land locoweed and deerweed along with protection of the Conservancy, and San Diego habitat from development are necessary. State Soil Ecology Restoration We encourage you to be part of the solution, too. Group. Please send donations to The Butterfly Project. Checks should be made to Moorpark College. larva The Butterfly Project at America’s Teaching Zoo Moorpark College photos by Daniel Soyka Beran 7075 Campus Road, Moorpark CA 93021 www.moorparkcollege.edu/zoo • (805) 378-1441 The zoo is open for shows and tours Saturdays & Sundays 11a.m. - 5p.m. .