Scientific Name Common Name RICHMOND NATURE PARK: HESPERIIDAE SKIPPERS CONTEXT MAP Thymelicus lineola European Skipper Ochlodes sylvanoides Woodland Skipper OAK ST PAPILIONIDAE SWALLOWTAILS Papilio rutulus Western Tiger Butterflies Swallowtail* PIERIDAE WHITES Neophasia menapia Pine White from west Vancouver east Vancouver from Pieris rapae Cabbage White* LYCAENIDAE GOSSAMER WINGS Incisalia iroides Western Elfin HIGHWAY 99 NO 5 RD Incisalia eryphon Western Pine Elfin HIGHWAY 91 HIGHWAY 91 Strymon melinus Gray Hairstreak RICHMOND Red Admiral NATURE STUDY CENTRE Celastrina echo Western Spring Azure RICHMOND NATURE PARK Everes comytas Eastern Tailed Blue* WESTMINSTER HWY Vanessa cardui Painted Lady* For more information on butterflies, NO 5 RD NO 4 RD 4 NO SHELL RD from Delta Vanessa atalanta Red Admiral* please visit the following links: NYMPHALIDAE BRUSHFOOTS Polygonia satyrus Satyr Anglewing North American Butterfly Limenitis lorquini Lorquin’s Admiral Association: The Nature Park is open daily Nymphalis antiopa Mourning Cloak* www.naba.org from dawn to dusk. *Common Butterflies at the Richmond Nature Park The Nature House is open daily 9:00am-5:00pm Painted Lady BC Conservation Data Centre: Admission is by donation www.env.gov.bc.ca/cdc/ For more information about Richmond Nature Park and its programs A Biophysical Inventory of please call 604-718-6188 the Lulu Island Bog, or email [email protected] discover Richmond, British Columbia: Richmond Nature Park www.geog.ubc.ca/richmond/city/ 11851 Westminster Highway, Richmond, B.C. Richmond... butterflies.html V6X 1B4 Tel: 604-718-6188 Fax: 604-718-6189 E-Fauna BC: To learn more about Richmond’s many parks and facilities, please visit the www.efauna.bc.ca/ Parks, Trails & Cycling web page at www.richmond.ca Butterfly images courtesy Ian Lane and Nature flickr.com - Creative Commons Park Parks Trails What is a butterfly? Butterflies are insects in the order Lepidoptera, which means they have scaly wings. The myriad of tiny scales that coat their Satyr Anglewing wings form the colour and pattern unique to each species. Like all Conservation Issues insects, butterflies utterfly populations are threatened by habitat Mourning Cloak have 2 antennae, 3 body loss, habitat degradation due to such things parts, 6 legs, and an exoskeleton. B Painted Lady as pesticide application and the elimination of food plants, and global climate change.Of note, Butterflies and moths look quite similar but there is the general lack of data and information about are some essential differences: butterflies that would allow us to understand Butterflies life cycles, population dynamics and species BUTTERFLIES MOTHS requirements and make informed decisions Life Cycle regarding species and habitat management. Antennae Threadlike with Threadlike or he life cycle of a butterfly begins the moment clubbed tips feathery but Tan egg is laid. Eggs, each the size of a grain without clubs of sand, are deposited on carefully selected host Colour Often bright May be dull for plants. After about 1-3 weeks the eggs hatch into and easy to see camouflage miniscule larvae, or caterpillars, that spend the Cabbage White next 4-10 weeks growing and moulting as they eat Body Usually slim May be bulky the plant they hatched on. When fully grown, the Shape and hairy caterpillars stop eating and moult one last time to Resting Wings held Wings flat when reveal a silken sheath called a chrysalis. Posture upright over at rest Lorquin’s Admiral Within the chrysalis the caterpillars pupate, that is, body when at undergo metamorphosis, and are transformed into rest adult butterflies. Some species spend the entire Pupae Pupate in a Pupate in a fall and winter in their chrysalis; others pupate and chrysalis created cocoon spun Butterflies in British Columbia emerge in as little as 10 days during the summer. from the final from silk n BC, the greatest diversity of butterflies occurs in The adult butterflies that push their way out of a mount Ithe open grasslands of the dry interior zones where chrysalis have limp, wet wings that must be pumped Activity Diurnal Nocturnal plentiful sunshine ensures a diversity of herbaceous full of blood to expand. Once their wings are dry plants for the larva to feed on and dry warm weather butterflies become creatures of the air and fly off in suited to the activity of these cold-blooded creatures. search a mate. Coastal BC is isolated from the interior by high mountains and characterized by cool, wet weather – Butterflies are ephemeral creatures, thus mating and conditions that produce dark coniferous forests and egg laying must occur within the 1 or 2 week life limit the number and diversity of butterflies present. span of the adult..