American Butterflies Summer 2018

American

Butterflies V o l u m e 2 6 : N u m b er 2

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Fireflies!

M ex i c a n M o n a r c h tr i p

H o t S een s

An d r é s M a r c el o S a d a (1 9 3 0 -2 0 1 8 ) Z eb r a S w a l l o w ta i l a n d R ed - s p o tted P u r p l e Fo o d

Members Meeting: Save the Date!

NABA News and Notes NABA It’s official! The thirteenth NABA Biennial Members

NABA’s Survey of Frosted El ns NABA’s survey of Frosted Elfins in East Texas, underwritten by a Conservation License Plate grant from Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept. has been remarkably successful!

NABA volunteers, crisscrossing eastern Texas, were able to locate Frosted Elfin colonies in 21 counties. Prior to this year’s NABA survey, the elusive elfins had only been reported from five east Texas counties since 2010. A full account will be published in the fall 2018 issue of American Butterflies.

Free Trial Membership For Counters NABA is offering free trial memberships to people who have not previously been NABA members, if they help NABA monitor butterflies by entering data into the Recent Sightings page and/or participate in the NABA Butterfly Count program. The free, trial membership includes access to digital versions of NABA publications as well as access to NABAChat and other NABA programs. So, invite your friends, family and neighbors to participate in Recent Sightings and/or the Counts, helping to monitor and conserve butterflies throughout North America — they will be rewarded with a free, trial membership.

NABA’s Butterfly Gardening Guide Butterfly Gardening: The North American Butterfly Association Guide, authored by Jane Hurwitz, editor of NABA’s Butterfly Gardener, has just been published by Princeton University Press — see ad on page 41. The best guide to butterfly gardening is available to NABA members at a 30% discount by going to https://press.princeton.edu/titles/11290.html and using the code NABA 18 (once the book is in the shopping cart, a box for “discount Code” appears.

Members can also call 800-343-4499 and follow the prompt for customer service who will accept the discount code — good until the end of May, 2018.

New NA BA Ch ap ters We are happy to report that there are now NABA chapters in Minnesota — NABA Twin Cities — contact is Andy Birkey, andy.birkey@gmail.com; and in Virginia — NABA Richmond — contact is.

Lauren Adelman, heyla2016@gmail.com.

Meeting will be held September 16-19, 2018 in Tallahassee, Florida. Don’t miss this great opportunity to see butterflies you may never have seen before, including Yehl Skipper, Berry’s Skipper and Dotted Skipper, along with thousands of individual butterflies, including sweeps of seven species of swallowtails. Better yet, you’ll be able to connect with ardent butterfliers from throughout the country. NABA meetings are always fun! You might want to consider a post-meeting trip to the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge to find Dukes’ Skippers. Please go to http://naba.org/meeting. html to register online or to print out a hard copy registration form.

Estate Planning We’d like to ask those NABA members who have planned estates, to consider including NABA and the National Butterfly Center in their plans. This will allow you to continue to help butterflies and conservation.

Bartram ’ s S cru b - H airstreak NABA has begun a project to save endangered Bartram’s Scrub-Hairstreaks. So far as is known, Grannybush (pineland croton) is the only plant species eaten by Bartram’s Scrub-Hairstreak caterpillars.

Pineland croton is restricted to pine rockland habitat, which has largely been, and continues to be, destroyed. Bartram’s Scrub-Hairstreak also appears to be restricted to pine rockland habitat, but that may be because that is the only place that it’s caterpillar foodplant is found.

NABA is trying to replicate the success that South Florida gardeners inadvertently had in stabilizing the population of Atalas and increasing their range. Atalas were thought to possibly be

Continued on inside back cover

Front Cover: Photo of a carnivorous butterfly attacking a snake was taken on April 22, 2018 at Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park, Shelby Co., TN by Ken Wilson. [Harvester caterpillars are carnivorous, the adults — not so much; the snake was dead, so “attacking” might be an exaggeration]

American Butterflies Volume 26: Number 2

The North American Butterfly Association, Inc. (NABA), a non-profit organization, was formed to promote public enjoyment and conservation of butterflies.

Membership in NABA is open to all those who share our purpose.

President: Jeffrey Glassberg Vice-president: James Springer Secrty./Treasurer Ann James Directors: Jeffrey Glassberg Fred Heath Yvonne Homeyer Ann James Dennis Olle Robert Robbins James Springer Patricia Sutton Scientific Advisory Board Nat Holland Naomi Pierce Robert Robbins Ron Rutowski John Shuey Ernest Williams

Summer 2018

Inside Front Cover NABA News and Notes 2 Fake News by Jeffrey Glassberg 4 Fireflies: A Silent Choir of Cool Fire Lights the Night Sky

by Sara Lewis 14 The Magic of Monarchs in Mexico by Linda Cooper 20 You Are What You Eat 21 Zebra Swallowtail on Small-flowered Pawpaw in FL

by Mary Ann Friedman 31 Red-spotted Purple on Black Cherry in TX

by Don Dubois 36 In Memoriam: Andrés Marcelo Sada

by Pronatura, Lucy Sada and Alida Madero 38 Hot Seens by Mike Reese 48 Contributors Inside Back Cover

Readers Write

American Butterflies (ISSN 1087-450X) is published quarterly by the North American Butterfly Association, Inc. (NABA), 4 Delaware Rd., Morristown, NJ 07960; tel. 973285-0907; fax 973-285-0936; web site, www.naba.org. Copyright © 2018 by North American Butterfly Association, Inc. All rights reserved. The statements of contributors do not necessarily represent the views or beliefs of NABA and NABA does not warrant or endorse products or services of advertisers.

Editor, Jeffrey Glassberg Editorial Assistance, Jane V. Scott, Matthew Scott and Sharon Wander Please send address changes (allow 6-8 weeks for correction) to: NABA, 4 Delaware Rd., Morristown, NJ 07960; or email to naba@naba.org

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Fake News!

As Americans slide ever closer to living in a fascist state, declarations of “Fake News” are in the air. As everyone with at least half a brain and a remnant shred of morality knows, the first thing that dictators do is to denounce the news media, confuse the public with lies, and then shut down opposing points of view. This worked out pretty well for Adolph Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Hugo Chávez, at least in the short term, but not so well for the German, Italian and Venezuelan people.

Going from the terrifying to the absurd, I am sorry to report that the butterfly world is also infested with people and organizations spreading information that is, at best, misleading. .

Here are three examples of recent fake headlines from the butterfly world.

What A Butterfly Species’ ‘Lethal Evolutionary Trap’ Teaches About Wildlife Conservation [May 15, 2018. Texas Standard: http://www.texasstandard.org/stories/what-abutterfly-species-lethal-evolutionary-trap-teachesabout-wildlife-conservation/ actual article at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-0180074-6] Here is what researchers found: Edith’s Checkerspots normally feed on native plants in the figwort family, including blue-eyed marys.

A population on a ranch in Nevada adapted to using non-native Narrowleaf Plantain and thrived.

Then the ranch was sold and, because cattle grazing was stopped, the plantain died out, and then so did the butterfly.

Interesting! However, calling this “A Lethal Evolutionary Trap” is truly ridiculous. In the east, Baltimore Checkerspots feed on native White Turtlehead, a wetland plant. Many wetlands are drained or destroyed by human activity. So, I guess that feeding on White Turtlehead is a “Lethal Evolutionary Trap”!

Oh, and by the way, Baltimore Checkerspot populations in the East have adapted, in the recent past, to feeding on non-native plantains and, in many areas, have become more common than

2 American Butterflies, Summer 2018

when they fed only on White Turtlehead. Another evolutionary trap, I’m sure! What seems most likely is that Narrowleaf Plantain will continue to spread in the western United States and as a consequence, Edith’s Checkerspots will become more common.

Not content to provide a false alarm unrelated to conservation, the author goes on to gratuitously say that choices should be made about what to conserve, stating “I would say, forget the Polar Bears.” Excuse me, but I’m not sure that the Polar Bears asked him. His purported point is to put limited resources into saving biodiversity where it can be saved and, in his view, Polar Bears can’t be saved. And, if conservation activities were a zero sum game, this wouldn’t be an illogical strategy. However, conservation is not a zero sum game — funds spent on saving Polar Bears don’t necessarily come at the expense of funds spent saving Poweshiek Skipperlings.

The reality (voiced with an unmuffled sob by a butterfly enthusiast) is that many, many more people will donate funds to save Polar Bears than will donate to save Poweshiek Skipperlings.

If one wants to save biodiversity, first convince the human population to set aside 25 to 50 percent of the land as refuges, only then will we not need to worry so much about individual species. It appears that, getting it backwards, the author fell into an ugly evolutionary trap.

Do-gooder Gardeners May Harm Monarch Butterflies [Jan. 30, 2015. Louisville, Kentucky CourierJournal: https://www.courier-journal. com/story/watchdog-earth/2015/01/30/ tropical-milkweed-may-be-harmingmonarch-butterflies/22575307/ actual article at http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/ content/282/1801/20141734] This article, with its unwarranted conclusions, is the sole basis for the demonization of Tropical Milkweed. See http://nababutterfly. com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/ Tropical-Milkweed.pdf for more information.

Continued on page 47

The North American Butterfly Association (NABA)

For the Love of Butterflies Please photocopy this membership application form and pass it along to friends and acquaintances who might be interested in NABA

Yes! I want to join NABA, the North American Butterfly Association,

and receive American Butterflies and The Butterfly Gardener and/or contribute to building the premier butterfly garden in the world, the National Butterfly Center. The Center, located on approximately 100 acres of land fronting the Rio Grande River in Mission, Texas uses native trees, shrubs and wildflowers to create a spectacular natural butterfly garden that importantly benefits butterflies, an endangered ecosystem and the people of the Rio Grande Valley.

Visit our website at www.naba.org 262 Name: ________________________________________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Email (only used for NABA business):______________________ Tel.:______________________ Special Interests (circle): Listing, Gardening, Observation, Photography, Conservation, Other _________________________________________________________ Tax-deductible dues enclosed (circle): Regular $35 ($70 outside U.S., Canada or Mexico), Family $45 ($90 outside North Am.). Special sponsorship levels: Copper $55; Skipper $100; Admiral $250; Monarch $1000. Institution/Library subscription to all annual publications $60 ($100 outside U.S., Canada or Mexico). Special tax-deductible contributions to NABA (please circle): $125, $200, $1000, $5000. Mail checks (in U.S. dollars) to: NABA, 4 Delaware Rd., Morristown, NJ 07960 ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS American Butterflies welcomes the unsolicited submission of articles to: Editor, American Butterflies, NABA, 4 Delaware Rd., Morristown, NJ 07960. We will reply to your submission only if accepted and we will be unable to return any unsolicited articles, photographs, artwork, or other material, so please do not send materials that you would want returned.

Articles may be submitted in any form, but those on disks in Microsoft word are preferred. For the type of articles, including length and style, that we publish, refer to issues of American Butterflies.

MEMBERSHIP SERVICES If you have questions about missing magazines, membership expiration date, change of address, etc., please write to: NABA, 4 Delaware Rd., Morristown, NJ 07960 or email to naba@naba.org.

ADVERTISING

American Butterflies welcomes advertising. Rates are the same for all advertisers, including NABA members, officers and directors. For more information, please write us at: American Butterflies, 4 Delaware Road, Morristown, NJ 07960, or telephone, 973-285-0907, or fax 973-285-0936 for current rates and closing dates.

Occasionally, members send membership dues twice.

Our policy in such cases, unless instructed differently, is to extend membership for an additional year.

NABA sometimes exchanges or sells its membership list to like-minded organizations that supply services or products that might be of interest to members. If you would like your name deleted from membership lists we supply others, please write and so inform: NABA Membership Services, 4 Delaware Rd., Morristown, NJ 07960

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A Silent Choir of Cool Fire

Lights the Night Sky 4 American Butterflies, Summer 2018

Radim Schreiber - www.FireflyExperience.org

Fireflies

by Sara Lewis

5

Terry Priest

A composite photo of four common eastern fireflies (Photinus pyralis). The two central photos were taken on June 12 and June 13, 2015. The two outside photos were taken on July 6, 2013. All were taken near Evansville, IN.

Fireflies!

Surely, they’re among the most wondrous creatures to share our planet. They fill our summer evenings with dazzling displays, stirring memories of catching these tiny, radiant beings in mason jars to gawk at their glow. For centuries, their silent, luminous dances have inspired awe from poets, artists, and children of all ages.

But what exactly are fireflies? Though they’re called by many different names — lightningbugs, glow-worms, firebugs, and candle flies — they’re neither bugs nor worms nor flies. Fireflies are members of a famously diverse and successful insect clan, the beetles (Order Coleoptera). Their family, the Lampyridae, includes some 2000 different species sprinkled across the globe. Here in North America, as of 2018, more than 160 species have been described.

Every single firefly lights up during its larval stages, although some species eventually lose this ability once they 6 American Butterflies, Summer 2018

become adults. Their bioluminescence (from Greek bios for “living” + Latin lumen for “light”) arises from a carefully regulated chemical reaction that happens within the firefly lantern, a unique organ.

You might wonder — so why would larval fireflies need to light up? After all, they’re much too young to be looking for love!

The answer lies in the fact that potent chemical defenses make these larvas toxic to birds and other insect-eaters. Lots of poisonous insects, such as Monarchs, advertise their toxicity to predators using bright colors, typically yellow-orange-

Previous page: Synchronous fireflies (Photinus carolinus) are one of Earth’s greatest natural wonders. June 6, 2015. Near Elkmont Campground, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN.

red contrasting against black. But even the brightest colors would be invisible at night, which is when firefly larvas are most active. So we think bioluminescence first evolved as a warning sign: it helped ward off predators, conspicuously blazing out into the night “I’m toxic — stay away!”

Courtship Styles

Fireflies show surprising variation in their courtship behavior. For convenience, they can be divided into three groups according to how they find and attract mates. Our best phylogenetic evidence suggests that in ancestral fireflies, the adults flew during the daytime and they didn’t light up. These dark fireflies are found coast to coast across North America, and include about 20 species in three common genera: Ellychnia, Lucidota, Pyropyga. In courtship that relies on chemical signals rather than light, females attract flying

males by releasing scents, known as pheromones.

In the night-active lightningbug fireflies, adults have co-opted the family’s ancient larval bioluminescence and turned it into their eponymous courtship signal: quick, bright flashes. With such a versatile communication tool, lightningbugs can carry on elaborate conversations with prospective mates. The three major North American genera, Photinus, Photuris, and Pyractomena, include over 100 species.

Lightningbug fireflies are common east of the Rocky Mountains, but for reasons unknown, they show up in just a few scattered places out west — Colorado, Utah, and a few other places.

Lastly, we have the glow-worm fireflies. (The bioluminescent larvas of some fungus gnats (Diptera) also happen to be called glow-worms, but they aren’t the same thing at all.) These wingless and earthbound females give off long-lasting

Fireflies’ light-producing talent originated first in the larval stage, such as this Lamprigera larva, probably as an anti-predator warning. July 17, 2017.

Peninsular Botanic Garden, Trang, Thailand.

Christian Wappl

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Sara Lewis

Top right: Mating Photinus ignitus fireflies. While mating, a male firefly (facing downward) transfers a spiral-shaped nuptial gift (photo micrograph on left) to the female (facing upward). July 2003. Lincoln, MA.

Heinz Albers

Bottom right: The firefly larva is a voracious carnivore; this European common glow-worm (Lampyris noctiluca) is fond of snails (in this case, a garden snail, Cornu aspersum).

Opposite page: Firefly at dusk. June 10, 2012.

Page, Virginia.

glows to attract their flying males. Some glow-worm females also add chemical scents to their love potion. Released into the air, such perfumes flow unobstructed around trees and other vegetation, attracting males from afar. Nearly onequarter of all lampyrid species worldwide are glow-worms. Glow-worms are common in Europe, though less commonly seen in the United States. Our best-known glow-worms are the California Pink glowworm (Microphotus angustus) and the 8 American Butterflies, Summer 2018

Blue Ghost (Phausis reticulata), which is found in the Southern Appalachians.

Among all the glamorous courtship rituals shaped by evolution, the displays performed by the synchronous lightningbug fireflies rank among the most spectacular. For reasons we don’t completely understand, certain lightningbugs show a remarkable behavior in which males coordinate their flashes so they can shine out together in unison.

In southeast Asia there are many such

fireflies. Their males congregate in special display trees and synchronize their flashes. In North America, only a few lightningbug species show synchrony, and it’s of a different kind. They use wave synchrony, where males synchronize their flashes with others flying nearby.

In the Allegheny National Forest and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the synchronous symphony of Photinus carolinus fireflies attracts thousands of visitors to admire these flying males as they coordinate their six-pulsed courtship flashes, sending waves of light radiating through the trees. Similar displays of wave synchrony among roving males can be seen in mating aggregations of Photuris frontalis in Congaree National Park, South Carolina, Photinus knulli in Arizona, and Macrolampis palaciosi in Tlaxcala, Mexico. When you see them, synchronous fireflies make an indelible impression — they are certainly one of Earth’s greatest natural treasures!

Dr. Jekyl, Meet Mr. Hyde

Just like butterflies, fireflies also undergo complete metamorphosis. During their lifetimes, such insects change not just their physical appearance, but they also change what they eat and where they live.

So every adult firefly carries an intriguing back story.

The adult firefly seems such a gentle creature — so ethereal, so graceful! But, when young, it was a voracious carnivore capable of subduing and devouring prey several times its size. In North America most firefly larvas live underground, consuming earthworms, snails and other soft-bodied insects. (In some Asian fireflies, the larvas live underwater and feed on aquatic snails.) Using sharp, sickle-shaped jaws, the larva will bite its prey repeatedly, each time injecting neurotoxins. Eventually its prey has been completely paralyzed and can be eaten at

Mike Lewinski

9

Splendor in the Grass As firefly biologists, my students and I have spent many a summer night camped out in New England meadows, watching these beetles as they spark through the night in search of love. Photinus fireflies are the most common lightningbugs in North America, with more than two dozen species. For a given species, its mating season will last only a few weeks. Different Photinus species occur in different habitats, and they flash at different times during the night. Though at first glance all Photinus fireflies may look similar, they can often be distinguished by their flash patterns, else by the shape of their male genitalia. In most of the U.S., Photinus pyralis is the most common lightningbug, stretching from New York and Florida all the way west to Texas and South Dakota. Called the “Big Dipper firefly”, it earns its nick-name from its relatively large size (up to 15 mm) and its distinctive flash gesture. At dusk, males 10 American Butterflies, Summer 2018

Jim Lloyd

leisure — it’s still alive, so no refrigeration necessary! Injecting digestive enzymes, the firefly larva will liquefy its victim, then slurp it up like an earthworm smoothie.

These insects spend the vast majority of their lives as underground carnivores, growing larger through several larval instars. In northern latitudes, the juvenile stage lasts one to three years, while farther south it lasts several months. When it has finally grown large enough, the firefly larva will pupate in moist soil or under some rotten log. Once the adult emerges, it will no longer eat and will live for just a few short weeks. For the remainder of its days, the firefly will focus exclusively on a single thing: winning a mate and trying to propel its genes into the next firefly generation.

Using deceitful signals to attract a Photinus male, this predatory femme fatale (Photinus sp.) will imbibe and sequester his toxins. can be seen flying low to the ground, advertising to females with a characteristic J-shaped flash: while flashing, they dip down, then quickly rise up, repeating this courtship signal about every 6 seconds.

Meanwhile, females perch on grass blades, surveying the skies for suitors.

Although Photinus females can fly, they rarely do. When a female spots an especially attractive male, she’ll aim her lantern in his direction, and respond with a single flash. Then the male will drop swiftly from the air, landing nearby. He’s got to be quick, because competition from rival males is fierce! They strike up a flirtatious flash exchange as he scrambles up and down grass blades searching for the female. Eventually, if he’s lucky, the male will find the female, all flashing will cease, and they will mate.

But the struggle for genetic immortality is not yet over, because the next night the same female will take another partner. So to win the ultimate evolutionary jackpot, some male fireflies offer females a nuptial gift while mating.

An elaborate, sperm-containing package manufactured by the male, this amorous bundle contains enticements for egglaying, and helps ensure that the male who gives the best gift will get to sire more offspring.

The Dark Side

Yet not all fireflies are quite so romantic.

Among our North American lightningbugs, one group of Photuris fireflies has evolved a rather peculiar lifestyle. Once they become adults, most fireflies abstain from food altogether. Yet females of certain Photuris species have turned into deceitful predators, using aggressive mimicry to target the males of other firefly species.

The so-called femme fatale will closely mimic how females of their target prey typically flash, hoping to lure a love-blind male. She’s big, long-legged and agile, so when an unsuspecting male approaches, she reaches out quickly and grabs him!

Over the next hour she slowly drains his blood, then eats him. These insidious predators are capable of devouring several males in a single night.

What’s going on here? What could possibly have driven these femmes fatales to such carnivorous extremes? Scientists have discovered these Photuris females somehow lost the evolutionary knack for making their own protective toxins.

Instead, they’re forced to consume other fireflies, hijacking their toxins and stockpiling them in self-defense.

Lights Out for Fireflies?

Luckily, we still have plenty of places in North America where fireflies thrive. Yet in other places around the world, firefly populations are flickering out. The prime suspect is loss of appropriate habitat — the fields, mangroves and marshes where fireflies can thrive are disappearing. In the United States, firefly habitat steadily succumbs before an advancing wave of urbanization and suburban sprawl.

In southeast Asia, mangrove forests are being destroyed to make way for shrimp farms and oil palm plantations. Due to low dispersal ability, fireflies are unlikely to relocate once their habitat is disturbed.

Light pollution presents a different threat for fireflies (for other nocturnal creatures, too). A mere 100 years ago, everyone on Earth could admire the Milky Way on a clear night. But our nights have been transformed by artificial lighting, which has vanquished natural darkness from much of the Earth’s surface. Cities generate a dome of skyglow that shines out for many miles around. And fireflies are especially sensitive to artificial night lighting; it disrupts their courtship by obscuring the bioluminescent signals they use to find mates.

Pesticides also pose perils for fireflies.

While admired as creatures of the skies, recall the many months their larvas spend down in the dirt. When broad-spectrum insecticides, including organophosphates like malathion and diazinon, are used to kill pest insects, they can also inadvertently harm many non-target ones.

In the last two decades, neonicotinoids, also known as neonics, have been widely used. These get incorporated into plant tissues, and are effective in battling many insect pests. However, reliable scientific evidence shows neonics also harm beneficial insects like bees, butterflies, and ground beetles. They also kill earthworms, a major food source for larval fireflies.

What can we do to help conserve fireflies? Acting globally, we can work to protect wild areas that harbor especially vulnerable fireflies. Acting locally, we can create inviting habitat in our own backyards. Letting our lawns grow longer to hold more moisture, and allowing leaf litter and woody debris to accumulate in 11

a few places will help attract firefly adults and larvas. We can also choose outdoor lighting that’s more firefly-friendly, using shielded lighting fixtures that direct the light down, not out. Try turning off your outdoor lights during firefly season, or put lights on timers. We don’t know for certain that neonics harm fireflies. But to protect fireflies and other beneficial insects, avoid using these or any other

broad-spectrum insecticides on your lawn and garden. Instead, use horticultural oils or insecticidal bacteria like BT that target specific pests.

Fortunately, we don’t need to travel to remote wilderness to enjoy these wondrous creatures. So do yourself a favor this summer. Step out into the night, and drink in some natural magic!

NASA

Light pollution has increased exponentially over the last century, and can interfere with firefly courtship. On Feb. 6, 2012, An Expedition 30 crew member aboard the International Space Station took this nighttime photograph of much of the Atlantic coast of the United States. Large metropolitan areas and other easily recognizable sites from the Virginia/Maryland/Washington, D.C. area are visible in the image that spans almost to Rhode Island. Boston is just out of frame at right. Long Island and the New York City area are visible in the lower right quadrant. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are near the center. Parts of two Russian vehicles parked at the orbital outpost are seen in left foreground.

12 American Butterflies, Summer 2018

Now! Butterflies

Swift Guide to

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Five species on one leaf (Ecuador).

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All photos from our Ecuador trip

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13

The Magic of Monarchs in Mexico

Linda Cooper (2)

by Linda Cooper

14 American Butterflies, Summer 2018

Yes, Yes, Yes, it’s true.

Even with a crowd of visitors, it’s true.

When millions of Monarchs responding to the warmth of the sun, lift off from the surrounding Oyamel firs high in the Mexican mountains and fill the air above as you catch your breath, you can hear the sounds of their wings. To know this is the long-lived generation of Monarchs, the generation that was hatched as far north as Canada in late summer and began their journey south

in September to their ancestral wintering grounds, just adds more to the magic of Monarchs. This was how participants, guides and I spent February 3, 2018 at El Rosario, one of several Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserves near Angangueo, Michoacán, Mexico. I was asked to represent the National Butterfly Center in their first tour to the wintering Monarch colonies. It took me about two seconds to say “YES” to the offer! It

Opposite page: A View of the Monarch overwintering colony at El Rosario. Feb. 3, 2018. Michoacán, Mexico.

Below: The Catedral Metropolitana at night. Feb. 1, 2018. Mexico City, Mexico.

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Linda Cooper

was a diverse group of travelers ranging in age from 26 to 85: from northern Michigan, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Texas and Florida.

Some were involved with Monarch or other butterfly conservation efforts. Some wanted to witness the magic of millions of Monarchs gathered in the reserves. For some it was truly a spiritual experience. We were there on a holiday weekend. This allowed many families to continue the tradition of taking their children to experience the magic of Monarchs on their wintering grounds. Though crowded, people were respectful and spoke softly. In Mexico, everything is about the family. Seeing several generations together, smiling and sharing memories of when their parents brought them made a very warm spot in my heart. One of our group figured the climb up to the colony was equal to climbing about 109 flights of stairs — at 10,995 feet in altitude! That alone will take your breath away! It is possible to ride a horse halfway up and walk the remainder of the way and several of us chose that route. Our headquarters in 16 American Butterflies, Summer 2018

Angangueo was Hotel Don Bruno. The hotel is comfortable though the rooms are unheated (as are all hotel rooms in Angangueo). The grounds are lovely. Meals were fresh and very good. Mexican coffee is simply delicious.

Angangueo is largely unchanged since colonial times. One of our local guides, Maria Estela Romero Vasquez, led some of our group on a walking tour of the town and her family’s home. The town has murals with Monarchs and Monarch images grace buildings, schools, homes and businesses. The following day our tour group went to Sierra Cincua, another of the Monarch reserves. The viewing here was not as easy as El Rosario and we didn’t stay as long. Market booths at both sites offered local crafts and local food.

From the time we arrived in Mexico City until we departed we were very well taken care of by our guides Pelin Karaca and Teresa Moyano. Before departing to the reserves, our in-country guide Alberto gave us a walking tour of the historic district of Mexico City including the world’s third largest public

The NABA group poses for the Monarchs overwintering at Sierra Cincua. Because the Monarchs were expecting the NABA group, millions of them flew to this Mexican mountain fir forest from throughout North America to see these people. Feb. 4, 2018.

Michoacán, Mexico.

square, Plaza de la Constitucion, known as el Zocalo. A tamale festival was underway with street performers, native dancers and very long lines for tamales. We toured inside the Catedral Metropolitana with its magnificent stained glass and diverse architectural styles and Palacio National known for its Diego Rivera murals depicting indigenous and Spanish cultures and historical figures. Our guide Alberto Aguiniga was knowledgeable and able to answer all our questions. Our final destination, on the way back to Mexico City from the reserves, was the Pyramids at San Juan Teotihuacan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This area was occupied from 200 BC to 800 AD, had about 200,000 residents and was the sixth largest city in the world at one time. Some of our group still had enough leg strength to climb 200 steps to the top of the Pyramid of the Sun and that was after a filling lunch and a tequila and mezcal tasting. Some of us stood at the bottom and watched. Our hotels were Historico Centro, celebrating its 100th year of business in a building built in the

1700s and Hotel Geneve in a 1902 building, both in Mexico City as well as Hotel Don Bruno in Angangueo. The restaurants were varied and the food was fresh and delicious.

From seafood to local farm to table to meats sliced from huge skewers there was something for everyone.

I asked our tour group for their thoughts after the trip was over and several responded.

Pat from Florida: It was a spiritual experience, an event of a lifetime. The trek was not easy but it was worth it!

Salman from North Carolina: Visiting the winter home of the Monarchs was a dream I have had since I read about their migration in the August 1976 National Geographic. Thanks to the National Butterfly Center this dream has been lived.

Cynthia from Florida: Having had the privilege to serve as director of an 17

Linda Cooper (4)

environmental protection department for many years, I became keenly aware of the impacts of urbanization on the natural environment.

To this point, observing Monarchs at their destination in El Rosario, after its astounding flight of many hundreds, even thousands of miles, drove home the need to protect native habitat. Whether it be herbicide usage in the U.S. or logging of timber in Michoacán that threatens the survival of wintering Monarch populations, this trip reinforced my commitment to support leaders engaged in passing legislation that protects our fragile 18 American Butterflies, Summer 2018

ecosystems. As NABA so aptly states, “If we can save butterflies, we can save ourselves.”

Pam from Texas: The trip to El Rosario was an adventure that completed my experience with the amazing lives of Monarchs. Living in the country along the gulf coast of Texas gave me a perfect opportunity to create a Monarch Waystation, not only for the Monarchs but also a haven for all our valuable pollinators. Along with my grandchildren, we began an awesome adventure with wild Monarchs that visited our waystation. We started collecting eggs they

Opposite page: Throngs of people, mainly Mexican nationals, enjoy the Monarchs.

Top left: A closer look at the Monarchs.

Top right: An even closer look at a Monarch.

Left: The churros that this street cart sells are not made of Monarchs.

All four photos taken on Feb. 3, 2018. Angangueo, Michoacán, Mexico.

laid on our milkweed. We created a Monarch nursery and watched the magical caterpillars eat, form their chrysalises and emerge as healthy Monarchs. I concluded my observation of the fall Monarch migration with a trip to El Rosario. Words cannot describe the beauty of the wintering places of the Monarchs and the dedication of the people of Mexico who care for the sanctuaries. Truly an experience I will never forget and one I will be reminded

of every fall when the story starts all over again.”

Would I recommend a trip to view the Monarch colonies? Absolutely! Seeing millions of one species return to their ancestral home and cover the trees with orange and black is the best way to celebrate the magic of Monarchs and the sights, the sounds, the smells, the tastes, the colors and the cultures that are Mexico.

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You Are What You Eat Photodocumentation of Caterpillar Foodplants We have initiated a project to document the caterpillar foodplants of North American butterflies. For those who would like to participate in this photodocumentation, here are instructions: Find an egg or a caterpillar (or a group of eggs or caterpillars) on a single plant in the “wild” (this includes gardens). The plant does not need to be native to the area — we want to document all plants used by North American butterflies.

Follow this particular egg or caterpillar (or group of eggs or caterpillars) through to adulthood, with the following documentation.

1. Photograph the actual individual plant on which the egg or caterpillar was found, showing any key features needed for the identification of the plant.

2. Photograph the egg or caterpillar.

3. Either leave the egg or caterpillar on the original plant, perhaps sleeving the plant

it is on with netting, allowing the caterpillar to develop in the wild, or remove the egg or caterpillar to your home and feed it only the same species of plant on which it was found.

4. Photograph later instars of the caterpillar.

5. Photograph the resulting chrysalis.

6. Photograph the adult after it emerges from the chrysalis.

7. If the egg or caterpillar was relocated for raising, release the adult back into the wild at the spot where you found it.

We would like to document each plant species used by each North American butterfly species, for each state or province.

In addition to appearing in American Butterflies, the results of this project will be posted to the NABA website. Please send any butterfly species/plant species/state or province trio that is not already posted to naba@naba. org.

Opposite page Top: A female Zebra Swallowtails lays an egg on a Smallflower Pawpaw in the author’s yard. March 29, 2017. Okaloosa Co., FL. Middle: The same day, an egg was seen on a leaf.

March 29, 2017. Okaloosa Co., FL.

Bottom: A few days later the egg darkened. May 4, 2017. Okaloosa Co., FL.

20 American Butterflies, Summer 2018

Zebra Swallowtail

by Mary Ann Friedman

Mary Ann Friedman (3)

on Smallflower Pawpaw (Asimina parviflora)(custard apple family) in Okaloosa County, Florida

On March 29, 2017 in my weedy backyard in Niceville, Florida, I caught a glimpse of the shimmering wings of a Zebra Swallowtail as she placed an egg on the tender new leaves of Smallflowered Pawpaw. This is not a showy plant, easily overlooked and lacks the white floppy flowers we usually associate with other varieties of pawpaw.

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Mary Ann Friedman (3)

22 American Butterflies, Summer 2018

Opposite page Top: Two hours later the first instar caterpillar was ready to go.

Middle: The tiny caterpillar having a meal. April 5.

Bottom: The caterpillar gets its stripes. April 10.

This page Middle: On April 23 the chrysalis formed.

Bottom left: Chrysalis begins to show indications of the adult markings inside. May 6.

Bottom right: The adult is almost ready to eclose. May 7.

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Mary Ann Friedman Jeffrey Glassberg (2)

Top: The newly emerged Zebra Swallowtail gets ready to fly. May 7.

Above: A drawing of the approximate range of Zebra Swallowtails. Orange indicates three broods. Cherry spots are locations where strays have occurred. (drawing from A Swift Guide to Butterflies of North America).

24 American Butterflies, Summer 2018

Above: The approximate range of Smallflowered Pawpaws, based upon county occurrence data from the Biota of North America Program. This might be a useful plant for your garden if you live within the range shown.

Red-spotted Purple

by Don Dubois

on Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)(rose family) in Montgomery County, Texas Don Dubois (2)

Above: The Black Cherry, with a protective sleeve, that hosted a Red-spotted Purple. April 11, 2015.

Montgomery Co., TX. Left: A close-up of flowers from the same tree. March 11, 2012.

Montgomery Co., TX. 25

Don Dubois (5)

Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) is widely distributed across most of the eastern and southern United States.

A fast growing tree that can reach more than 40 feet tall, its fruits are eaten by birds and it is a host plant to various butterflies and moths, including Eastern Tiger Swallowtails in Montgomery County, Texas. A cautionary note; wilted leaves from broken branches are reported to be poisonous to livestock.

On April 9, 2015, a Red-spotted Purple was seen flying erratically around the branches of a Black Cherry tree in the backyard.

Closer observation revealed that the butterfly was laying eggs on the extreme tips of the leaves. A twig with a single egg was clipped and brought inside to rear and a second egg was sleeved with a paint strainer bag. The eggs were pale green, roughly spherical and covered with honeycomb-like facets and numerous short hair-like spines.

Apparently weary from the strain, the butterfly was later seen visiting a feeding station to refuel. Her work was rewarded six days later, as the first instar caterpillars emerged.

After three weeks of eating and growing, the caterpillar that was brought inside started to pupate, followed three days later by the one that was sleeved for protection. No others were seen on the tree; either they were well concealed or food for other wildlife. The first butterfly emerged late on May 13 and was released the next morning. The second emerged on May 18 and was released back on the black cherry tree, completing the cycle.

Top: A Red-spotted Purple egg laid on the tip of a Black Cherry leaf. April 9, 2015.

Montgomery Co., TX. Bottom: The caterpillar hatched on April 15, 2015.

Montgomery Co., TX.

26 American Butterflies, Summer 2018

Top: The caterpillar on April 18, 2015.

Montgomery Co., TX.

Middle: The caterpillar on April 21, 2015.

Montgomery Co., TX.

Bottom: The caterpillar on April 23, 2015.

Montgomery Co., TX.

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Top: The caterpillar on April 30, 2015. Montgomery Co., TX. Middle: The caterpillar on May 4, 2015. Montgomery Co., TX. Bottom left: Beginning to pupate on May 6, 2015.

Bottom right: The chrysalis on May 7, 2015.

28 American Butterflies, Summer 2018

Don Dubois (5)

Jeffrey Glassberg (2)

The newly emerged Red-spotted Purple. May 14, 2015.

Above: A drawing of the approximate range of Red-spotted Purples. Purple indicates two broods. (drawing from A Swift Guide to Butterflies of North America).

Above: The approximate range of Black Cherry, based upon county occurrence data from the Biota of North America Program.

This is a useful plant for your garden if you live within the range shown.

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We Are NABA Jim Springer Cerbone. I had the pleasure of getting to speak with NABA’s vice president, Jim Springer back in April, and fortunately I remembered to write it down so you can enjoy it too!

Where am I speaking with you from today?

Springer. I’m at home here in Warren, New Jersey.

Cerbone. Where did you grow up, Jim?

Springer. I was born in upstate New York, in Ithaca, my father was going to Cornell at the time, but then moved to Maryland, and I lived on a wildlife refuge until I was about 12. Then we moved to South Dakota, North Dakota, I went to school in Minnesota and Iowa, and ultimately I ended up back in New Jersey.

Cerbone. Tell me about the wildlife refuge you lived on.

Springer. The Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, the main research center for the Fish and Wildlife Service between Washington and Baltimore, it is in Laurel, Maryland.

Cerbone. Did you spend a lot of time in the refuge out and about?

Springer. My father was a wildlife biologist and worked there, so we lived on the refuge itself, in the summertime I spent a lot of 30 American Butterflies, Summer 2018

Interview by Michael Cerbone

time in the back roads of the refuge riding my bike around. It was a different time then, people didn’t worry so much about your kids, this was before cellphones and stuff like that. I would head off with a sandwich and my mother wouldn’t see me again until suppertime.

Cerbone. Yeah it is a very different world!

That doesn’t fly today. I guess that means that you had a pretty strong exposure as a child to the outdoors. How formal was it?

Springer. My education was by osmosis more than anything else. I’d go out with my dad who used to participate in bird counts, and censuses, as part of the program of Patuxent there, I think it was that every quarter mile on your route you’d go and stop for a few minutes and listen for what birds were calling. My dad would step out of the car and listen to what birds were calling, and he would tell me what he was hearing and I would record those. I actually have three brothers, I’m the oldest, and I am probably the one who took to that stuff more than they did.

Cerbone. Ha, you know, that’s one piece of equipment you don’t need when you are butterflying, something to record sounds!

Speaking of which, what is one piece of equipment that you like to have with you for butterfly counts that some people might not think about?

Cerbone. Yeah, I don’t think I’ve spoken to anyone who has gone there in search of butterflies. What part of the country?

Nancy Eickman

Springer. It was in the northeast corner, partly arranged by my good friend Ahmet Baytas, who is a member of the Northern New Jersey NABA chapter, he’s originally from Turkey, and is a professor at Montclair State. I’d gone with him on one trip a number of years ago, and more recently he led a small group of us to the same area.

Jim Springer. Sept. 6, 2017. Nova Scotia, Canada.

Springer. Butterfly gear: A boot jack! I’ve just discovered how useful they are, places you go might be boggy and wet, people have wellingtons, knee-high boots, but one of the challenges is that you want to have a pair that is tight enough that they don’t come off when you are walking in a bog and are trying to extract your foot, but not so hard to get off at the end of the day. It’s like an inclined plane with a hook shaped end that wraps around your heel, you pull it up to help get your boots off.

Cerbone. As long as I’ve known you, I’ve gotten to see you do some pretty interesting travel, I imagine a good portion of that is to look for butterflies. What would you say is the most interesting or weirdest place you’ve traveled to find butterflies?

Springer. Well, I’ve gone to Turkey a couple of times to look for butterflies, I think that would surprise people.

Cerbone. Are there any big differences with going butterflying out there? Was it in a national park?

Springer. Yes, this is a preserved area, a national park equivalent, but not all that developed. It is more just designation there.

The place we went is actually somewhere they go skiing in the wintertime so there are known trails, and people live there year-round in small villages. Ahmet grew up there, so he knew a lot of the people and the area, and has butterflied himself. He wrote a field guide for the butterflies in that region.

Part of it is that he had local knowledge, and the second time we went we stayed in more of a hostel type place, and they had wifi so I could phone home at night to talk to my wife here.

Cerbone. Can we talk about your background in science? If I recall way back when we first spoke you said your education and training is in chemistry?

Springer. That’s correct, I’ve always been interested in anything to do with natural history and science, mathematics, all of those STEM things. I had a very good teacher in high school for chemistry, and I took that as a junior. That sort of stuck with me, and when I went away to college, I started to focus on chemistry them. It peaked my interest, and I got into what’s called x-ray crystallography, where you have

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crystals of material, and it could be organic material too, small molecules or proteins, but you shoot x-rays at the crystals, and you get a three-dimensional refraction pattern.

You can measure the intensity of those spots that come out and work backwards to figure out what the three-dimensional structure of the molecule is. I am intrigued by the mathematics of it, using physical techniques to study biological issues. My Ph.D. work was on the three-dimensional structure of various toxins, including red tide toxin.

Cerbone. What did you do next?

Springer. After school, I did my post-doc for a year, then I went to a company called Merck in New Jersey. That’s one of the reasons I ended up here. My wife is also a chemist, and is a couple years behind me, we both knew we wanted to work as chemists, and New Jersey is the center of chemical and pharmaceutical sectors, especially thirty years ago. The industry is more dispersed now. I spent my whole career at Merck doing a variety of different jobs, starting as an individual researcher, then taking on responsibility for a group, and ultimately a department, biophysical chemistry.

Cerbone. So I have to ask this question as I do everyone we interview, but how would you say being a chemist is like being a butterflier?

Springer. There’s certainly the measurement aspect of things, you know, one of the things that interested me about butterflies and chemistry too, is the interrelationship between things. With butterflies it’s more at a macroscopic level, the relation between butterflies and plants.

Then you have the relationship between atoms and molecules, how they interact with each other.

32 American Butterflies, Summer 2018

Cerbone. You and I do a lot of work together on the butterfly counts, and quantifying that is the main thrust of things.

When you are thinking of the organization of butterfly taxonomy, and working with NABA’s Naming Committee which you are a part of, do you bring some of that librarianship from the world of chemistry over to the taxonomy of butterflies?

Springer. I think so, one has to have a common language before you can talk about things. In chemistry people have agreed on a number of things, like how you describe interactions between molecules.

The challenge is that things aren’t as black and white as one would like. Ideally things would be seen only one way, but this is real life, so things can have some structure, but on the edges things are often times a little fuzzy. There can be arguments or discrepancies about which things mean what, or how black and white or how transparent things really are. That’s what keeps it interesting, to tease apart the relationships.

Cerbone. I know that’s a thing in ecology, that we try to impose this order on the natural world, but there are no labels attached to things, we make it up as we go.

Springer. Yes, you have to oversimplify maybe, or reduce it to some essence to try to make sense of it. If everything was fuzzy on the edges and you try to talk about it with someone else, there can be too many caveats there. That’s part of the challenge, sometimes people oversimplify things, and that creates a common set of beliefs, but maybe they’ve oversimplified it and things are more complicated than they realize Cerbone. You mentioned that there can be arguments and discrepancies have their ever been any big feuds over the years regarding butterfly taxonomy?

Springer. There’s the perennial one: what makes a separate species or not, what is the definition of a sub-species. Again, there are various mechanisms that differentiate them, what difference is significant enough to make it a new species.

Cerbone. Ah, so like “does this novel marking on the wing make it a new species?”

Springer. That’s correct, sometimes there are isolated populations of butterflies.

Just this year NABA is conducting a largescale monitoring program to determine the extent of Frosted Elfin populations in Eastern Texas. Frosted Elfins in eastern Texas and adjacent areas of Oklahoma and Louisiana seem to be distinct and disjunct from the rest of the population of Frosted Elfins on the east coast here.

So there’s an argument you can make whether that’s a separate species or not.

You know, it’s much darker in its markings than the ones we have in New Jersey for instance, but is that enough of a reason to make it a different species? Some of these are more microscopic changes that aren’t distinguishable to the naked eye. It’s interesting, measuring the differences in DNA, people are hoping that’s a more black and white way to distinguish species, rather than make arguments that this or that detail supports or argues against making it a new species. It’s a question about what criteria do you use, how much weight to give to things? Are color differences more important than flight times or host plants?

People were hoping that something like a 5% difference in DNA makes it a new species, but it isn’t that black and white. It’s an interesting area to be in right now, but taxonomy doesn’t get much support from the federal government, people are more into the higher tech molecular biology stuff.

Biological descriptive things aren’t heavily supported.

Cerbone. That’s unfortunate though because shouldn’t having a good handle on that inform what conservation actions you should take?

Springer. That’s right, and that goes to the concept of species vs sub-species.

Populations that people want to save or highlight as endangered, that carries more weight if it is a full species. It is tricky when you are making your argument, you try to put the best spin on it, you want to say that a population is really distinct but you want to make sure you aren’t overextending your argument either. It is certainly an area for discussion, and people tend to interpret it based on their biases too. Birders have been doing this for years, they call it about lumping and splitting, you lump everything together and call it the same species, or you split it up and call it two species. That’s one of the reasons that NABA came up with the Names Committee, not to make distinctions between what is a species and what isn’t, but at least create a language where people could focus on areas where there are differences of opinion.

Cerbone. One thing that fascinates people I talk to outside of the butterflying world is how contentious things sometimes get.

There are plenty of controversies. What is your opinion about that?

Springer. People make arguments on both sides, there is probably some truth to both sides of the argument. One of those controversial things is butterfly bush, and whether we should encourage people to plant that or not. In general, you want to go with native plants if you can, humans have come in and changed the environment for things, so we’ve allowed some plants to take over that aren’t native and they overwhelm the native ones. One of the challenges for that, for the native vs non-native argument, once you have come in and change the environment, you have a responsibility to

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make sure that things don’t run a muck either. There’s a problem with unintended consequences, for example you introduce a plant from somewhere else in the world, so you find and introduce an insect that controls that plant, but that insect attacks other native plants in the area.

For instance, some people in New Jersey believe that shooting deer is wrong, but the deer have really changed the forest environment around here. We’ve come in here and generated perfect habitat for deer with suburbs, we have a responsibility since we’ve killed off the apex predators like wolves, animals of that nature, that would typically keep the deer population in check. Speaking about wolves, I thought it was interesting where in Yellowstone, they introduce the wolves, and that improves the health of the rivers, because the herbivores were no longer browsing all the willows on the riverbanks.

It shows that, like how we were talking before about the interrelationships of things, it isn’t until you disrupt things that you realize what the connections are.

Cerbone. Do you have a favorite butterflying area in New Jersey?

Springer. I like a lot of different places in New Jersey, the one that I think is the most special compared to other places in the country is the Pine Barrens. Probably a place like Warren Grove and Lakehurst are two of the best places to go butterflying down there.

Cerbone. Oh I remember we looked at the bog down there as a conservation site.

Springer. Lakehurst Bog yeah, it is famous because it is near a railroad station, so people could come down before cars were a big thing, they would take the train down from New York and have access 34 American Butterflies, Summer 2018

to the bog and related areas. There are different moths that are also known for that kind of environment, so they would come down with lights and traps and stay all night to be able to have access to an area you typically couldn’t drive to. So it has historical significance, but it really isn’t being managed for butterflies, it is a cranberry bog and it is starting to get overgrown. One of the challenges we have in New Jersey, is that it is the most densely populated state, but you have places like the Pine Barrens that are sparsely populated. So there is a tension when managing things, you don’t want it going back to woods, it is good to have some open spots, boggy areas, grasslands, it is good to have variety in the environment. But it is a question too if that is a priority for people to keep these natural areas from going back into forests.

Cerbone. Do you butterfly garden yourself?

Springer. I do, we have a butterfly garden in the backyard. We have wild indigo, milkweed, liatris, echinacea, blueberries, and oak trees, we also tend to plant some annuals, like zinnias.

Cerbone. I know that finding reliable information about gardening, especially on the internet, can be challenging, especially when everyone seems to disagree with each other. Do you have a particular gardening philosophy?

Springer. Probably just experimenting myself, reading, and trying to strike the right balance. Don’t make it too onerous because then its not fun anymore. The idea of mulching is a great idea, because it keeps down the weeds, you do less weeding (or keep ahead of it anyway, keep out the more noxious things). What we tend to do in our garden is mulch, we wait for things to come up and then mulch around it. We don’t use any sprays for insects or anything

of that nature. Sometimes with milkweed the aphids will get after that, so we have to come up with ways to live with that, or not grow that for a year or two and try again later. One of the things we had last year was especially gratifying. Ten years ago we planted pipevine along a fence and it took off pretty well, and it took until last year to see Pipevine Swallowtails flying around and laying eggs. We didn’t have it on the yard list here, but last year it was unbelievable, it was more widely reported in New Jersey than any previous year.. It just goes to show there are different things in your yard you don’t know what will be attracted there.

Cerbone. Speaking of lists, I have to ask, what are the lifers you are really gunning for now?

Springer. I do keep track of lists on my trips, but I don’t keep a life list, it’s

something that Jeff doesn’t understand why I don’t. To me, butterflies I haven’t seen before, I’m interested in seeing them, but I am more interested in the habitats they are in. For instance, last year I went to find Olympia Marble in Virginia and Maryland, and I was interested in seeing them but even more interested in seeing their habitat, and what their behavior was like and how they interacted there. How they flew, etc.

There are lots of species I haven’t seen before, and when I go somewhere I do some research about ones there I haven’t seen before. You know I tell people teasingly that if it has been ten years since you saw something, it doesn’t count, you have to keep your life list refreshed. They call it “twitching”, you check it off if you’ve seen it before, but people might not be able to identify it if they see it again more than 10 years later, even though they have it on their list!

Jim Springer kayaking. Sept. 1989. Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada.

Nancy Eickman

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In Memoriam: Andrés Marcelo Sada

by PRONATURA, Lucy Sada, and Alida Madero

Andrés Marcelo Sada was born on August 24, 1930 in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

He attended school in the United States, graduating from MIT with an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering. Andres leaves a remarkable legacy that not only reflects his trajectory and leadership in the business world, but also his deep involvement in the environmental movement and the institutionalization of nature conservation in Mexico.

He first became involved with nature as a responsible hunter. His contact with nature during his many treks through the mountains of northern Mexico gave him an understanding of its natural wealth and vulnerability. In 1961 Andres exchanged his hunting firearms for binoculars and field guides.

Interested first in birds, he researched the scientific and popular literature and met ornithologists and birdwatchers from around the world. He learned the names of birds, and learned to identify them by their song.

In 1987 he co-authored the catalog “Nombres en castellano para las aves mexicanas” (Spanish names for Mexican birds), to standardize the names accessible to all Mexicans, regardless of the region in which they lived. In 1991, he was recognized by the American Birding Association as the first person to have a list of 900 Mexican species seen in their natural environment. A large quantity of his recordings of bird sounds are deposited at the Macaulay Library of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

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Andrés Sada with an Empress Leilia on his hat. Oct. 22, 1995. Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, Hidalgo Co., TX.

Working with conservationists, scientists and businessmen friends, he promoted the creation of several organizations such as PRONATURA in 1981, the largest nonprofit nature conservation organization in Mexico.

He was a Founding Advisor of Conservation International-Mexico and Promoter and First Chairman of the Fondo Mexicano para la Conservación de la Naturaleza A.C. (the Mexican Fund for the Conservation of Nature). Through his leadership, Ducks Unlimited in Mexico became a versatile conservation organization working in favor of Mexican biodiversity.

in Mexico, established the “Andres M. Sada Chair in Conservation and Sustainable Development” recognizing his life’s work.

During the following years, it brought in several outstanding experts and Nobel Laureates to give lectures to the university community and the general population.

We will always remember Andres M. Sada not only for his achievements in the environmental field, but also for his readiness to help and advise, his great human quality and leadership. Andres M. Sada is a role model for the causes he espoused to which he dedicated part of his life with passion and wisdom.

Andres M. Sada passed away on January 19, 2018 in Monterrey, Mexico. He is survived by his loving wife Pilar, their seven children and their families.

Andrés Sada at a Picachos Count compilation. Sept. 1, 2005. Rancho Picachos, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

Jeffrey Glassberg (2)

He successfully advocated for environmental causes before Mexican authorities, which inspired many young professionals to involve themselves in conservation in Mexico.

At a regional level he led great initiatives.

In Monterrey he promoted and was the first president of the Birdwatchers Club (COANE) as well as the first Butterfly Watchers Club (Papalotl); in Saltillo he supported the creation of the Mexican Bird Museum, and was part of Advisory Council for Nuevo Leon State’s Wildlife and for PRONATURA Noreste.

In the early 1990s, Andrés ability to hear high-pitched bird calls began to deteriorate.

This, along with the founding of the North American Butterfly Association, in November of 1992, led him to butterflies. Andrés joined NABA as a charter member and attended the first Biennial Members Meeting, in May 1994, in the New Jersey pine barrens. Soon thereafter he became a member of the NABA Board of Directors.

Andrés promoted and sponsored the first NABA Butterfly Counts in northeastern Mexico, led by Mexicans in the Sierra Picachos (where he had a large ranch, just 45 miles from the U.S. border, and where he held count compilations) and in Cumbres de Monterrey National Park, bringing together scientists and enthusiasts which resulted in a growing interest in butterfly watching in Mexico. The Picachos counts were based in his very large ranch that included pine-oak habitat just 45 miles from the U.S. border.

Counters could sit at the butterfly garden at the ranch house and see butterflies such as Three-tailed Swallowtail, Banded Patch, Eyed Sister (Adelpha paroeca), Pepperspotted Silverdrop (Epargyreus orizaba), and Chisos Banded-Skipper. The first Butterfly Field Guide to the State of Nuevo Leon was dedicated to him.

Andrés remained a NABA Director until 2000, when an untimely stroke caused him to cut back on his responsibilities.

In 2002 Monterrey Tech, the most prestigious and relevant private University

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Hot Seens Interesting Feb. Western sightings from the spring of 2018 included a Feb. 4 submission from Ken Wilson and Bob Gorman from San Clemente, Orange Co., CA of 14 species including three species of hilltopping hairstreaks; a February 15 sighting by Brett Badeaux that tallied 18 species including 19 Bramble Hairstreaks at various areas around Fallbrook, San Diego Co., CA; a Feb. 17 report by Barbara Peck of eight, early Pipevine Swallowtails, flying in continuing drought conditions and predicted freezing temperatures, in Anderson River Park, Shasta Co., Anderson, CA; a Feb. 24 report from William D. Beck of a Juniper Hairstreak, Brown Elfin, and Pearly Marble in Oracle nr Oracle State Park, Pinal Co., AZ; and a Feb. 25, report from David H. Bartholomew of 12 species including 16 Sara Orangetips and a Thicket Hairstreak in Alum Rock Park, San Jose, Santa Clara Co., CA. On March 1, at Anza-Borrego SP, San Diego Co., CA, Brett Badeaux found Sara Orangetips starting a new generation. On March 7, Rick Brochelt saw five species including two Golden-headed Scallopwings in Lower Florida Canyon, Pima Co., AZ. Brett Badeaux observed 16 species including Juniper Hairstreak, Bramble Hairstreak, and Sonoran Blue in the Santa Rosa Mountains, Riverside Co., CA, on March 8. A Milbert’s Tortoiseshell was seen on March 11 by Jeanette Klodzen, her first butterfly of the year, on White Rock Trail (Antelope Island), Davis Co., UT. In April, a Mourning Cloak was reported

by Venice Kelly on April 5, her first mountain butterfly of the year, two miles west of Pinecliffe, Gilpin Co., CO, and a Howarth’s White seen by Dan Thackaberry on April 5 in Organ Pipe Cactus National Park, Pima 38 American Butterflies, Summer 2018

Spring 2018

by Michael Reese

Top The only thing better than a photo of mating orangetips (in this case, Sara Orangetips) would be a photo of an orangetip menage a trois, with the third orangetip, a male, flying in and his upperside caught on camera. Work on it, Brett. March 1, 2018. AnzaBorrego SP, San Diego Co., CA.

Bottom Main photo: Anise Swallowtails like to hilltop. This one was seen on Feb. 16, 2018. Laguna Coast Wilderness Park, Orange Co., CA. Inset photo: A Black Swallowtail egg on Turpentinebroom. Feb. 8, 2018.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, San Diego Co., CA.

Brett Badeaux (3)

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Co., AZ. April 20 was a good butterfly day in the West with Rob Santry finding both his target species, California Crescent and Indra Swallowtail along with 15 Silvery Blues, the most he has ever seen in one location, on Ash Creek Rd., four miles west of Interstate 5 and along State Hwy 96, Siskiyou Co., CA; Bob Danley had six species including 23 Green Commas in Rattlesnake National Recreation Area (Lolo National Forest), Missoula Co., MT; and Dennis Holmes observed 16 species including Indra Swallowtail, Bramble Hairstreak, Large Marble, and Arrowhead Blue, along Ash Creek Rd., Siskiyou Co., CA. At the National Butterfly Center in Mission, Hidalgo Co., TX on March 4 Cynthia Bridge saw 15 species including a Zebra Cross-streak, first found by Chris Balboni on March 3, and a rare Mercurial Skipper, on March 7 Mike A Rickard had a very rare Hidden-ray Skipper, and on March 22 he photographed the first confirmed U.S. record for a Common BrownSkipper (see photo on page 45).

Florida butterfly sightings included a Feb. 19 submission from Ron Smith from Fort De Soto Park of 14 species including three Little Metalmarks, this species had not been seen in Pinellas County since 1999 and was first found there on Feb. 8 by Mark Kenderdine.

Other Florida sightings included a Feb. 24 sighting list by John Lampkin in Flamingo Gardens, Broward Co., of 11 species including five Atalas, Zebra Heliconians, and a Monarch laying eggs; a Feb. 25 sighting by Steve Glynn who, using the recent Definitive Destination article in American Butterflies, was able to find and photograph a Dusky Roadside-Skipper in Ralph Simmons SF, Nassau Co.; a Feb. 28 sighting by Linda Cooper of 20 species including 25 Palamedes Swallowtails, 20 Little Metalmarks and 17 Palmetto Skippers at a recently burned Hwy 60 Unit, Three Lakes WMA, Osceola Co.; and a March 3 report from Amelia Grimm of six species including three endangered Bartram’s Scrub-Hairstreaks at the Navy Wells Pineland 40 American Butterflies, Summer 2018

It’s always exciting to see hairstreaks!

Top left The underside of an Atala. April 23, 2018. Sebastian Inlet SP, Brevard Co., FL. Top right A rare upperside photo of an Atala.

April 23, 2018. Sebastian Inlet SP, Brevard Co., FL. Middle left A stunning Juniper Hairstreak (of the loki pursuasion)! March 8, 2018.

Santa Rosa Mtns., Riverside Co., CA. Middle right A pair of Henry’s Elfins mating at the end of their range. March 13, 2018.

Near Sitting Bull Falls, Eddy Co., NM. Sitting Bull Falls was featured in a Definitive Destination article by Steve Cary.

Bottom Zebra Cross-streak (Panthiades bathildis) was first seen in the U.S. in Dec. 2012 at the National Butterfly Center. This individual (the fifth record) was seen on March 4, 2018 at the National Butterfly Center, Hidalgo Co., TX.

William Beck

Brett Badeaux

Ed Perry IV (2)

Cynthia Bridge

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Preserve, Homestead, Miami-Dade Co. Other Florida sightings of note included a March 10 submission from Amelia Grimm of 12 species including Martial ScrubHairstreak, Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak, and 24 Red Admirals at Key Deer National Refuge, Monroe Co.; an April 4 sighting by Sharon Olson of 500+ Great Southern Whites in Babson Park, Polk Co.; an April 8 report by Jean Evoy of 19 species, including Lacewinged Roadside-Skipper, in the Lower Suwannee Wildlife Management Area, Levy Co.; and an April 19 sighting by Walter Wallenstein of 13 species including four Bartram’s Scrub-Hairstreaks and four Florida Leafwings, both U.S. endangered species, in Everglades National Park, Long Key Nature Trail, Miami-Dade Co. On April 23, Edward Perry IV found Atlalas to be abundant, with some beautiful, freshly emerged individuals, at Sebastian Inlet SP, Brevard Co. (see page 41). On April 24, Walter Wallenstein had 21 species in his yard in Davie, FL including 37 Zebra Heliconians, Julia Heliconian, and a Ruddy Daggerwing. On April 29 John Lampkin observed 16 species including a Fulvous Hairstreak which was new for the site and seems to be established in Hillsborough Co.; and on April 29 Linda Cooper and Sue Farnsworth reported 36 species including 18 species of skippers and an amazing 66 Monk Skippers, at Bull Creek WMA, Osceola Co. In the eastern United States the butterfly season seems way too short and it is always interesting to see what is being reported early in the season. On Feb. 20, Allen Belden had an Eastern Comma his first butterfly of the year in James River Park, Richmond, VA; on February 20, Linda Romine in Shawnee State Forest, Scioto Co., OH reported four Eastern Commas, a Mourning Cloak, and four unidentified anglewings; on Feb. 21 Bill Callahan saw an Eastern Comma at Laughing Brook Audubon, Hampden, Co., MA his earliest MA butterfly sighting; on Feb. 25 Christina McCullen had her first of the season Eastern Tiger Swallowtail in 42 American Butterflies, Summer 2018

Metalmarks are OK as well!

Top left The underside of Wright’s Metalmark.

Feb. 3, 2018. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, San Diego Co., CA. Top right The upperside of a Little Metalmark, about to interact with a spider. Feb. 28, 2018. Highway 60 unit, Three Lakes WMA, Osceola Co., FL.

Bottom Mercurial Skippers are rare strays to the United States.

Even more rarely does one see a photograph of the upperside of this splendid skipper. March 4, 2018. National Butterfly Center, Hidalgo Co., TX.

Ken Wilson

Linda Cooper

Cynthia Bridge

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Crescent, McIntosh Co., GA, and on Feb. 28 William D. Flack, on Old Towne Way forest trail, Fiskdale, Worcester Co., MA spotted an Eastern Comma, his earliest butterfly sighting ever. On March 3, Craig Marks in Abita Creek Preserve, Money Hill Pond and Talisheek Creek, St. Tammany Parish, LA, observed 16 species including early Henry’s Elfins that were in an area without their hostplant redbud trees; on March 18 Linda Romine had her first of the year Spring Azure in Lynx Prairie, Cline Rd., Adams Co., OH; and on March 26, Denis C. Quinn had two first of the year Question Marks, one mile west of US route 1 on Mason/Dixon-MD/PA line, Chester Co., PA. On March 31, Bart Jones saw ten species including 25 West Virginia Whites, Sleepy Duskywings, and Brown Elfins in Great Smoky Mountains N.P., Chestnut Top and Schoolhouse Gap Trails, Blount Co., TN On April 1 Allen Belden, in the Forest Hill Terrace neighborhood of Richmond City, Richmond, Co., VA, saw his first White M Hairstreak in the city limits since 2012 while Steven Glynn observed 15 species including five species of swallowtails, Southern Pearlyeye, Zarucco Duskywing, and Gemmed Satyr in Francis Marion NF, Charleston Co., SC. On April 5, Joan Langabee, after a record low of 13 degrees, was surprised two days later to see five Eastern Commas at 55 degrees in Fontenelle Forest, Sarpy Co., NE. On April 12 Hunter Hebenstreit reported six species including Frosted Elfin, Juniper Hairstreak, and Goatweed Leafwing in Jessamine Creek Gorge, Jessamine Co., KY; on April 14, Mark Adams had 14 species including six male Falcate Orangetips in Sugar Hollow; Jarmans Gap, Shifletts Mill & Clark Rd., Albemarle Co., VA; on April 17 Jennifer Cole saw her first Monarch of the year in Sugar Hill, Gwinnett Co., GA; on April 18, Lauren Adelman reported her first Monarch in Maymont, Via Florum, Richmond Co., VA; and on April 22 Curtis A. Lehman had four species including 25 West Virginia Whites llong Ash Creek Road, Armstrong Co., PA. 44 American Butterflies, Summer 2018

Of course, one can’t skip the skippers!

Top left A hard to find and photograph Small Checkered-Skipper.

March 19, 2018. San Bernardino Co., CA. Top right Using a Definitive Destination article, Steve Glynn was able to find and photograph this Dusky Roadside-Skipper. Feb. 25, 2018. Raph Simmons SF, Nassau Co., FL.

Middle The first documented Common Brown-Skipper (Callimormus saturnus) in the United States was seen and photographed

by Mike Rickard on March 22, 2018. National Butterfly Center, Hidalgo Co., TX.

Whether you see an unusual butterfly, an early or late sighting of a common species, or have a complete list of the species you have seen, we would appreciate hearing from you. Please send your butterfly sightings to sightings@naba.org. Those who record your sightings to the Butterflies I’ve Seen website can just click on “email trip” and send it to the address given above. Your sightings will go into the larger database and will also be available for others to see on the Recent Sightings web page.

Bart Jones

Steve Glynn Mike Rickard

Linda Cooper

Left A ‘Florida’ Dusted Skipper shows off its long tongue while nectaring on Apr. 29 at Bull Creek WMA, Osceola Co., FL.

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Results of the NABA Members Survey

by NABA Staff

In October 2017, in association with the annual ballot, NABA mailed a survey to all members.

The survey asked the following 1. Where did you derive your primary interest in butterflies.

A. Gardening B. Birding C. Always interested D. Other - Write in.

2. What was your primary reason for joining NABA? A. Networking B. Conservation C. Member Benefits D. Science (NABA Butterfly Counts, Names Committee, etc.)

3. What issues or programs should the organization focus on?

Here’s how you responded.

How did your interest in butterflies develop?

Interestingly, results were similar to the results of our survey in 2000, about onethird of NABA members say they became interested in butterflies through gardening, one-third through birding, and one-third were just always interested in butterflies. Actual numbers were 28% through gardening, 28% through birding and 38% always interested in butterflies (with 17% other, including such activities as hiking, photography and a trip to a Monarch overwintering site in Mexico).

46 American Butterflies, Summer 2018

For the second question, most people chose conservation. Numbers were Networking 11%; Conservation 46%; Member Benefits 31%; and Science 18%.

For Issues or programs that members would like to see NABA focus on, there were many interesting responses, such as “Environmental Education” “Wide-scale use of the systemic pesticides” “Increase membership by publicizing NABA and its aims”.

A staff favorite was “I had never heard of NABA until I casually picked up one of your magazines in my dentist’s office. I was impressed and joined NABA. I love receiving your Butterfly Gardener and American Butterflies. I just wish I was young. I’m 97, so I could have a butterfly garden.”

However, the most common suggestions had to do with conservation. There were also a number of compliments about American Butterflies and Butterfly Gardener, for which we are quite pleased!

Fake News Caterpillar ‘road rage’ could affect migration [May 9, 2018. UGA Today: https://news.uga. edu/caterpillar-road-rage-could-affect-migration/ based upon article available at http://rsbl. royalsocietypublishing.org/content/14/5/20180018] Sounds bad! Monarch caterpillars heart beat goes up when exposed to recorded traffic noise.

Planting milkweeds along highways could doom the Monarch migration!

However, almost everything about the article underlying this public relations embarrassment is completely wrong.

The authors took Monarch caterpillars and compared heart rates when exposed to simulated traffic noise. They found that the heart rate of 5th instar caterpillars increased by about 16% when exposed to the noise, but caterpillars that had been exposed to the noise since birth had no increase in heart rate compared to a control group.

From this slender, and questionable, finding, the authors leapt to two mind-boggling statements “Habituation to stress as larvae may impair reactions to real-world stressors as adults, which could be problematic for a butterfly that undertakes an annual two-month migration that is fraught with dangers” and “these results could have farreaching implications for the billions of insects worldwide that develop near roadways, and argue that further study is needed before promoting roadside habitat for butterfly conservation.”

Let’s examine this. Let’s assume that the author’s data are correct. Still, caterpillars on a roadside would be subjected to noise throughout their entire life. The experimental caterpillars exposed to noise throughout their life had no increase in heart rate. The authors state that this is because these caterpillars acclimated to the noise, although they present no data to support this assertion. It seems at least as likely that caterpillars exposed to noise from birth never experience increased heart rate from the noise. But, let’s assume, for the moment, that the caterpillars got used to the noise (acclimated). How in the world would it follow that this would cause problems for adult Monarchs. The authors neither present nor site any evidence for the proposition that acclimating caterpillars to an environmental signal leads to impaired reactions to that signal by adults.

This seems highly unlikely. Plus, as the authors

continued from page 2 themselves point out, Monarchs do not hear sounds and thus couldn’t have impaired reactions to noise, since they already have none. Plus, even if all this fairy tale stuff was true, and adult Monarchs that grew up on roadsides didn’t do as well as adults that grew up in pristine Midwestern corn fields sprayed with pesticides and herbicides and serenaded with tractor noise (and crows too!), they would still do better than the non-existent Monarchs who never lived because there was no habitat for them along the roadside. I wonder if the authors are concerned that the great increase in Red-tailed Hawks, stemming from their use of roadside habitats (providing ample roadkill), may have already led to stressed out Red-tailed Hawks that even now have sown the seeds for their own evolutionary dead end.

If this sounds depressingly like the story of how anyone who plants Tropical Milkweed is an enemy of Monarchs, it might not be a coincidence that the principal investigator in this new expose is the husband of the principal investigator in the first story. Together, they told me that they planned on examining how butterfly gardens might be hurting butterflies. I asked “How would that be?” They said that planting many attractive plants could concentrate butterflies, exposing them to diseases or predators. I pointed out that in the wild, milkweeds, for example, are often present in dense stands with the thousands of individual plants in a single field, dwarfing the numbers that could, or would, be planted by butterfly gardeners. This appeared to have no effect upon them and they have, in fact, recently been investigating butterfly gardens in general, trying to find a way to throw shade on the entire concept.

People who spend lots of time and effort trying to demonstrate that “black” people are, on average, less intelligent than are “white” people are rightly seen as racists, rather than as scientists dispassionately pursuing some useful truth. The authors of these laast two anti-butterflier articles appear to be on a crusade to discredit efforts by butterfliers to help butterflies. Why, I have no idea.

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Contributors Linda Cooper was a resident naturalist at Audubon/Street Nature Center in Winter Haven for 13 years, living on the grounds and running the Nature Center for Lake Region Audubon Society.

She and her husband, Buck Cooper, were the 1998 recipients of Florida Audubon’s distinguished Allan Cruickshank Memorial Award for their conservation work in Florida.

They were also the 2013 recipients of the Green Horizon Land Trust Blazing Star Award for their environmental education programs in Florida.

Linda is a charter member of NABA and has written articles for American Butterflies and has had cover photos on American Butterflies, and Birding magazines.

Don Dubois’ has a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Kansas. He retired in 2002 and relocated to the Houston, Texas area. Since then Don has busied himself converting a large barren backyard into a butterfly friendly habitat. This gardening effort has been rewarded with visits by over 80 species of butterflies, several of which were county records.

His interest in butterflies and insects started at an early age and involved the usual insect collection.

With the availability of good quality, reasonably priced digital cameras, collecting was abandoned in favor of photography. Don’s interest in native plants has been nurtured by volunteering with native plant specialists at Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens.

48 American Butterflies, Summer 2018

Mary Ann Friedman holds a Masters’ Degree in Music with a specialization in voice. She is the compiler for three NABA Butterfly Counts in Florida and contributes to butterfly monitoring of the Western Panhandle including Eglin Air Force Base Reservation, Blackwater River State Forest and Nokuse Plantation. Mary Ann presents programs on butterflies and pollinators and she especially enjoys combining her interests in music and nature by creating concerts and multi-media presentations featuring butterfly inspired classical art songs and digital images.

Sara Lewis is an evolutionary ecologist at Tufts University who has been doing research on firefly ecology and behavior for more than two decades. She is the author of 80+ scientific articles as well and a popular book, Silent Sparks: The Wondrous World of Fireflies (Princeton, 2016). Her current passion is celebrating the sheer wonder of fireflies (check out her TED Talk) and making firefly science more widely accessible. She serves as co-chair for the newly-formed IUCN Firefly Specialist Group, which works toward conserving fireflies for future generations to enjoy.

Mike Reese updates the NABA Recent Sightings web pages. He enjoys photographing wild flowers, birds, dragonflies, and, of course, butterflies.

He is an educator in Wautoma, Wisconsin and has been recording and documenting the butterflies that are found there for over 15 years. He also maintains a website on the Butterflies of Wisconsin.

Readers Write

NABA News and Notes

Fritil l aries A p p reciated The latest issue of American Butterflies arrived yesterday, including your beautiful photo article on the various fritillaries — a difficult subject for most of use because we can hardly tell them apart. You have a remarkable ability to explain scientific observations in terms that we lay persons are able to understand — and more that that, we can feel your enthusiasm and passion.

extinct, but then, about 25 years ago, cycads became popular garden plants in South Florida. Even though the cycads planted in land owners gardens were almost always non-native species, Atalas still were able to use these plants as caterpillar foodplants.

We are hoping that Bartram’s Scrub-Hairstreaks will respond in a similar way, using pineland crotons even when they are growing in suburban yards. To that end, we have initially grown 1000 pineland crotons and will soon be working with Fairchild Gardens, the Miami Zoo and Miami-Dade County to distribute these plants to home owners who live near the few existing populations of Bartram’s ScrubHairstreaks. If, as we hope, these plants are found and used by the hairstreaks, we will then expand the project, growing many more crotons to plant over a much larger area.

Regardless of the outcome of this exciting citizen conservation project, we believe that we will learn valuable information about Bartram’s ScrubHairstreak that will be useful in the continuing efforts to save them.

George R. Donner.

Fort Wayne, IN

Matching Donations Those of you who generously contribute donations to NABA and work at a large corporation may be able to double your contribution. Many corporations have matching gift programs. Check with your human resource or public relations dept.

NABA Art Contest Artists interested in entering the 2019 NABA Art Contest should submit digital images of original two-dimensional color “paintings,” in any medium. The digital file name should include the artist’s name, should be from two to five MB, and should be sent to naba@naba.org. Higher resolution images will be requested if needed.

If realistic, the painting should depict species found in Mexico, the United States or Canada. In your cover letter, please indicate the dimensions of the original work, give a description of the medium of the work, and provide a release granting to NABA the right to copy and publish the image.

Please include a telephone number and email address where you can be reached. Submissions need to be received not later than June 1, 2019.

Winning artist will receive a prize of $500, 2nd place winner will receive $125 and winners will have their works published in color in the Fall 2019 issue of American Butterflies. All decisions of the judges are final.

(continued from page inside front cover)

WeButterfly NABA is thrilled to announce that we will soon be making available to the public new pages, at www. webutterfly.org. The website will allow the public to see the NABA Butterfly Monitoring Program data, including data from the 4th of July, 1st of July and 16th of September counts, displayed as maps and graphs. One can learn about the abundance of butterfly species and how they vary from year to year. The web pages will also include photos and information about all North American butterflies.

Ama on Smile Please smile if you use Amazon to purchase anything!

If you do, Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price, at no cost to you, to NABA. Simply go to smile.amazon.com and follow instructions, choosing North American Butterfly Association as your charity.

S ocial Media You can now follow NABA activities on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.