Christmas in July!

A few weeks ago, American Meadows (one of our favorite seed catalog companies) posted a message on Facebook offering to donate end-of-season stock to deserving non-profit organizations. We contacted them and were almost immediately rewarded with an amazing shipment of dozens of great plants perfect for growing in the gardens at BioWorks!

Though they may not look very exciting in their plastic bags, these bulbs and bare-root plants promise an amazing riot of color and bloom in the gardens in the months and even years to come. Included in our boxes were:

• Dahlias (Spanish Fiesta Mix and Biltmore Estate Marble Ball)
• Asclepias incarnata ‘Cinderella’ (the monarch caterpillars will be so happy!)
• Daylilies (Congo Coral and Berrylicious)
• Astilbe Youngique Pink
• Pink Tiger Lilies and Asiatic Lilies
• Agapanthus 

We’ve been planting like mad, and many of these plants are already beginning to sprout and put on new growth. Look for pictures of these blooms in forthcoming posts as they begin to fill the gardens at BioWorks with vivid colors. Thank you so much, American Meadows!

Planting dahlias in the Tree Grove

The Senses of Butterflies: Vision

Compound Eyes: Butterfly eyes are composed of thousands of image forming tiny eyes called ommatidia. Each ommatidium is a sensory structure with a lens, cones and retina cells. The ommatidia are arranged in the compound eye so that each individual eye is set at a slightly different angle from the next. This arrangement allows the butterfly eye to simultaneously see in all directions at the same time with a mosaic of individual images that form a whole picture. This type of vision is known as Omni-vision.

Seeing in Color: Cones in the butterfly ommatidia perceive color with different types of color receptors that form Tetrachromatic vision. Tetrachromancy involves four types of higher-intensity light receptors that allow the eye of a butterfly (or birds, some fish, some reptiles and very rare humans) to see a larger spectrum of colors than the normal human eye.

Humans have trichromatic vision. Our eyes perceive a different and smaller set of colors than those of the butterfly. Butterflies can see in many of the colors that we can, but they can also see higher frequency colors beyond violet. To get an idea of how a butterfly sees, take a look at the photography of Dr. Klaus Schmitt of Germany which shows how the same field of flowers is seen by the human eye, the butterfly eye and the eye of a bee.

Different species of butterflies may see different colors. Some species are red-green colorblind while other species have evolved to differentiate between reds and greens. Differences in the ability to perceive various colors likely impact how each species sees and interacts with their environment. One butterfly may have an easy time seeing a particular colored flower while another species may not.

Ultra Violet on the Wing: In 2010, researchers from UC Irvine released information that some butterfly species have specially developed photoreceptors in their eyes for detecting UV colors and that these same species also express a UV-yellow pigment on their wings. Invisible to the human eye, this pigment may help butterflies detect appropriate mates so they have more time to eat, rest, lay eggs and thrive. Species that look very similar to us likely look very different to butterflies who can use the UV markings to quickly determine if another butterfly is of their same species or not.

The Big Picture: Hollywood movies often depict butterfly or insect vision as dozens of copies of a single image, like what you might see through a kaleidoscope. Right before its demise, a movie fly is often depicted as seeing dozens of images of the same flyswatter coming in for the kill. Let’s take a look at how an insect with compound eyes really sees.

Each ommatidium of insects with compound eyes sends a signal to the insect’s brain at the same time and the effect is like that of a mosaic. The picture is quite a bit like an overly pixilated image would appear to human eyes. The vision of butterflies allows these insects to see colors and the rough shape of things but not the fine details that the human eye can distinguish. Each ommatidium sees a part of the whole, but unlike human eyes, these tiny individual eyes are unable to focus.

Take a look at the photograph above which shows a selection of flowers from the gardens. In the photograph to the left you see blurred images much like the type of vision a butterfly might perceive.

Butterflies can see in amazing color and their eyes reveal a nearly 360 degree views of the world around them, even if the picture isn’t entirely clear. They are able to look at the flower they are probing with their proboscis, a butterfly flying to their right and the approaching predator behind them at the same time.

Gaura angustifolia

Gaura is popular with many wildlife gardeners for its ability to attract bees and butterflies. Plants bought in nurseries are generally of the species Gaura lindheimeri, often sold as Butterfly Gaura. G. lindheimeri is native to Southern Texas and Mexico, but Florida has its own native species, Gaura angustifolia, which is also native to much of the Deep South.

G. angustifolia, also known as Southern Beeblossom and Wild Gaura, grows in dry sandy soils and is frequently found along roadsides. As a single specimen viewed from a distance, the plant seems weedy and the flowers inconsequential. Up close, though, the flowers are delicate and lovely, and when a large area like a median strip fills with hundreds of these plants, the effect can be breathtaking.

Part of the Evening Primrose family (Onagraceae), gaura flowers open as white blooms in the evening, turning a soft rosy pink overnight before fading the next afternoon.These plants can grow up to 5 feet tall, and are covered in flowers along the graceful stems. Bees are especially drawn to these blooms, although butterflies are known to visit them as well.

Wild Gaura was identified by André Michaux, a French explorer and botanist who spent a great deal of time in the Merritt Island area in 1788. Michaux came to America to find species of trees that might be used to re-forest France’s depleted woodlands. He was close friends with William Bartram and helped to identify several new plant species that even the Bartrams had missed in their travels, such as Gaura angustifolia, which literally means “Narrow-leaved Gaura”.

Passiflora and Friends

Probably no bloom in the MOSI gardens gets as much as attention as the Passionvine. Passiflora incarnata, also called Maypop and Passion Flower, is more than just a pretty face, though – this plant serves as a host for a variety of butterfly caterpillars.
In Central Florida, you’re most likely to find Gulf Fritillary caterpillars chomping on your vines, along with Zebra Longwings, Florida’s state butterfy. You may also come across the occasional Julia Longwing, which are more common further south, and Variegated Fritillary, which are more common further north. Learn more about each of these butterflies and their caterpillars by clicking their names below.

Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)

Zebra Longwing (Heliconius charithonia)
 

Julia Longwing (Dryas iulia)

Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)

Dragonflies and Damselflies

Butterflies aren’t the only colorful insects in flight in the BioWorks gardens. Dragonflies and damselflies of every size and color fill the air as well, helping to keep mosquito populations in check. Both dragonflies and damselflies are members of the order Odonata, and there are literally hundreds of different species of these insects in Florida alone.

What’s the Difference?
Dragonflies and damselflies are very similar at first glance, but there are a few ways to tell them apart. The easiest is to look at how the wings are held when at rest. Dragonflies rest with wings held out from their bodies, while damselflies fold their wings together over their backs. If you’re up close, you can also see that dragonfly eyes touch, while damselfly eyes are separated. Damselflies are generally smaller than dragonflies, though this of course varies by species. The pictures to the right show a damselfly on top and a dragonfly on the bottom.

Life Cycle:
Like butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies begin life as an egg, but these eggs are laid in water. When the egg hatches, the creature that emerges is known as a “nymph” (shown at left). Like a caterpillar, a nymph spends its time eating and growing, molting (shedding skin) several times as it grows larger. Unlike caterpillars, though, dragonflies and damselflies do not enter a pupa stage. Instead, they progress directly from nymph to full-grown adult in the final molt. This type of metamorphosis is called “Hemimetabolous” or incomplete metamorphosis. Click here to see amazing video of a dragonfly making the final molt from nymph to adult.

As adults, dragonflies and damselflies are incredibly strong fliers. Unlike butterflies, they are able to move their wing pairs separately, allowing for amazing control in flight. They also fly at very fast speeds, with some species nearing a top speed of 40 miles per hour, making them the fastest insects on earth.

Like many insects, dragonflies and damselflies live only a few weeks as adults, and they spend their time eating and mating. Mating is a very complicated process, with mating dances, courtship rituals, and some interesting acts of contortionism. (Click to learn more about mating rituals and the process.) Ultimately, the insects end up in what is called a “mating wheel”, often resembling the shape of a heart.

Nymph Photo Credit: L. Shyamal via Wikipedia
Mating Damselflies Photo Credit: Karrackoo via Wikipedia

Lubber Grasshoppers

Lubber grasshoppers (Romalea microptera*) are a common sight in Florida gardens, but their large size and bright coloration still draw plenty of attention. Lubbers are the largest grasshoppers in the United States, growing up to 3 inches as adults. They are native to the Southeastern U.S. as far north as Georgia and the Carolinas and west to Eastern Texas.

Lubbers begin life in late fall as eggs laid in a foamy mass a few inches below the surface of the soil. They spend the winter buried there, emerging in late winter (around mid-March in Central Florida) as “nymphs”. These nymphs are much darker in color and smaller in size than they will be as adults (click here to see a picture). Like other insects, lubber grasshopper nymphs molt (shed their skin) several times as they grow, changing their appearance slightly with each molt. After the fifth molt, the grasshopper reaches its adult form, generally by mid-July.

Adult grasshoppers spend the rest of the summer eating and preparing to mate. As adults, lubber grasshoppers have wings that are less than half the length of their abdomen and so are unable to fly. They also are unable to jump long distances, so their main form of locomotion is a slow, clumsy stroll along the ground.
Their lack of flight and minimal jumping abilities make lubber grasshoppers an easy target for predators. In defense, lubbers have developed several strategies. Like many other brightly-colored insects, lubber grasshoppers taste bad and are in fact toxic to many predators. Birds have been known to die after eating a lubber grasshopper, although some species like shrikes apparently seek out and successfully feed on them.

If the bright warning colors aren’t enough to scare off predators, lubber grasshoppers have the ability to create several forceful secretions. Like other grasshoppers, they can produce “tobacco spit”, a mixture of partially digested plant material mixed with toxins. They can also emit a foamy irritating spray from their thorax along with a fairly startling hissing noise.

Lubber Grasshoppers mating. Note that the male (top) is much smaller than the female.

For their size, lubbers are not as destructive to plants as some other species of grasshoppers. However, in large numbers – such as a hatching of nymphs – they can do a decent amount of damage in the home garden, especially to plants like lilies and amaryllis. Lubbers are easiest to control in the nymph stage, when you can remove them by hand and throw them in a bucket of soapy water. For particularly large infestations, you can resort to pesticides, but remember that in their adult form they are not easy to kill - it takes direct contact with some very nasty chemicals. For more information on controlling infestations of lubber grasshoppers, click here.

*There seems to be some confusion over the scientific name of lubber grasshoppers. Some sources use Romalea microptera, which is considered an older name, while others use Romalea guttata. In any case, these two are the same species.

Butterfly Extinction

Many butterfly species are currently imperiled, threatened or endangered. The end result of dwindling populations, if no action is taken to assist a population or if a population cannot recover is that the species will become extinct. Sadly, extinction is forever.

At current, more than 20 species of butterflies and moths are federally listed as endangered in the United States. An endangered species is considered to be in danger of extinction in all or a large part of its range. 50 North American species of butterfly and moth are currently considered at risk of extinction by the Xerxes Society.

As of May, 2011 the Imperiled Butterflies of Florida Work Group considers the Florida Zestos Skipper (Epargyreus zestos oberon) and the Rockland Meske’s Skipper (Hesperia meskei pinocayo) to be extinct (Minno and Minno 2009, 2010). The loss of these species represents the first known extinction of butterflies in Florida. Sadly, several other species and subspecies of butterfly are in such drastic population decline that, without management, they are likely to become extinct.

The large and showy Jamaican Giant Swallowtail Butterfly (Pterourus homerus) is found only in two small populations on the island of Jamaica. The Madeira Brimstone, found only on the island of Madeira,(Gonepteryx madeirensis) is in grave danger from habitat loss. Wallace's Golden Birdwing (Ornithoptera croesus) of Maluku is threatened by habitat destruction and widespread use of pesticides meant to control mosquitoes.

Of the 435 species of butterflies in Europe, 1/3 of those species are experiencing a population decline. The Mountain Apollo (Parnassius apollo) was once abundant in Sweden and Finland but now is often found only in a single valley in the Alps.

Also facing threat of extinction is the Queen Alexandra's Birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae). Found only in 100 square kilometers of costal Papua New Guinea, this largest species of butterfly in the world has a wingspan over 12 inches. The eruption of Mount Lamington in the 1950’s destroyed a large portion of the butterfly’s habitat and remaining habitat is regularly converted to palm oil plantations which do not support a suite of species needed to keep this butterfly alive. Remaining butterflies face capture in the wild as part of the illegal trade in specimens of endangered animals around the world.

Butterflies Considered Extinct

The following species of butterflies are currently considered to be extinct. Small populations of these species could, in theory, remain but these species are no longer observed in the wild. Some 120 species and 5 subspecies of insects are believed to have gone globally extinct in recent times.

• Mbashe River Buff (Deloneura immaculata) – South Africa
• Xerces Blue (Glaucopsyche xerces) – USA
• Morant's Blue (Lepidochrysops hypopolia) – South Africa
• British Large Copper (Lycaena dispar dispar)– subspecies of Large Copper – UK
• British Large Blue (Maculinea arion eutyphron)– subspecies of Large Blue – UK
• French Scarce Large Blue (Maculinea teleius burdigalensis) – subspecies of Scarce Large Blue – France
• Massey's Silver-studded Blue (Plebejus argus masseyi) – subspecies of Silver-studded Blue – UK
• Antigua Polydamas Swallowtail (Battus polydamas antiquus) – Antigua
• Madeiran Large White (Pieris brassicae wollastoni) – Madiera
• Dutch Alcon Blue (Phengaris alcon arenaria) – Netherlands
• Atossa Fritillary (Speyeria adiaste atsaos) – USA
• Strohbeen's Parnassian (Parnassius clodius strohbeeni) - USA
• Florida Zestos Skipper (Epargyreus zestos oberon) - USA
  
• Rockland Meske’s Skipper (Hesperia meskei pinocayo)- USA
  

Learn More

Wired magazine posted a gallery of endangered butterflies in 2009. Take a look at pictures of some beautiful butterfly species on the brink of extinction.

Named for the Xerxes Blue, the Xerces Society works worldwide to reverse the declining trends of native pollinators and help bolster populations through land management and conservation.

CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) works to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

Red List of Threatened Species International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) assesses the conservation status of species on a global scale in order to highlight species threatened with extinction and therefore promote their conservation. IUCN currently is tracking populations of some 120 species of butterflies worldwide.

Endangered Species International is committed to reversing the trend of human-induced species extinction, saving endangered animals, and preserving wild places.

Dead Butterflies

A regular question we hear around the garden is “Why are there dead butterflies on the ground behind the plants?”. The answer: butterflies live very short lives and the plant pots are heavy. Here at BioWorks our butterflies are able to live a comfortable life without many of the dangers of the wild. Nothing is trying to eat them and there is plenty of food and mates, but still they will eventually die.

After just a few weeks, the adult butterfly has reached the end of its life and they will struggle with flight or just be unable to fly. At the end of their short lives, butterflies quietly pass away. In the wild, scavengers will go to work on the remains of the butterfly and in a few days there will be no trace left of the body.

Here in BioWorks we have a massive concentration of butterflies with multiple dozens or even hundreds of adult butterflies depending upon the time of year. Each one of those butterflies will eventually die and without the scavengers of the wild and the moisture of the ground, they break down very slowly. Any time you have a lot of butterflies, you will eventually have a lot of dead butterflies.

When we find dead butterflies we either place them into the base of a plant pot so they can break down naturally or, if the butterfly is in good condition, use the dead butterfly for educational programs. In the BioWorks Classroom, we always have dead butterflies available under the microscope you you can look closely at their wings and bodies.

Every few weeks we drag all of the pots away from the screen walls and sweep behind them which takes care of any dead butterflies we could not previously reach. Until someone invents lighter dirt, this process will remain a great deal of heavy work often done by two women under five feet in height.

I am happy to assure anyone who asks that the butterflies of BioWorks are very well provided for and live comfortable lives longer than they would in nature. When these butterflies die, it is only because they have already mated, laid eggs and then reached the end of their lives.

The Short Lives of Butterflies: Lifespan of butterflies is determined by a combination of species longevity and by environmental factors. Each species will live anywhere between a day and their maximum lifespan in what is referred to as their “expected lifespan”. After emerging from chrysalis in the wild, butterflies must contend with a host of predators, weather factors and environmental conditions which all may serve to shorten the life of a butterfly.

The maximum lifespan for a butterfly is about ten to forty days but some species can live as few as three to five days or as long as a year. In captivity, butterflies can live closer to their maximum lifespan. With the best of environmental conditions, abundant food, plentiful choices in mates and the removal of predators, butterflies can live a great deal longer than they would in the wild.

• The Karner Blue (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) lives between 3 and 5 days.
• The Great Southern White butterfly lives about 5 to 10 days with males living shorter life spans than females.
• Black Swallowtails live about two weeks as adult butterflies.
• Many species of butterflies live about 2 weeks to a month on average.
• Monarch butterflies usually live 1 to 4 months.
• Zebra Longwing butterflies can live 3 to 9 months.
• The Mourning Cloak butterfly can live 10 to 11 months.
• A migrating Monarch butterfly can live up to 12 months.

Brush Feet

Insects have 6 legs, so why do some butterflies like Zebra Longwings seem to only have 4 legs?

Zebra Longwings is a species of butterfly belonging to the Nymphalidae family of butterflies. Also known as brush-footed, these adult butterflies have a first pair of legs that is very reduced in size giving them the appearance of having only 4 legs instead of 6. They also have caterpillars that tend to be spiky and chrysalids with shiny spots.

The Nymphalidae family is broken into 5 clades. Greek for "branch", clades are a taxonimic group for species that derive from a common ancestor. The 5 clades of the Nymphalidae family are libytheine (Snout butterflies), danaine (milkweed butterflies like the Monarch and Queen), satyrine (which includes Morphos), heliconiine (such as Zebra Longwings) and nymphaline (a sister group to heliconiine that includes Emperors). This family includes about 5,000 individual species that bear the four-footed look of Nymphalidae.

Population Extirpation

Local extinction occurs when a plant or animal once found in an area ceases to exist in that area but is still found elsewhere. This local extinction is referred to as extirpation.

Local extinctions often are caused by changes in a local ecology. For instance, when natural lands are developed into a housing development, gold course, or shopping area the local suite of species is often pushed out to make way for development. For proper building, changes must be made to level out the ground and sometimes amend the type of soil found there. Once a building is erected, parking areas and roads must be created and landscaping is often planted that does not reflect the plants that once existed in that area.

Larger scale versions of ecology change have occurred when humans have moved into an area en masse and the area has become urbanized. Cities and large towns take up vast amounts of space and can drastically reduce open areas for plants and animals. When ecology changes, local populations of plants and animals may no longer have conditions in which they will thrive which causes these species to become extinct in that local.

Extirpation of species, especially butterflies is very common in urban and developed areas. Butterflies are specialists and often have larvae that can eat only one or a very few species of host plant. When their host plant is no longer available, there is way that a butterfly population can sustain itself. Butterflies without a host plant will either travel in search of host plants elsewhere or will die without creating another generation.

Additional challenges may occur if habitats are fractured and butterflies cannot easily pass from one sustainable habitat to another, if butterflies are collected in large numbers for display by collectors or is widespread use of pesticides further reduces a population. There are many reasons why a species can become extirpated from a local area and once they are gone it becomes exceptionally difficult to make that area suitable for a species again. Even if new habitat is created, repopulating an area may be costly, difficult or even impossible.

San Francisco

In San Francisco, the native sand dune habitats were home to several unique species and sub-species of butterflies. First described in 1852, the Xerces Blue (Glaucopsyche xerces) population dwindled as the city of San Francisco spread and overtook the sand dunes. This species first disappeared from the San Francisco peninsula and then was last recorded in the wild in 1941.

Sthenele Satyr (Cercyonis sthenele sthenele) disappeared from the city’s westerly dunes by 1880 and the two small populations of Pheres Blue butterflies (Icaricia icarioides pheres) had disappeared from the San Francisco peninsula by 1950. The Myrtle's Silverspot (Speyeria zerene myrtleae), Quino Checkerspot (Euphydryas editha quino) and Bay Checkerspot (Euphydryas editha bayensis) are now mostly or entirely gone from the area.

Several species in the San Francisco peninsula are currently considered endangered including the Mission Blue (Aricia icarioides missionensis) and San Bruno Elfin butterfly (Callophrys mossii bayensis).

Florida

The peninsula of Florida and the Florida Keys contain a variety of unique habitats that contain vast numbers of species. Agriculture and development have shrunk available habitats for our native butterflies and have also reduced availability of host plants for these species. Pine Rockland and sand dune habitats continue to dwindle as land with higher elevations and beach front property is prized by development.

Due to habitat loss and scarcity of host plants, population of Miami Blue Butterfly (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri) plummeted in recent years. In peninsular Florida and the Florida Keys populations decreased in size and range and many populations died out. Despite attempts at captive breeding and reintroduction to the wild, populations of the Miami Blue have not re-established in the wild. Now extirpated in most of it’s range, small populations of the Miami Blue can be found in the Key West National Wildlife Refuge.

The Zestos Skipper (Epargyteus zestos) is now considered to be entirely extirpated from the Florida Keys. Remaining populations of this species can now be found only in the West Indies. Many other species of imperiled Florida butterflies face extirpation from the Florida Peninsula and even the Florida Keys.

As populations of rare Florida butterflies continue to extirpate from portions of their former range, the overall numbers of their populations dwindle. Small numbers of live adults creates smaller pools of available breeding partners and populations become even more unstable. For each creature a Minimum Viable Population is needed to ensure survival of the species. When a population drops below this minimum only human intervention in the form of captive breeding and reintroduction programs are likely to keep a species from becoming globally extinct.

Learn more about current efforts in education, research and species recovery by the Butterfly Conservation Initiative.

Read more about research in Florida at the Florida Butterfly Monitoring Network website.

On the Wings of Butterflies

Butterflies each have four wings, two fore wings and two hind wings that are attached to segments of the butterfly thorax.

Veins: Wings are composed of two fine chitonous or membrane layers which are supported and nourished by veins that run throughout the wings. The pattern of these veins is different for every genus of butterfly and this difference is used by entomologists to help classify and recognize butterflies that may look similar but are actually not closely related.

Butterflies and moths belong to the order Lepidoptera. This name means "scale- wing" in Latin and refers to the scale cell structures found on the wings.

Scales: These tiny scales are not very noticeable to the eye when looking at a whole butterfly wing, but if the wing is touched you will find a fine colored dust left behind. That dust is actually the tiny scales that cover the wings of the insect.

Tiny sockets in the membranes hold in the individual wing scales which give further support to the wings. In butterflies, these scales overlap in orderly rows just like shingles on a roof. Much like shingles, removing a bunch of them is a bad idea. Without the support of the wing scales, butterfly wings are not as structurally sound and are more likely to break. They are already delicate creatures, so losing that kind of support to their mode of transportation isn't so good for them.

The ridges in our fingerprints and the oils in our skin are more than enough to pry these wing scales loose with even the lightest of touch. If the scales are removed from both sides of the wings, you will find yourself with a somewhat brittle and transparent wing. Yes, you really can see right through it when the scales are rubbed off. Once removed, these scales will never grow back. Older butterflies will often lose scales to natural attrition, and their wings will appear duller or as if they have tiny pinpoint holes covering them just from the loss of scales.

These tiny wing scales plug into equally tiny sockets on the wings and are individually colored to create the incredible wing patterns which are so appreciated by human observers. The shapes, pigmentation and structures of each wing scale differ greatly. Some scales are structured in such a way that they refract light rays and can appear iridescent or as different colors from different angles which is very similar to LED lights.

Special Scales: Lastly, some butterfly scales are very specialized. Androconia are a specialized scales on male butterflies that are scented to help attract mates during courtship. The tiny hairs that can be seen on a butterfly's head are actually scale that stand straight up and just look like hairs.

The many uses of wings:

Patterns: The patterns on the wings of a butterfly serve several purposes. The colors and shapes help butterfly to identify members of their species as possible mates or even as intruders in the territory of a particular male butterfly. Bright colors can warn predators that a butterfly species may be toxic when ingested. Some species have coloring and patterns on their wings that help them to camouflage in their surroundings and hide from prey.

Thermo-regulation: Dark colors on a butterfly wing can act a bit like solar panels, absorbing heat and warming the haemolymph (blood) of the butterfly. When a butterfly needs more warmth they will rest in a sunny place with their wings open and bask in the sunlight. Butterflies can also use their flight muscles to shiver their wings to help them warm up.

Flight: Different wing shapes help butterflies fly in different ways. Skippers have triangular fore-wings which help them spring quickly into flight. Larger rounder wings make for a flight that involves a lazier style and gliding. Some butterflies can fly up to 10,000 feet and around 3,000 miles in their lifetime, using only their incredibly delicate wings.

Hearing Organs: Some butterfly families including Heliconius butterflies, known also as Longwings, have a specialized organ on their wings that works somewhat like an ear. This organ is a fluid filled sac covered with a thin membrane. High frequency sounds will cause the membrane to vibrate and send signals to the butterfly’s brain.

Some butterflies are even able to differentiate between high and low pitch sounds which may help them with locating other members of their species or to avoid predators. The wide veins at the base of the fore wings contain nerve cells similar to those found in the hearing organs. Some species have good enough hearing abilities that they will react the the crunch of leaves under your feet as you approach them or take flight in response to the click of a camera shutter.

Butterfly Anatomy – The Abdomen

The abdomen is made up of multiple segments made of a hard material called chitin. They are connected by flexible tissue, allowing the butterfly to move the abdomen as needed for flying and mating.

Digestion:
Butterflies are extremely efficient at digestion, leaving little behind for waste. Liquid enters through the proboscis and passes into an organ called the crop, where it is stored until digested by the midgut. During digestion nutrients from food are either absorbed into the blood or are stored as fats. Any solid waste is then excreted as frass. (Click here to learn more about frass.)

Respiration:
Butterflies breathe by drawing air in through microscopic holes called spiracles. Tiny tubes called tracheae take oxygen directly to the body tissues.

Reproductive System:
The male butterfly has a pair of claspers at the end of the abdomen used to hold onto the female abdomen during mating. The genitalia of the male and female lock together at the ends of the abdomens, and butterflies may stay attached for hours, even in flight. The genitalia of each species has a specific shape, meaning that cross-breeding between species is not physically possible.

During mating, most males provide a spermatophore, a package of sperm and nutrients the female needs to produce and lay eggs. The female butterfly then uses the ovipositor at the end of her abdomen to release the fertilized eggs onto a host plant. (Click here to learn more about mating.)

Imperiled Butterflies: Klot’s Palatka Skipper

The Klot’s Palatka Skipper (Euphyes pilatka klotsi) is a subspecies of the Palatka Skipper found only in the Florida Keys. This species hosts on Sawgrass (Cladium jamaicense) and caterpillars use bits of silk to roll the blades of sawgrass around their bodies to create a leaf shelter. The adult butterfly is a large skipper with a wingspan about 1 3/4 - 2 1/8 inches. The underside of the wings are an unmarked tawny color and the topside of the wings are dark brown marked with orange. This species has historically been a resident of the lower Florida Keys.

In October of 2005, Hurricane Wilma made landfall in Southern Florida and dramatically affected the Florida Keys. The most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Carribean basin, Wilma reached wind speeds of 185 miles per hour. Wilma made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane. High winds and two cycles of storm surge flooding devastated portions of the Keys. In Key West and other low lying areas of the lower Keys were inundated with up to three feet of salt water.

The Pine Rockland habitats on Big Pine Key and several other islands were dramatically disturbed by this storm. The Pine Rockland habitats have a broad range of plant and animal diversity that are especially suited for the habitat and occur no where else in the world. Suring Hurricane Wilma, trees were toppled and salt water washed across the rocky ground. In Pine Rocklands like Big Pine Key, plants grow in soil deposits found in limestone rock fissures and are often surrounded by areas of bare rock. Portions of these areas were swamped with salt water that permeated the soil, killing plants and salting the soil and forced endangered Key Deer to swim to safety in mangroves and on higher ground.

By 2007, studies showed a marked decline in several species of already rare plants. As Pine Rockland plants were affected, so have been species of butterflies which hosted on those plants. Among those plants that decreased in number was the host of the Klot’s Palatka Skipper, Sawgrass (Cladium jamaicense). Already imperiled, this species and several other species of butterfly fell into further decline. By the fall of 2006, the Cuban Crescent, Tropical Buckeye, Eufala Skipper, Twin-spot Skipper, Amethyst Hairstreak, Nickerbean Blue, and Florida Leafwing seemed to be gone from the Lower Keys.

Low numbers of the Klot’s Palatka Skipper are now found only in National Key Deer Preserve on Big Pine Key. Populations of this species and others that depend on the fragile remains of Pine Rockland habitat may be just a hurricane away from extinction.