Twigs from my garden

When I was young, I lived in the country among farm fields and woodland, my nearest playmate a mile away by bicycle. One way of amusement during summer was butterfly watching. Since I wasn't old enough to identify the "flutterbys" I spied, I imagined them living within a kingdom and castle. (Understandably so, since I had read my fair share of Grimm's Fairy Tales.) The yellow sulphurs were maids, churning butter for the royal household. Cabbage whites were bakers and laundresses, and so on. Once, I saw a beautiful purple and black velvety butterfly - my prince! When I spied a lacy blue butterfly, I knew she must be the queen. The regal-looking Monarch, of course, was His Royal Highness. Now, as an adult, I see fewer butterflies, and the ones I see most are the common non-native cabbage whites.

Lepidopterists (the scientific name for biologists who study butterflies) such as Arthur Shapiro, professor of evolution and ecology at the University of California-Davis, and an expert on common North American butterflies, says, "Butterflies that were once considered utterly common ... are going into a tailspin, and nobody knows why." The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service has named 23 species of butterflies as endangered or threatened.

Other experts share Shapiro's concern about threatened species of butterflies. Butterflies are not only missed for their beauty in our gardens. They are important to plant reproduction, transporting pollen from one flower to another, and they provide food for birds and other insects. They are truly "bellwethers" for our ecosystem. Hoffman Black, executive director of Xerces Society of Oregon, warns, "Everywhere you look ... butterflies are in decline. That really tells us something is wrong."

Probably the most recognized butterfly in our area is the beautiful yellow, orange and black Monarch. However, this butterfly is also threatened by dwindling habitat, both in this country and Mexico where they winter over. Probably the biggest reason is lack of milkweed which larvae must feed upon and adults depend upon for food, especially during their long 1,500-mile migrations each spring and autumn.

Butterflies have diminished noticeably in our rural landscape because of the same things that affect other wildlife: loss of habitat, pollution, invasive species, perhaps even global warming. In addition, butterflies have extremely exact needs during their life stages. Their complicated life cycles can take one or two years to complete. They spend long periods as vulnerable larvae and pupae. In addition, they form complex interdependent relationships with other wildlife and plants.

Jaret Daniels, assistant director of the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera Research at the University of Florida, believes habitat loss is the primary cause of butterfly decline. Our open meadows and woods are sites favored by butterflies. Unfortunately, these are also the most likely places to end up as subdivisions, industrial parks and mega-farms.

Even in undisturbed habitats, butterflies spend long periods of time as slow-moving caterpillars or are even more vulnerable as pupae. Recreation such as hiking, off road vehicles, and horseback riding can interfere with development of butterflies and may wipe out entire species.

However, the news about our butterflies isn't all bad. Zoos and natural history museums, and volunteer efforts such as the Johnny Appleseed Metropolitan Parks' butterfly counts, are encouraging awareness of the butterflies' plight.

One example of a butterfly "turnaround" is the Karner blue. These beautiful butterflies at one time flew from Minnesota to Maine, living in open woodlands, oak savannas and grassy and sandy areas periodically cleared by natural fires. Fire suppression and housing development reduced their habitat so much that by 1992 only six northeastern states still could claim to be home to the Karner blue whose caterpillar feeds solely on leaves of the wild blue lupine. For a decade, the Nature Conservancy reported no Karner blue existing within Ohio. Since then, natural and state wildlife agencies, zoos, nonprofit organizations and universities have reared Karners and reintroduced them to the wild, as well as restored their natural habitat. Kitty Todd Preserve is one location in Ohio where these butterflies continue to exist thanks to a reintroduction program.

More good news is Kitty Todd Preserve within Oaks Opening Metropark near Toledo may not be the only place where people might see a Karner. Karner blues are being introduced into other areas of Oaks Opening and the Division of Wildlife's Meilke Road Savanna. By saving one endangered butterfly, we are not saving just one species; we are restoring ecosystems and other species dependent on them as well.

Event

At 2 p.m. Sept. 7, a butterfly release by the Allen County Master Gardeners is planned at the Children's Garden at the Allen County Museum, 620 W. Market St., Lima. About five dozen assorted butterflies will be released.

Master Gardener Tip of the Week

According to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, an endangered species is a native species or subspecies threatened with extirpation from the state. Extinction means a species or subspecies that occurred in Ohio at the time of European settlement has since disappeared from its previous range.