smoke and butterflies?

[Kondla, Norbert FOR:EX]

I am not aware of any formal studies but I do have some observations to
share.  In 1995 I spent a few weeks with butterflies in Yukon, Canada.  The
weather was hot and dry.  Numerous forest fires were burning and most places
I visited had variable amounts of smoke in the air.  In some places it was
quite thick and inhibited visibility.  However this did not have any
noticeable consequence for butterfly flight since I was able to easily find
butterflies conducting their normal affairs regardless of whether there was
a little or a lot of smoke in the air. My humble guess is that if it were
thick enough to have measurable effects on the butterflies, then the
researchers would need to wear breathing devices.

> ----------
> From: 	Laurel Godley[SMTP:godley at hotmail.com]
> Reply To: 	godley at hotmail.com
> Sent: 	Tuesday, August 31, 1999 11:10 AM
> To: 	LEPS-L at lists.yale.edu
> Subject: 	smoke and butterflies?
> 
> Has anyone ever researched the effect of smoke from forest fires on 
> butterflies?
> 
> I will be visiting my father in Redding, Ca this weekend and he commented
> on 
> the number of fires there.  It got me to wondering if something like smoke
> 
> drift and inhalation would effect butterflies much.  Certianly I would 
> expect the effects of the actual fire and the heat in the vicinity to kill
> 
> most things.  What I'm thinking is more along the lines of butterflies in 
> the next valley or ridge away.  10 miles?  25 miles?  50 miles?  Would
> smoke 
> blown by the wind impact them significantly?  It certianly seems that 
> mosquitos steer clear around the camp fire but is there a physiological 
> reason why insects might flee?
> 
> Thanks!
> Laurel
> in San Jose, CA
> 
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