Captive Breeding program begun in Oregon

[Robert L. Chehey]

Leppers,

These are the ramblings of an old man, and need no reply or discussion.

This posting shows, better than any argument, the value of including both
common and Latin names in any discussion.  Having been into butterflies for
over 48 years, I was stymied by "Oregon Silver-spot".  More so, because I
live within an easy day's drive of almost all points in Oregon, and have
collected many areas.

Looking around, I found that, until recently, virtually no one has used the
term Silver-spot for an American fritillary since Holland, 1898.  Further I
can find no allusion to an "Oregon Silver-spot", before Opler & Wright, 1999
(I could not find my Audubon Guide).  This must be one of the changed or
made-up common names that come so readily from the whims of the Audubon
Society or NABA.

If, somewhere in the post or article, it had said _Speyeria zerene
hippolyta_ (Edwards), 1879., one would have known, instantly, if
approximately, what butterfly the article was talking about.  Thank you for
giving me a forum to vent.

********************************************
Robert L. Chehey
Boise, ID, USA
Cool, Mediterranean, Shrub-steppe
and Riparian Forest
N43º38.67'  W116º13.68' Altitude:  770M
********************************************

-----Original Message-----

THREATENED BUTTERFLIES NETTED FOR CAPTIVE BREEDING

Seven rare Oregon silverspot butterflies were captured at Cascade Head
Preserve this month and taken from their coastal headland home for a captive
rearing project. The butterflies, captured by The Nature Conservancy, have
already started laying eggs at their new home at Lewis and Clark College in
Portland, Oregon. "After hatching, the young will be maintained in a
controlled environment to keep them dormant. Next spring the caterpillars
will be reared and released back to Cascade Head, one of only six locations
where this subspecies still exists," said Diana Hwang, endangered species
biologist for the Oregon State office of the USFWS. "This population has
remained low since declines were first noted there in 1993," Hwang said.
"Maintaining our known populations is important for the recovery of this
subspecies." The captive breeding project is expected to continue for three
years, and expertise gained from the project may be used to help other
declining butterfly species. The project is just one of the newest
components
of a recovery strategy that focuses on securing and managing known
population
sites. The butterfly was listed as threatened in 1980 due to loss of its
native coastal grassland habitat. "Captive propagation is an important
conservation tool, especially when used with measures that include habitat
conservation and habitat management," said USFWS regional director Anne
Badgley.

from -  http://ens.lycos.com/ens/sep99/1999L-09-17-09.html