Conditions for Overcollecting

[Anne Kilmer]

Well, let's play with the Atala butterfly, Eumaeus atala. 
In South Florida, colonies exist on planted coontie in manicured
landscapes. Lacking their natural predators, the larvae destroy their
host plant, a slow-growing cycad, and a colony, left to nature, can
quickly die out. 
The butterfly and the plant are indigenous, and endangered. Due to a
peculiar set of circumstances, the atala is not listed as endangered ...
so we are free to mess with it. 
The solution, of course, is to collect, in moderation. 
Butterfly fanciers eagerly give and joyously receive enough caterpillars
to start a colony, and then cherish the individuals and their host
plants. They grow them in as natural an environment as possible. 
No harm can be done, in this throughly artificial situation, by
collection, with permission. 
Of course this is rather like chicken-hunting in a barnyard, but I can't
help that. 
It may be possible to create similar backyard habitat for quite a few
other endangered insects,  and link them, using local nature centers,
parks and botanical gardens, so that we bring back (for instance) the
Miami blue, the Schaus swallowtail ... and the reptiles, amphibians,
birds etc. that should share their environment. 
We're starting with scrub habitat in South Florida ... wetlands have had
a good deal of attention already.
The scrub jay, for  example, seems to be the natural predator for the
Atala ... and it has almost vanished. But I believe, in this Golden Age,
that we can bring it back. 
	Further, I do not believe that today's enlightened collector  is going
to swoop into my yard and collect my bugs, for goodness sake. But a few
greedy collectors could easily wipe out the few small colonies of Atala
butterflies if they were so minded. 
It seems likelier to me that the collectors, like us watchers and
gardeners, would pitch in and help preserve and restore habitat, teach
school children, help find ways to weave the wilderness back into our
lives. 
Happy New Year
Anne Kilmer
South Florida 


Bruce Walsh wrote:
> 
> Some of the comments from the US Fish and Wildlife services contained in
> the recent posting (by Neil) on the potential listing of the Sacramento
> Mountains Checkerspot inspired me to think about the parameters underwhich
> overcollecting can be a serious issue.
> 
> I'm interested in the thoughts of others on the Leps-l about which
> factors can make a population vulnerable  to overcollecting.  I'm especially
> interested in examples, either valid or cited by others, where overcollecting
> has caused significant harm to a population.
> 
> I'm NOT trying to restart the collecting debate, so please let's start
> the last year of the old millennium with a truce on this issue.  Rather, I
> think that all sides will agree that there are certainly populations where
> modest collecting has at best a trivial effects.  Likewise, I think all
> sides will agree that there can be conditions underwhich very significant
> collecting can have a serious impact.  What are these conditions?  All
> thoughts are welcome.  You can send them to me or post them for the amusement
> of all of the list.
> 
> Peace
> 
> Bruce