"dire straits faced by most of our butterfly fauna"

[Paul Cherubini]

Roger Kuhlman wrote:

> I too found this article excellent and glad it was posted. We here in
> southeast Michigan have not been having droughts but we have a huge
> problem with habitat destruction and isolated patches of habitat. I
> wish we had detailed, rigourous observations going back 35 years here.
> I am sure they would also show a serious decline in butterfly
> populations.

Roger, if the habitat destruction has been "huge" then you could 
document it via the historical aerial photos that are available in your 
larger local university libraries (map depts. of the libraries) and 
compare them with recent Google Earth photos.  

Google Earth is a cool new tool that can be used to show what
is really going on with butterfly habitats.  For example, on the
south island of New Zealand a couple entomologists have written
a phamplet about the monarch overwintering sites in the city
of Chirstchurch. In the phamplet they say the monarch numbers
seem to be increasing:
http://www.ccc.govt.nz/parks/theenvironment/MonarchButterflies.pdf

Here's the general location of the city of Christchurch, New Zealand:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k75/4af/ccisland.jpg
And here's an aerial view of the general location of the three
monarch overwintering sites in Christchurch :
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k75/4af/ccover.jpg

Here is what the phamplet says about the St. James Park
overwintering site in Christchurch:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k75/4af/stjam.jpg
And here is an actual Google Earth photo of the site:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k75/4af/ccstj.jpg

Here is what the phamplet says about  the Abberley Park
overwintering site in Christchurch:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k75/4af/abb.jpg
And here is an actual Google Earth photo of the site:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k75/4af/ccaber.jpg

Here is what the phamplet says about  the  Ruru Lawn
Cemetery overwintering site in Christchurch:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k75/4af/ruru.jpg
And here is an actual Google Earth photo of the site:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k75/4af/ccruru.jpg

Thus Google Earth provides indisputable physical evidence
that monarch butterflies in New Zealand are choosing and 
using man made overwintering habitats in an extremely 
urbanized setting even though much more natural and 
rural habitats are available nearby.  

Paul Cherubini
El Dorado, Calif.

 
 ------------------------------------------------------------ 

   For subscription and related information about LEPS-L visit:

   http://www.peabody.yale.edu/other/lepsl