"dire straits faced by most of our butterfly fauna"

Wed May 2 17:09:44 EDT 2007

Roger,

The species is of course going to be more common in southern  Michigan
than in adjacent southeastern Ontario...I understand that it has always
been more common in southwestern Michigan. In southwestern Ontario,
there had historically been colonies near Leamington and (more recently)
there was a colony near Harrow. Migrants have, however, been showing up,
sometimes in good numbers, at Point Pelee in recent seasons mainly
during July...

Again, though, according to Mo Nielsen and Bob Kriegel, the Zebra has
never been common anywhere in the state, except possibly in the SW...It
also, as I understand, does NOT occur in Wisconsin, except for rare
mid-summer migrants to the Milwaukee area from the south
(Illinois)...(Maybe someone will dispute this)...

Alex 

________________________________

From: Roger Kuhlman [mailto:rkuhlman at hotmail.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2007 5:01 PM
To: Grkovich, Alex; leps-l at lists.yale.edu
Subject: RE: "dire straits faced by most of our butterfly fauna"

Alex,

There are still a few Zebra Swallowtails in the southeast Michigan
region. I and two other observers have each seen one Zebra Swallowtail
over the past five years (three separate butterflies). In the relatively
recent past, the species definitely bred both in both Washtenaw and
Monroe counties. In two other sites one in Lenawee and one in Wayne
county, breeding was also most likely. These claims are based on
butterflies caught and information given to me by the late Professor
Warren(Herb) Wagner of the University of Michigan. Professor Wagner was
a noted Michigan lepidopterist who did some academic studies of
butterfly biology besides his main work in botany.

Until our area rivers were damned and heavily managed and their forest
edges severely trimmed, I would bet Paw-paw was a pretty common plant in
area river floodplains. If that was true, it is most likely the region's
Zebra Swallowtail population was quite healthy.

Respectfully,

Roger Kuhlman
Ann Arbor, Michigan

________________________________

	Subject: RE: "dire straits faced by most of our butterfly fauna"
	Date: Wed, 2 May 2007 16:22:05 -0400
	From: agrkovich at tmpeng.com
	To: rkuhlman at hotmail.com; leps-l at lists.yale.edu

	Yeah, but again, Roger, at least in one case (and probably more)
you are speaking of (a) species that has never been anything but rare or
uncommon there, and presenting it/them as a species "...in
decline"...There are examples of species that I am sure can no longer be
found in most parts of Greater Boston, but I'm not going to write now
and claim that these butterflies are "in trouble"...

	I lived in rural southwestern Onytario in the early 60's, and I
never saw a Zebra Swallowtail until I moved to North Carolina...then I
saw tons of them...

	Alex

________________________________

	From: Roger Kuhlman [mailto:rkuhlman at hotmail.com] 
	Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2007 4:20 PM
	To: Grkovich, Alex; leps-l at lists.yale.edu
	Subject: RE: "dire straits faced by most of our butterfly fauna"

	Alex,

	My comments related to endangerment and scarcity of certain
butterflies refer specifically to the Southeast Michigan counties of
Monroe, Wayne, Lenawee, and Washtenaw. I am not making any statements
about the status of these butterflies in the rest of Michigan. Each of
the butterflies I noted is either extinct, threatened with extinction,
or severely declining in the local region. There is no exageration or
excessive hype here. Oh how I wish there was and each of these species
was doing well or at least ok.

	Respectfully,

	Roger Kuhlman
	Ann Arbor, Michigan

________________________________

		Subject: RE: "dire straits faced by most of our
butterfly fauna"
		Date: Wed, 2 May 2007 14:02:21 -0400
		From: agrkovich at tmpeng.com
		To: rkuhlman at hotmail.com; leps-l at lists.yale.edu

		Roger,

		First of all, you're talking about the specific parts of
SE Michigan that have been swallowed up by suburban Detroit. This is NOT
at all happening across the State. Also:

		Persius Duskywing is probably indigenous to the west; it
is uncommon to rare everywhere in the East, regardless of development or
not... Bog Copper is not in any kind of trouble, is common in the right
habitat everywhere. Zebra Swallowtail has never been common, and has
always been sporadic with colonies coming and going, in southeastern
Michigan or in adjacent Ontario - it is often extremely common in its
typical southern locales. Swamp Metalmark is a problem - yes. Brown
Elfin? I have to avoid stepping all over them over here; you gotta be
kidding...Ditto for Harris Checkerspot and Indian Skipper. Pipevine
Swallowtail is not at all in trouble (Bob Kriegel, pers. com.).
Columbine Duskywing has for a long time been rare. Compton
Tortoiseshell: You gotta be kidding again; just go to Scott Bog in N NH,
plus this one is notorious for "periodicity". Two Spotted Skipper is
common in its right habitat and is easily overlooked.

		I guess my point is that everyone knows that man's
selfish and greedy activities are a problem to those of us who care for
the Creation. But let's not get into excessive hype. 

		Alex 

________________________________

		From: Roger Kuhlman [mailto:rkuhlman at hotmail.com] 
		Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2007 12:21 PM
		To: Grkovich, Alex; Leps List
		Subject: RE: "dire straits faced by most of our
butterfly fauna"

		Some of the other butterfly species that have probably
gone extinct the last 35 years in southeast Michigan (Lenawee, Wayne,
Washtenaw, and Monroe counties) are Persius Duskywing, Mottled
Duskywing, Bog Copper and Indian Skipper. Several others including Zebra
Swallowtail, Swamp Metalmark, Dusted Skipper, Brown Elfin, Harris'
Checkerspot, Pipevine Swallowtail, Columbine Duskywing, Compton's
Tortoise Shell, and Two-spotted Skipper are either on the verge of
extinction or only vagrants today. The Mitchell's Satyr population in
the area is very small and easily could be snuffed out.

		Most of this damage can be directly linked to habitat
loss or fragmentation and the strict control of natural disturbance
forces like fires and flooding. The introduction and spread of a number
of invasive non-native plants have played significant supporting roles
in the harm that has been done. The worst hit habitats are various
prairie-type habitats and the now, uncommon wetland habitats like fens
and bogs. The negative changes in these productive habitats are human
induced. With fewer people living in our area and less development all
these habitats would be in much better shape than they are today.

		Roger Kuhlman
		Ann Arbor, Michigan

		> No one is goint to argue that 'overdevelopment' has
been going on at an
		> alarming rate everywhere in the U.S., including here
in eastern
		> Massachusetts (in our neighborhood for example).
Condominium
		> construction is going on at a 'fever pace'...However,
I understand that
		> the condo market is also cooling
(thanksfully)...Habitat destruction is
		> a concern...for sure...
		> 
		> However, Roger, I wanted to ask: What are the 5 to 10
butterfly species
		> in southeast Michigan that are either extinct or in
trouble? Regal
		> Fritillary decline is well-known, although this may
have most to do with
		> the decline of a Prairie-species in regions in which
'prairies' are
		> being overgrown by forest succcessions; and the Regal
has NEVER been
		> common either in Ontario OR Michigan...Lupine feeders
(Karner Blue,
		> Frosted Elfin ecotype) have been similarly declining
over the past few
		> decades - and this is quite apparently connected also
with secondary
		> succession; however the irus-feeding Frosted Elfin
ecotype is holding
		> its own (at least here in the northeast)...As far as I
know, (at least)
		> most species in Michigan and Ontario are in healthy
shape overall...
		> 
		> Conservationists should be most concerned about,
however, stopping these
		> wars that are going on all over the globe. That's the
most destructive
		> aspect to man's 'activities' on the planet. Much more
than 'habitat' is
		> lost.
		> 
		> Alex
		> 
		> -----Original Message-----
		> From: owner-leps-l at lists.yale.edu
[mailto:owner-leps-l at lists.yale.edu]
		> On Behalf Of Paul Cherubini
		> Sent: Monday, April 30, 2007 5:37 PM
		> To: leps-l at lists.yale.edu
		> Subject: Re: 'dire straits faced by most of our
butterfly fauna'
		> 
		> 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 
		> 
		> 
		> 
		> CAUTION PLEASE NOTE: The information contained in this
transmission is
		> intended to be sent only to the stated recipient of
the transmission.
		> If the reader of this message is not the intended
recipient or the intended
		> recipient's agent, you are hereby notified that we do
not intend to waive
		> any privilege that might ordinarily be attached to
this communication. Any
		> dissemination, distribution or copying of the
information contained in this
		> transmission is therefore prohibited. You are further
asked to notify us of
		> any such error in transmission as soon as possible at
the telephone
		> number/email address shown above. Thank you for your
cooperation.
		> 
		> 
		> 
		> 
		> 
		>
------------------------------------------------------------ 
		> 
		> For subscription and related information about LEPS-L
visit:
		> 
		> http://www.peabody.yale.edu/other/lepsl 
		> 
		> 

		CAUTION PLEASE NOTE: The information contained in this
transmission is
		intended to be sent only to the stated recipient of the
transmission.
		If the reader of this message is not the intended
recipient or the intended
		recipient's agent, you are hereby notified that we do
not intend to waive
		any privilege that might ordinarily be attached to this
communication. Any
		dissemination, distribution or copying of the
information contained in this
		transmission is therefore prohibited. You are further
asked to notify us of
		any such error in transmission as soon as possible at
the telephone
		number/email address shown above. Thank you for your
cooperation. 

	CAUTION PLEASE NOTE: The information contained in this
transmission is
	intended to be sent only to the stated recipient of the
transmission.
	If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient or
the intended
	recipient's agent, you are hereby notified that we do not intend
to waive
	any privilege that might ordinarily be attached to this
communication. Any
	dissemination, distribution or copying of the information
contained in this
	transmission is therefore prohibited. You are further asked to
notify us of
	any such error in transmission as soon as possible at the
telephone
	number/email address shown above. Thank you for your
cooperation. 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/private/leps-l/attachments/20070502/7f307efd/attachment.html 