Big Cypress

Date: _______________ Time: ________ Location: _____________________________ Weather: ______________________________ Observers: _____________________________ INDEX C -Common (Present in the proper habitat and season) U -Uncommon (occasionally present in proper habitat and season) R -Rare (seldom present in suitable habitat; few records) S-Stray (strays from local areas) X-Extirpated in the Preserve Each species was indexed according to its abundance in the Preserve, not on its likelihood of being observed. If you see any unusual butterflies please advise Preserve staff at the Visitor Center and fill out a wildlife observation card or write to: Big Cypress National Preserve, Attn: Wildlife Biologist, 33100 Tamiami Trail East, Ochopee, FL 34141. Please be as specific as possible and remember that your reported observations are important and appreciated. Big Cypress Butterflies and food sources Top: Aster (eaten by Dainty Sulphurs and Pearl Crescents), Little Yellow butterfly, Wild Petunia (eaten by Malachites, White Peacocks, and common Buckeyes). Bottom: Painted Lady lands on a Blanket Flower, Thistle (eaten by Painted Ladies), Dainty Sulphur lands on a Spanish Needle—a food source for the butterfly along with Aster/Daisy plants. Cover page: Queen butterflies are one of the mimics of Monarch butterflies. Top row: Photos courtesy of Jan Shirey, NPS/VIP; Bill Perry; and Devon Cotsamire, Bottom row: Photos courtesy of Gustave Pellerin, Jan Shirey NPS/VIPs, and Ron Nuehring Cover page: Photo courtesy of Gustave Pellerin, NPS/VIP Pipevines (Aristolochia species) Paw-paws (Asimina species) Carrot/Parsley Family, wild and cultivated Rue Family, several Zanthoxylum species Sweet Bay (Magnolia virginiana) Laurel family, Swamp Bay, Red Bay Swamp Bay, Red Bay Caterpillar Food (Plant) R R R U C U C Virginia Pepper-grass Saltwort, Virginia Pepper-grass Index U C Clover, white sweet clover, other legumes Senna species Senna species Blackbead, Wild Tamarind Several small weedy legumes and vetches Partridge peas Senna and Chamaecrista species Aster/Daisy family, esp. Spanish Needles Scientific Name SWALLOWTAILS ___Polydamas Swallowtail ___Zebra Swallowtail ___Black Swallowtail ___Giant Swallowtail ___Eastern Tiger Swallowtail ___Spicebush Swallowtail ___Palamedes Swallowtail R C R C C C R U Battus polydamas Eurytides marcellus Papilio polyxenes Papilio cresphontes Papilio glaucus Papilio troilus Papilio palamedes WHITES AND SULPHURS Whites—Subfamily Pierinae ___Checkered White Pontia protodice ___Great Southern White Ascia monuste Sulphurs—Subfamily Coliadinae ___Orange Sulphur Colias eurytheme ___Cloudless Sulphur Phoebis sennae ___Orange-barred Sulphur Phoebis philea ___Large Orange Sulphur Phoebis agarithe ___Barred Yellow Eurema daira ___Little Yellow Eurema lisa ___Sleepy Orange Eurema nicippe ___Dainty Sulphur Nathalis iole Species list prepared by Elane Nuehring 6/8/2010 based on NABA Tri-County/Pinecrest Counts 2004-2009, NABA-Corkscrew Counts 1995-2007, Fakahatchee SP 1998-2008, Picayune SF 1998-2008, and Collier County butterfly list, www.butterfliesandmoths.org and reviews by Mark Salvato, Linda Cooper, and Marc Minno Like hands on activities? Try butterfly gardening, the art of designing a native plant garden according to butterflies you would like to attract in your area. Learn about your climate zone and selecting appropriate plants with the help of books, local gardening organizations, and websites dedicated to this rewarding pasttime. Join NABA (North American Butterfly Association), an organization uniting people interested in butterflies, and connect to a source of butterfly information and advocacy for researh and protection. Visit http://www.naba.org/ to learn more. Love Butterflies? The best time to see butterflies in the Preserve is in the late summer and autumn months from late August to mid-October. At this time there is a wide variety and abundance of butterflies. The winter months from November through February are more limited. In early spring the first generation of Gray Hairstreaks and swallowtails are first to appear. In late spring into summer butterfly numbers increase with new generatons. Within the Preserve check out the Fire Prairie Trail off of Turner River Road, Gator Hook Trail, Florida National Scenic Trail. Or take a stroll through the Oasis Visitor Center native plant garden and observe butterflies fluttering from plant to plant. N ati o n a l e— t— P r o tec ss rv re se Pr EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA! Do Not Feed or Harass Wildlife How You Behave Can Save • All wildlife is wild and unpredictable. Stay a safe distance from any wild animal —15 feet is recommended. • View wildlife with respect. • Never feed wildlife. • All plants and animals within national park areas are protected, it is illegal to collect any wildlife without special permits. The thrill of watching a wild animal in its native surroundings is spectacular and awe inspiring. While visiting Big Cypress National Preserve, or any other natural area, remember: Watching wildlife the responsible way... p Big Cy Recommended Butterfly Sites r ve oy The word “Butterfly” translated in most languages showcases beautiful rhythimic words that echo the beauty of the insect and its repetitive wing beats. For example, in Spanish: Mar-i-po’-sa, French: Papillon, German: Shmetterling, and Tamil: Vannathi poochi to name a few. In Big Cypress butterflies harmonize with the plants of the swamp by distributing pollen on their bodies as they fly from plant to plant in search of nectar. ese E nj Butterflies of the Swamp... Pr e Big Cypress Butterflies Big Cypress National Preserve Florida National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Photos courtesy of Gustave Pellerin (top), NPS/VIP; and Amy Washuta (bottom), NPS A Zebra Heliconian butterfly lands on Pickerelweed (Top). The Gulf Fritillary caterpillar, another type of Brushfoot grazes on passionvine (Bottom). R C U R C Red Mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) Various legumes, especially Indigo Various legumes, esp. Desmodium species Various legumes, especially Desmodium species Various legumes, especially Desmodium species Various milkweeds (Asclepias species) Various milkweeds & Whitevine Various milkweeds & Whitevine Various grasses Various sedges Caterpillar Food (Plant) Hermeuptychia sosybius Neonympha areolata R R C C R Bloodleaf (Iresine diffusa) Various oaks (Quercus species) Various oaks (Quercus species) Various legumes Various legumes Mallows, especially Sida species, Wireweed Mallows, especially Sida species, Wireweed Index Danaus plexippus Danaus gilippus Danaus eresimus R R R R S C U Sawgrass (Cladium jamaicense) Sedges (Cerex) Various palms Lawn and other grasses Bluestem grasses (Andropogon species) Alligator Flag, Golden Canna, garden cannas Aquatic and semi-aquatic grasses Scientific Name Satyrs—Subfamily Satyrinae ___Carolina Satyr ___Georgia Satyr Monarchs—Subfamily Danainae ___Monarch ___Queen ___Soldier R R U C R U C R U U U U R R U R U U C C C Bluestem grasses (Andropogon species) Bluestem grasses (Andropogon species) Lawn and various crabgrasses, Guinea Grass Lawn and other grasses Many grasses Bermuda Grass (Cynodon dactylon) Lawn and other grasses Lawn and other low-growing or short grasses Lawn and other grasses Lawn and other grasses Lawn and other grasses Switchgrass, Maidencane, Redtop Panicum Maidencane, other legumes Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens) SKIPPERS Broadwing Skippers—Subfamily Eudaminae ___Mangrove Skipper Phocides pigmalion ___Silver-spotted Skipper Epargyreus clarus ___Long-tailed Skipper Urbanus proteus ___Dorantes Longtail Urbanus dorantes ___Northern Cloudywing Thorybes pylades Spreadwing Skippers—Subfamily Pyrginae ___Hayhurst’s Scallopwing Staphylus hayhurstii ___Juvenal’s Duskywing Erynnis juvenalis ___Horace’s Duskywing Erynnis horatius ___Zarucco Duskywing Erynnis zarucco ___Funereal Duskywing Erynnis funeralis ___Tropical Checkered-Skipper Pyrgus oileus ___White Checkered- Skipper Pyrgus albescens Grass-Skippers—Subfamily Hesperiinae ___Swarthy Skipper Nastra lherminier ___Neamathla Skipper Nastra neamathla ___Three-spotted Skipper Cymaenes tripunctus ___Clouded Skipper Lerema accius ___Least Skipper Ancyloxypha numitor ___Southern Skipperling Copaeodes minimus ___Fiery Skipper Hylephila phyleus ___Baracoa Skipper Polites baracoa ___Whirlabout Polites vibex ___Southern Broken-Dash Wallengrenia otho ___Sachem Atalopedes campestris ___Delaware Skipper Anatrytone logan ___Aaron’s Skipper Poanes aaroni ___Palmetto Skipper Euphyes arpa ___Palatka Skipper Euphyes pilatka ___Berry’s Skipper Euphyes berryi ___Monk Skipper Asbolis capucinus ___Eufala Skipper Lerodea eufala ___Twin-spot Skipper Oligoria maculata ___Brazilian Skipper Calpodes ethlius ___Ocola Skipper Panoquina ocola Butterfly Checklist_FINAL.indd on HQ shareall, interp publications, 2,000 printed 10/2010, stored at Oasis and WC C C U R U U R C R Index Thistle (Cirsium horridulum) Many small legumes; e.g., partridge Peas Lead Tree (Leucaena leucocephala) Caterpillar Food (Plant) Scientific Name Brephidium isophthalma Leptotes cassius Hemiargus ceraunus U Various passionvines Various passionvines Various passionvines (some exotic species not used) Doctorbush/Leadwort, Blue Plumbago, milk peas Glassworts, Saltwort Wax Myrtle, Brazilian Pepper Brazilian Pepper, Jamaica Dogwood Mallow Family, including Bay Cedar, Wireweed Legumes, milk peas, beggar-ticks and ticktrefoils Various oaks (Quercus) Calephelis virginiensis GOSSAMER-WINGS Hairstreaks—Subfamily Theclinae ___‘Southern’ Oak Hairstreak Satyrium favonius ___Gray Hairstreak Strymon melinus ___Mallow Scrub-Hairstreak Strymon istapa ___Fulvous Hairstreak Electrostrymon angelia ___Red-banded Hairstreak Calycopis cecrops ___Gray Ministreak Ministrymon azia Blues—Subfamily Polyommatinae ___Eastern Pygmy Blue ___Cassius Blue ___Ceraunus Blue METALMARKS ___Little Metalmark Various passion vines, violets Crimson Dicliptera (Dicliptera sexangularis) Creeping Charlie/Fogfruit (Phyla nodiflora) Aster/Daisy Family Various everlastings, indisturbed areas, gardens Many mallows, legumes, thistle species False Nettle, Pellitory (Parietaria floridana) Plaintain+Flax, Creeping Charlie/Fogfruit, Wild Petunia Black Mangrove (Avicennia germinans) Blue Porterweed, other verbenas Creeping Charlie/Fogfruit, Water Hyssop, Wild Petunia C Strangler Fig (Ficus aurea), Shortleaf Fig (Ficus citrifolia) Willow (Salix caroliniana) Green Shrimp-plant, Wild Petunia U Hackberries (Celtis) Hackberries (Celtis) R R S C C R R R C C U/R C U C C C U Asterocampa celtis Asterocampa clyton BRUSHFOOTS Heliconianas and Fritllaries—Subfamily Heliconinae ___Gulf Fritillary Agraulis vanillae ___Julia Heliconian Dryas iulia ___Zebra Heliconian Heliconius charithonia ___Variegated Fritillary Euptoieta claudia True Brushfoots—Subfamily Nymphalinae ___Cuban Crescent Phyciodes frisia ___Phaon Crescent Phyciodes phaon ___Pearl Crescent Phyciodes tharos ___American Lady Vanessa virginiensis ___Painted Lady Vanessa cardui ___Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta ___Common Buckeye Junonia coenia ___Mangrove Buckeye Junonia evarete ___Tropical Buckeye Junonia genoveva ___White Peacock Anartia jatrophae ___Malachite Siproeta stelenes Admirals and Relatives—Subfamily Limenitidinae ___Viceroy Limenitis archippus Subfamily Cyrestinae ___Ruddy Daggerwing Marpesia petreus Emperors—Subfamily Apaturinae ___Hackberry Emperor ___Tawny Emperor Photos courtesy of Bill Perry (top), Mickey Wheeler (center), and Ron Nuehring Top: White Peacock butterfly Center: Gray Hairstreak butterfly Bottom: Variegated Fritillary