Is That a Butterfly Fluttering By?

When you think of the Adirondacks, the first thing you think about most likely doesn't relate to the 74 species of butterfly that can be found there [1]. Species range from the less-commonly heard names like the Great Spangled Fritillary to the widespread Monarch butterfly, which has a large range and migrates annually from the as far North as Southern Canada, South to Mexico to wait out the cold winters [1]. Of the seven families of buttery known in the world, six families are represented in the Adirondacks [1]. Paul Smith's College (known to many as the College of the Adirondacks) even built a butterfly house on their campus in 1993 as part of their Visitor Interpretive Center, and between 2011-2013, to at least 36 species of native butterfly were documented living in the house [2].

Paul Smith's Butterly House (left) as part of their Visitor Interpretation Center. Image from the DEC.

While butterflies may provide a romantic and elusive appeal ("Question Mark" and the "Little Wood Satyr" are actual butterfly names), the significance of butterflies in an ecosystem extend beyond their aesthetic appeal [1]. Butterflies act as indicator species, giving people insight into how healthy an ecosystem may be [3]. Therefore, they are useful for scientists studying the impacts of climate change and habitat loss on an ecosystem. Additionally, butterflies are important elements of the food web, acting as food for birds, spiders, bats, rodents, and more [2]! If your elementary school was like mine, you would have raised caterpillars and released them as butterflies, studying their interesting life cycle along the way. You probably even grew up reading about butterflies through the book "The Very Hungry Caterpillar!" Butterflies are ingrained into our society, and have more value than their delicate bodies may first show.

Regardless of their value, the number of Monarch butterflies in the Adirondacks have been decreasing, but fortunately various groups of Adirondack citizens are dedicated to preserving them. Groups such as ADK Action and publications such as the Adirondack Almanack have come forward with tips for Adirondack citizens to make their backyards more butterfly friendly. Both sources are advocating for locals to plant milkweed, which acts as a host to Monarch larvae, providing the larvae with cardenolides that give them a bad taste to predators [4, 5, 6]. A lack of milkweed due to human action could threaten the future of the Monarch in the Adirondack Park.

Butterflies are beautiful and unique animals with many benefits to humans and their ecosystems. We need to make sure that butterflies are recognized in the Adirondacks and should seek to protect them in their wilderness environment.

Sources:
[1] Adirondack Butterflies. Adirondack Ecological Center, 2016. SUNY-ESF.
Center.http://www.esf.edu/aec/adks/butterflies.htm
[2] Explore the Adirondacks: Native Species Butterfly House. Visitor Interpretation Center, 2015. Paul Smith's College.
http://www.adirondackvic.org/Butterfly-House.html
[3]. Why Butterflies Matter. Butterfly Conservation Organization, 2016.
http://butterfly-conservation.org/54/about.html
[4]. Saving Monarch Butterflies. ADK Action, 2013.
http://www.adkaction.org/key-issues/saving-monarch-butterflies
[5]. The Adirondack Almanack.
http://www.adirondackalmanack.com/tag/monarch-butterflies
[6]. Interactions with Milkweed. Biology Department, University of Minnesota. 2016.