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Re-discovering the Beautiful Miami Blue

By Alfredo Rios, SNRE PhD Student

Rapid urban development and high invertebrate endemism (species only found in one region), combine to make the state of Florida a critical place for insect conservation. Once common in the southern coastal areas of Florida, the Miami Blue butterfly was eliminated from much of its former range due to ever-expanding urbanization and the associated loss of coastal habitat. In the years following Hurricane Andrew, researchers feared that the butterfly may have become extinct as no verified sightings were recorded. Fortunately, the Miami Blue was rediscovered on November 29, 1999, as part of a small population of less than 100 individuals within the boundaries of Bahia Honda State Park in the Lower Florida Keys. The rediscovery triggered a petition from the general public, launched through the North America Butterfly Association, to include the Miami Blue as a state-listed endangered species.

Dr. Jaret Daniels, a new affiliate faculty member in SNRE, led efforts to study its biology and develop a captive breeding program to help recover the insect. However, reintroduction efforts were hindered by the potential conflict with existing mosquito control spray programs. As a result, sites for organism reintroduction had to be relocated to non-human populated areas.

In 2004, captivity-bred Miami Blue butterflies were first released in areas evaluated suitable for their survival. Butterfly activity and reproduction were recorded in the release sites during the next two years despite challenging weather conditions and continued hurricane impact. Today more than 25,000 Miami Blues have been produced in the UF lab with some 3,800 individuals released.

Since that time, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission founded a stakeholder group composed of representatives from numerous interested agencies and organizations. Collectively known as the Miami Blue Working Group, it's charged with directing current and future recovery actions, identifying priority areas of research, and most importantly providing an open forum for dispute resolution. Daniels points out that "by including all stakeholders, communications are easier and solutions are reached faster in a transparent way."

With assistance from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Florida Coordinating Council on Mosquito Control, the Miami Blue Working Group catalyzed research partnership development and participation to assess the non-target impact of mosquito control adulticides on the Miami Blue- channeling previous discordant associations into productive cooperative conservation efforts.

Dr. Daniels notes that "the Miami Blue is a good conservation model that can be used to help promote awareness of other insects." The involvement and cooperation of three key players are evident in the conservation model: the public, the state and federal agencies and the research institutions. Daniels works actively with each of these three groups.

Dr. Daniels works with the public by directing community-based projects aimed at bridging the current disconnect between nature and people. He believes that "by actively engaging people and helping to raise their awareness of the important roles insects play in the larger environment, we can move closer to effectively conserving this much overlooked group. Luckily, butterflies are the most popular insects worldwide. They can serve as umbrella species, help rally public environmental involvement and are stellar tools for youth education."

He worked with other faculty at the Florida Museum to develop a demonstration native butterfly and wildflower garden. The living outdoor exhibit provides information on backyard habitat and butterfly biology. He is also the director of the Butterfly Monitoring Network, an initiative linking six public zoos and two universities to train citizen scientists for collecting data through direct observations to monitor butterfly trends and health in the state.

Recognizing that education is not only important at the public level but also at the state agency level, Daniels notes that, "Often land managers are aware of the effects of land use practices on plants or vertebrates but they know little about their impact on invertebrates." He sees a current need and opportunities for professionals in insect conservation. Currently, he teaches a course in insect conservation and mentors students from SNRE.

Dr. Daniels emphasizes that the future of insect conservation should not only be remedial but also preemptive. Studying butterflies before their populations are imperiled is a better way to gain a complete picture of the organism ecology before they decline to very low numbers. In addition it is a less risky investment and is financially less expensive than having to list an organism.

Dr. Jaret Daniels is an IFAS Assistant Professor in the Department of Entomology and Nematology and Assistant Curator at the Florida Museum of Natural History's McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity. His research focuses on insect conservation, which he approaches in an interdisciplinary manner by integrating behavioral, population and landscape ecology as well as public education. Dr. Daniels is also an avid naturalist and photographer and has published several field guides on butterflies of the eastern U.S.

Dr. Daniels' first exposure to this field was as a graduate student under the supervision of UF professor Tom Emmel when he managed a captive breeding program to help recover the Schaus Swallowtail (a native and endangered butterfly). Jaret Daniels received his doctorate from the University of Florida in Entomology. After graduating, he continued to work with another state native the Miami Blue butterfly. For more information on Dr. Daniels Research or Graduate School opportunities see:

• http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/daniels.htm
• http://www.flbutterflies.net/

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