Miami blue
Encyclopedia
The Miami blue is a small butterfly
that is native to coastal areas of southern Florida
. Once very common throughout its range, it has become critically endangered
, and may be the rarest insect
in the United States
. Its numbers have recently been increased by a captive breeding
program at the Florida Museum of Natural History
.
The Miami blue was described in 1943 based on specimens found near Miami. In the mid-twentieth century the Miami blue was common throughout a range that ran from Daytona Beach
south around the tip of the peninsula
and up to the Tampa Bay
area, and throughout the Florida Keys
to the Dry Tortugas
. Its habitat includes the edges of tropical hardwood hammock
s, scrub
, and pine rocklands. The Miami blue is the only subspecies of Cyclargus
thomasi found in the United States.
Miami blue adults are short lived in the wild; females may live five days, males about two days. Adults typically stay within thirty feet of their birthplace. Miami blues were known to lay their eggs exclusively on balloon vine (Cardiospermum
corindum), but the last known wild population uses grey nicker bean (Caesalpinia bonduc
).
The range of the Miami blue was reduced in the second half of the twentieth century due to the loss of habitat
to urban development. It had disappeared from the mainland of Florida and from the barrier island
s along the peninsula by 1990. It had become confined to a few spots in the Florida Keys
and was becoming rare there. Hurricane Andrew
appeared to have wiped out the species in 1992. Searches were made, but no Miami blues were found.
In 1999 some Miami blues were spotted in Bahia Honda State Park
. It was estimated that fewer than fifty of the butterflies were left. Acting on a request from the North American Butterfly Association
, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
temporarily listed the Miami blue as endangered on an emergency basis in 2002. The 'endangered' listing was made permanent in 2003. In the meantime, searches had found no other colonies of the Miami blue.
In 2003 the Entomology and Nematology Department at the University of Florida
began raising and breeding Miami blues, starting from about 100 eggs collected in the wild. In 2004 they released 2,500 of the insects at selected locations. However, the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season
caused damage to all of the release sites as well as at Bahia Honda. The Bahia Honda colony has recovered, and the University continues its breeding and wild release program.
In November and December 2006, more colonies were discovered on other islands in the Florida Keys.
In August 2011, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
used an emergency measure that gives the species 240 days of temporary federal protection while they go through the formal process of placing it on the federal list of endangered species.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
that is native to coastal areas of southern Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. Once very common throughout its range, it has become critically endangered
Critically endangered
Version 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...
, and may be the rarest insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Its numbers have recently been increased by a captive breeding
Captive breeding
Captive breedingis the process of breeding animals in human controlled environments with restricted settings, such as wildlife reserves, zoos and other conservation facilities; sometimes the process is construed to include release of individual organisms to the wild, when there is sufficient...
program at the Florida Museum of Natural History
Florida Museum of Natural History
The Florida Museum of Natural History is the State of Florida's official state-sponsored and chartered natural history museum. Its main facilities are located on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida....
.
The Miami blue was described in 1943 based on specimens found near Miami. In the mid-twentieth century the Miami blue was common throughout a range that ran from Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach, Florida
Daytona Beach is a city in Volusia County, Florida, USA. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city has a population of 64,211. Daytona Beach is a principal city of the Deltona – Daytona Beach – Ormond Beach, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which the census bureau estimated had...
south around the tip of the peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
and up to the Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the west central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay."Tampa Bay" is not the name of any municipality...
area, and throughout the Florida Keys
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a coral archipelago in southeast United States. They begin at the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry...
to the Dry Tortugas
Dry Tortugas
The Dry Tortugas are a small group of islands, located at the end of the Florida Keys, USA, about west of Key West, and west of the Marquesas Keys, the closest islands. Still further west is the Tortugas Bank, which is completely submerged. The first Europeans to discover the islands were the...
. Its habitat includes the edges of tropical hardwood hammock
Tropical hardwood hammock
Tropical hardwood hammocks are closed canopy forests, dominated by a diverse assemblage of evergreen and semi-deciduous tree and shrub species, mostly of West Indian origin...
s, scrub
Florida scrub
Florida scrub is an endangered temperate coniferous forest ecoregion of the state of Florida in the United States. It is found on coastal and inland sand ridges and is characterized by a xeromorphic plant community dominated by shrubs and dwarf oaks. Scrub soils, a type of entisol, are derived...
, and pine rocklands. The Miami blue is the only subspecies of Cyclargus
Cyclargus
Cyclargus is a genus of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae. It was split off from the genus Hemiargus in 1948 by Vladimir Nabokov, although many lepidopterists have not accepted the new genus as valid. Nabokov designated C. ammon as the type species for the genus, and included C. dominica , C...
thomasi found in the United States.
Miami blue adults are short lived in the wild; females may live five days, males about two days. Adults typically stay within thirty feet of their birthplace. Miami blues were known to lay their eggs exclusively on balloon vine (Cardiospermum
Cardiospermum
Cardiospermum is a genus of approximately 14 species in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae, which are native to the American, Indian, and African tropics...
corindum), but the last known wild population uses grey nicker bean (Caesalpinia bonduc
Caesalpinia bonduc
Caesalpinia bonduc, commonly known as Gray Nicker, is a species of flowering plant in the pea family, Fabaceae, that has a pantropical distribution. It is a vine-like shrub that reaches a length of and scrambles over other vegetation. Stems are covered in curved spines...
).
The range of the Miami blue was reduced in the second half of the twentieth century due to the loss of habitat
Habitat (ecology)
A habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant or other type of organism...
to urban development. It had disappeared from the mainland of Florida and from the barrier island
Barrier island
Barrier islands, a coastal landform and a type of barrier system, are relatively narrow strips of sand that parallel the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a few islands to more than a dozen...
s along the peninsula by 1990. It had become confined to a few spots in the Florida Keys
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a coral archipelago in southeast United States. They begin at the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry...
and was becoming rare there. Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew
Hurricane Andrew was the third Category 5 hurricane to make landfall in the United States, after the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and Hurricane Camille in 1969. Andrew was the first named storm and only major hurricane of the otherwise inactive 1992 Atlantic hurricane season...
appeared to have wiped out the species in 1992. Searches were made, but no Miami blues were found.
In 1999 some Miami blues were spotted in Bahia Honda State Park
Bahia Honda Key
Bahia Honda , is an island in the lower Florida Keys.U.S...
. It was estimated that fewer than fifty of the butterflies were left. Acting on a request from the North American Butterfly Association
North American Butterfly Association
The North American Butterfly Association was created in 1992 by Jeffrey Glassberg who is the association's president. The NABA was formed in order to promote awareness of butterfly conservation and the benefits of butterfly gardening, observation, photography and education.As with the National...
, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is a Florida government agency charged with managing the state's fish and wildlife resources, regulating Florida's fisheries and wildlife, and enforcing related laws...
temporarily listed the Miami blue as endangered on an emergency basis in 2002. The 'endangered' listing was made permanent in 2003. In the meantime, searches had found no other colonies of the Miami blue.
In 2003 the Entomology and Nematology Department at the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
began raising and breeding Miami blues, starting from about 100 eggs collected in the wild. In 2004 they released 2,500 of the insects at selected locations. However, the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season
2005 Atlantic hurricane season
The 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the most active Atlantic hurricane season in recorded history, repeatedly shattering numerous records. The impact of the season was widespread and ruinous with an estimated 3,913 deaths and record damage of about $159.2 billion...
caused damage to all of the release sites as well as at Bahia Honda. The Bahia Honda colony has recovered, and the University continues its breeding and wild release program.
In November and December 2006, more colonies were discovered on other islands in the Florida Keys.
In August 2011, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
used an emergency measure that gives the species 240 days of temporary federal protection while they go through the formal process of placing it on the federal list of endangered species.
External links
- North American Butterfly Association: Miami Blue Fund - Includes photos of Miami blues.
- NABA Chapter: Miami Dade County