Hot in the mailbox, Lep Society News article by JShuey on the successes in restoration of Regal Fritillary populations in Indiana.
Well written in plain English, and in a humorous twist reveals their conundrums (I'm sure he doesn't think it's so funny.) A realistic look at science: how it sometimes works out, and sometimes not the way we intend. Good luck in the next 25 years!
I may try to make a special side-trip up that way, it would be pretty cool to see Speyeria idalia on the wing.
Well - THANKS for the kind words. The restoration has been a part of my life for over 25 years - mostly vicariously. I supervise the project form afar. But I do get up there enough that I know what's up.
Regal frits are hard to miss in the area if you are ever on-site. And if you do drift this way - let me know as I'm always looking for an excuse to get out of the office. And if you wander back to to the other parts of the restoration - you will find some equally amazing bugs. Two-spotted and dion skippers love the sedge wetlands, Boloria selene is quite common in parts, aphrodite frits are in the savannas - and so on.
I read it a couple times, picked up new details each time.
And questions. Your "wrong" violets that may be the host plant is not dissimilar to a question I've had: in my area, the adult Papilio glaucus feed primarily on two invasives (one at a time) and ignore native flowering plants. I wonder: do the non-native plants have more nutrients? Less? I contrast it the the horrible invasion of gobies in Great Lakes; the fish people discovered that the brown trout were eating the gobies like popcorn- however, the gobies lacked some critical nutrient (iron? I don't recall) and were concerned what would happen to the health of the trout.
Chuck wrote: Tue Dec 27, 2022 11:22 pm
I read it a couple times, picked up new details each time.
Your "wrong" violets that may be the host plant is not dissimilar to a question I've had: in my area, the adult Papilio glaucus feed primarily on two invasives (one at a time) and ignore native flowering plants. I wonder: do the non-native plants have more nutrients? Less?
This reminds me of the day-flying moth Syntomeida epilaus. Flies from the deep South into South America, and as far as I know, the only known food plant is oleander. But oleander is a Mediterranean native, introduced to the US in the 1700's, I seem to recall reading. What was the original food plant for the moth? Why did it change?
So good to see Regal Fritillary thriving in Indiana. I visited Danny Burke in South Bend in 2016. Sadly we lost Danny to a brain tumour in 2020.
Danny took me to see where Regal Fritillary flew in his childhood. No Frits but a big flock of Wild Turkey with a single Cayote eyeing them up for lunch. Exciting for me as a Brit to see that.
Later the same week I visited some restored prairie in Michigan. Amazing to see. Glad its paying off.Congrats to John & everyone involved
