Butterfly Conservation in North America: Efforts to Help Save Our Charismatic Microfauna

The book addresses this critical need by providing a straightforward and easy to read primer to key elements of at-risk butterfly conservation programs including captive husbandry, organism reintroduction, habitat restoration, population monitoring, recovery planning and cooperative programs. Impacts from habitat loss and fragmentation, invasive species, and climate change continue to accelerate the rate of imperilment and necessitate increased conservation action. Zoos, natural history museums, botanical gardens and wildlife agencies are progressively focusing on insects, particularly charismatic groups such as butterflies and native pollinators, to help advance local conservation efforts and foster increased community interest and engagement. Today, many institutions and their partners have successfully initiated at-risk butterfly conservation programs, and numerous others are exploring ways to become involved. However, insufficient experience and familiarity with insects is a critical constraint preventing staff and institutions from adequately planning, implementing and evaluating organism-targeted activities. The information provided is intended to improve staff practices, learn from existing programs, promote broader information exchange, and strengthen institutional ability to develop new or improve existing butterfly conservation initiatives.The information provided is intended to improve staff practices, learn from existing programs, promote broader information exchange, and strengthen institutional ability to develop new or improve existing butterfly conservation initiatives. This book will be useful to professionals from zoos, natural history museums, botanical gardens, wildlife agencies, conservation organizations, land managers, students, and scientist in conservation biology, ecology, entomology, biology, and zoology. Butterfly Recovery Planning: Determining How to Contribute – Jaret C. Daniels, Mitch Magdich and Peter Tolson The Role of AZA-Accredited Zoos and Aquariums in Butterfly Conservation – Shelly Grow, Ruth Allard and Debborah Luke Butterfly Monitoring for Conservation – Doug Taron and Leslie Reis Developing a Rare Butterfly Database for Conservation Purposes: An Example in Florida Using Citizen Scientists – Dean Jue Butterfly Conservation Genetics – Emily Saarinen Managing Land for Butterflies – Doug Taron The Imperiled Mardon Skipper Butterfly: An Initial Conservation Success – Rich Hatfield, Scott Hoffman Black and Sarina Jepsen Habitat Restoration as a Recovery Tool for a Disturbance-dependent Butterfly, The Endangered St. Francis’ Satyr – Heather Clayton, Nick M. Haddad, Brian Ball, Erica Henry and Erik Aschehong Butterflies are Not Grizzly Bears: Lepidoptera Conservation in Practice in California – Travis Longcore and Kendall H. Osborne