Butterfly Time!
Tuesday, April 1, 2025
Butterfly Time!
Today’s special animal friend is the Western pygmy blue butterfly, Brephidium exilis. It is definitely the smallest butterfly in North America, with a wingspan of ½ to ¾ inch, and it’s in the running for the smallest in the world. Entomologists don’t want to commit because there might be an unknown, smaller one out there. The name “pygmy blue” comes from a little bit of powder blue coloring at the base of the wings. The overall color is copper brown edged with white.
The WPB’s range stretches from the southwestern United States to southern Mexico and includes several Caribbean islands. Sometimes they are found in unexpected states like Nebraska and Oregon. There is also an introduced population in the Persian Gulf region, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. There are four subspecies with different geographic concentrations.
Some of the plants this butterfly likes are salvia, lamb’s tongue, goosefoot, saltbush, and pigweed. Many of these are found in environments with alkaline soil, but salvia grows pretty much everywhere and also attracts hummingbirds. Male WPBs compete for territories around these plants in order to gain access to females. After mating, the females lay eggs on the leaves and stems of these plants. The caterpillars eat the leaves and the flowers of the host plants.
The caterpillars are yellow-green with little white protuberances. IUCN has not evaluated this species, but they are reported to have a “globally secure” population and require no special conservation measures.
Another butterfly, just for fun, is Rajah Brooke’s Birdwing, Trogonoptera brookiana. Named for James Brooke, the White Rajah of Sarawak, it is found in parts of Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia. This butterfly has a wingspan of about six inches and brilliantly green markings.
Rajah Brooke's Birdwing is rated Least Concern by IUCN, but trade is restricted under CITES, because it's the kind of thing people would collect. You could go to Malaysia to see them, or you can just visit CSLF, which is cheaper, and you know where the bathroom is.
Editorial note: Today is the Middle School Regional Envirothon, featuring Daughter D of the “Ladies and Gent” team as well as four other Union County Homeschool teams. Rah!
Good morning. I have rousted D out of bed. She is not happy. We have to leave by 7:15 to avoid getting stuck in traffic.
Greetings from Dan Nicholas Park in Salisbury, NC, where the Middle School Envirothon competitors have one more test.
I just heard a barred owl. It's in the other side of the lake.
Two Chinese men and a little boy are fishing near me. They've caught three or four bluegills.