Befriending the Butterfly

[MimiBelle]

https://www.fws.gov/savethemonarch/SSA.html

With all the hype that the media has been doing to bring awareness to the honey bee blight and another sister in pollination is also seen their numbers dwindling rapidly as well.  The Monarch Butterflies are also looking grim as well, apparently conservative efforts are being made to help the Monarch Butterflies with incentives for non-federal land owners to encourage conservation for species that are or could become endangered stated in the article "Accessing the status of the Monarch Butterfly" by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 2017. 

The Monarch Butterflies isn't without its enemies either, with predators, parasitoids a specialized insects and parasites. A Monarch butterflies must constantly be on the lookout, luckily nature has given the Monarch butterfly a built-in defense with coloration warning and a chemical compound that can make its enemies quite ill once administered mainly other insects but as the butterfly ages so does the chemical compounds that is it's main protections thus making it less effective according to the article  "Parasites & Natural Enemies" by University of Minnesota Extension office, NA, 2016.

Website, Nature Works (2017), states the Monarch Butterfly live within North America and can be found from Southern Canada clear down to the Caribbean islands. The Nature Works (2017), also affirmed that the Monarch Butterflies also have been established in Hawaii and Australia and although endangered they are not the only butterfly on the endangered list, one that continues to be monitored by enthusiasts and scholars alike.

The World Wild Life Organization (2014),states that the Monarch butterfly can travel from 1,200 to 2,500 miles to get to the central part of Mexico where many of the butterflies migrate for the winter, as the whether is less extreme for them. The Monarch butterfly is consider to have one of the most highly impressive  migration pattern for any insects according the the World Wild life organization's website overview as to "Why They Matter" (2014).

The Butterfly website (2017) state there are at least six other varieties of butterflies are in most critically endangered list as habitat shrinkage is the most common threat to their existence. Palos Verdes Blue Butterfly has been on the endangered list since 1980 and that the Miami Blue Butterflies were first thought to be completely wiped out because of Hurricane Andrew in 1992 according to The Butterfly website (2017) but were rediscovered again in 1999. Though the Miami Blue Butterflies numbers are extremely low and quite possible may be completely gone in the very near future. 

Oh, I do understand not all butterflies will survive forever as evolution, climate change, habitat loss, disease and man-made threats will continue even with the best of conservation tactics; this is the circle of life even for humans. What remains is how well we can preserve, protect and help these beautiful, lovely silent helpers of the pollination cycle continue to exist for as long as possible. This can only be done with the help of the water holders, land keepers and active enthusiasts who want to make sure these insects get a fighting chance to continue to do their work and share their optic beauty with the world.

I may not be in a position where my voice will be heard very loudly or even read by another but at least I can believe that by sharing awareness with other enthusiasts, scholars, active conservationists that successful conservation can be achieve. The are very many interesting sites where information relating to butterflies can be found. Center of Biological Diversity and the North American Butterfly Association are just a few other sites to gain more information regarding butterflies and those that are in critical conditions.   

https://www.fws.gov/savethemonarch/SSA.html ;

https://monarchlab.org/biology-and-research/biology-and-natural-his...    

http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/monarch.html ;

https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/monarch-butterfly   

http://www.butterflywebsite.com/endangered-butterflies.cfm  

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/invertebrates/Miami_blue...

http://www.naba.org/miamiblue.html