Florida is home to an incredible array of butterflies and moths that adorn our landscapes with vibrant colors and graceful flight. More than 160 butterfly species breed in Florida and about 200 species migrate through the state. These delicate creatures captivate our imagination and play important roles in nature. Our native butterflies require a broad range of habitats and native plants that provide food and shelter throughout their lifecycles. We are working to protect natural places for the benefit of people and nature, including butterflies, in southwest Florida! In this blog post, we’ll discuss the intimate connection between butterflies and native plants, the role of butterflies as pollinators and food for wildlife, and how we can help protect and support native butterfly populations.
One of the most intriguing aspects of butterflies is their intricate relationship with plants. Native plants and butterflies are the ultimate evolutionary partners, and adapted to provide each other with essential resources and services throughout their lifecycles. Butterflies, known for their specialized diets, often rely on specific native plants as host species for their eggs and as nectar sources for adults. For instance, the Monarch butterfly lays its eggs exclusively on milkweed plants, which serve as the sole food source for their caterpillars. In return, adult butterflies pollinate milkweed flowers as they feed on nectar, facilitating milkweed reproduction and improving genetic diversity. But their relationship doesn’t end there. Milkweed plants contain toxic cardenolides that attack the enzymes crucial for keeping potassium and sodium concentrations balanced within the cells of would-be predators. Monarch caterpillars, however, can convert milkweed cardenolides into less toxic forms, and store them in their bodies as a lifelong deterrent against predators such as birds. This chemical protection allows more adult monarchs to successfully reproduce and pollinate even more milkweed!
In addition to their role as pollinators, butterflies bring balance to the natural world by serving as a critical food source for other wildlife. While butterfly and moth caterpillars are often viewed as pests due to their feeding habits on plants, they are essential prey for numerous bird species and their young. Birds such as warblers, sparrows, and songbirds rely on annual cycles of caterpillar emergence as a food source during the breeding season.
Butterflies and caterpillars can be found in diverse habitats, from windswept beach dunes to steamy cypress swamps, but habitat loss and degradation have led to significant declines in some butterfly species. Butterflies are also threatened by insecticide use, hurricanes, and invasive species like fire ants that specialize in eating butterflies’ eggs and caterpillars. One of the best ways we can help butterflies is to protect the native habitats where they live. Here in southwest Florida, we are working to protect and restore a wide range of natural habitats that butterflies rely on. Some butterfly species are abundant and can survive well in urban and disturbed environments. Others, have very specific habitat and host plant requirements, and in some local areas, are declining or have been lost completely due to habitat destruction.
For example, the Miami blue butterfly, which once ranged from Tampa on the west coast to Daytona Beach on the east coast, is now considered one of the most critically endangered butterflies in North America and can only be found on a few isolated islands in the Florida Keys. This minute silver and blue butterfly historically inhabited tropical hardwood hammocks, pine rocklands, and beachside scrub habitats, but began to decline in the 1980s and 90s as our coastlines became more developed. Unfortunately, the higher-elevation coastal habitats with well-draining soils preferred by the Miami blue butterfly also became preferred locations for human real estate development. Today, few of these sensitive habitats remain on Florida’s mainland. Miami blue butterflies have also been impacted by isolation, tropical storms, and invasive species.
In 1992, Hurricane Andrew further devastated the remaining colonies of Miami blue butterflies, leading to a presumed extinction. Miraculously, a colony was discovered seven years later at Bahia Honda State Park in the Florida Keys, but unfortunately, invasive green iguanas soon preyed upon their host plant, the grey nickerbean. Coupled with a period of cold temperatures and drought conditions, the Miami blue butterfly was presumed extinct again by 2010. However, just a few years later, a population was discovered on remote islands in the Key West National Wildlife Refuge and the Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge. Now, these low-lying islands are being threatened by sea-level rise and intense hurricanes. To increase the resilience of the Miami blue butterfly in the face of climate change, researchers from both federal and state agencies are working to captively breed and reintroduce Miami blue butterflies to suitable habitats in the Florida Keys.
The story of the Miami blue butterfly is one of many that illustrate the challenges butterflies face in an increasingly developed environment. The Atala butterfly is another native species that was once presumed extinct but is now making a comeback. This small black butterfly with iridescent blue spots and a bright orange abdomen was declared extinct in Florida in 1937 due to the overharvest of its larval host plant, the coontie. Luckily, a colony was discovered on a barrier island near Miami in 1979 and they have since rebounded. In recent years, the coontie has become a popular plant in the landscape trade, and Atala butterflies have made an amazing comeback across Florida. So much so, that colonies can now be found in southwest Florida due to the large-scale planting of coontie in both home and commercial landscapes!
In the face of so many threats, Florida’s native butterflies need our help! Installing native plants that support caterpillars with nourishment and provide nectar for adults in residential yards and communal spaces is an important first step. Native plants are well-adapted to Florida’s climate and soil conditions, requiring less water and maintenance once established, which makes them both environmentally friendly and sustainable for property owners. Native plants not only create a haven for butterflies but also contribute to the overall health and biodiversity of our neighborhoods by creating resource corridors for wildlife that are traveling between larger natural areas.
As urban development continues to encroach on natural habitats, protecting butterfly populations will require proactive land conservation. You can help by raising awareness in your community about the importance of butterflies and by advocating for policies that prioritize habitat conservation and restoration. Most importantly, you can get involved with local organizations that are working to protect wild Florida. At Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, we are working urgently to save land and water in southwest Florida, so that butterflies and all wildlife can thrive alongside us in harmony.
