Endangered Butterflies/Endangered Districts
An interesting commentary from an entomologist with the Florida Keys Mosquito District was penned in the spring edition of Wing Beats. The scientist mentioned the historic conflict between butterfly enthusiasts and mosquito control districts. In particular, he described a report aired by CBS News Sunday Morning in 2003 that implied that the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District’s adulticide operation was threatening a population of the Miami blue butterfly. Enthusiasts are now pressuring the Federal government to declare this an endangered species, which will make the insect subject to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973.
The point raised by the entomologist is that under the ESA, an endangered “species” may be a subspecies, a deme, a colony of recent arrivals, or simply a geographic variant. The Miami blue butterfly is a subspecies, a member of the Cyclargus thomasi complex, which is in no danger of extinction, flourishing on several Caribbean islands. Additionally, two experts on the blue butterflies wrote in 1995 that the subspecies designation in this species might not be representative of good subspecies. However, since the butterfly once occurred in Florida, apparently disappeared, and was “rediscovered”, it has been deemed worthy of protection.
The entomologist urged mosquito control districts to learn about nontarget fauna in their district, so that they do not have to play “catch up” while facing an organized advocacy campaign. Additionally, districts should be proactive in emphasizing the public health benefit of the programs and educate people on modern mosquito control services that safeguard the environment. (Wing Beats, Spring, 2004).
