Baltimore checkerspot

[skates4marty]

Volunteers try to restore Maryland's vanishing butterfly
Baltimore Checkerspots reared in captivity to offset wild declines

http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/gr ... ory?page=1

[Mona Miller]

What the article doesn't mention is that I brought the Friends of Black Hills 2 van loads of white turtlehead and last year prepared and gave them a presentation on how to captive breed them. Denise Gibbs had helped me in the past with giving me loads of turtlehead plugs. I raised these and maintained them in pots. I also propagated my own plants, too. Potted plants are easier to feed to larvae.

I have answered questions for the Friends of Black Hill Regional Park on this topic during the process. I even went out into the field and advised them on what web to take. I lost my Baltimore colony this year. So far, nothing at the park or home. I got second year caterpillars in the spring of 2006 from NY (with a USDA permit) so I was breeding them for 5 years before they crashed. I was able to collect some eggs from 2 males and 2 females that remained, but they didn't hatch. I told the Black Hills group that this is a learning process. The why, the how, is all part of the science of it. Meadowlark Botanical Gardens (location of my colony) did mow their meadow in late spring this year--not a good idea. They left a small portion where the Baltimores were located, but the Baltimores spread out in the spring.

I also took Jay McRoberts a van load of white turtlehead, some white ash, and blue vervain, too. He has a Baltimore colony on his property. I was getting pretty depressed this spring without any caterpillars to feed so I let Jay have it all. No money exchanged hands, but I told Denise Gibbs that this was a good opportunity to work with Jay to diversify the two groups of Baltimores. Jay gave them a few caterpillars and then they ended up releasing adults (I don't know if they took him eggs) on Jay's property. I think one of the major problems is genetic diversity. There are so few colonies that they are becoming inbreed, which weakens the existing colonies.

[Mona Miller]

Plus:

Last year, I spent hours preparing a powerpoint presentation and gave them a presentation on how to captive breed them. The set up, the life cycle, the host and nectar sources, the needs, the hows, and supplies needed...around 2 1/2 hour presentation. They duplicated my techniques to rear their larvae.

[skates4marty]

Thanks for posting that info.

[Mona Miller]

Denise tells me that there were 12 other volunteers through the Friends of Black Hills that helped rear the Baltimores. 8 other people didn't even get credit.

[Mona Miller]

I'm working on a blog to detail my Baltimore Checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton) introduction at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens and the techniques that I used to breed and rear them.

I will also be detailing how to rear other butterflies and moths in the same blog. I call it Lepping in VA.

http://leppingva.wordpress.com/2011/07/ ... l-gardens/