Insects use camouflage to protect themselves by looking like inanimate or inedible objects, while mimicry involves one species evolving similar warning color patterns to another.

The study in the current issue of The Annals of the Entomological Society of America helps scientists better understand how organisms depend upon one another, an important factor in predicting how disturbance of natural habitats may lead to species extinctions and loss of biodiversity.

“Mimicry in general is one of the best and earliest-studied examples of natural selection, and it can help us learn where evolutionary adaptations come from,” said UF lepidopterist Keith Willmott, lead author of the study and an associate curator at the Florida Museum of Natural History on the UF campus.

Bright warning coloration has evolved in many insects with physical or chemical defenses and further research into how insects metabolize plant toxins for their own benefit has potential use in the medical field.

“It’s very interesting how caterpillars can detoxify a plant’s poisonous chemicals and resynthesize them for their own chemical defense or for pheromones,” said Florida Museum collection coordinator and study co-author Andrei Sourakov. “We can look at the caterpillars’ metabolic systems to understand how they deal with secondary plant compounds, the toxic plant substances used for centuries as tonics, spices, medicine and recreational drugs.”

Based on the number of eggs laid by a single female butterfly, scientists estimate about 99 percent of caterpillars die before reaching the pupal stage. Survival tactics include sharp spines, toxic chemicals and hairs accompanied by bright warning coloration.

The study focuses on two groups of Neotropical caterpillars: Danaini of the Caribbean Island of Hispaniola and Ithomiini of the upper Amazon in eastern Ecuador. Sourakov raised and observed danaine caterpillars, including the monarch butterfly and its relatives. These species apparently form Müllerian mimicry rings, in which toxic species adopt the same warning color patterns so a predator will more quickly learn which species to avoid.

In Ecuador, Willmott and study co-author Marianne Elias, from the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle in Paris, found that 22 of 41 ithomiine caterpillars displayed some kind of warning coloration. Five exhibited a previously undocumented pattern with a bright yellow body and blue tips, and four were likely Batesian mimics, in which edible species adopt the coloration of an unpalatable model species for protection. These “freeloaders” only appear to have the defense mechanisms of the model species.

“They act almost like parasites, because the mimics are actually edible and therefore deceive predators without having to invest in costly resources to maintain toxicity,” Willmott said. “Such a system can only be stable when the mimics are relatively rare, otherwise predators will learn the trick and attack more individuals of both mimics and models, driving models to evolve novel color patterns to escape the predators.”

Mimicry may be relatively rare in caterpillars because it is more difficult for them to establish bright coloration, Willmott said. A brightly colored caterpillar has less chance of evading predators than a mobile adult butterfly.

“In adults, bright coloration may be favored by sexual selection for signaling to males and females,” Willmott said. “Bright colors may be disadvantageous since they attract predators, but advantageous for attracting mates. Once established, bright colors might then be modified by natural selection for mimicry, another possible reason why mimicry seems to evolve much more frequently in adults than in caterpillars.”

However, Sourakov believes mimicry is more common in caterpillars than scientists realize, but may receive less attention because larvae must be raised to adulthood to identify mimicry complexes, a process that takes weeks of lab work. Also, few collections of immature stages are maintained, and colors are not as well preserved in caterpillars.

“We know mimicry is an important ecological process for several species of animals, and I hope this study will give people incentive to further research immature stages of insects,” said Andre Victor Lucci Freitas, a professor in the Instituto de Biologia at Universidade Estadual de Campinas. “We need to remember in most insects, immature stages are the most abundant.”

- 30 -

Source: Keith Willmott, 352-273-2012, kwillmott@flmnh.ufl.edu
Andrei Sourakov, 352-273-2013, asourakov@flmnh.ufl.edu
Writer: Danielle Torrent, dtorrent@flmnh.ufl.edu
Media contact: Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Whether by buzzing, singing, cawing or hissing, plenty of animals boast their own form of communication. But researchers now hope to unlock a common predator-prey language found in insects and mammals: echolocation in hawkmoths and bats.

“Moths and bats are completely unrelated yet they are talking to each other,” said principal investigator Akito Kawahara, assistant curator of Lepidoptera at the Florida Museum of Natural History. “We can’t hear it, but they certainly can, so we’re trying to do some experiments where we let the two organisms fly together and see how they interact.”

The National Science Foundation recently awarded Kawahara $260,000 to research hawkmoths’ use of echolocation as a defense mechanism against predatory bats. The grant will fund research in Ecuador, French Guinea and Borneo, molecular biology lab work at the Florida Museum, and experiments at a live bat cage in Boise, Idaho, run by co-principal investigator Jesse Barber, an assistant professor of biological sciences at Boise State University.

“There isn’t much work like this done on insects, and it has mostly focused on grasshoppers and crickets communicating with each other,” Kawahara said. “Right now, we have a really confusing ball of information – we have to try to untangle it and determine the many communication mechanisms within the group.”

Previous research shows other moths use sonar defense against bat predators by “jamming” the bats’ echolocation with a sound that confuses them. Based on the fossil record, interaction between moths and bats dates back at least 50 million years and researchers hope to understand how their coexistence may have affected their evolution, including the development of ears in hawkmoths, which are found in their mouths. Hawkmoths make sounds using their genitals and another aspect of the project will address preliminary evidence they use this form of communication in mating.

“We don’t really understand when and how sound production and the ability to hear arose in hawkmoths, but it looks like one led to the other and we don’t know which came first,” Kawahara said.

Hawkmoths are among the fastest and most proficient flying insects. Unlike butterflies, which land on a flower to drink nectar, some hawkmoths hover in midair, similar to hummingbirds. They have wingspans that can reach 6 inches and a curled proboscis, or tongue, up to 10 inches long.

“We’re not only trying to understand the evolution of sound production and hearing, but also the evolution of nectar feeding,” said Kawahara, who will primarily focus on the molecular biology research for the project. “By using genetics, we can build an evolutionary tree to see when and how these things have happened.”

More than 1,000 species of hawkmoths occur worldwide, with the highest diversity in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Researchers will introduce hawkmoths to live bat cages and use devices to measure the different echolocation frequencies and document patterns in as many species as possible. High-speed video cameras will create 3-D reconstructions of confrontations and Kawahara said he also hopes to use the footage for educational and outreach purposes in the future.

“There’s a lot of really interesting stuff going on at night,” Kawahara said. “It’s just like a battle out there – bats versus moths – we just don’t know much about it because it happens in the dark and we can’t hear it.”

- 30 -

Source: Akito Kawahara, 352-273-2018, kawahara@flmnh.ufl.edu
Writer: Danielle Torrent, dtorrent@flmnh.ufl.edu
Media contact: Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

Elementary, middle and high school students in Florida who receive an ‘A’ or ‘S’ grade in science can present their latest report card for free admission to the Butterfly Rainforest with a paid regular price adult admission. Alachua County students receive their next report cards Nov. 8.

The offer is valid until the next report cards are issued. A student receiving another ‘A’ or ‘S’ grade on their next report card would again qualify for the offer through the end of the following grading period.

” ‘A for Science’ is such a popular program that we decided it should not be limited to just a few counties,” said Jaret Daniels, Florida Museum assistant director of exhibits and public programs. “We want to showcase the importance of science statewide, encourage students to do well in school and reward them for receiving outstanding grades.”

The program was available to students in Alachua, Bradford, Clay, Columbia, Gilchrist, Levy, Marion, Putnam and Union counties in 2010.

The Butterfly Rainforest is a 6,400-square-foot, lush, tropical garden with hundreds of living butterflies from around the world, including 60 to 80 different species at any given time.

Children younger than 12 must be accompanied by an adult. This offer has no cash value and cannot be combined with other offers or discounts. Butterfly Rainforest admission is $10.50 for adults ($9 Fla. residents) and $6 for ages 3-17.

For more information about this promotion or other museum events, visit www.flmnh.ufl.edu or call 352-846-2000.

- 30 -

Source: Jaret Daniels, 352-273-2022, jdaniels@flmnh.ufl.edu
Writer: Leeann Bright
Media contact: Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Museum of Natural History will unveil the newly renovated “Monarch Passage” that connects the Central Gallery to the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity at 10 a.m. Saturday. (April 23)

The museum installed seven 46-inch high-definition TVs to display videos of the monarch butterfly’s overwintering colonies in Mexico.

“Visitors to the ‘Monarch Passage’ will be totally surrounded by millions of flying monarch butterflies, as well as scenes of massive clumps of hibernating butterflies turning green mountain fir trees orange,” said McGuire Center Director Thomas C. Emmel.

Most Monarchs, like birds, migrate south in the fall and return every spring. They are the only butterflies known to make a two-way migration. The videos will also display Monarchs drinking from mountain streams, climbing flower stems to feed, courting and mating.

“The experience of being completely immersed in countless numbers of Monarchs at these overwintering colonies has been compared by many visitors to Mexico as one of the greatest spiritual moments and uplifting events in their lives,” Emmel said. “Now, you can come very close to the reality of this moving wilderness experience by visiting the Florida Museum.”

- 30 -

Source: Thomas Emmel, 352-273-2006, tcemmel@flmnh.ufl.edu
Writer: Leeann Bright
Media contact:  Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

Photos available

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The fifth annual ButterflyFest at the Florida Museum of Natural History from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday features free, interactive presentations and activities the entire family will enjoy.

Visitors can listen to presentations about Project Butterfly WINGS, Honduran butterflies and moths, the Monarch Watch organization, worldwide honey bee decline and the migratory patterns of Monarchs. Gardening activities and wildflower walks as well as live butterfly releases will also be offered.

Younger visitors can enjoy arts and crafts, create their own pollinator costumes and participate in a “Pollinator Parade” through the museum. Non-profit organizations will also provide child-friendly activities.

The museum will host a butterfly-friendly plant sale and museum staff will be available to help visitors pick the perfect native nectar, host and accent plants for their gardens. All proceeds from the sale benefit the Butterfly Rainforest exhibit.

Danscompany of Gainesville, Howard Bishop Middle School Band, Objects in Motion, the University of Florida juggling club and The Sedoctives, UF’s all-female a cappella group, will perform during the festival.

Winners of the photography contest will be announced Oct. 23. Winning photos are scheduled to run in the Oct. 24 edition of The Gainesville Sun, which sponsored the contest. Other ButterflyFest sponsors include Cox Communications and GRU.

Fee-based workshops, field trips and tours that require pre-registration are also available. Workshops include: “Painting Butterflies and Moths” with award-winning artist Mindy Lighthipe, “Monarch Tagging” with keynote speaker Chip R. Taylor, “Picture-Perfect Rainforest Photography,” “Advanced Butterfly Garden Design” and a “Butterfly Rearing Workshop.” Visitors can also participate in a fieldtrip to Paynes Prairie to explore native wildlife or take a behind-the-scenes tour of the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity.

The McGuire Center is the world’s largest Lepidoptera research and education facility and houses one of the world’s largest collections of butterflies and moths at more than 9 million specimens. Participants may register online at www.flmnh.ufl.edu/butterflyfest or by calling 352-273-2062.

ButterflyFest is dedicated to increasing awareness of Florida’s butterflies as fun, fascinating ambassadors to the natural world. Presentations, arts and crafts, workshops, field trips and tours will promote inquiry and provide a call to action for the conservation and preservation of backyard wildlife and habitats.

- 30 -

Writer: Leeann Bright
Media contact:  Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

ButterflyFest Activity Schedule
10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Oct. 23 -24

Fri. Oct. 22

8-11 a.m. Water and Wildlife field trip (fee based)

1-3 p.m. & 3-5 p.m. Monarch tagging workshop (fee based)

Sat. Oct. 23

8:30-9:30 a.m. Butterflies Behind-the-Scenes Tour (fee based)

8:30-9:30 a.m. Picture Perfect – Rainforest Photography (fee based)

10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Pollinator Costume Creation

10 a.m. – 5 p.m. ButterflyFest Craft

10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Non-profit Organization Family Activities

10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Potted Butterfly Garden Activity

10:30-11 a.m. Pollinator Photography Contest Award Ceremony

11:30 a.m. – noon Butterfly Identification Bingo

11:30 a.m. Pollination Parade

12:30-1:15 p.m. Biodiversity of Butterflies and Moths of Honduras by McGuire Center Director Thomas Emmel and McGuire Center Lepidoptera Curator Jacqueline Miller

1-1:15 p.m. Live Butterfly Release

1:30 p.m. Objects in Motion (live performance)

1:30-2:30 p.m. Monarch Watch presentation by keynote speaker Chip Taylor

2 p.m. Pollination Parade

2:30-3 p.m. Butterfly Identification Bingo

2:30 p.m. Danscompany of Gainesville (live performance)

2:30-3:30 p.m. Advanced Butterfly Garden Design Workshop (fee based)

3:15-4 p.m. Worldwide Honeybee Decline presentation by Wayne “Chappie” McChesney

3:30 -3:45 p.m. Live Butterfly Release

Wildflower walks occur every hour on the hour from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and last for 20 minutes

Sunday Oct. 24

8:30-9:30 a.m. Butterflies Behind-the-Scenes Tour (fee based)

8:30-9:30 a.m. Picture Perfect – Rainforest Photography (fee based)

10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Pollinator Costume Creation

10 a.m. – 5 p.m. ButterflyFest Craft

10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Non-profit Organization Family Activities

10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Potted Butterfly Garden Activity

11:30 a.m. – noon Butterfly Identification Bingo

11:30 a.m. Pollination Parade

12:30-12:45 p.m. Live Butterfly Release

1 p.m. Sedoctives (live performance)

1:30-2:30 p.m. Migratory Patterns of the Monarch presentation by Chip Taylor

2 p.m. Pollination Parade

2:30-3:30 p.m. Butterfly Rearing Workshop (fee based)

2:30-3:00 p.m. Butterfly Identification Bingo

3 p.m. Howard Bishop Middle School Band (live performance)

3:30-3:45 p.m. Live Butterfly Release

Wildflower walks occur every hour on the hour from 11 a.m.to 4 p.m. and last for 20 minutes.

- ## -

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Two Florida Museum of Natural History scientists have received nearly $500,000 from the National Science Foundation to curate butterfly and moth collections in the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity.

Andrei Sourakov and Keith Willmott received the $495,989 grant to integrate the Ulf Eitschberger specimens from Germany into the McGuire Center’s collections and fund other projects for the center.

Sourakov said the three-year project will help solidify the McGuire Center collections as one of the best and most accessible in the world.

“The ability of our institution to secure outside support for curation of incoming collections is what prompts people to donate to us,” Sourakov said. “Funding from the National Science Foundation will be used to offset the cost of collection drawers, other supplies, and curatorial assistants. Once this collection is integrated, it will stimulate dozens of research projects, scientific publications and books.”

The Eitschberger collection is one of the largest Lepidoptera collections ever donated to a public museum and contains nearly 1 million specimens from around the world. Curating the collection will require 7,000 new specimen storage drawers and thousands of man-hours.

Sourakov and Willmott have recruited visiting curator Vladimir Lukhtanov from St. Petersburg State University in Russia for the project. Lukhtanov is a world-renowned expert on butterflies from the Palearctic region, the ecozone comprised of Europe, northern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and northern Asia, where most of the specimens in the collection were collected. Lukhtanov will work with Sourakov and Willmott to sort the collection, identify specimens and conduct research projects.

The collection was previously held at the Entomologisches Museum Eitschberger in Germany and recently donated to the Florida Museum of Natural History by Dr. William and Nadine McGuire of Wayzata, Minn., as part of a gift of 2.2 million specimens donated to the museum.

The National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency that promotes scientific progress and advancements in national health, prosperity and welfare by funding small-scale research projects. About 10,000 awards are issued each year for research proposals in the fields of mathematics, engineering, computer science and social sciences.

- 30 -

Source: Andrei Sourakov, 352-273-2013, asourakov@flmnh.ufl.edu
Keith Willmott, 352-273-2012, kwillmott@flmnh.ufl.edu
Writer: Morgan Lamborn
Media contact: Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

The indoor butterfly and moth exhibits help visitors better understand the scientific value of the collections and the cutting-edge biological research that occurs in the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity. The center holds one of the world’s largest butterfly and moth collections at more than 9 million specimens.

“In highlighting our research for the public, we hope to inspire young people to get involved in science,” said Darcie MacMahon, Florida Museum assistant director of exhibits. “These informative and interactive butterfly exhibits will make learning about butterflies and moths easier and even more fun.”

The McGuire Center is the world’s largest Lepidoptera education and research facility, and scientists in the center’s labs work to save imperiled butterflies from extinction, define unknown species, and understand butterfly and moth genetic history and relationships.

At the Butterfly Rainforest Rearing Lab, visitors can view panels with text, pictures and objects explaining where the butterflies are farmed and how they are shipped and arrive at the museum.

When a scientist is in the lab, visitors may ask questions and receive instant answers using the new two-way intercom system. The lab’s new pupae display cases are made of acrylic, making them easier to clean, more secure against parasites and visually more appealing to the public. Photos displayed in the cases identify the pupae and adult butterflies. Visitors may also flip through a hands-on butterfly field guide located outside the lab that highlights the different live butterfly species displayed in the Butterfly Rainforest exhibit.

Other new viewing stations located throughout the McGuire Center include interactive reading panels and displays in front of labs focusing on collections, special projects, imaging, DNA and morphology.

The exhibits are free, though donations are accepted. For more information about the new exhibits, the Butterfly Rainforest or ButterflyFest call 352-846-2000 or visit www.flmnh.ufl.edu.

- 30 -

Source: Darcie MacMahon, 352-273-2053, dmacmahon@flmnh.ufl.edu
Writer: Lauren Churchwell
Media contact: Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Florida Museum of Natural History will release tagged monarch butterflies, hold gardening and photography workshops and feature expert speakers on a variety of gardening and pollinator wildlife topics during its annual ButterflyFest Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 24-25).

ButterflyFest is a celebration of all pollinators and encourages visitors to explore their role in our ecosystem through crafts, games and presentations. The festival also includes activities, entertainment, food vendors, workshops and tours for the whole family.

Florida Museum staff will release hundreds of Monarch butterflies both days of the festival. The Florida Museum is participating for the third year in the national Monarch Watch program, which tracks the butterflies’ migration to Mexico with citizen reports using tiny stickers attached to the butterflies’ wings.

The museum will also share how best to attract butterflies to home gardens. Visitors will have the opportunity to purchase native, nectar, host and accent plants. All proceeds benefit the Butterfly Rainforest.

Each workshop is being held at a partner organization with an established butterfly conservation or reintroduction program.

This year’s festival features keynote speaker Thomas Allen, a wildlife research ecologist, author and artist who lives in southwest Florida.

Field trips include a new tour of Paynes Prairie from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday. This hike includes many opportunities to see the prairie’s abundant wildlife, including alligators, amphibians and more than 270 species of birds. Discover the wonders of Gainesville’s wetlands and how they impact the aquifer. Lunch and transportation are not provided.

Festival admission is free, and fees for special activities such as butterfly pinning workshops and butterfly garden design workshops range in price from $25 to $50. Visit www.flmnh.ufl.edu/butterflyfest/registration.htm for online registration for behind-the-scenes tours and workshops. For more information, visit www.flmnh.ufl.edu/butterflyfest/ or call 352-846-2000.

- 30 -

Writer: Lauren Churchwell
Media contact: Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A gift of more than 2 million butterfly and moth specimens to the University of Florida contains hundreds and possibly more than 1,000 new unnamed species, and will help researchers better understand biodiversity and environmental changes.

The gift to the Florida Museum of Natural History from Dr. William and Nadine McGuire of Wayzata, Minn., is valued at more than $41 million, and also includes funding for curation of the Lepidoptera collection, ongoing taxonomic and biodiversity related research, training of scientists and publication of books and relevant papers. The gift brings the number of specimens in UF’s collection to more than 9 million, one of the world’s largest.

“It is important that both the world’s scientific community and the general public recognize that one of the compelling issues of the early 21st century is the global threat to the present diversity of life on earth,” Bill McGuire said. “It is our belief that this threat to biodiversity demands a stepped-up educational and research effort on the part of universities and governments worldwide.”

McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity Director Thomas Emmel displays some of the 2.2 million butterflies and moths recently donated to the Florida Museum of Natural History. Emmel said the gift from Dr. William and Nadine McGuire contains “hundreds and possible more than 1,000 new species” and reinforces the center’s strength as the world’s largest Lepidoptera education and research facility. Photo by Jeff Gage

UF President Bernie Machen welcomed the McGuires’ gift and said it speaks volumes about the university’s place in environmental studies.

“The McGuires’ support of biodiversity and Lepidoptera research at UF helps solidify the university’s major commitment to understanding and preserving biodiversity and the environment,” Machen said. “This private sector support of global issues is the mark of true, selfless philanthropy.”

The Florida Museum of Natural History houses the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, named for the McGuires after previous gifts. McGuire Center Director Thomas Emmel said this “unparalleled and unique” gift includes butterflies from every continent except Antarctica, and from geographic sites no longer accessible to scientists.

The Large Copper butterfly from England, (Lycaena dispar dispar), picutured here, became extinct in 1848. These specimens are from a recent gift of 2.2 million butterflies and moths from Dr. William and Nadine McGuire to the University of Florida McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity. Now part of the university’s Florida Museum of Natural History collections, the specimens are available to researchers studying biodiversity and environmental issues. Photo by Jeff Gage

“The Florida Museum and UF are extremely fortunate that Bill McGuire, who has a lifelong interest in Lepidoptera, knew and recognized the importance of biodiversity and the scientific value of assembling comprehensive collections for taxonomic and other research uses,” Emmel said. “It will take years to completely curate this collection, but we know it contains hundreds, and possibly more than 1,000, species new to science.”

Emmel said Lepidoptera research is critical to the study of the world’s ecosystems because butterflies are good flagship species to assess environmental health.

“An important aspect of the gift is the recognition that the University of Florida now offers the best training and research center in the world for students, postdoctoral fellows and professionals in the many fields that will be using these collections as a database for biodiversity education and research,” Emmel said. “The specimens in the collection represent thousands of rare species, many from locations now destroyed by urban development or rainforest clearing.”

The gift of 2.2 million specimens includes butterflies and moths accumulated during the past 50 years by leading taxonomists, collectors and field biologists throughout the world. It also contains thousands of “type” specimens from which new species were described by specialists as far back as the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity Director Thomas Emmel displays a Callicore pastazza, left, and Nessaea lesouderi butterfly, both from the American tropics. The specimens are part of a gift of 2.2 million butterflies and moths recently donated to the Florida Museum of Natural History by Dr. William and Nadine McGuire. Photo by Jeff Gage

“Many of the specimens are irreplaceable samples of extinct species and populations, or were collected from localities where the butterflies no longer live,” said Florida Museum Director Douglas Jones. “The long series of individuals of many species in this collection will allow researchers to study population and genetic variability so important to biodiversity research, unlike the ‘Noah’s ark’ approach of one male and one female seen in some collections. Students and scientists worldwide will visit the museum to work with this unique resource and the incredible database it provides.”

Many ecologists worldwide now use butterfly and moth species as indicators for the overall biodiversity of an ecosystem or plant and animal community.

“Like canaries warning miners of dangerous gases in coal mines, the Lepidoptera are particularly sensitive to poisons in the environment, such as pesticides or heavy metals,” Emmel said. “They are also good indicators of the impact of climate change and global warming on the survival and distribution of animals and plants.”

Although the McGuires did not attend UF, they have a history of strong support for the university. Their earlier contributions include a $4.2 million gift in 2000 for construction of the Lepidoptera facilities at the museum and a live butterfly rainforest exhibit; $3 million to establish the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity in 2002; and $2.5 million to complete construction of a theater and dance facility on the UF campus in 2004.

- 30 -

Sources: Tom Emmel, 352-392-5894, tcemmel@ufl.edu
Doug Jones, 352-273-1901, dsjones@flmnh.ufl.edu
Writer: Paul Ramey, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu
Media Contact: Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu

The program educates professionals from natural history museums, zoos and botanical gardens about butterfly conservation and recovery strategies. The workshop is the second in a series of five programs over two years that include intensive laboratory and field training sessions. Participants will work side-by-side with staff from the Florida Museum and other partner organizations.

“We are extremely excited about the tremendous diversity of program participants and institutions,” said Jaret Daniels, assistant curator of Lepidoptera for the Florida Museum McGuire Center of Lepidoptera and Biodiversity and one of the workshop leaders. “The corresponding synergy will go a long way to help strengthen imperiled butterfly conservation and awareness efforts nationwide.”

The program is providing scholarships for attendees, which allows participation from a variety of small and large institutions. The Imperiled Butterfly Conservation and Management program is a partnership between the Florida Museum, Chicago Academy of Sciences’, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum (Chicago), Oregon Zoo, Toledo Zoo, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (Miami), the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and the Butterfly Conservation Initiative, a coalition of state and federal organizations based at the Florida Museum working to preserve North American butterflies and their habitats.

Each workshop is being held at a partner organization with an established butterfly conservation or reintroduction program.

Workshop participants will learn about the Florida Museum Miami Blue project, aimed at reestablishing populations of the endangered butterfly in previous native ranges in south Florida. The first workshop was held July 13-16 at the Toledo Zoo. The remaining workshops are planned for March 22-25, 2010, at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden; June 24-27, 2010, at the Oregon Zoo; and June 20-24, 2011, at the Chicago Academy of Sciences.

For more information call 352-846-2000 or visit www.flmnh.ufl.edu.

- 30 -

Source: Jaret Daniels, 352-273-2022, jdaniels@flmnh.ufl.edu
Writer: Morgan Lamborn
Media contact: Paul Ramey, 352-273-2054, pramey@flmnh.ufl.edu