willingarden's Journal

I am ready for a 1,000 more! Thank you to everyone on iNaturalist, this has been a great tool that seems to only get better. I have spent a year using the app and have recorded 200 species in California, 200 in Georgia, and 600 in Louisiana where I work in an arboretum, an ideal place to make observations.

I have found much help from people making IDs living all over the world. There are bee experts in the UK, insect experts in Canada, and bird experts right here in Louisiana, who have all been great guides. I hope to increase the nearly 500 research grade entries to help scientists and hobbyists alike.

I taught a native plant class using my discoveries and several students picked up the app, as well as phenology recording app for those even rarer few. Butterfly chasing is what I began to rely on to find associations, but soon moth sheeting and other specialized group gatherings really opened the doors. But echoing what was said at the Native Prairie conference, what we observe we now have to do an equally good job sharing.

The Mexican Cycadian butterfly (E. toxea) has coevolved with cycads. The exact species associations along with range has not been developed. After reaching 500 observations on iNaturalist, this is a look into some kinship models.

While the countries covered include Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador and Nicaragua, where 200 of the approximately 300 species of cycad also occur, there is an island that has recorded the butterfly with just two cycad species present.

On Cleopha Island grows Z. paucijuga and Z. loddigesii, and looking at these planted ranges shows Z. paucijuga creates the western extent while Z. loddigesii is the eastern range of the 500 observations. These two species would benefit from a further study to examine life cycles and other co-benefits to the Mexican Cycadian butterfly.

Cycads showing the way for the butterfly observations.

Figure of Constructed Range based on Island Species