Wormsloe Butterfly Gardens
http://butterflygardens.
Ania Majewska, Sonia Altizer, Andy Davis
Odum School of Ecology
University of Georgia
problem arising from climate change, disease and habitat loss.
Pollinator--‐friendly gardens could afford lost natural habitat and serve as
corridors between fragmented habitats. Further work is needed to quantify
the effects in a variety of pollinators, including butterflies, which have
not been examined. To elucidate
the role of gardens on abundance and recruitment, we use a field-based
experimental approach, the first to our knowledge, to assess whether gardens
are beneficial to butterfly communities.
The Gardens
·
12 gardens, 25 by 50 feet, fenced, equally watered
·
12 types of perennials /garden
·
128 plants arranged in 8x16 matrix with random positions
·
Gardens consist of all native or all exotic plants and receive high or low
maintenance (weeding)
Can the intensity of garden maintenance and
native vs exotic plants affect butterflies?
·
Higher weeds, as seen on the right, might provide effective hiding sites
from predators
·
Exotic
plants may be attractive but serve as poor quality food for adults and
caterpillars
How do we know gardens help butterflies?
·
By monitoring host plants for eggs and caterpillars, we can assess
reproduction.
·
We collect caterpillars to rear them in lab and check them for parasites and
disease
·
We observe gardens for presence and number of predators
·
Using capture--‐mark--‐recapture, we determine abundance and survivorship
What
are the threats to butterfly survival?
·
Natural enemies include birds and invertebrate predators: praying mantids,
wasps, and assassin bugs
·
Butterflies are also victim to parasites: protozoans such as
Ophryocystis elektroscirrha
and parasitoids such as tachinid fly