Maine Butterfly Survey
MBS Background & Introduction
With
at least 118 species native to Maine, butterflies contribute a colorful
and conspicuous component to our state’s biological diversity.
Butterflies play an important ecological role in terrestrial and wetland
ecosystems by serving both as pollinators of many wildflowers and as prey
(both caterpillars and adults) to larger species ranging from dragonflies to
neotropical migrant birds. Butterflies
are also widely recognized for their value as ecological indicators of ecosystem
stress due to such factors as climate change, pollution, and habitat loss
(Sparrow et al. 1994). Their
potential economic contribution in terms of “watchable wildlife” is
difficult to estimate, but clearly no other group of insects has attracted as
much attention from amateur naturalists and ecotourists, a group whose ranks
increasingly include bird watchers armed with close-focusing binoculars in place
of collecting nets. Many neighboring
state’s and provinces -- Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New
Brunswick -- have compiled updated atlases of their butterfly fauna, but despite
growing local interest in butterflies and their conservation Maine has only a
baseline level of knowledge of the group (See Webster and deMaynadier 2005 under
“MBS Press & Publications” to download a baseline assessment of
Maine’s butterflies).
There
is an increasing demand from conservation planners for information on the status
and distribution of all forms of wildlife in Maine.
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) frequently
receives requests for data on butterflies and moths from land trusts,
environmental organizations, state permitting agencies, consulting biologists,
and members of the general public. This
is in part because several of Maine’s butterfly species are of regional,
national, and global conservation concern. Of
special note is the relatively high proportion (~20%) of Maine butterflies that
are currently considered Historic or Extirpated (9 spp.), or state-listed as
Endangered, Threatened, or Special Concern (15 spp.), a result
consistent with global trends elsewhere for the group.
Greater statewide butterfly survey effort will likely demonstrate that
some species are more widespread and abundant than formerly believed, while
others are likely to merit increased conservation attention.
By marshalling the efforts of professional and citizen scientists from
across Maine, this 5-year statewide butterfly atlas is designed to provide MDIFW
and its partners with a significant increase in knowledge on the status and
distribution of our state’s butterfly fauna, as well as geographic priorities
for it’s conservation.