Bi-sexual Butterfly

A stunning butterfly that emerged from its chrysalis as male on one side, female on the other, has astounded curators at the Natural History Museum in London. The peculiar nature of the freshly hatched great mormon butterfly was spotted when staff noticed a striking difference between its wing colourings and other features. The insect, which has a 10cm wingspan, is almost black on its male side, but the female side is much paler, with clearly visible flecks of blue, red and tortoiseshell. A closer inspection revealed the insect to have one antenna longer than the other, a single male clasp on its abdomen, and male and female reproductive organs that had fused down the middle. The butterfly hatched two weeks ago during the Sensational Butterflies exhibition that runs at the museum until September. "It's an amazing butterfly. The split is purely bilateral – even the colour of one side of its body is slightly different," said Luke Brown, manager of Sensational Butterflies. "It has half-male, half-female sexual organs welded together. So they don't work, it is infertile."

Insects can be born gynandromorphs – with male and female cells – when sex chromosomes fail properly to separate when the fertilised egg divides. Around one in ten thousand butterflies is a gynandromorph. Many dual-sex butterflies probably go unnoticed, because the males and females look alike. Brown, who has seen only two other gynandromorphs in his career, said the butterfly was feeding and flying well, and was expected to have a normal life expectancy of around one month. The specimen will become part of the museum's lepidoptera collection. In 2008, a half-male, half-female moth emerged at the museum. The insect had one bright yellow wing and another that looked brown and dusty. Crabs and lobsters can also be gynandromorphs. Blanca Huertas, curator of butterflies at the museum, said: "The gynandromorph butterfly is a fascinating scientific phenomenon, and is the product of complex evolutionary processes. It is fantastic to have discovered one hatching on museum grounds, particularly as they are so rare.' *Guardian

New Butterfly Species Found

Butterflies

Butterfly Conservation Ireland are reporting that, following a new study of wood white butterflies in Ireland and other parts of Europe, a new ‘cryptic' species of Wood white has been identified by DNA tests. In the late 1980s a new European species of Wood white butterfly was discovered when Leptidea sinapis (Wood white) was found to "hide" a cryptic species, Leptidea reali, or Réal's Wood White. The 2 species are separable based on their genitalia. Both species live in the same geographical area, the Palaearctic: region comprising Eurasia north of the Himalayas, North Africa and the temperate part of the Arabian Peninsula, and the distribution of reali is almost as wide as that of sinapis.

Previous studies of the behavioural and ecological aspects of L.sinapis and L.reali show that: Females only accept as mates males of their own species, Only small ecological differences exist (larval foodplant preferences), Differing niche preferences of the 2 species is not caused by their being separate species Differences in phenology (e.g. when a larva pupates, when the adult flies etc) and voltinism (number of generations in a year) are mostly caused by the effect on the butterfly of its environment, The female tendency to mate is influenced by its response to environmental conditions.

In the study by Dinca et al molecular data, chromosome data and male genitalia shape was used to study the species pair Wood White and Réal's Wood White. When doing this work it was discovered that L. reali consists of 2 species identical in appearance yet genetically and karyologically distinct (i.e. containing differing numbers of chromosomes/chromosomes differing in appearance). *Wildlife Extra

Free eBook..!..."Create a Butterfly Haven in Your Own Backyard!"

Free eBook for Wildlife Bytes subscribers!..."Create a Butterfly Haven in Your Own Backyard!"

This eBook starts off with an Introduction and a little bit of info about butterflies, including some of the threats they face. Why should you attract butterflies to your garden anyway? How the butterfly exists in four distinct forms, and how the butterfly's three steps of metamorphosis -- as caterpillar, pupa and then winged insect -- are reminiscent of spiritual transformation. The mythology and symbolism of butterflies in different cultures, and Aboriginal stories about butterflies. About the Irish butterfly beliefs, and the Blackfeet and Soshone Indians butterfly legends, and more, and how the Maya Indians looked upon butterflies also as the spirits of dead warriors in disguise descending to earth.


Read about how we nearly lost (and may still lose) the beautiful Richmond Birdwing Butterfly, and how you can take simple action in your garden to help save this species. Read about a butterflie's life, how they start life as eggs laid on plants, and which plants to grow to attract the adult butterflies. Find out how to plan your butterfly garden, which plants to grow if you live in Australia, or the US, or the UK. Do butterflies like weeds? Find out about the importance of sunlight to both plants and butterflies, what soil type is best, and how to provide a sense of safety for the butterflies that visit your garden.


Learn which plants to grow to attract adult butterflies, and how to also provide plants that the butterfly caterpillers can eat. How long does a butterfly live, and what color flowers do they like best? Find out in this free eBook. Also find out how to take beautiful butterfly photographs, some photo tips, and where to find Internet and reference book resources to provide even more information about butterflies. Note that you will need Adobe Reader (a free download) in your computer to read this eBook, which is also a free download from WPAA. Rightclick to download "Create a Butterfly Haven in Your Own Backyard!" here....

http://www.australian-backyard-wildlife.com/support-files/butterflies.pdf.pdf

Aussie Animal Flood Victim Appeal!

Sydney Pet Rescue & Adoption, has launched the Animal Flood Victims Emergency Appeal, and together with various other rescue groups, they are working hard to raise funds to support animals affected by the recent devastating floods in Qld. The Wildlife Protection Association of Australia is one of the organisations they have chosen to support with the Appeal. We will be using the funds they raise to support foster carers in the worst affected and priority areas, with financial support to assist with the rescue and foster care of wildlife. ……….We thank SPRA and all the rescue groups who are working hard with them, for their support…..

Please click on this link to find out more about the appeal: SPRA Flood Animal Appeal Here!

Monarchs 4/3/10

Monarch Butterflies Monarch butterflies are currently at their lowest population on record, according to recent data from the World Wildlife Fund Mexico. The current colony size is 1.92 hectares, down from the previous low of 2.19 hectares in 2004 and far down from the recorded high of 21.6 hectares in 1995. Problematic population dynamics, damage to their native habitat across the United States and Canada, and damage to overwintering sites have all had dramatically negative effects on the butterflies' population. The monarch population census is conducted by measuring the total area each colony covers. There are reasonably accurate population measurements going back 16 years, and in that time, the population has declined rapidly. The average size of the population over the last 16 years has been 7.44 hectares. Read more... http://media.www.mcgilltribune.com/media/storage/paper234/news/2010/02/02/Features/Follow.The.Butterflies.A.Monarch.Migration.Under.Threat-3862246.shtml

Butterfly News 18/12/09

A top wildlife award has been given to Michael McCarthy, Environment Editor at The Independent. He has received the Marsh Award for the Promotion of Lepidoptera Conservation in recognition of his passion, knowledge and dedication in publicising conservation issues for butterflies and moths.

McCarthy was presented with the award at Butterfly Conservation’s Annual General Meeting and Members’ Day held at Winchester University on 21 November. The award seeks to recognise unsung heroes who all aim to improve the world we live in and this is the first time it has been won by a journalist.

Michael has always had a passion for butterflies and this year persuaded his editor to run a regular series on butterflies through the summer, under a project known as the Great British Butterfly Hunt. This project entailed Michael travelling the country to see every British species and writing up his findings in regular features in the paper. But this is not purely a cosmetic exercise to show pretty pictures, because Mike is using the articles to highlight the decline of butterflies and show how each species is being affected by human activities such as farming, forestry and man-induced climate change. Read more...

http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/article/9/158/leading_journalist_selected_for_prestigious_conservation_award.html

Cairns Birdwing 26/11/09

Concerns have been raised over the population drop in Australia's largest butterfly, the Cairns Birdwing. Researchers believe that Global Warming will further inpact on this magnifent butterfly, perhaps to point of extinction. Butterfly breeding season is just starting, and wildlife gardens will attract butterflies, especially if host vines are planted. Unlike birdwatching, the best time to observe butterflies is on warm afternoons. For more info on native gardens and planting native plants to attract butterflies and other wildlife,
go to http://www.australian-backyard-wildlife.com