Pilot Year for Propagation of the Purplish Copper Butterfly (Lycaena helloides)
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Authors
Gourlay, Konah J.
Issue Date
2017
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
The author attempted the pilot propagation of the Purple Copper Butterfly (Lycaena helloides; PCB) at the Kalamazoo Nature Center (KNC) Heronwood Field Station (HFS) greenhouse in Kalamazoo. The PCB is an endangered species of butterfly within Michigan, United States of America and Ohio, United States of America (Toledo Zoo, 2015). The purpose of the study was to propagate the endangered species of butterfly to hopefully increase the PCB population within Michigan (Daniels, 2015). PCB eggs were placed in Bug Dorms, which contained two species of plant from the genus Polygonum that they could feed off of during the caterpillar stage. Propagation occurred during the second brooding period of the PCB, between June and September. Only two caterpillar of46 PCB eggs hatched during the propagation. Literature indicates that the conditions within the greenhouse were too humid for the PCB too survive, which we believe was augmented primarily because of global warming. To improve the PCB propagation for the coming years, techniques to reduce humidity and better monitor heat and humidity within the greenhouse needs to be implemented.
Description
v, 27 p.
Citation
Publisher
Kalamazoo College
License
U.S. copyright laws protect this material. Commercial use or distribution of this material is not permitted without prior written permission of the copyright holder.