Jersey Shore Magazine

j e r s e y s h o r e • S P R I N G 2 0 2 0 57 disappear that year," she comments. This is due in part because butterflies depend on particular "host" plants on which to lay their eggs. Monarchs, for instance, will only lay eggs on milkweed. Decrease milkweed and the number of monarchs is directly affected. "Everything is interconnect- ed," emphasizes Traylor. "Everything has to work together." So while a plethora of sun-loving plants (both native and non-native) I s there any better sign of the growing season than the butterfly? Delicate yet airborne, beautiful yet fleeting, they epitomize the wonder of nature. They don't bite. They don't sting. They are silent. They feed off flowers, for goodness sake! Even their transformation from egg, to caterpillar, to chrysalis, to winged insect, is the stuff of miracles. No wonder so many of us have a love affair with them. Yet underlying all the magic, they serve the practical and essential purpose of pollination. Butterflies by Christine Menapace continued on page 58 Unfortunately, many pollinators, like butterflies, face increasing chal- lenges due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change. While the drastic decline in bee populations has made top headlines in recent years, many ecologists are worried about the risks to all pollinators. According to the IPBES, a UN-convened panel of ecology experts, "Despite the challenges to providing insight into the extent of the threat to pollina- tors and to provide exact numbers, research shows declines in abundance and diversity… regional and national assessments indicate high levels of threat for some bees and butterflies. National Red List Assessments show that often more than 40% of bee spe- cies are threatened. In Europe, 9% of the bee and butterfly species available for research are threatened and 37% of bee populations are declining. The population decline of butterflies is 31%." (For more information: pro- motepollinators.org and ipbes.net.) Butterflies Found In New Jersey In New Jersey, we have about 124 species of butterfly, according to the North Jersey Butterfly Club, a chap- ter of the North American Butterfly Association (NABA). Two of the most noticeable include the brilliant yellow and black Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and the orange Great Spangled Fritillary, according to Donna Traylor, vice president of NABA-NJ. "They're both rather large and very common. There's also a number of Grass-Skippers, those are tiny little butterflies," says Traylor. "And the Hairstreaks, like the Hessel's, which are found more in South Jersey. And Red Admirals. This past season was very good for American Snout… even though we're a small state, it really depends on the habitat." Speaking to the issue of pollina- tor challenges, Traylor points out that butterflies are not particularly adaptable. "You can have a change in habitat and the butterflies seemingly Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. Maria Jeffs

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