- Banned
- #1
Miami Blue Butterfly Likely To Be Labeled Endangered
Butterflies' Population Continues To Decrease
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. -- Among the thousands of butterflies that dazzle visitors at Butterfly World in Coconut Creek, there's one butterfly you will not find.
That butterfly is the rare Miami blue. It was named after the city where it once lived and its vibrant blue wings.
"As the habitats are being destroyed, the butterflies are disappearing," said Butterfly World owner Ron Boedner.
The thumbnail-sized insect is now only found in small numbers in parts of the Keys. Its population decline is a familiar story to Boedner.
"In Los Angeles, for example, there used to be 100 species, but with the growth of the city, the number dropped to just 10," he said.
Insects, Boedner said, tend to disappear in silence. The butterfly, after all, is not as majestic as Florida's black panther or as lovable as the manatee. Still, butterflies' role in the ecosystem is just as important.
Miami Blue Butterfly Likely To Be Labeled Endangered - Pets News Story - WPLG Miami
Butterflies' Population Continues To Decrease
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. -- Among the thousands of butterflies that dazzle visitors at Butterfly World in Coconut Creek, there's one butterfly you will not find.
That butterfly is the rare Miami blue. It was named after the city where it once lived and its vibrant blue wings.
"As the habitats are being destroyed, the butterflies are disappearing," said Butterfly World owner Ron Boedner.
The thumbnail-sized insect is now only found in small numbers in parts of the Keys. Its population decline is a familiar story to Boedner.
"In Los Angeles, for example, there used to be 100 species, but with the growth of the city, the number dropped to just 10," he said.
Insects, Boedner said, tend to disappear in silence. The butterfly, after all, is not as majestic as Florida's black panther or as lovable as the manatee. Still, butterflies' role in the ecosystem is just as important.
Miami Blue Butterfly Likely To Be Labeled Endangered - Pets News Story - WPLG Miami