Saint Francis' Satyr (butterfly)

Taxobox
name = Saint Francis' satyr
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Insecta
ordo = Lepidoptera
familia = Nymphalidae
subfamilia = Satyrinae
genus = "Neonympha"
species = "N. mitchelii"
subspecies = "N. m. francisi"
trinomial = "Neonympha mitchelii francisi"

The Saint Francis' satyr ("Neonympha mitchelii francisi")is a newly designated subspecies of butterfly. It was originally discovered in 1983 near Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in the United States. This was the only known population until 1998 when, after extensive research, ten more populations were found in Virginia. In 2000, another population was discovered in Alabama, bringing the count to 12 known populations. Like the other subspecies of "N. mitchelii", "N. m. mitchelii" (Mitchell's satyr), it is considered endangered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Life cycle

The satyr probably lays its eggs on a larval host plant, or a plant in close proximity to its host plant. It may also lay its eggs on the litter or beneath the under surface of leaf blades close to the ground. Two broods are produced annually. The early summer brood probably completes its larval development in less than 80 days and pupation takes up to two weeks. The second brood most likely over winters in one of the late larval instars. Extensive feeding and growth resume in the spring before pupation takes place. The natural host plant is unknown, but it is suspected that sedges (Cyperaceae) or grasses (Poaceae) play an important role in the life cycle of the satyr.

Habitat

Saint Francis' Satyr habitat consists primarily of open wet meadows, interspersed with woody stems, and dominated by a high diversity of sedges (Carex spp.) and other wetland graminoids. In the North Carolina sandhills, such meadows are often relicts of abandoned beaver impoundments. Other wetland habitat types may be suitable habitat, but specific habitat requirements for this species' different life cycles is poorly understood. The butterfly occurs in several natural plant communities to include coastal plain semi-permanent impoundment-bog variant, coastal plain small stream swamp-canebrake variant, Sandhills seep-bog variant, and streamhead pocosin-canebrake variant. It appears beavers and frequent fires play an important role in habitat development and maintenance. Larger pitcher plant bogs may be breeding sites based on numbers of butterflies observed, compared to smaller, linear shaped pocosins which appear to be dispersal pathways. Fort Bragg is involved in research activities to learn more of this species' life history requirements.

Status and distribution

The Saint Francis' Satyr is one of the rarest and least known American butterflies. Until recently, it was only known to exist on Fort Bragg, comprising 19 known sites in one metapopulation. Despite the recent discoveries of additional populations, the geographic range is extremely small.

N. m. mitchellii was listed as endangered under the emergency listing provision of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), May 20, 1992. In the September 11, 1991 Federal Register, the Service proposed to give this butterfly long-term protection as endangered and subsequently did in 1992. However, the Saint Francis' Satyr was not included as part of the listing because its status had not been as thoroughly documented as its northern cousin. The only known population at the time was thought to have been extinct, though this was simply based on lack of proper sampling over the time period. Rediscovered in 1992 as part of a USFWS funded survey, it was emergency listed as endangered, due to purported "heavy collecting pressure" (despite access to Fort Bragg being heavily restricted to authorized use only!), on April 18, 1994. This rule implemented federal protection for 240 days. Federal listing as endangered became effective January 26, 1995. The recovery plan for this species was approved in 1996.

External links

* [http://www.bragg.army.mil/esb/satyr.htm Fort Bragg]
* [http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Neonympha_mitchellii.html Information from the University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web]
* [http://tils-ttr.org/ttr/ttrnews-4-1.pdf Alabama by Vitaly Charny]

"Parts of this article were based on a [http://www.bragg.army.mil/esb/satyr.htm Public domain source] ."