SWEET SUCCESS FOR RARE BUTTERFLIES NOW

TIM WONG

Butterflies flutter into view and out again, wafting on the breeze. They are ephemeral -- living as beautiful flying loveliness only for a few days in between the time they emerge from their chrysalises and the time their wings stop forever. Some species are on the verge of vanishing forever.

The California Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly (Battus philenor hirsuta), once commonly found throughout northern California, has been disappearing from the San Francisco area over the past century due to a loss of habitat and food supply. It eats only one kind of plant: the Pipevine  (Aristolochia californica).

But now, San Francisco is once again aflutter with these beautiful blue angels, thanks to one man, Tim Wong, who has become their very own guardian angel.

When Wong, an aquatic biologist at the California Academy of Sciences, learned about the plight of the California Pipevine Swallowtail, he made it his personal mission to repopulate this now rare butterfly species in San Francisco, beginning in his own backyard.

Wong has had a passion for butterflies since he was a boy, first intrigued when Painted Lady butterflies were raised in his classroom. He was amazed at the complete metamorphosis from caterpillar to adult. He then began to regularly catch and study butterflies that lived in an open meadow near his home.

It’s easy to see why the California Pipevine Swallowtail is near and dear to butterfly lovers’ hearts. It is particularly beautiful to behold. Black bodies are graced with iridescent blue-green wings dotted with white spots topside and vermillion spots underneath. They are considered by collectors to be among the most magnificent butterflies in the world.

It is almost surprising to learn that the California Pipevine Swallowtail is a native species because they are so spectacularly exotic looking.

The California Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly begins as a tiny red egg, which females lay in clusters along leaves and stems of the pipevine plant. Each egg hatches into a beautiful velvety black caterpillar with raised vermillion spots.

As the caterpillars feed on the California Pipevine leaves and stems, they ingest the plant’s natural toxins which, while not harmful to the caterpillars, it makes them very unappetizing to predators.

The caterpillars grow, pupate, form a chrysalis, hibernate a while, then emerge into butterfly splendor. Adults California Pipevine Swallowtails fly off to seek nectar from a variety of local wild flowers.

Wong was inspired to become an environmental activist to save these beautiful butterflies.

As he began his quest, he researched both the butterfly and its sole food source, the California Pipevine plant. Human encroachment rendered the plant in scarce supply in San Francisco. Wong got permission to take some plant clippings from the San Francisco Botanical Garden, Golden Gate Park, and he began to grow them in his backyard.

Wong was then able to source an initial group of 20 caterpillars from private gardens just outside the city to begin his starter brood.

The large screened enclosure Wong built in his backyard, allows the butterflies to live, mate, and hatch in their normal climate conditions, while protecting them from predators. It allowed them to flourish, while it gave Wong an opportunity to study them up close.

Wong has now been able to reintroduce the butterfly to San Francisco for the first time in decades.

Over 200 Pipevine plants and thousands of California Pipevine Swallowtails later, and success earned Wong the title of “Butterfly Whisperer.” He brings his ever expanding flocks back to the San Francisco Botanical Garden’s "California Native" exhibit.

If you are interested in butterfly conservation, but can’t cultivate them in your own backyard, there are many other ways you can contribute. For example, you can plant native flowers in your garden, community gardens or parks to attract butterflies.

You can also donate to Wong's California Pipevine Swallowtail Conservation here.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by Tim Wong. California Pipevine Swallowtail Butterflies (Battus philenor hirsuta).
2. Image: by Laura Ferreira. “Look What I Saw, While Everyone Went For A Hike.” California Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly.
3. Image: by Tim Wong. Tim Wong with five California Pipevine Swallowtail Butterflies resting on his face.
4. Image: Courtesy of Tim Wong. Tim Wong with Swallowtail Butterfly.
5. Image: by David A. Hofmann. “(Battus philenor) Pipevine Swallowtail.”
6. Image: by Tim Wong. California Pipevine Swallowtail Butterfly eggs.
7. Image: by TJ Gehling. “Caterpillar on Pipevine.” California Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillar.
8. Image: by Tim Wong. Various stages of Pipevine Swallowtail growth (from bottom: eggs, different growth stages of the caterpillar, chrysalis, & full-grown butterfly).
9. Image: by Mia Ingolia. California pipevine. (Aristolochia californica).
10. Image: by Tim Wong.  “Black and orange caterpillars today, iridescent blue butterflies "tomorrow!" California Pipevine Caterpillars.
11. Image: by Tim Wong. California Pipevine Swallowtail Butterflies.
12. Image: by Ryan Kaldari. “Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor) butterfly.”
13. Image: by TJ Gehling. “On the beach.” California Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly resting on rocks.
14. Image: by Mathesont. “Battus philenor.” California Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly.
15. Image: by BN App - Download now!
16. Image: by Ryan Kaldari. "Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor).”