Cooperative conservation efforts to help recover an endangered south Florida butterfly

Abstract

Abstract. The Miami blue (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri) (Lycaenidae) is a small, brightly coloured butterfly endemic to Florida. It was once locally common across much of the south Florida mainland south through the Florida Keys to the Dry Tortugas. Over the last few decades, ever‐expanding urbanisation and the associated loss of coastal habitat have lead to a significant reduction in the taxon's overall geographical distribution and numerical abundance. The butterfly is currently limited to two small extant populations in the Lower Florida Keys, making it one of the most imperilled insects in North American and warranting a state of Florida listing as endangered. As part of a large‐scale, model cooperative recovery programme led by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the University of Florida, the National Park Service, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, efforts are underway to conserve the butterfly through captive propagation, organism re‐introduction to state and federal lands, and research on the biology, population ecology, genetic diversity, and non‐target impact of mosquito control adulticides.