The tiny checkerspot ( Dymasia dymas) uses only a few species in the Acanthaceae family (Monroe, 2004 Figure 2). For example, pallid dotted-blue ( Euphilotes pallescens elvirae) feeds only on Eriogonum as an adult and larvae, whereas tiny checkerspot ( Dymasia dymas) and ‘Loki’ juniper hairstreak ( Callophrys gryneus loki) are specialized at the larval stage only (Figure 2). While generalist species such as the painted lady ( Vanessa cardui), orange sulphur ( Colias eurytheme), and gray hairstreak ( Strymon melinus) are able to use many different kinds of plants (Figure 1), some species are more specialized, often using just one or a few larval host plants and/or adult nectar sources. The Mojave and Sonoran Desert floristic components at JTNP support a diverse butterfly fauna representing all the major North American butterfly families. Their rapid response to environmental stresses makes them good candidates for climate-change monitoring efforts.ĭesert ecosystems, though hot and arid, offer butterflies a wide range of plants and nectar sources. Most butterfly species have populations that are localized to a specific region or habitat and thus respond quickly to local conditions such as fires, drought, and fluctuating seasonal precipitation levels. They are also highly sensitive to environmental changes and thus are important indicators of environmental quality. With a lifestyle based on visiting flowers for nectar, butterflies are known as important pollinators. They have taste receptors on their feet that enable them to identify specific plants on which to lay their eggs. Adult butterflies largely feed on flower nectar that they obtain through a flexible anatomical tube called a proboscis (Figure 1). Most butterflies have fairly short lives in their adult form, a few weeks to a month for many smaller species whereas a few larger species such as the monarch and mourning cloak may live nine months or more. Butterflies are generally warm weather creatures with the greatest diversity occurring in tropical regions. Butterflies are insects that exhibit a four-part life cycle progressing from egg to larva to pupa to the adult form called imago.

Butterflies by K.J. Charles