Saint Francis's satyr facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Neonympha mitchellii francisci |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Neonympha |
| Species: |
N. mitchellii
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| Subspecies: |
N. m. francisci
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| Trinomial name | |
| Neonympha mitchellii francisci Parshall & Kral, 1989
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| NC range by county in red | |
The Saint Francis's satyr (Neonympha mitchellii francisci) is a very rare butterfly. It is an subspecies found only in North Carolina, USA. Scientists first found it in 1983. It was officially described in 1989 by David K. Parshall and Thomas W. Kral. In 1994, the US Fish and Wildlife Service listed it as federally endangered. This means it is at high risk of disappearing forever.
This butterfly is a type of N. mitchellii. It lives only in one main group on the Fort Liberty military base. This base is in Hoke and Cumberland counties. The other type of this butterfly, Mitchell's satyr (Neonympha mitchellii mitchellii), is also endangered.
Contents
What the Saint Francis's Satyr Looks Like
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The Saint Francis's satyr is a small butterfly. Its wings usually spread about 34 to 44 millimeters wide. It is dark brown. It has special eyespots on the bottom of its upper and lower wings.
These eyespots are mostly dark brown or maroon. They have a yellow ring around them and tiny white spots in the middle. These white spots can look silver. The eyespots are usually round or slightly oval. They are found on both the front and back wings.
The butterfly also has two bright orange bands along the lower edges of its wings. There are two darker orange bands across the middle of each wing. Female butterflies look a bit bigger and lighter brown than males. This difference between males and females is called sexual dimorphism.
Life Cycle and Reproduction
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Adult Saint Francis's satyr butterflies live for about three to four days. They have two mating seasons each year. This is called being bivoltine. The first mating time is from late May to early June. The second is from late July to mid-August.
Females lay their eggs one by one or in small groups. The eggs hatch into larvae (caterpillars) in seven to ten days. Caterpillars that hatch in early summer turn into a chrysalis after two months. Caterpillars that hatch in late summer sleep through winter. They then turn into a chrysalis the next spring. Becoming a chrysalis can take up to two weeks.
Scientists are still learning a lot about this butterfly's life. Researchers at Michigan State University and North Carolina State University are studying them. They want to understand the butterfly's role in its environment.
What the Butterfly Eats
When they are caterpillars, Saint Francis's satyrs eat Mitchell's sedge (Carex mitchelliana). They probably also eat other types of sedges from the Carex family.
Adult butterflies mainly drink nectar from flowers and sap from trees. They have also been seen eating dung (animal waste), pollen, and rotten fruit. They are often attracted to salt, so they might even be drawn to human sweat!
Where the Butterfly Lives
The Saint Francis's satyr was found in North Carolina in 1980. For a while, many thought it was gone forever. This was because of illegal collecting and no one watching them. But in 1992, it was found again!
Today, this butterfly lives only on the training fields of Fort Liberty. This is a military base in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina. Fort Liberty is one of the biggest military bases in the world. But the butterflies only live in a small area, about 10 square kilometers (3.38 square miles).
In the past, there were several smaller groups of these butterflies. Now, there is only one main group left. The butterfly is still very limited in where it lives. It has never been found outside of Fort Liberty.
Where the Butterfly Makes its Home
The Saint Francis's satyr lives in wide, open grasslands and wetlands. These areas have many sedges. They also need regular natural changes, like those caused by beavers, natural fires, or floods.
This butterfly does not move around much and needs special conditions. So, it is very important that these natural changes keep happening. They help create the perfect home for the butterfly. Military activities at Fort Liberty also cause regular changes. These changes help create the wet meadows the butterfly needs to survive.
How Many Butterflies There Are
Scientists do not know much about how many Saint Francis's satyrs there were in the past. From 2002 to 2005, there were likely between 500 and 1400 butterflies. Their living spots are small, from 0.2 to 2.0 hectares.
Today, there are probably no more than 1000 butterflies in total. No single group has more than 100 butterflies a year. The number of butterflies has gone down over the years. This might be because people stopped natural fires and removed beavers. Both of these things help create the butterfly's habitat.
Protecting the Saint Francis's Satyr
The Saint Francis's satyr was first listed as endangered in 1994. This happened because of threats like illegal collecting and losing their homes. Since then, many efforts have been made to stop people from collecting these butterflies. But illegal collecting is still a problem because the butterfly is so rare. To help, the exact places where the butterflies live are kept secret.
Between 1998 and 2016, over $3 million was spent to help save the Saint Francis's satyr. The main goal is to protect and help the existing groups of butterflies grow. Also, strict rules against illegal collecting are enforced. Experts suggest protecting their current homes and looking for new places to start more butterfly groups.
Main Dangers to the Butterfly
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 lists five reasons why a species might be in danger. When the Saint Francis's satyr was listed in 1994, it faced threats in several of these areas.
Losing or changing their home: The Saint Francis's satyr has lost and changed much of its home. This is due to environmental changes over the last 100 years. For example, wet meadows were lost because beavers were hunted. Also, people stopped natural fires. Scientists believe the butterfly used to live in a much larger area. Now, it is only found in two counties in North Carolina.
Too much collecting: People collecting too many butterflies for fun or to sell was a big problem. This was especially true because the butterfly is so rare.
Other natural or human-made problems: The butterfly does not move far. This makes it hard for them to start new groups. Also, if a natural disaster happens, it could wipe out a whole group. The butterfly also has less variety in its genes. This makes it more likely to get sick.
Human activities also affect the butterfly. Living near roads means they could be harmed by chemical spills. Pest control programs for mosquitoes and gypsy moths can also hurt them. And stopping natural fires limits their habitat. However, living on Fort Liberty helps them. The military's activities create regular changes that help make the meadows they need.
What is Being Done to Help
Experts say the Saint Francis's satyr can be considered less endangered if two things happen. First, their population needs to be stable or grow for 10 to 15 years. Second, there needs to be a long-term plan to help them survive. To do this, there are rules and a recovery plan in place.
Rules to Protect Them
The Endangered Species Act stops people from selling, importing, exporting, or taking the Saint Francis's satyr. This helps reduce collecting. There are also laws that stop government agencies from doing things that would harm the butterfly. This includes building roads, using pesticides, or controlling beavers in areas where the butterflies live. Now, laws protect the butterflies and their homes.
Recovery Plan
The recovery plan aims to make conditions better for the Saint Francis's satyr. The goal is to move it from "endangered" to "threatened." Eventually, they hope it will not be endangered at all. A stable population means having 200 adult butterflies in each breeding group.
Protecting and managing existing groups and their homes: This part of the plan has three main goals.
- Watching existing groups: Since 2002, scientists have been counting butterflies in areas not used for artillery.
- Protecting existing groups: Researchers keep the butterfly locations secret. They also limit military traffic near where the butterflies live.
- Managing for long-term survival: Researchers create plans for ongoing changes to make meadow habitats. These plans include goals, strategies, timelines, and how to get money. However, these long-term plans are not finished yet. Scientists need to understand more about what causes changes in the habitat.
Continuing research: There is still much to learn about this butterfly's life. So, scientists are working with North Carolina State University and the Department of Defense. This teamwork has given important information about population changes, how the butterfly uses its habitat, and how much it needs changes in its environment.
Looking for more populations: Researchers have found three new groups of butterflies. But they are all still on Fort Liberty. Their locations are kept very secret, which makes it hard to check on their health.
Starting more wild populations: This involves raising butterflies in special programs. Then, they are released into the wild. It also means protecting good habitats for new groups. As of 2013, no new groups had been started. But in 2011, four areas were restored to create meadows. These areas could be home to butterflies in the future. Once new groups are set up, experts hope to connect them. They want to create safe paths for butterflies to move between groups.
Starting education programs: The public plays a big role in protecting animals. So, education programs are important for this plan to work. These programs teach people not to collect butterflies illegally. They also help landowners work with scientists to turn commercial land into butterfly habitat. Most of this outreach has been through publications.
Since the Saint Francis's satyr is still endangered, experts recommend continuing these efforts. They also suggest protecting existing good habitats and restoring new land for the butterflies.
How It Was Named
After it was discovered, the Saint Francis's satyr was named a subspecies of the Mitchell's satyr (Neonympha mitchellii). The main type, N. m. mitchellii, lives in different parts of the mid- and eastern USA. This includes Michigan, Alabama, Mississippi, and Virginia, and used to include New Jersey.
Even though the butterflies in Alabama, Mississippi, and Virginia look similar to the Saint Francis's satyr, genetic tests show they are different. The Saint Francis's satyr should stay a separate subspecies. Scientists are still studying if it should become its own full species.
 | Misty Copeland |
 | Raven Wilkinson |
 | Debra Austin |
 | Aesha Ash |
