1) Coming Events
2) Fourth of July Counts
3) Free Butterfly Gardening Program
4) May 2003 Butterfly Report
5) Monarch Migration and Sunlight
6) Pesticide Spraying Update
7) Why NABA Opposes Pesticide Spraying
8) Sample Letter for Pesticide Spraying Issue
9) Milkweed Destroyed
10) NABA in the news(paper)
11) Happy 4th of July!
12) And more

NABA's MISSION STATEMENT:
To promote nonconsumptive, recreational butterflying and to increase the public's enjoyment, knowledge and conservation of butterflies.

Directions to each location are found at the end of the Calendar. Dress defensively for ticks and chiggers. Bring water and sunscreen. Since we usually finish after 12 noon, lunch is optional. Most of our walks and counts last about 2-1/2 hours. If a longer time is required, it will be noted.

Saturday, June 28. State Count #3 at Busch Wildlife. Meet at 10:00 a.m. Leader: Jim Ziebol. Indoor restrooms in Visitor’s Center; rustic toilets throughout the site; beverage vending machines. Limited walking - we will drive from place to place.

Sunday, June 29. Shawnee Hills 4^th of July Count in Harrisburg, IL. Call Kathy Phelps for more information, or directions. (618) 252-7311. There is a $3 fee per participant.

Sunday, July 6. Fourth of July Count at Busch Wildlife. Meet at 9:45 a.m. Leaders: Jim Ziebol and Yvonne Homeyer. We need MANY VOLUNTEERS. Bring lunch - as each group finishes, we meet at the Pavilion behind the Visitors’ Center to eat and to turn in Count results to Jim. Indoor restrooms in Visitors’ Center; rustic toilets throughout the site; beverage vending machines. Limited walking - we drive from place to place. There is a $3 fee per participant.

Saturday, July 12. NABA 4th of July Count at Shaw Nature Reserve, led by Ron Goetz and Betty Walters. Meet at the Visitor's Center, Saturday, July 12th at 9:30 a.m. Wear comfortable clothing and come prepared to hike long distances. Bring water, lunch, sunscreen and bug spray. Note: there is a $3 fee per participant.

Saturday, July 19. Free Butterfly Gardening Program, by Tom "Terrific" Krauska. Starts at 11:00am at the Wild Bird Center, 5438 Southfield Center, St Louis.

Sunday, July 27. 4th of July Count in Alma, IL, near Salem. Meet at 10:00am. Leaders: Richard and Susan Day. Driving time is about 2 hours each way. Their gardens are incredible, and they have a restored wetlands. Many species of butterflies are easy to see close up. Bring lunch. We will finish around 2:00 pm. There is a $3 fee per participant.

DIRECTIONS:

Busch Wildlife: From St. Louis County, take I-64 (Hwy. 40) across the Missouri River bridge and exit at Hwy. 94. Go left (south) on Hwy. 94 approximately 1 mile to Hwy. D. Turn right onto Hwy. D and go about 1.5 miles to the entrance on your right. Turn right and at the T intersection, turn right again and proceed to the parking lot at the Visitor's Center. Meet at the Jim Ziebol Butterfly Garden at the bottom of the parking lot.

Shaw Nature Reserve: Starting at the junction of I-270 and I-44, travel west on I-44 for approximately 23 miles to Hwy. 100/Gray Summit Exit (Exit #253). Upon exiting, turn left (cross over I-44) on Hwy. 100. Turn right (west) immediately after crossing I-44 and travel 0.1 mile and turn left into the Shaw Nature Reserve entrance. The Visitors’ Center is just inside the gate. Note: there is a modest entrance fee for no-Missouri Botanical Garden members.

Richard & Susan Day’s Land: From Missouri, take I-64 (Hwy. 40) across the Poplar Street Bridge. Stay on I-64 (I-70/55 continue to the left). Follow I-64 east to exit 19B. Exit here (U.S. 50 and Carlyle). You will come to a light near a Moto gas station; turn right to stay on U.S. 50. When you get to Lebanon and Carlyle, follow the signs to stay on U.S. 50. When you come to Lebanon, you have to turn left, go a few blocks, then turn right to stay on U.S. 50. Now go another 25 miles to the town of Carlyle, where U.S. 50 runs into a north/sound road. Turn right at that intersection and go to the next stop light and turn left to stay on U.S. 50. Go another 13 miles to Sandoval where you need to turn left at a Y. Watch for the signs for US 50. Go approximately a half mile and US 50 turns right. Continue on Route 50 for another 8 miles to Salem. Continue east on US 50 towards downtown Salem. Go to the 4^th stoplight. Turn left onto Illinois Route 37. Go approximately 5 miles and look for a sign "Brubaker Road". You will turn right off Route 37 onto Brubaker Road. (If you go over an overhead bridge across a RR you went too far). Go 2.4 miles on Brubaker Road to Charleston Road and turn left. Go 1 mile on Charleston Road to a T intersection. The Days’ house is on the right corner; there is a mailbox by the driveway. Turn into the driveway.

Every year, counts are held throughout the United States, Canada and northern Mexico, to gather important information about butterflies that is entered into NABA’s database. Over time, these data tell us whether certain species are expanding or contracting their range and whether certain species (or butterflies as whole) are increasing or decreasing in population. Data from a specific count can be examined to help us determine how butterflies are doing at that particular location.

The St. Louis Chapter needs many volunteers to cover all its Counts. Yes, it’s hot and humid but we are doing important work and the butterflies are at their peak! Please join us:

Tom "Terrific" Krauska is doing a free Butterfly Gardening program on July 19, 11:00am at the Wild Bird Center, 5438 Southfield Center, St Louis, MO 63123.

Tom Terrific's new book "Ten Commandments of Butterfly Gardening" is available online or at Missouri Botanical Garden. There are 120 pages of valuable information and easy tips to make your property into a butterfly wonderland. Visit Tom's page: http://www.butterflygardening.org

4. MAY 2003 BUTTERFLY REPORT, by Yvonne Homeyer

May’s cool, rainy weather put a damper on the butterfly activity for most of the month.

On 5/3, Ron Goetz observed 5 Dusted Skippers,1 Giant Swallowtail, and a Pepper-and-Salt Skipper at Fults Hill Prairie in Illinois. At Tyson, Jim Ziebol found a Dusky Azure, Mourning Cloak and Goatweed on 5/5, and on 5/8, Jim had Buckeye, American Lady, and 3 Monarchs there. Mike Treffert observed 19 species of butterflies at Fults Hills on 5/9, the highlights being a Marine Blue and a Bronze Copper. Jeannie Moe found Common Sootywing Riverlands on 5/9. One Dusted Skipper and many Gorgone Checkerspots were seen at Valley View Glade on 5/11 (YH), and Gorgone Checkerspot was also reported at Shaw Nature Reserve on 5/13 (JM). Also on 5/11, Yvonne saw Pipevine Swallowtail, Buckeye, American Lady, Zabulon Skipper, and Bell’s Roadside Skipper at Hilda Young C.A. A Red-spotted Purple was seen on the campus of Meramec Community College on 5/12 (RG). Least Skipper was first seen by Torrey Berger on 5/9 at Little Creve Coeur Lake, with other early sightings occurring on 5/12 at the Watershed Nature Center (JM) (note: butterfly walk there on 6/21) and on 5/18 at Busch (DB). Jeannie Moe saw Monarch, Goatweed, Zebra, Spicebush, and many other species at Shaw Nature Reserve on 5/13. Two Bronze Coppers were seen at Prairie Slough on 5/18 and another was seen on the East St. Louis, IL waterfront on 5/18, along with Painted Lady (TB). Carol Asbury reported a Monarch at her home on 5/18. Jim Ziebol found Silvery Checkerspot at Tyson on 5/20. On 5/22, Ron Goetz observed Great Spangled Fritillary and Viceroy at Kidd Lake, and Hoary Edge, Crossline Skipper and Common Roadside Skipper at Fults Hill Prairie. Mark Peters & Jim Ziebol saw Tawny-edged Skipper and Little Wood Satyr at Mark’s prairie on 5/23. Also on 5/23, Tom Krauska had a Banded Hairstreak at his home and Ron Goetz saw Oak Hairstreak at Powder Valley. On 5/25, a trip to Lost Valley Trail produced Northern Pearlyeye, Little Wood Satyr, Zebra, Giant, Spicebush and Pipevine Swallowtails, many fresh Summer Azures, Least Skipper and more (YH). Jim Ziebol found 5 Bronze Coppers, 25 Painted Ladies, Red-spotted Purple, Black Swallowtail, and Variegated Fritillary at Horseshoe Lake on 5/25, and at Powder Valley he had a Peck’s Skipper and a Giant Swallowtail.

The Butterfly Walk led by Dennis Bozzay at Hilda Young C. A. on Memorial Day, 5/26, turned out to be spectacular. Not only was the weather perfect (sunny, high of 75) but the butterflies were incredible. Highlights for the group, which consisted of Dennis, Jim Ziebol, Scott & Annie Marshall, Jeannie Moe, Yvonne Homeyer and Penny Steffen, were an Eastern Pine Elfin (spotted and identified by Dennis) and a Harvester. Eastern Pine Elfin is a rare butterfly for the St. Louis area, and this is the first time a Pine Elfin has been found on a NABA outing. The group saw 30 species, including Snout, Silvery Checkerspot, Great Spangled Fritillary, Painted Lady, many Little Wood Satyrs, Southern Cloudywing, Hayhurst’s Scallopwing, and Peck’s, Tawny-edged, Least, Silver-spotted, Pepper and Salt, and Bell’s Roadside Skippers. The next day, Ron Goetz visited Hilda Young C.A. and saw 9 species not seen on the chapter walk: Zebra Swallowtail, Little Yellow, Red-banded Hairstreak, Viceroy, Goatweed, Northern Cloudywing, Hobomok Skipper, Little Glassywing, and Crossline Skipper. For the two days combined, the total number of species seen at Hilda Young was 39, a very high total for this time of year.

Viceroy was seen at the Watershed on 5/27 (JM). A Banded Hairstreak and Silver-spotted Skipper were seen on the Dogbane at Powder Valley on 5/28 (RG). Torrey Berger found 4 Hackberry Emperors at Horseshoe Lake on 5/29.

Dennis Bozzay reported that Pipevine Swallowtails laid eggs on their host plant, Pipevine, in early May in his garden. By mid-May, many of the eggs had hatched and by the end of the month, the larvae were more numerous and larger in size (having dined so well on their favorite food). Monarchs have also laid eggs on his Swamp Milkweed. Carol Asbury has found Monarch chrysalises at the Henry White Farm. The Noes have seen Painted Lady and Cabbage Whites in their garden. Dave Berry and Belle Warden each reported that it was a slow month in their gardens, undoubtedly due to the poor weather we had in May.

Please submit sightings by the last day of the month to Yvonne Homeyer (homeyer@earthlink.net). An asterisk denotes video or photo of unusual or hard-to-find species. Bold means first report of the season.

CONTRIBUTORS: Carol Asbury, Torrey Berger, Dave Berry, Dennis Bozzay, Ron Goetz, Yvonne Homeyer, Tom Krauska, Scott Marshall, Jeannie Moe, Mark Peters, Belle Warden, Jim Ziebol.

5. NATURAL SUNLIGHT DURING DEVELOPMENT CRITICAL TO MONARCH MIGRATION, by Yvonne Homeyer

A fascinating new study in the journal Science concludes that only Monarchs raised under natural sunlight conditions were able to develop the correct internal clock that enables them to fly in the proper direction toward their wintering grounds in Mexico. All other Monarchs got the flight path direction wrong.

In the experiments, some Monarchs were exposed to natural sunlight, and they developed correctly and flew in the correct direction (southwest to Mexico). Other Monarchs were exposed to constant light and they flew always toward the sun, east in the morning and west in the evening. Still other Monarchs were exposed to the effects of daylight but the time was shifted 6 hours early; these Monarchs flew to the southeast, the wrong direction.

The circadian clock is the insects’ internal sense of time. Only Monarchs raised under natural sunlight conditions flew on the correct migratory path.

If the individual raised under conditions other than natural sunlight is the last brood of the season, the one that must migrate to Mexico, will it make it? Probably not, according to the conclusions reached in this study. More troubling is the question of what happens when the individual raised under conditions other than natural sunlight is released and then breeds. If this released Monarch does not have the flight pattern ingrained correctly (i.e., its clock is off), is this error transmitted genetically to its offspring? Or can its offspring, if exposed to natural sunlight, develop the correct flight path? It does not appear that the study reached that question .

The study was summarized in an article entitled "Mystery of Migration" which appeared in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on May 23, 2003.

6. PESTICIDE SPRAYING UPDATE, by Margaret Gilleo

Last Fall, our Board of Directors decided to become active on an issue adopted at the national level of NABA - opposing chemical spraying to kill adult mosquitoes (adulticiding). Since that time, several of our chapter members, including Ann Earley, Margaret Gilleo, Jim Ziebol, Dr. Tom Bratkowski, Sue Gustafson and Yvonne Homeyer, have been working with various government officials in order to promote source reduction by emphasizing removal of mosquito breeding sites and by killing mosquito larvae (larvaeciding) instead of adulticiding. We have emphasized the risks not only to butterflies but also to human health.

Yvonne Homeyer and Margaret Gilleo testified at a hearing before the St. Louis County Council Justice and Health Committee in October, 2002. The hearing was arranged by Councilman Kurt Odenwald. Last January, Margaret Gilleo initiated a meeting with Ron Twillman of Vector Control. Mr. Twillman explained the program and we agreed to stay in contact & work together.

We called Councilman Odenwald several times for an update on any decision made by the Council or Department of Health in response to the October hearing. In May, Yvonne Homeyer, Jim Zeibol, Jim Holsen, and Margaret Gilleo (representing NABA-St. Louis) met with Mr. Odenwald's assistant and Ron Twillman and Steve Fine from the Department of Health. Mr. Twillman assured us again that this year the County would spray based on scientific "triggers" and not just in response to complaints. One of the triggers would be if a mosquito tested positive for West Nile Virus. So far this year, not one mosquito has been found with the disease.

June 5 saw the May group back at the County Council, along with Tom Bratkowski and Sue Gustafson. We had a very cordial meeting with Councilman Skip Mange and his assistant, Mary Ortbals. Shortly after that meeting, we learned that Mr. Mange had arranged for a public meeting of the Health and Justice Committee, at which meeting the County Health Department would explain its new policy. That meeting took place on June 17. The June 5 group showed up again, along with may more opponents of spraying. Among them were Cheryl Hammond from the Sierra Club, Rebecca Wright from the Coalition for the Environment, and Elsa Steward from Great Rivers Environmental Law Center. Margaret Gilleo spoke on behalf of our chapter. Dr. Jacqueline Meeks, head of the Department of Health, and Ron Twillman gave presentations. Dr. Meeks said that they were not going to spray haphazardly. Mr. Twillman indicated that the decision to spray would be based on scientific data, not just because of complaints as occurred last year. The County is expanding its use of Integrated Pest Management tools, such as eliminating breeding grounds, larvaciding and public education and awareness. Science and reason seemed to reign supreme.

Councilman Greg Quinn chaired the meeting. He and Councilmen Skip Mange, Charlie Dooley, and John Campisi asked Meeks and Twillman a number of questions. Several people gave very good testimony against spraying; no one spoke in favor of it. Tom Bratkowski, a NABA member and entomologist at Maryville University, was very eloquent, and everyone seemed in agreement with him that adulticiding would only be done as a last resort. Tom’s final words were "I think we’re all on the same page." We spoke to Mr. Mange about forming an education task force to help the County get information out. Channels 2, 4 and 5 were present, as was the Post Dispatch.

At 6:00 that evening, we listened to the County Mosquito Hotline (615-4BUG) and much to our dismay, we learned that the County was spraying in several north county municipalities and 2 unincorporated areas that night! The same thing happened again on Thursday 6/19. We are extremely disappointed and mystified. It seems as if the County is once again spraying just because it is summer and there are mosquitoes.

We are continuing a dialogue with the St. Louis Co. Council and Health Department. Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, we learned that University City was considering a no-spray policy. In the past, University City was one of the 70+ municipalities that contracted with the County Health Department for spraying services (only a handful of municipalities undertake the spraying themselves). At a June 2nd public hearing before the City Council of University City, Ann Earley made a statement on the record on behalf of our chapter. NABA-St. Louis was one of 6 nature/environmental organizations present that evening - an outstanding turnout which demonstrates the breadth and gravity of the issue. Shelley Welsch, director of the Green Center and a council member, expressed her opposition to spraying. We have just learned that University City has decided not to spray this year. Thank you, Ann! Ann was also quoted in the Post Dispatch (see related article about NABA in the news).

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Write to your County Council representative or city officials where you live and request that your County or municipality not do any spraying. A sample letter is included but feel free to write your own letter. The dangers of pesticide spraying are discussed in the related article in this newsletter.

7. WHY NABA OPPOSES PESTICIDE SPRAYING, by Yvonne Homeyer

Pesticide spraying as a mosquito control measure is not new in the St. Louis area, but last year the public panic over West Nile Virus resulted in a dramatic increase in the amount of spraying. At the same time, it resulted in many people taking a closer look at the whole spraying issue.

Is pesticide spraying even effective? No! According to the Centers for Disease Control, the use of chemical spraying is the LEAST EFFICIENT method of mosquito control. That is because only a small percentage of mosquitoes in the spray area come into contact with the spray. The fogging truck is out in the street, on pavement. The mosquitoes are hiding in the grass.

No pesticide can target just mosquitoes. In fact, the pesticide used in St. Louis County, permethrin, is a neurotoxin that kills bees, fish, aquatic insects and cats. It is also known to aggravate asthma and can cause skin and eye irritation. The long-term consequences of human exposure to pesticides is not well understood.

Many of us have spent long hours in our gardens to make them attractive to butterflies. But when the spray truck comes around spewing out chemical toxins, mosquitoes are not the only victims – butterflies are victims, too. And people.

The Centers for Disease Control has issued guidelines on mosquito control measures. First and foremost it emphasizes Integrated Pest Management, a package of environmentally-friendly measures to control mosquitoes. The primary components of Integrated Pest Management are:

- Source Reduction: eliminating the stagnant water where mosquitoes breed.
- Larvaciding: killing the larvae before they turn into adult mosquitoes.
- Education: giving the public information on how to avoid being bitten and how to keep mosquitoes from breeding on your property.

The cities of Washington, D.C., Boston and Fort Worth, Texas do not spray for mosquitoes. In our area, University City has just decided that it will stop spraying for mosquitoes. University City has a very strong ordinance prohibiting property owners from having standing water where mosquitoes can breed.

Our chapter has been working with St. Louis County officials to change its pesticide spraying policy. YOUR LETTERS ARE IMPORTANT. PLEASE WRITE TODAY to your local officials. (See related article and sample letter in this issue). THANK YOU!

Dear ____________________________: (for who to contact, see below)

As a resident of ______________________, (insert County or municipality), I am concerned about the spraying of pesticides as a mosquito control measure. The Centers for Disease Control acknowledge that ground-spraying of pesticides is the "least efficient" mosquito control technique. While pesticide spraying kills only a small percentage of the mosquitoes in the targeted area, it also kills beneficial insects such as butterflies and bees (which are pollinators), dragonflies (which are mosquito predators), and birds. These pesticides can be harmful to people’s health as well. Integrated Pest Management is an alternative that includes prevention, larviciding to kill mosquitoes in their larval stage, and public education and awareness. I would like to see a change in policy so that pesticide spraying would not be used for mosquito control unless there is a public health crisis.

Sincerely,

Who to contact:

In St. Louis County:
Mr. Gregory Quinn, Chairman, St. Louis County Council, 41 South Central, Clayton, MO 63105
Ms. Joan Bradford, Director, St. Louis County Vector Control, 77 Hunter, St. Louis, MO 63124

In St. Louis City:
Mr. Mark Ritter, Director, St. Louis City Vector Control, 1212 N. 13^th St, St Louis, MO 63106

In St. Charles County:
Mr. Gil Copley, Director, Department of Health, 1650 Boonslick Road, St. Charles, MO 63302

Others to contact: Your Mayor, Board of Aldermen, and public health department.

9. MILKWEED DESTROYED BY DEPT. OF CONSERVATION, by Yvonne Homeyer

Two large areas of wildflowers, including many tall, healthy Common Milkweed plants on the verge of blooming, were destroyed at Hilda Young Conservation Area by the Dept. of Conservation between June 15 and June 20. One of these stands contained the largest concentration of Common Milkweed I have ever seen in the St. Louis area. By the end of the week, both areas had been hacked down and reduced to stubble. One stand of Milkweed and Moth Mullein was next to the Taconic Trail between the trail and the road. The trail is quite wide already and the plants were not in the way, nor was the trail widened, as the swath of ground where the flowers stood only runs a short distance. The other area was on a steep hillside on the back side of the fishing pond near the parking lot. That stand of flowers was loaded with Great Spangled Fritillaries and American Ladies. Now the hillside is exposed to the elements and the flowers and the butterflies are gone.

These areas would be ideal sites for the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project. That project, by the way, was the subject of a feature article in the Summer 2003 (current) issue of American Butterflies. Karen Oberhauser, the project creator, led a training session at the Missouri Botanical Garden in May, which Karen Haller attended.

Our chapter has written a letter of protest to the Dept. of Conservation and asked that these areas be allowed to grow back and not be cut again.

Two articles about butterflies and gardening recently appeared in the Suburban Journal Newspaper. The first article is titled "Butterflies drawing interest as hobby," by Tonya Cross, in which NABA-St Louis president Ann Early and Conservation chairperson Yvonne Homeyer discuss butterflies and our NABA chapter. The second recent article is titled "How Does Your Garden Grow," by Amanda C. Tinnin, and features Tom "Terrific" Krauska's garden and how to attract butterflies.

Click on the article links to view them - the authors have allowed NABA-St Louis to post their articles on our webpage.

11. HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! By Ann Earley

The approaching Independence Day holiday means one thing to NABA members--it's 4th of July Butterfly Count time! As usual, this year our chapter is conducting several counts at various locations. Check the calendar of events in this newsletter for further details on dates and locations.

Our schedule of butterfly walks continues throughout the summer. The walks are a great way to introduce family members and friends to the enjoyment of observing butterflies in their natural habitats.

Many thanks to all of our NABA members who help with our counts and walks, and with the Jim Ziebol Butterfly Garden at Busch Conservation Area. If you haven't visited the garden yet this growing season, you will definitely want to include a visit in your summer plans.

Volunteers are needed for other chapter events as we look beyond the summer months. Planning will begin soon for our December holiday party, and for chapter programs and activities during the cold weather months. If you have program ideas, would like to give a program, or could help with planning for the holiday party, please let me or one of the other chapter officers know. We hope to see you at our upcoming activities. Enjoy the summer butterflies! ---Ann Earley

NEWSLETTER ARTICLES WELCOME:
Please send articles, stories, photos, or suggestions for this "Flutterby News" newsletter to: Dave Larson. For your information, each Newsletter issue is also found online at: www.naba.org/chapters/nabasl/newsltr.htm

YOUR OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS:

President Ann Earley
Vice President Torrey Berger
Secretary Kathleen O'Keefe
Treasurer Tom Krauska
Butterfly Gardening Dennis Bozzay
Conservation Yvonne Homeyer
Education Margaret Gilleo
Membership Scott Marshall
Newsletter Dave Larson
Public Relations Anne Craver
Walks & Counts Jim Ziebol
Web Master Dave Larson

If you have questions or suggestions, e-mail Ann Earley (aee623@prodigy.net). Our webpage is: www.naba.org/chapters/nabasl/stlouis.htm

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION:
(or view online membership application form)

If you would like to join NABA, please fill out this application. You will become a member of both NABA and the local St. Louis Chapter, if you live within the St. Louis metropolitan area or nearby Illinois area:

Name ____________________________________________
Address ____________________________________________
City ___________________ State _______ Zip__________
Phone (....) _____________ E-mail ___________________

Dues are $30 (regular) and $40 (family) per year. Please make check payable to NORTH AMERICAN BUTTERFLY ASSOCIATION. Please mail this form with your check to: Scott Marshall, Membership, 609 West Lockwood, St. Louis, MO 63119.