The Roston Native Butterfly House

insects, Lepidoptera, macro, wildlife, wildlife photography

Early this month the WGNSS Nature Photography Group traveled to the southwest part of the state. Our primary destination, the Roston Native Butterfly House, is a real treasure that I never get tired of visiting.

Officially considered as an accidental species in Missouri, the Dianna fritillary (Speyeria diana) has a strong population in the mountains of northwest Arkansas.

The Roston Native Butterfly House was established to create a haven for local butterfly species and to educate the public about their ecological significance. Its history is rooted in conservation efforts and the desire to preserve native butterfly populations threatened by habitat loss and environmental changes.

Another fritillary, the great spangled (Speyeria cybele)

This native butterfly house, located within the Springfield Botanical Garden, was created and named in honor of Dr. Bill Roston, an MD of the small town of Forsyth, MO who had an avid interest in conservation and pollinators. Today this lovely location is curated by Dr. Chris Barnhart and his wife Deborah.

A couple individuals at slightly different stages of pupation. These are the larvae of the viceroy (Limenitis archippus) which resemble bird droppings.

Pictured above is a caterpillar of the silver-sided skipper (Epargyreus clarus).

The Barnharts and their staff of volunteers do an incredible job of rearing several native butterfly species and maintain a nice population of their required host plants within the house. The Barnharts welcome several thousand visitors each year and do an excellent job in educating the visitors on the life histories and conservation stories of the butterflies they raise. Chris and Deborah always eagerly support our small group visits and often go out of their way to help us get the photographs of the butterflies and caterpillars we are after.

The Roston Native Butterfly House is a great place to see many of the swallowtail species found in our region, like this newly emerged giant swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes).
Here are a couple of shots of the incredible larvae of the pipevine swallowtail (Papilio troilus). These cats are typically very conspicuous feeders, relying on their aposematic coloration to warn predators of their poisonous disposition.

Native to Florida, Cuba and the Bahamas, the Atala butterfly is an excellent example of a specialist. The Atala (Eumae atala) feed only on the coontie cycad (Zamia integrifolia). You might notice that this member of the Lycinidae (hairstreaks) family also shows aposematic coloration in both larval and adult forms. This is to warn predators of the neurotoxic secondary plant compound – cycasin, that they ingest from their cycad hosts and carry with them for their entire lives.

Related to the common hairstreak butterflies seen in our own backyards, the Atala butterfly is a tropical representative of this family native to Florida.
The Barnharts go to great lengths to rear the Atala butterflies. They bring back larvae from cycad farms (that really don’t want them) in Florida and must make sure they raise and overwinter enough cycad plants for them to raise the cats to their adult forms.

Nothing against the typical butterfly houses that tend to showcase tropical species from around the world, but I would sure like to see more strictly native butterfly houses like the Roston Native Butterfly House. As I hope my photographs show, not only are the natives spectacular, but showcasing them in this type of setting helps to educate its visitors on the species they might see in their own neighborhoods or while out on the trails.

Chrysalises of the various native butterflies can usually be observed when visiting the Roston Native Butterfly House in Springfield, MO.

A great big thank you to Chris and Deborah for always being gracious hosts. We are looking forward to more visits.

-OZB

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