Butterflies of Butte County and Their Larval Host Plants
Workshop Leader: Dr. Don Miller
Thursday, June 1, 2023
Optional Follow‐up Fieldtrip – Friday, June 2, 2023
Workshop Details and Registration
Butterflies are among the most charismatic and easily identified pollinating insects. California has a rich and distinctive butterfly fauna with about 250 species, 115 of which have been recorded in Butte County. Besides serving as pollinators, the vast majority of butterflies are herbivorous in their larval stages. This workshop provides an introduction to some of the butterfly species found in Butte County, with a special emphasis on their relationships with larval host plants. The dietary breadth of caterpillars varies broadly, ranging from specialists such as the Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor), whose local populations feed solely on Aristolochia californica, to generalists such as the Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), whose larvae consume the foliage of more than 300 plant species from at least seven families.
Optional Follow‐up Fieldtrip – June 2, 2023
Dr. Miller will also be conducting the annual butterfly count at the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve, sponsored by the North American Butterfly Association (NABA). Thisis an all‐day event and it offers ample opportunities to observe and record butterflies in their natural habitats. The Count is optional for workshop participants but it does require an additional $3 participation fee. This fieldtrip is not sponsored by Friends of the Ahart Herbarium and does not utilize Chico State facilities or funds.
The Instructor
Dr. Don Miller, California State University, Chico
A native of Syracuse, New York, Don Miller was introduced to Monarch butterflies during their Fall 1966 migration, when Don was in kindergarten. His interest in butterflies and other insects has never flagged. Don earned a bachelor’s degree in Forest Biology from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, where the names of many North American trees were drilled into him. He then earned a Master’s degree in Biological Anthropology at Oxford before completing a Ph.D. in Entomology at U.C. Berkeley. In 2002, Don accepted the entomology position in Biological Sciences at Chico State, formerly held by David Kistner. For the last 25 years, Don has avidly pursued research into the ecology and evolution of gall aphids on manzanitas while maintaining a keen interest in the Lepidoptera. Every June Don conducts a survey of local butterflies in Chico for the North American Butterfly Association. The survey, which is open to all, provides important information on population trends of our butterflies and their increasingly threatened habitats.
Time, Place and Registration
This workshop will be held from 9:00a.m. to 5:00p.m. on Thursday, June 1, 2023, in room 129 Holt Hall, on the CSU Chico campus. The registration fee is $110 personal, $135 business, $100 for members of Friends of the Ahart Herbarium, and $50 student (only 2 seats available at the student price). Register in advance, using the form on the next page. Class size is limited to 15 participants; class will be cancelled on May 29th if there are not at least 8 registered participants. For information on the workshop, contact Dr. Miller at dgmiller@csuchico.edu or b y phone (530) 898‐6153. For information about registration, please contact Colleen Hatfield, Ahart Herbarium Director at chatfield@suchico.edu