Conservation-biology
Guides
Cyclargus
A genus of lycaenid butterflies established by Vladimir Nabokov in 1945, split from the genus Hemiargus. The genus contains several species distributed across the Caribbean and southern Florida, including the critically endangered Miami blue butterfly (C. thomasi bethunebakeri). Taxonomic validity remains debated among lepidopterists.
Cyclargus thomasi
Miami blue, Caribbean blue, Thomas's blue
Cyclargus thomasi is a small blue butterfly in the family Lycaenidae with a disjunct distribution across the Caribbean, Florida, and parts of North America. The subspecies C. t. bethunebakeri, known as the Miami blue, is endemic to Florida and was federally listed as endangered in 2012. This subspecies has declined dramatically due to habitat loss and now persists primarily in the Florida Keys. The species exhibits myrmecophilous relationships with ants, particularly Florida carpenter ants, which protect caterpillars in exchange for sugary secretions.
Engytatus
Engytatus is a genus of plant bugs (Heteroptera: Miridae, tribe Dicyphini) comprising 28 described species worldwide. Species within this genus exhibit diverse feeding strategies: some are specialized herbivores associated with native host plants (particularly in Hawaiian endemics), while others are zoophytophagous predators of agricultural pests on Solanaceae crops. The genus has attracted significant attention for biological control applications, with species such as E. varians and E. nicotianae being investigated as biocontrol agents for tomato potato psyllid, whiteflies, and lepidopteran pests. Hawaiian endemic species demonstrate remarkable host-plant specialization on endangered native flora.
Papilio machaon aliaska
Alaskan Old World Swallowtail
Papilio machaon aliaska is a subspecies of the Old World Swallowtail butterfly found in Alaska. It represents a distinct population that has colonized novel host plants in the Asteraceae family in addition to its ancestral Apiaceae hosts. Studies indicate that larval fitness is highest on the ancestral host plant Cnidium cnidiifolium when reared in controlled environments without predation, though field observations suggest survival advantages on novel hosts when natural enemies are present. The subspecies demonstrates the complex ecological and evolutionary dynamics of host plant relationships in swallowtail butterflies.
Procambarus fallax
Slough Crayfish, Deceitful Crayfish
Procambarus fallax is a freshwater crayfish native to peninsular Florida and southern Georgia, USA, where it inhabits tributaries of the Satilla River. The species is notable as the sexual parental species of the parthenogenetic Marmorkrebs (marbled crayfish), which originated as a single lineage from P. fallax through apomictic parthenogenesis. While P. fallax reproduces sexually with separate males and females, its parthenogenetic derivative has achieved global distribution through the aquarium trade and exhibits high invasive potential due to single-female founding capability.