Florissant Butterflies: A Guide to the Fossil and Present-Day Species of Central ColoradoThis is a well-illustrated treatment of and guide to all the fossil and present-day species of butterflies in one of the richest areas in North America for butterfly diversity and study. For much of the year, the meadows, forests, and grassy slopes of the Florissant region of central Colorado are alive with butterflies - nearly 100 species of these fascinating and beautiful creatures. Many of them have unusual life histories: the larvae (caterpillars) of one species take two years to mature; others develop close associations with ants; and the adults of some species live only a few days, whereas others survive for months in winter hibernation. Central Colorado is also the site of the florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, which has yielded 12 of the 44 known species of butterfly fossils in the world. To find fossils of these delicate-winged creatures in such a perfect state of preservation is one of the wonders of nature, since the fossils have endured 35 million years of geologic activity, erosion, and climate change. Remarkably, most of the fossil species are closely related to various present-day species. |
Contents
INTRODUCTION 124 | 1 |
THE ECOLOGY OF PRESENTDAY BUTTERFLIES OF | 13 |
BUTTERFLY NAMES AND CLASSIFICATION | 30 |
Papilionoidea | 44 |
References | 91 |
Checklist of PresentDay Butterflies of the Florissant Region | 100 |
109 | |
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Common terms and phrases
adults anicia Big Spring Ranch Blue Boisduval caterpillars Checkerspot chryxus Colias Colorado Coral Hairstreak Cripple Creek dark brown Dome Rock dry meadows eggs are laid Emmel Erynnis Fabaceae FIGURE Florissant area Florissant Fossil Beds Florissant region forest forewing Fossil Beds National fossil butterfly Fremont Fritillary genus green ground color habitats Hairstreak Hesperia Hesperiidae hibernation hindwing Horseshoe Mtn host plant insects instar July larvae larval foodplants Lepidoptera Linnaeus Lycaena male Phantom Canyon male Pikes Peak mature larva Mile Marker million years ago Minno montane nectar nymphalid Oarisma occurs Oeneis Oligocene overwinter Papilio Papilio rutulus Papilio zelicaon Park Paso Peak Research Station Phantom Canyon Phantom Canyon Rd Phyciodes pierid Pikes Peak Pikes Peak Research Pine Polygonia pupa Pyrgus Reakirt rutulus satyrine Satyrium Scudder snout butterfly species specimen Speyeria spots stripes Subfamily subspecies SW of Florissant Swallowtail Teller County underside Vanessa ventral male ventral surface W. H. Edwards yellow
References to this book
Butterflies of Oklahoma, Kansas, and North Texas John M. Dole,Walter Baker Gerard,John M. Nelson Limited preview - 2004 |