7:00pm Thursday, September 9, 1999 / ES 114

A reception sponsored by the Office of the Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences will follow the presentation. Co-sponsors: UW-Green Bay Heirloom Vegetable Program / Cofrin Arboretum Center for Biodiversity

Dr. Shapiro is one of North America's most distinguished and best-known lepidopterists. He is a Professor in the Dept. of Evolution, Ecology and Entomology at the University of California-Davis and has published approximately 250 scientific papers.

Presentation background: The California Central Valley is one of the most drastically modified landscapes of its scale in North America. Of the three basic vegetation types dominant in the pre-American era (tule marsh, oak savanna, and riparian forest), one is nearly extinct, one is very localized in tiny pockets, and one is relatively intact but increasingly fragmented. Much of the butterfly fauna is associated with cultivated plants and weeds. Some species have benefited tremendously from disturbance. Because there was no 19th century collecting in the Valley, we do not know what, if anything was lost, but we can make intelligent guesses by comparison to other faunas. Butterfly gardening in this region is not tied to use of native plants. In fact, natives will not attract butterflies.