May Lep Club: Carnivorous Butterflies? Unexpected food sources for unlikely predators.

Did you know that there are some caterpillars that don’t eat plants for food?

There are numerous butterfly species worldwide that eat other insect larvae or nymphs as their food source during their developmental stages and there are even some species that live here in Maryland. These are primarily members of the Lycaenidae family (Hairstreaks and Blues) and these have very specific relationships with certain ants and with one species consuming wooly aphids.  This lecture will examine the relationship, with specific examples, of different butterfly species with their host ants and explain the reasons of how this is possible as well as their delicate balance of existence.

Fred Paraskevoudakis (Paras) is a Professor at Baltimore City Community College where he has taught microbiology, as well as biotechnology and environmental science, since 1992. His passion for insects (and natural history) began as a kid growing up in Puerto Rico and has continued to this day. He is the President of the Maryland Entomological Society and the Curator of Shells for the NHSM. He has travelled all over the world, as well as the United States, in pursuit of insects and his other passions of shells, minerals and fossils.

This will be a Hybrid meeting in person and on Zoom. To receive the zoom link you must register. We encourage you to attend in person to see specimens of the butterflies that will be discussed.

If you love butterflies and moths, consider joining the NHSM Lep Club. Made up of novice and expert lepidopterists who meet to exchange knowledge and support concerning habitat, threats, food sources, identification, and life cycle of butterflies and moths, the Lep Club encourages the sharing of knowledge for the raising and breeding of moths and butterflies through hands-on lessons and guest speakers.

The NHSM Lepidoptera Club meets the fourth Wednesday of every month from March-October at 6908 Belair Rd or over Zoom. Club members are also involved in outreach in the greater Baltimore community through educational programs and service projects. If you have questions feel free to email the club coordinator at rbaldwin@marylandnature.org

Annual NHSM membership is $35 for individuals, $50 for families; Lep Club membership is an additional $5 for individuals and $10 for families. Although you don’t need to be a member to attend our meetings, your membership dues support our programs and give you access to exclusive field trips and other events.