7:13 p.m. EDT, July 5, 2011
BOYDS —— Don't look now, but Maryland's state insect is fluttering away.
The Baltimore Checkerspot butterfly, named for the state's founding Calvert family, has dwindled to just a handful of places, mostly in Western Maryland. Experts worry that the butterfly, once fairly common, may disappear entirely from the state....
...Some of the sites it had been found on historically were on private lands, and the properties were just developed," said Jennifer Fry, an ecologist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources' natural heritage program. "The wetland wasn't there anymore — there were now housing developments."
Climate change also could be playing a role in the butterfly's westward shift in Maryland, Fry suggested. The most known populations are in relatively sparsely developed — and cooler — Garrett County.
Full article here.

Visit the 'I Love Deep Creek & Garrett County group' on Facebook! News, events, photos, real estate, community, info, more! 1,750+ members & growing!
No comments:
Post a Comment