Once common throughout coastal southern Florida, the Miami blue butterfly now ranks among North America’s rarest insects.
While the main driver of the butterfly’s swift decline is unknown, tropical storms, habitat loss and coastal development have dramatically shrunk the Miami blue’s range. The only remaining wild populations of Miami blues live in the Key West and Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuges where they remain vulnerable to climate change, hurricanes and dry spells.
Florida Museum of Natural History researchers are leading collaborative conservation and recovery efforts for Miami blue butterflies by monitoring wild populations, breeding the butterfly in the laboratory and closely studying its ecology to learn how to effectively re-establish it in the wild.
Florida Museum photo by Geena M. Hill
Endangered Butterflies in a Changing Climate
To better reach more people about this at-risk species, the Daniels Lab partnered with several organizations on an exhibit to tell the story of the Miami blue butterflies.
Online exhibitFlorida Museum photo by Jeff Gage
Brewery partnership supports butterfly conservation
To help raise support for the Miami blue’s recovery, the Florida Museum partnered with First Magnitude Brewing Co. to produce a new limited-edition beer, Miami Blue Bock. A portion of the proceeds from sales of the beer, themed drinking glasses and T-shirts funds the Museum’s Miami blue research program.
This partnership has produced a number of beers to call attention to at-risk species and conservation efforts.
Beer for ButterfliesMore
- Online exhibit: Endangered Butterflies in a Changing Climate
- Daniels Lab: At-risk butterfly conservation
- Learn more about the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera & Biodiversity at the Florida Museum.
- Support future butterfly conservation