I learned in reading the St. Pete Times today that the Miami blue butterfly may be experiencing a comeback. University of Florida scientists have released caterpillars in Everglades and Biscayne national parks. The caterpillars came from eggs from one of the last colonies found in 1999 at Bahia Honda State Park. If the project is successful, the caterpillars will become butterflies within the next couple of weeks.

Don't you just love butterflies? They are such magnificant creatures in a tremendous variety of colors and sizes. Pinellas County holds butterfly counts twice a year, spring and fall. Numbers of volunteers gather to count and record as many butterflies as they can. There's even a website, The Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center that contains checklists for counties throughout the US who have recorded butterfly sightings.

So, reading about the blue butterfly and thinking about the butterfly counts got me wondering about butterflies. Like how do they survive and how long they live. I found a site called the Butterflies Starting Page that provides just that kind of info. For instance, did you know that butterflies can only fly if their body temperature is above 86 degrees? Or, did you know that some butterflies can fly at speeds of 30 mph or faster? Questions are answered and photos provided at this interesting site.

Just so you know, there are 6 families and 17 recorded subfamilies of butterflies in Pinellas County and counting. We'll see what the fall brings. Happy Florida Gardening.