biosurf unit 6 link and think

You will use information on the World Wide Web
to answer a series of questions.

EXERCISE 1
HAWAII'S BUTTERFLIES: INTRODUCED OR INDIGENOUS?

The Hawaiian islands are among the world's most remote islands. Species that landed in these Pacific islands, by air or sea, evolved free from outside influence for thousands of years. Since the beginning of mass travel and shipping, however, Hawaii has become home to hundreds of foreign plant and animal species. In this exercise, you will use resources from the U.S. Geological Survey and Hawaii's Bishop Museum to explore the origin of Hawaii's butterfly species. In addition to observing butterfly diversity in North America, this exercise will introduce you to the concepts of indigenous, endemic, and adventive species.

Print out the worksheet below and click on the links below to learn more about Hawaii's butterflies.

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Name _____________________________________________________

Link and Think
Hawaii's Butterflies: Introduced or Indigenous?

Where did the butterflies of Hawaii come from? You will use Butterflies of North America from the U.S. Geological Survey and the Hawaiian Arthropod Checklist from the Bishop Museum to answer this question. In addition, you will become familiar with the diversity of butterflies living across the rest of the United States. You will be directed to specific pages to find the information needed to complete this worksheet.

Butterfly Families

1. Visit Butterflies of North America. This resource from the Northern Prairie Science Center, a regional center of the U.S. Geological Survey's Biological Resources Division, will tell you the names of every butterfly found in 38 states of the United States. It will also give you a detailed map of each species range. What are names of the butterfly families in the United States? The common names are filled out in Table 1; fill in the corresponding scientific name for each family.

Table 1. Butterfly Families found in the United States

Name of Family Number of Species in Hawaii

Scientific Common

Swallowtails

Whites and Sulphurs

Gossamer-wing Butterflies

Metalmarks

Brush-footed Butterflies

Skippers

2. Most of these families have representative species in Hawaii. Find out how many members each family has in Hawaii by searching the Hawaiian Arthropod Checklist. Record the results of your search in the third column of Table 1. Which family does not exist in Hawaii? Which two families are most represented in Hawaii?

Origin of Hawaii's Butterflies

A species that occurs naturally in an area is called indigenous. The indigenous species of Hawaii either swam, flew, or were carried by wind or driftwood to the island long before humans arrived. On the other hand, species that are introduced by humans, either accidentally or intentionally, are called adventive, exotic, or alien species. Most of the butterfly species currently living in Hawaii are considered adventive. But where did they come from?

3. Search the Hawaiian Arthropod Checklist for members of the Gossamer-wing Butterflies, using the Latin name of that family. List the species of this family in the first column of Table 2 below.

Table 2. Distribution of 5 Nymphalidae Butterfly Species Across 38 States in America

Family Name Species Distribution Among 38 States Found in Your State?

Scientific Name Common Name

4. Did all these species come from the continental United States? Revisit Butterflies of the United States and click on the name of the first family you listed in Table 2. Using the "Find" feature on your browser*, search for the name of each species' genus, then look for the species you have listed. If you find the exact species, write down its common name in column 4, then click on the hyperlinked common name to see a map of its distribution. Describe its distribution in column 5. If you can't find a species, it is either endemic or introduced in another part of the world.

*Tips:

The Find button looks like a pair of binoculars on Netscape Navigator.
Select the "wrap search" option when you find. If you do not have a wrap search option, scroll to the top of the page after every search.

5. Two of the Lycaenidae species exist in Hawaii, but not in the 38 states profiled by the U.S. Geological Survey. Are either of these species found only in Hawaii? A species that is unique to an area is called an endemic species, usually an indigenous species that has been isolated for a very long time. To find out if there are any Lycaenidae butterflies endemic to Hawaii, visit Hawaiian Arthropod Checklist, enter Lycaenidae in the Family field, check the "endemic" box, and hit Search. Does the search return anything? If so, what is the name of this species?

6. Which butterfly probably did not find its way to Hawaii through the United States?

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Click here to check your answers.

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Unit 6 Index

Learning Links
Chapter 21 || Chapter 22 || Chapter 23 || Chapter 24

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Spotlight on Careers || Teachers' Lounge

In the Community
Chapter 21 || Chapter 22 || Chapter 23 || Chapter 24

Link and Think Hawaii's Butterflies: Introduced or Indigenous?

Butterfly Families

Table 1. Butterfly Families found in the United States

Origin of Hawaii's Butterflies

Table 2. Distribution of 5 Nymphalidae Butterfly Species Across 38 States in America

Link and Think
Hawaii's Butterflies: Introduced or Indigenous?