Butterfly team wraps up

By Hanna and Dave

The Karoo BioGaps butterfly survey team has been very busy during our second field season. We have made 38 site visits bringing our total to 44 sites visited at least once. We have obtained over 500 species occurrence records and collected over 240 DNA samples. Our team has reduced slightly to 7 expert surveyors covering the whole BioGaps region and they have managed despite the huge distances they have to cover.

The lack of rain in the western part of the survey region, which is critical to many of our butterflies emerging, has reduced our yield of records and samples. Fortunately good rains in the eastern and central parts have compensated for this, and some sites have been very productive (24 species recorded on one site!).

The farmers have continued to be very helpful, and we are amazed when we visit your farms to see how you are surviving, despite the many challenges being thrown at you by Mother Nature. So thank you to all of you:

Brandvlei              Christo Stadler

Kouwenburg         Charl & Amanda du Toit

Doornberg             Peet van Heerden

Dosaka                  Sinclair Collett

Uitspanfontein      EP & Rene Hoon

Fonteinplaas          Gerritt Immelman

Excelsior               Roland Kroon

Muggefontein        Kobus Marais

Rietkuil                 Christie Mocké

Tulpleegte             Jackson Mjoli

Sewefontein          Gun De Bruin

Kromrivier            James Fitzhenry

Kleinwaterval        Adriaan Nortje