ePermits Butterfly Matrix
- 1. USDA Plant Pest Permits: An Introduction to ePermits and the 526 permit Prepared for the Association For Butterflies October 1-4, 2012
- 2. Wayne Wehling, PhD Senior Entomologist, USDA/APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine Pest Permit Branch, Unit 133 4700 River Road, Riverdale, MD 20737 Phone 301-851-2336 Fax 301-734-8700 Wayne.F.Wehling@APHIS.USDA.GOV
- 3. This portion of the lesson plan covers how to read the Butterfly Environmental Release Decision Chart. The chart can be found on the web and in the screen shots near the end of this presentation. There are 15 screens/slides in this presentation.
- 4. Take a look at the 6 web screen shots that follow. These will provide you with information on the 9 butterfly species that can be considered for environmental release. The last one will show you where the Butterfly Environmental Release Decision Chart can be found on the web. Keep in mind that the USDA does not require plant pest permits to release butterflies and moths that occur naturally in your state AND have been raised from stock obtained from the environment in your state. You must be careful to follow all state and local regulations/requirements. Contact information for your state officials can be found at the following website: http://nationalplantboard.org/member/index.html
- 6. Scrolling to the middle of this screen you will find access to more information about butterfly permitting and the Butterfly Decision Matrix
- 11. On the web the chart consists of two pages. Be sure to notice any asterisks that go with any yes’
- 12. Page two of the chart. The important foot notes explaining the asterisks can be found here.
- 13. The Butterfly Environmental Release Decision Chart is a matrix of the 9 butterflies allowed for release across the top of the chart and the 50 states plus territories listed down the left column. To determine if a butterfly is allowed for release in any state or territory find the destination in the left column and follow the row across noting the yes and no responses for each of the 9 species. If there are any asterisks for any yes’ make note of those. For any “No” answer the butterfly listed at the top of the column cannot be released into the environment in that destination state. If the answer is a “Yes” and there are no asterisks then the butterfly listed at the top of the column can be released into the environment in that destination state. When one or more asterisks are present check the foot note.
- 14. For permitting a butterfly for environmental release to a particular destination state the destination and origination state must have a yes in that column. However exceptions are made on a case-by-case basis. For example mourning cloak butterflies cannot be released in Florida but producers in northern Florida, where this butterfly occurs naturally, can raise them for release outside of Florida under permit.
- 15. When one or more asterisks are present check the foot note. The asterisks apply only to the monarch and the zebra longwing columns. The intent is to prevent the monarch butterfly from being moved across the continental divide and released into the environment on the opposite side. For the zebra longwing the intent is to keep the zebra longwing isolated to one of two subspecies clusters. The zebra longwing is a different subspecies in Florida than it is in Texas.