Rare California Butterfly Rebounding With Replanting Of Food Source

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SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) -- The once-dwindling population of a beautiful, blue iridescent butterfly has seen a rebound thanks to the efforts of a Bay Area biologist who took his work home with him.

The rare California Pipevine Swallowtail, native to San Francisco, saw its numbers decline drastically, possibly from development and invasive plants affecting its food source.

Tim Wong, an aquatic biologist at the California Academy of Sciences had made a hobby out of studying butterflies - particularly, the Pipevine Swallowtail. "It's actually really special when you see this elusive butterfly here in the city of San Francisco." said Wong.

Through his studies of the insect, Wong learned that the butterfly only eats the California pipevine plant. Pipevine is nearly as rare as the butterfly that feeds on it.

Using pipevine clippings from the San Francisco Botanical Gardens, Wong built a butterfly home in his own backyard. Within three years, Wong said he ended up with several thousand California Pipevine Swallowtails.

Now he's expanding efforts to revive the butterfly's population, "I've taken some of that knowledge and experience and collaborated with our team of volunteers," said Wong.

In just two months as a volunteer, Wong helped plant 45 California pipevines on the living roof of the Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. The results were so quick, that even Wong was surprised, "I noticed caterpillars around the plant, and I was shocked and awestruck because it was such a short period of time from when we planted the plant."

Wong and his helpers have already improved the rare butterfly's habitat at the Botanical Gardens, but they haven't stopped there. You do not have to walk far from the butterflies to spot a chrysalis and numerous caterpillars.

He has high aspirations for the butterflies, "We don't have complete goals in terms of how many we're expecting but we do want to make sure our plant life is rich and diverse enough to support a larger population."

If you'd like to welcome these beautiful butterflies, Wong invites you to plant California pipevine in your yard. He also encourages people to report sightings on the Cal Academy's iNaturalist app, so that researchers may keep a database of how the butterfly's numbers are taking flight.