Great Lakes Echo

By Rachel Lewis  

The Michigan Invasive Species Program is asking the public to be on the lookout for the invasive Asian longhorned beetle. The inch-and-a-half long black beetle with white spots and long antennae is known to attack at least 12 species of hardwood trees, including maples, elms, horse chestnuts, birches and willows. Although the beetle has not yet been found in Michigan, the state Department of Natural Resources said the earlier they are found, the easier they are to eradicate.

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Great Lakes Echo

By Donté Smith 
Butterfly populations are in decline across the continental U.S., dropping by 22% between 2000 and 2020 according to a study in the journal Science. Almost a third of the 342 species studied have seen their numbers fall by more than half.  To help combat that trend, the John Ball Zoo in Grand Rapids, Michigan, launched its Great Lakes Rare Butterfly Program in 2021 to protect the region’s most threatened species.

The post John Ball Zoo Fights for Great Lakes’ Rarest Butterflies first appeared on Great Lakes Echo.