CHAPTER 5
 DISCUSSION

 Throughout the world today, butterfly farming is becoming increasingly common as a

source of revenue or commerce for communities in both developed and developing nations. It

has been reported that this industry can generate six-digit annual revenues in even the most rural

of communities in developing nations (Gordon & Ayiemba 2003). While specializing in

butterfly rearing and breeding, many of such farms also provide educational opportunities for the

surrounding communities, which serve to educate the public on farming practices as well as

butterfly and habitat conservation. By providing economic incentives to the local community

and actively engaging in nature education and conservation, butterfly farming is rapidly

becoming a part of ecotourism and conservation efforts across the globe.

 With the emergence of butterfly farming operations, so too emerges a need to better

understand factors affecting butterfly natural history around the farm. It was the objective of this

study to better understand the impacts of farms on butterfly abundances, using oviposition as an

indicator, butterfly larvae predation rates, and butterfly egg parasitism, all with regard to

proximity to butterfly farms.

 Butterfly Abundance and Oviposition at North Central Florida Farms

 Monarch butterfly oviposition was, on average, in greater numbers at transect stations 1

through 4 when compared to transect stations 5 through 11. Although there is not a smooth

downward sloping trend in egg number as one goes from transect stations 1 to 11, we can say

that Monarch butterflies are much more likely to be found ovipositing on plants within 40 meters

of the butterfly farm epicenter. When examining transect stations 1 through 4, specifically, we

observed a completely negative correlation between egg number and transect station number as

one goes from transect station 1 to transect station 4, which was hypothesized to occur