Alternative Text Description for Miami Blue Butterfly (Endangered) Distribution Map

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MAP OVERVIEW

This map displays the known habitat boundaries for the Miami Blue Butterfly, a federally endangered species, across the state of Florida and portions of the southeastern United States. The map shows the limited geographic range where this critically threatened butterfly species exists, as documented by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The distribution is represented as polygonal boundaries indicating areas of species presence.

GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT

The map covers the southeastern United States, with primary focus on Florida and portions of Georgia and South Carolina. Major cities labeled include Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Miami, Cape Coral, West Palm Beach, Charleston, Savannah, Columbia, Greenville, Augusta, Gainesville, Valdosta, and Albany. The map extends from the Atlantic coast on the east to areas west of the Florida peninsula, and from northern Florida and southern Georgia/South Carolina southward through the Florida Keys. Coastal features and the Atlantic Ocean are visible along the eastern boundary, while the Gulf of America appears along Florida's western coast.

KEY INSIGHTS

The Miami Blue Butterfly has an extremely limited distribution concentrated in specific areas of southern Florida. The species' habitat appears restricted to coastal and Keys regions in the southern portion of the state, reflecting the endangered status and narrow geographic range of this species. The visible range represents a small fraction of Florida's total area, highlighting the critical conservation concerns for this butterfly. No populations are shown in Georgia, South Carolina, or northern Florida, indicating the species' restricted southern range.

VISUAL ELEMENTS

Miami Blue Butterfly (Endangered) Habitat

This layer represents the polygonal boundaries defining areas where the Miami Blue Butterfly is known to occur according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service records.

Habitat Range Areas (light purple/lavender polygons with diagonal line pattern)

Appearance:

Light purple or lavender colored polygons with a diagonal line pattern overlay, creating a hatched visual texture.

Distribution:

Habitat areas appear exclusively in southern Florida, concentrated in the coastal regions and Florida Keys area in the southernmost portion of the state.

Notable locations:

The primary visible habitat concentration appears in extreme southern Florida, in the vicinity of the Florida Keys and adjacent coastal areas near the southern tip of the peninsula.

Spatial patterns:

The distribution is highly fragmented and limited to specific coastal localities, with no continuous habitat corridors visible. The pattern reflects an isolated, remnant population confined to a very restricted geographic area. The absence of habitat polygons across the vast majority of the mapped region emphasizes the species' critically limited range.

SYMBOL GUIDE

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This map represents critical habitat and species occurrence data for conservation and management purposes. The Miami Blue Butterfly's extremely limited range shown on this map reflects its endangered status and the species' vulnerability. The polygonal boundaries represent the best available spatial data on species occurrence compiled by federal wildlife authorities. Users should note that this map shows species distribution at a regional scale; finer-scale habitat details and specific population locations may not be visible at this zoom level. The sparse distribution visible on the map underscores the conservation priority for this butterfly species.

DATA CONTEXT

Data Source:

The data originates from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and represents the official documented boundaries for species as understood by the federal agency for the State of Florida. The dataset consists of polygonal boundaries compiled for conservation and species management purposes. Data source layer name: CR_USFWS_POLY_JUL25.

Definition Query:

The map displays a filtered subset of the source data showing only records where the common name equals 'MIAMI BLUE BUTTERFLY', extracting this single endangered species from a larger dataset containing multiple species boundaries.

Scale Information:

The map is displayed at a regional scale covering multiple states, appropriate for understanding the overall geographic range and distribution pattern of the species across its known habitat areas.

Coordinate System:

NAD_1983_HARN_Florida_GDL_Albers (WKID 3087)

Time Period of Content:

The dataset is dated July 2025, representing the most current understanding of species boundaries as of that time.

Limitations:

The polygonal boundaries represent broad habitat areas and may not reflect precise population locations or detailed habitat characteristics. The data reflects species distribution as understood by federal wildlife authorities but may not capture all possible occurrences or seasonal variations in butterfly presence. Changes in butterfly populations, habitat conditions, or survey efforts since the data collection period may not be reflected in these boundaries.

Map Coverage:

The map extends from approximately northern Georgia and South Carolina southward through Florida to the Florida Keys, and from the Atlantic coast westward to include portions of the Florida peninsula and adjacent southeastern states. The full context includes base map reference features beyond Florida to provide geographic orientation, though the species data focuses on Florida.

The alternative text description of this map was AI-generated and may contain inaccuracies.