[Pollinator] butterfly bandit busted

[Kimberly Winter]

Found at:  http://www.nbc4.com/news/8507478/detail.html

Butterfly Bandit Fined $200
Butterfly Gatherer Said His Intentions Were Good

POSTED: 11:21 am EDT April 6, 2006

NORFOLK, Va. -- A Delaware man has been fined $200 for gathering butterflies 
from the Great Dismal Swamp in southeastern Virginia.

Joseph Wampler Jr. of Middletown, Del., pleaded guilty in federal court this 
week to a misdemeanor charge of taking butterflies from protected lands 
without permission.

He faced up to one year in jail and a $10,000 fine.

Wildlife refuge officials said they were suspicious of Wampler's questions 
about butterflies. Law enforcement officers saw him and his son pack 
butterflies into boxes.

Wampler concedes that what he did was wrong but said is intentions were 
good, to restore rare butterflies in Delaware.

The Great Dismal Swamp is home to dozens of butterfly species, including the 
great purple hairstreak, the sleepy orange and the zebra swallowtail.

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material 
may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed (oops!)


~Kim

Kimberly Winter, Ph.D.
International Coordinator
North American Pollinator Protection Campaign
E-mail: NAPPCoordinator at hotmail.com
Internet: www.nappc.org
Ph: (301) 219-7030

Mailing Address:
0105"B" Cole Student Activities Bldg
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742-1026