University of Guelph scientist leads project to recover butterfly species in Ontario

For the past 40 years, the frosted elfin butterfly, known for its brown color and delicate wings, has not been sighted in Ontario. Concerned about the disappearance of this extirpated species, a group of Canadian scientists led by Ryan Norris, a University of Guelph integrative biology professor, is working on its recovery. The plan involves importing frosted elfin butterflies and their eggs from New York to breed them at the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory, with the intention of releasing them into the wild in Port Rowan, Ontario, in the upcoming spring.

Norris explained that habitat loss due to urban development and farmland expansion is the primary reason for the butterfly's extirpation in Ontario. Many of the original habitats have been restored, particularly in the form of old tobacco fields that have transformed into thriving oak savannas. These new habitats present an opportunity to reintroduce species like the frosted elfin.

To ensure the success of the project, the team is focusing on increasing the population of the frosted elfin's host plant, sundial lupins. The project is part of larger cross-country efforts involving universities, conservation organizations, and government agencies to save three endangered butterfly species in Canada – the frosted elfin, the mottled duskywing, and the curiously isolated hairstreak.

The federal government has provided $2.4 million in funding for the project. Previously, the mottled duskywing, a medium-sized butterfly with dark grey and brown coloration, was successfully reintroduced at Pinery Provincial Park in Grand Bend, Ontario, and other protected areas in Norfolk County five years ago. Norris reported that the butterfly's population has reached several hundred at Pinery and close to 100 at another location, with the potential to be even larger.

Not only is the mottled duskywing showing promising signs, but the project also aims to bolster the population of the rare curiously isolated hairstreak, which inhabits Waterton Lakes National Park in southern Alberta. Norris emphasized the importance of habitat restoration for all three species, as concentrating their populations in a single location poses a significant risk.

By expanding their habitats and enabling colonization of surrounding areas, scientists hope to achieve long-term stability for these vulnerable butterflies.