The frosted elfin butterfly, which features a brown color and fragile wings, was last seen in Ontario in 1988.
Multiple surveys, including one from 2019, have not recorded any sightings of the small, non-migratory butterfly for almost 40 years, according to the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.
A team of Canadian scientists is now trying to reintroduce this extirpated species back to the northern shores of Lake Erie in Norfolk County where it used to live. Extirpation means that a species has vanished from a specific geographic area or habitat.
Ryan Norris, a professor at the University of Guelph’s department of integrative biology, stated that the team plans to bring frosted elfin butterflies and their eggs from New York for breeding at the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory before releasing them into nature next spring in Port Rowan, southeast of London, Ont.
“And some of those habitats, many of them are restored. They’re old tobacco fields and now they’re really thriving kind of oak savanna habitats that allow us to reintroduce species like frosted elfins,” he said.
Ryan Norris, who teaches at the University of Guelph’s department of integrative biology, said the team is planning to import frosted elfin butterflies and their eggs from New York to breed them at the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory before releasing them into the wild next spring in Port Rowan, southeast of London, Ont. (Ryan Norris/The Canadian Press)
Norris linked the butterfly’s disappearance to habitat loss caused by urban development and farming practices.
“We’ve destroyed things in the past, and in some cases we have, for some habitat types … very little left of it, and it used to be much more abundant in places like southern Ontario,” he said in an interview.
He mentioned that they are ensuring there are enough wild sundial lupins available-the host plant for frosted elfins-before starting their breeding process.
This project is part of broader efforts across Canada involving universities, conservation groups, and government bodies aimed at saving three endangered butterfly species including the mottled duskywing and curiously isolated hairstreak as stated by the University of Guelph.
“By co-ordinating the recovery of three at-risk butterfly species at once, the team will develop what researchers believe is Canada’s first multi-species framework for insect conservation,” it said.
The federal government has allocated $2.4 million toward this initiative according to reports from the school.
As part of this initiative five years ago, they reintroduced mottled duskywings-a medium-sized dark grey and brown butterfly-at Pinery Provincial Park located in Grand Bend along with other protected areas within Norfolk County.
The outcomes have been impressive so far according to Norris.
WATCH | Rare butterfly spotted in Toronto for 1st time since 1896:
Rare butterfly spotted in Toronto for 1st time since 1896
The zebra swallowtail butterfly has made an appearance in Toronto for over a century. CBC’s Metro Morning spoke with a butterfly lover who first saw it at High Park.
The population size has reached several hundred at Pinery park with nearly one hundred observed elsewhere. Norris noted that there could be even more individuals at Pinery than counted thus far.
“They’re spilling over into campsites … We have seen them at other sites that we’re not monitoring. So we’re really happy about that,” he said.
“So I think [with] mottled duskywing , we’re kind of , we’re giving it a foothold. We’re giving it a chance for long-term persistence already in Ontario.”
The project also aims towards bolstering populations among rare butterflies such as curiously isolated hairstreak found within Waterton Lakes National Park situated south Alberta.
“So now what we have is a species with a single population … that we are obligated to protect and understand a little bit more about,” he explained while adding researchers hope they can either reestablish populations elsewhere or support existing numbers where they currently exist.
Restoring these environments remains crucial if all three kinds want continued survival , according him.
Experts mention how concentrating these butterflies’ numbers around one place poses risks; if calamity strikes an area this could lead extinction events occurring too easily.
“I think our hope is if you kind introduce it into an area having suitable habitats surrounding it’ll likely spread out naturally themselves.” He added “That’s when stability becomes possible.”
According Ryan, nurturing butterflies proves essential not just pollinating plants but also serving food chains supporting other wildlife making them key players within healthy ecosystems overall! p >
Bringing back these delicate creatures adds more meaning beyond mere restoration efforts instead acts toward revitalizing various regions across Canada symbolically demonstrating commitment towards environmental health ! P>
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