Karner Blue Butterfly Recovery at the Eastern Edge of Its Range

R. Niver, U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceK. O’Brien, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

N. Gifford, Albany Pine Bush Preserve CommissionC. Zimmerman, The Nature ConservancyM. Amaral, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis)

first hatch in April

Second brood eggs hatch in 5-10 days

1st flight late May into June

Adults live average of 3-5 days

Larvae feed on lupine Pupate in May/June

2nd flight in July/August

Eggs overwinter on base of lupine or nearby grasses

Lay eggs

Bivoltine

Lay eggs

Similar Looking Species

Eastern tailed blue Spring azure Karner blue butterflyventral surface ventral surface ventral surface(www.google/images) (www.google/images) (K. Breisch)

Biological Planning

StatusFederally listed as endangered in 1992

Conservation Objective• Restore viable metapopulations of Karner blues across the species extant

range so that it can be reclassified from endangered to threatened and then ultimately delisted (2003 Recovery Plan)

• Improve species status (2009 Spotlight Species Plan)

ThreatsLoss and/or fragmentation of habitat due to:• succession (due to lack of management )• commercial, industrial, and residential developmentMammal/insect damage to lupineStochastic events such as droughts and cool springs Changes in snowpack Pesticide use

>90% decline in NY since the 1970s-forest succession

-development

Biological Planning/Conservation Design

• Federal recovery plan completed 2003• Region 3 Spotlight Species- Action Plan completed

September 2009• NYSDEC developing recovery plan• Various management plans

Recovery Units

4 Recovery Areas/Populations

Recovery Criteria

• Reclassification criteria will be met when a minimum of 27 metapopulations [19 viable metapopulations (supporting 3,000 butterflies each), and 8 large viable metapopulations (supporting 6,000 butterflies each)] are established within at least 13 recovery units across the butterfly’s range and are being managed consistent with the recovery objectives outlined in this plan.

• Delisting will be considered when a minimum of 29 metapopulations (13 viable and 16 large viable metapopulations) have been established within at least 13 recovery units and are being managed consistent with the plan.

Metapop. Recovery Criteria

Key Ecological Attribute Indicator Poor Fair Good Very Good

Population size Total number of individuals ≤3,820 3,820-7,640 7,641-12,960 ≥12,960

Number of viable subpopulations ≤1 2-4 5-9 >9

Habitat suitability Total acres of suitable habitat <160 160-319 320-638 ≥640

Habitat suitability Total lupine stems <576,593 576,593 -769,790

769,790 -1,153,185 >1,153,185

Connectivity Number of subpopulations with at least 2 connections to other subpopulations 0 1 2-3 ≥4

Conservation Delivery- Habitat Protection

Albany Pine Bush• ~1,000 acres

protected since 1992• 3,100 acres in

Preserve• Goal of ~ 5,000 acres

in Preserve

RLA $$ 24 acres

Conservation Delivery- Habitat Protection

Saratoga Sandplains • ~2,192 acres protected

RLA $$2 sites- 6 acres

• Queensbury– 5 acres

• Saratoga West– 313 acres

• 293 acres Saratoga County Airport• 15 acres Spa State Park• 5 acres under management associated with 2 projects

Conservation Delivery- Habitat Protection

Before Restoration

Removal of over-story to improve habitat conditions for wild lupine and native grasses.

After

Restoration Crew

Conservation Delivery - Habitat Restoration

Habitat Restoration and Management

• Habitat Conservation Plan (utility ROWs) in prep

• Programmatic Safe Harbor with The Nature Conservancy completed 2010

• 3 successful law enforcement cases settled

Monitoring

Habitat• Lupine stem density• Nectar species richness• Nectar density• Grass cover• Canopy cover

Karner blues• P/A surveys• Transects• Distance Sampling (population

estimates)

Monitoring - KBB Habitat in Saratoga Sandplains

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 20100

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

Unmonitored Habitat Acres

Unsuitable Habitat Acres

Suitable Habitat Acres

Year - Consecutive Total

Num

ber o

f Acr

es

Goal•320 acres suitable habitat

2003•10 acres

Currently•127 acres KBB habitat restored/protected•106 monitored•76 suitable

Monitoring - KBB Habitat in Albany Pine Bush

Spring 2005 Spring 2007

Goal- 640 acres suitable habitat

1992-~13.5 acres KBB habitat

Currently- 333 acres KBB habitat, 225 acres monitored, 62 acres suitable

Private Stewardship Grant Program• 2005-2009• 4 grants• 126.5 acres restored

• 14 sites• 8 colonized by KBB to date

Conservation Delivery- Captive Propagation

• New Hampshire– 1980s 1000s of KBBs– Numbers declined– TNC initiated captive propagation

program in 1991 with NH KBB– 1999 24 KBB in wild– KBB extirpated from NH in 2000– NH Fish and Game initiated

intensive program using NY KBB– NH Army National Guard provided

building for captive rearing facility– Continues to date

Eclosed butterfly drying its wings.

Released butterfly with marking on lupine.

New Hampshire1st Brood Release

2nd Brood Release

1st Brood Wild Mark

2nd Brood Wild Mark

1st Brood Recapture

2nd Brood Recapture

2001 19 8 n/a n/a n/a n/a

2002 69 n/a n/a n/a n/a 3

2003 50 48 n/a n/a n/a 30

2004 186 743 n/a 31 n/a 167

2005 316 1021 27 154 160 347

2006 797 129 21 49 149 45

2007 200 703 20 54 49 301

2008 245 1778 58 64 65 404

2009 896 3154 87 260 316 1006

2010 163 2497 320 278 245 394

Average 294 1120 89 127 164 300

Monitoring - KBB Response in Saratoga Sandplains

2005 2007 2009 20100

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

Year

Popu

latio

n Si

ze

Second Brood Counts - Distance Sampling

Monitoring - KBB Response in Albany Pine Bush

2007 2008 2009 20100

50

100

150

200

250

Apollo DriveSoutheastNorthwestBarron House

Second Brood Counts - Distance Sampling

2010 Second Brood Estimates 770-1,100 KBB

Conservation Delivery- Captive Propagation

• New York– Initiated releases in 2008– NH site is primary facility– Pilot rearing program at

Farnsworth Middle School in 2008

– Continues to date

**684 kept for mating or released in NH

Collected Adult females- FMW – 4/5 put back in wild (1 died in captivity)NH – All eventually died in captivity

3 NY Release Sites

New York2008 # female

collected in APB

# eggs produced

# pupae produced

# pupae released

in NYNH (1st flight)

15 2521 1684 1000**

NH (2nd flight)

20 467 n/a wintered in

NH

n/a wintered in

NH FMS (1st flight)

5 50 46 46

Total 40 3038 1733 1046

Collected Adult females- FMW – 4/5 put back in wild (1 died in captivity)NH – All eventually died in captivity

2 Release Sites (617 and 45 KBB)

New York

2009# female collected

in APB # eggs

produced # pupae produced # pupae released in

NY

NH (2nd flight 2008) 20 (July 2008) 467 118** 58

NH (1st flight 2009) 10 (May 2009) 994 604 559

NH (2nd flight 2009) 15 (July 2009) 400 n/a wintered in NH n/a wintered in NH

FMS (1st flight 2009) 5 50 49 45

Total 50 1911 771 662

** 60 adults retained in NH

New York

2010• 8 release sites• 1,538 pupae/adults released

Monitoring GLA Recovery Status

Key Attribute Indicator APB SSSP SW QSP

Population size

Number of individuals in

the 2nd brood (2010)

~500 wild (Poor) ~1500

release 21,000 (VG) 1750 (Poor) <100 (Poor)

Number of viable

subpopulations 0 (Poor) 2 (Fair) 0(Poor) 0(Poor)

Habitat suitability

Total acres of suitable lupine

density ~62/225 102/129 26/306 1.5/13

Total lupine stems 1,280,000 (VG) 4,304,854 (VG) 105,458 (Poor) 14,223 (Poor)

Connectivity

Number of subpopulations

with 2 connections 7/12 (VG) 0 (Poor) 3/7 (poor) 2/4 (Poor)

Conservation Delivery- Outreach

Cooperative Efforts

What’s next?• Additional land protection• Habitat restoration and management• Captive propagation and release• Monitoring

Challenges• Providing funding/support to NYSDEC• Increased monitoring costs with more and

more habitat

Thank you!

This is a story of hope. While we have expended a great deal of time and funding since listing, we cannot give up now. With persistence, we can meet recovery objectives for this species.