Captive Rearing and Endangered Butterfly Recovery: Captive Environments and Implications for Propagation Programs
Grants/Fellowships in support:
US Fish and Wildlife Service: Effects of captive rearing on Fender’s and Puget blue butterflies: Protocols and conservation concerns (2004-2005) [Investigator]
WSU Meyer’s Endowment Fund: The effect of captive breeding on behavior of endangered species using Puget blue butterflies and the South Puget Sound Prairies as a model system (2004-2005) [Investigator]
American Zoo and Aquarium Association Conservation Endowment Fund: Captive rearing of Fender’s and Puget blue butterflies: Protocols and conservation consequences in collaboration with David Shepherdson (2003-2004) [Investigator]
Robert Lane Fellow in Environmental Sciences (2004) [Fellow]
WSU Vancouver Mini-grant: Should captive breeding be an integral part of conservation strategies for endangered species? (2003) [Investigator]
Oregon Zoo Future for Wildlife Fund: The influence of captive rearing on behavior and demography of endangered Northwest butterflies (2003) [Investigator]
Project Overview:
Reared Puget blue butterflies (Icaricia icarioides blackmorei), a subspecies closely related to the endangered Fender’s blue (I. i. fenderi) from two wild populations in Washington, USA to investigate two approaches for egg collection (collect eggs in the wild vs. collect eggs from adult females which were brought to a greenhouse for oviposition) and three diapause environments (in indoor facilities at two independent locations vs. outdoors in enclosures). Survival from egg to adult was similar across all captive groups which survived past diapause and was less than 10%. Captive reared individuals were lighter and had smaller wings and shorter body lengths than their founding populations for both sites. Based on our findings, we recommend that rearing programs compare characteristics of reared individuals to individuals from the founding population to quantify possible effects of captive conditions, diapause individuals in natural environments, and for programs with survival rates similar to rates in the wild, consider alternatives to augment declining populations and reintroduce historic ones.
Activities Conducted:
US Fish and Wildlife Service: Effects of captive rearing on Fender’s and Puget blue butterflies: Protocols and conservation concerns (2004-2005) [Investigator]
WSU Meyer’s Endowment Fund: The effect of captive breeding on behavior of endangered species using Puget blue butterflies and the South Puget Sound Prairies as a model system (2004-2005) [Investigator]
American Zoo and Aquarium Association Conservation Endowment Fund: Captive rearing of Fender’s and Puget blue butterflies: Protocols and conservation consequences in collaboration with David Shepherdson (2003-2004) [Investigator]
Robert Lane Fellow in Environmental Sciences (2004) [Fellow]
WSU Vancouver Mini-grant: Should captive breeding be an integral part of conservation strategies for endangered species? (2003) [Investigator]
Oregon Zoo Future for Wildlife Fund: The influence of captive rearing on behavior and demography of endangered Northwest butterflies (2003) [Investigator]
Project Overview:
Reared Puget blue butterflies (Icaricia icarioides blackmorei), a subspecies closely related to the endangered Fender’s blue (I. i. fenderi) from two wild populations in Washington, USA to investigate two approaches for egg collection (collect eggs in the wild vs. collect eggs from adult females which were brought to a greenhouse for oviposition) and three diapause environments (in indoor facilities at two independent locations vs. outdoors in enclosures). Survival from egg to adult was similar across all captive groups which survived past diapause and was less than 10%. Captive reared individuals were lighter and had smaller wings and shorter body lengths than their founding populations for both sites. Based on our findings, we recommend that rearing programs compare characteristics of reared individuals to individuals from the founding population to quantify possible effects of captive conditions, diapause individuals in natural environments, and for programs with survival rates similar to rates in the wild, consider alternatives to augment declining populations and reintroduce historic ones.
Activities Conducted:
- Field capture of wild Puget blue (Icaricia icarioides blackmorei) females
- Field/Greenhouse oviposition
- Release of females back to wild population
- Tending of eggs/larvae on greenhouse propagated native host (Lupinus albicaulis)
- Tending of diapausing larvae in experimental treatments (Incubator, Environmental Chamber, Outdoor). Larvae were housed in Toledo Jars designed by Karner Blue recovery team.
- Assessment of larvae, pupae, and adults for weight and morphology (photo-based biometry) differences.
