Surveys for Johnson's Hairstreak (Callophrys Johnsoni)
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Surveys for Johnson’s Hairstreak (Callophrys johnsoni) in Sechelt and Roberts Creek, British Columbia, June 2009 Report Citation: Parkinson, L. S.A. Blanchette, J. Heron. 2009. Surveys for Johnson’s Hairstreak (Callophrys johnsoni) in Sechelt and Roberts Creek, British Columbia, June 2009, B.C. Ministry of Environment, Ecosystems Branch, Wildlife Science Section, Vancouver, B.C. Cover illustration: Callophrys johnsoni, June 2007, Pacific Spirit Regional Park, Vancouver, B.C. Photo by Michelle Connolly. Content and photographs (excluding cover photograph) may be used without permission, with appropriate credit to the photographer and the source (the source is this report). Contact Information for report: Jennifer Heron, Invertebrate Specialist, B.C. Ministry of Environment, Ecosystems Branch, Wildlife Science Section, 316 – 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6T 1Z1. Phone: 604-222-6759. Email: [email protected] Acknowledgements Fieldwork was conducted by Laura Parkinson and Sophie-Anne Blanchette, B.C. Conservation Corps Invertebrate Species at Risk Crew. Jennifer Heron (B.C. Ministry of Environment) provided maps, planning and guidance for this project. Funding was provided by the B.C. Ministry of Environment through the B.C. Conservation Corp program (Ben Finkelstein, Manager and Bianka Sawicz, Program Coordinator), the B.C. Ministry of Environment Wildlife Science Section (Alec Dale, Manager) and Conservation Framework Funding (James Quayle, Manager). Funding for this project was administered by the British Columbia Conservation Foundation (Joanne Neilson). Joanne Neilson (B.C. Conservation Foundation) was a tremendous help and support to this project. This project links with concurrent invertebrate stewardship projects funded by the federal Habitat Stewardship Program for species at risk. This project aligns with the provincial Conservation Framework. B.C. Conservation Data Centre provided previous records and location information for Johnson’s Hairstreak. Thanks to Denis Knopp, who confirmed the identification of the Johnson’s Hairstreak specimen collected during this survey. Rob Cannings (Royal British Columbia Museum) identified terrestrial insects collected by hand and Rex Kenner (Beaty Biodiversity Museum Spencer Entomological Collection) identified aquatic beetles. Kristiina Ovaska and Lennart Sopuck identified gastropods and aquatic molluscs. Special thanks to Crispin Guppy who provided help with identification of specimens, photographs and further insights into habitat for various butterfly species recorded during this survey. Thank you to Michelle Connolly for providing background information and insight regarding Johnson’s Hairstreak. Thank you to Karen Needham (Beaty Biodiversity Museum Spencer Entomological Collection) for helping with specimen identifications and resources. Survey information from this project was sent to the B.C. Conservation Data Centre (Leah Ramsay) and Wildlife Inventory Database (Diana Demarchi). Butterflies and incidental insect specimens collected are deposited with the Beaty Biodiversity Museum Spencer Entomological Collection at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver (Karen Needham, Curator) and at the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria (Claudia Copley, Collections Manager). All photographs in this report were taken by Laura Parkinson and Sophie-Anne Blanchette, except for the cover photo taken by Michelle Connolly. Surveys for Johnson’s Hairstreak (Callophrys johnsoni) in Sechelt and Roberts Creek, British Columbia, June 2009. iii Executive Summary Johnson’s Hairstreak (Callophrys johnsoni) is a small, inconspicuous brown butterfly. Its range in British Columbia (B.C.) includes southeastern Vancouver Island and the south western lower mainland, extending eastward as far as Hope. Recent records are from a handful of sites in the greater Vancouver area. Johnson’s Hairstreak is red-listed by the B.C. Conservation Data Center and has a gobal rank of G2G3 (Natureserve, 2009). Johnson’s Hairstreak is currently awaiting assessment by COSEWIC (2009). This survey was initiated to gain more information on the range extent of Johnson’s Hairstreak on the Sunshine Coast and continues from fieldwork completed by Michelle Connlly in 2007. Five days of surveys targeting Johnson’s Hairstreak habitat were completed during June 2009. The geographic area surveyed focused on crown land accessible via forest service roads east of the Jervis Inlet between the towns of Sechelt and Gibsons. Habitats targeted for surveys included sites with mature western hemlock (Tsuga heterophyla) potentially infected by dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium sp.), the host plant of Johnson’s Hairstreak. All butterfly observations were recorded. Eleven butterfly species were observed during this survey. No exotic species were observed. Johnson’s Hairstreak was the only species of conservation concern observed; two adults were observed on Sechelt-Dakota Forest Service Road near Sechelt. There is much potential Johnson’s Hairstreak habitat that remains to be surveyed on the Sunshine Coast. Future inventory should focus on the suitable habitat further north along the Sunshine Coast to Powell River. Surveys for Johnson’s Hairstreak (Callophrys johnsoni) in Sechelt and Roberts Creek, British Columbia, June 2009. iv Table of Contents Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................................ iii Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................................iv Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................ 7 Background Information ......................................................................................................................................... 7 Survey Area ................................................................................................................................................................ 8 Butterfly Surveys ....................................................................................................................................................... 8 Aquatic Surveys....................................................................................................................................................... 10 Methods ..................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Butterfly Surveys ..................................................................................................................................................... 10 Aquatic Surveys....................................................................................................................................................... 11 Hand Searching for Other Terrestrial Insects ........................................................................................................ 11 Results ....................................................................................................................................................................... 12 Johnson’s Hairstreak Location Description .................................................................................................... 12 Sechelt Dakota Forest Service Road ....................................................................................................................... 12 Other Butterfly Observations ................................................................................................................................... 14 Grey Hairstreak (Strymon melinus) ........................................................................................................................ 14 Cedar Hairstreak (Callophrys nelsonii) ................................................................................................................. 14 Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus) .......................................................................................................... 14 Lorquin’s admiral (Limentis lorquini) .................................................................................................................... 14 Mylitta Crescent (Phycoides mylitta) ...................................................................................................................... 15 Pale Swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon) ................................................................................................................... 15 Western Meadow Fritillary (Boloria epithore) ....................................................................................................... 16 Painted Lady (Vannessa cardui) ............................................................................................................................. 16 Clodius Parnassian (Parnassius Clodius) .............................................................................................................. 17 Hoary Comma (Polygonia gracilis) ........................................................................................................................ 17 Other Invertebrate Observations ............................................................................................................................. 18 Aquatic Surveys......................................................................................................................................................