FIELD SURVEYS FOR THE DIONE COPPER COLUMBIA BASIN FISH & WILDLIFE COMPENSATION PROGRAM

PREPARED BY Norbert G. Kondla, RPBio

FOR Columbia Basin Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program And

September 2002

www.cbfishwildlife.org FIELD SURVEYS FOR THE DIONE COPPER BUTTERFLY

Susan Borkin photograph

Prepared by

Norbert G. Kondla P.Biol., RPBio.

and

W. Dean Nicholson

Prepared for

Columbia Basin Trust and Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program

12 September 2002 INTRODUCTION

Lycaena dione Scudder, 1868 is a butterfly in the family . It has been variously referred to by the common name of Dione Copper, Grey Copper or Great Grey Copper in popular books. It is widespread on the Great Plains of North America but becomes decidedly local in the cordilleran environments of the west. It was unknown in BC until Lloyd Janz discovered its presence in Confederation Park (Cranbrook) near Elizabeth Lake in 1989 (Shepard 1990). No other populations were known up to the spring of 2001 (Guppy and Shepard 2001) and consequently the BC population has been viewed as being of serious conservation concern (Guppy et al. 1994, Guppy and Kondla 2000, Kondla et al. 2000, Guppy and Shepard 2001, Pyle 2002). Dean Nicholson discovered an additional site in July of 2001 at Bar Creek north of Lumberton Road (Kondla et al. 2002).

The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada subsequently commissioned a formal status report in the summer of 2001. The Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program and the Columbia Basin Trust contributed funding to enhance the amount of time available for field surveys. This brief report deals with the resulting field surveys that we conducted. Illustrations of two of the life cycle stages of dione are provided in Appendix 2 and some BC adults are illustrated in Appendix 3.

METHODS

We met for an on-site examination of the habitat available at the Confederation Park site prior to the 2002 Dione Copper flight period. We noted that large Rumex spp. were abundantly present. This was in stark contrast to the assertion by Shepard in Guppy and Shepard (2001) that this population only has Polygonum amphibium available as a larval host plant. Kondla subsequently reviewed published literature, personal file information and information provided by others to characterize the range of habitats used by the butterfly. The picture that emerged was that of a butterfly that occupies a variety of wet to dry and even weedy habitats with presence of the larger Rumex species – the only known host plant for the butterfly larvae.

We reviewed maps to locate candidate roads and areas for subsequent vehicle- based investigation. Butterfly voucher specimens were collected at occupied sites. Photographs were taken of most occupied sites and brief notes were made on salient habitat attributes. Binoculars were used to scan wetlands and other habitat patches that were not amenable to intimate foot searches due to time and logistical constraints.

We largely selected lower elevation areas in the Rocky Mountain trench for field investigation because we knew from past field work over the years that suitable

2 habitats were not present in the higher elevation forested areas. This area was examined from the USA border north to Parsons, a linear distance of about 250 kilometres. A valley corridor extending from the British Columbia-Alberta border along Highway 3 southwest to Moyie was also examined. The Kootenay River valley around Creston was searched fairly intensively over more than one day due to published occurrence of the butterfly in nearby northern Idaho. The area between Cranbrook and Kimberley was searched as well.

Total time spent in search of occupied butterfly sites was over 111 hours spread between 2 July 2002 and 11 August 2002. Kondla spent time on field work on 8 different calendar days and Nicholson conducted his searches over 13 different calendar days. Additional time was spent prior to the flight period in search of candidate places to visit during the flight period. Kondla drove more than 2000 km in examining potential sites and areas. Nicholson spent more time in the immediate Cranbrook area and travelled approximately 900 km.

RESULTS

We located 13 additional sites with L. dione present. These are distributed over a substantial geographic area (approximately 250 sq. km.) roughly centred on Cranbrook. The most distant site was Bummers Flats to the northeast of Cranbrook. Three sites were found in Cranbrook; one east of Cranbrook, two in Moyie, one in Marysville, two near Wycliffe, two on Pighin road and one on Jim Smith Lake road. Thus the butterfly has now been documented from 15 local sites in British Columbia.

Apparently suitable patches of Rumex without visible Lycaena dione were found at the following locations: ♦ A large stand of Rumex in a gravel pit near the junction of Mission-Wycliffe Road and Airport Road; also another one about .5 km to the east, ♦ Patch of Rumex on west side of highway about .5 km north of Confederation Park, ♦ Patch of Rumex along edge of marsh on east side of Highway 3 about 3 km north of Jaffray, ♦ Patch of Rumex off Ft. Steele-Wardner Road east on Mause Road, ♦ Large patch of Rumex on edge of ephemeral wetland beside Davis Road near Roosville by Tobacco Plains IR, ♦ Abundant Rumex in kettle beside road to Suzanne Lake about 3 km east of Jaffray road, ♦ Abundant Rumex on waste area in Invermere near James Chabot Provincial Park, ♦ Abundant Rumex in depression of hayfield off Highway 95 about 3 km north of Edgewater, ♦ Abundant Rumex in and at edge of marsh by Highway 21 near Rykerts border crossing.

3 Observed butterfly behaviour ran the normal gamut; including nectaring, basking, resting, aerial contest behaviour, patrolling, dispersing. Three males were observed engaging in aerial contest behaviour at the Bummers Flats site where they used the adjacent CPR railroad as a hilltop. Males appeared to use a combination of perching and patrolling for mate locating behaviour. Females were also noted displaying aggressive behaviour to other L. dione individuals while they were resting on plants.

One male at Bummers Flats was discovered in rapid, straight line flight along the base of the railroad track about 500 metres from the breeding site and was moving away from same, suggesting it was in dispersal mode. Many kinds of herbaceous plants were found to serve as resting/perching locations. One immediate post-copulo pair was discovered on peppergrass (Lepidium densiflorum). When startled the male rapidly flew away and the female retreated into the foliage. Daily flight activity appeared to be normal, with activity beginning in the morning with radiant warming by sunshine and continuing through the day so long as temperatures were suitable. On one occasion were found to be actively nectaring on at 1900 hours.

None of the sites where butterflies were seen were wetland habitat. All were found stationary or in flight in dry to mesic habitat. The lowest elevation occupied site was Bummers Flats at 790 metres, while the highest elevation occupied site was Jim Smith Lake road at 1036 metres.

The sites with the greatest number of observed individuals were the Confederation Park site (at least 30 individuals) and the Jim Smith Lake road site (at least 20 individuals). These were rough counts taken over small areas in short time frames and should not be used to draw any inferences about absolute population size. On one occasion the Bummers Flats site was walked from one end to the other and then back again. Seven individuals were seen on both transects. One week earlier, eleven individuals were seen at the site during a brief visit.

Distances between occupied sites varied from two city blocks to 15 kilometres. Population structure thus evidenced appears to be a classic metapopulation structure centred on the landscape dynamics of Rumex.

Following are brief descriptions of the known occupied sites. Note that latitude and longitude coordinates are given in degrees, minutes, seconds format. A summary map of all documented Lycaena dione sites is presented as Figure 24 in Appendix 1.

4 Bummers Flats

More than 100 Rumex plants are situated between the CPR railroad track and Highway 93, south of Wasa. This breeding site occupied an area about 10 metres wide and 500 metres long. Vegetation other than the Rumex consisted of weedy grasses and forbs. Nectar sources were in good supply, including , Sonchus, and mustards. No dock nor coppers were seen in the extensive wetlands adjacent to this site. It is noteworthy that another BC butterfly with a very restricted range was also found at this site: the Silver Spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus).

Figure 1. Map showing approximate location of Bummers Flats site. The coordinates are 50.43.03, 115.41.30.

5 Figure 2. View of habitat at Bummers Flats site. Note Rumex plants in foreground.

Cranbrook-Confederation Park

This is the first known BC site discovered by Lloyd Janz. The primary breeding area consists of patches and scattered plants of Rumex on landfill and an old mill site. Some dock plants also grow close to the water of Elizabeth Lake, which in its present regulated state is larger than the natural water body that preceded it and is also a non-natural habitat managed primarily for waterfowl production. D. Nicholson has persistently seen L. dione flying in this dry weedy area for several years. Note that the area is no longer a provincial park as shown on the old map used in Figure 3.

6 Figure 3. Map showing approximate locations of Confederation Park site (latlong 49.30.05, 115.47.26) and Jim Smith Lake road site (latlong 49.29.31, 115.48.46). The Jim Smith Lake road site is discussed on pages 10 and 11.

Figure 4. View of the main breeding area at Confederation Park.

Cranbrook

Three new sites were found in the City of Cranbrook. One was a small site of Rumex in an industrial site near Joseph Creek. Habitat with Rumex likely extends further down the creek. Another was a small stand of Rumex in a vacant lot near a shopping center and Joseph Creek. The third was at the city gravel pit and Rumex was abundant there.

7 Figure 5. Map showing approximate locations of the three new sites in Cranbrook (latlongs 49.30.38, 115.46.44; 49.32.00, 115.44.30 and 49.31,115.45.13).

Figure 6. View of the Cranbrook gravel pit site.

8 Figure 7. View of the site in the industrial area at the north end of ‘the strip’ in Cranbrook.

Figure 8. View of the vacant lot site near a mall in Cranbrook.

Cranbrook East

One small site was found on a disturbed slope adjacent Highway 3 about 2 kilometres east of the Cranbrook/Kimberly interchange (latlong 49.33.30,115.42.00).

9 Figure 9. Map showing the approximate location of the Cranbrook East site.

Figure 10. View of the roadside site east of Cranbrook along Highway 3.

Jim Smith Lake Road

A site with a dense population and abundant Rumex was discovered in a yard in a residential area along the road to Jim Smith Lake. At least 20 adults were

10 found avidly nectaring on alfalfa growing at the edge of the road surface of a gravel home access road known as Laidlaw Road. See Figure 5, page 8 for a map of the location. Latlong for this site is 49.29.31, 115.48.46.

Figure 11. View of the Jim Smith Lake road site.

Figure 12. Nectar source for the Jim Smith Lake road population, alfalfa growing on Laidlaw road.

11 Marysville

The butterfly was present at a small site (less than 15 plants) next to the arena (latlong 49.38.20,115.57.00).

Figure 13. Map showing the approximate location of the occupied site in Marysville.

Figure 14. View of the Marysville site.

12 Moyie

Two small occupied sites were found within two blocks of each other in the townsite; along a street and on private property (latlong 49.17.15, 115.49.00).

Figure 15. Map showing the approximate locations of the two sites in Moyie.

Figure 16. A typical stand of Rumex in the village of Moyie.

13 Palmer Bar Creek

A potentially expansive site where the butterfly was fairly common in 2001 but only one individual was seen in three visits during 2002. It is interesting to note that the water level was substantially higher in 2002 as compared to 2001. A patch of Rumex in an old stream backwater where the butterflies were seen in 2001 was flooded in 2002 and unusable as a breeding site. Rumex plants are scattered in grassy areas along the periphery of shrubby areas near the stream.

Figure 17. Map showing approximate location of Palmer Bar Creek site. Latlong is 49.25.34, 115.59.07.

Pighin Road

Two occupied sites were noted along Pighin Road. The site at the confluence with Colt Road had a large stand of Rumex in a pasture with a prairie-like landscape setting. Long-billed Curlews were even noted there to add to the prairie flavour of the landscape. Another site at kilometre 9 opposite an old abandoned farmstead was also a pasture setting but had far fewer Rumex plants than the Colt Road site. Numerous other patches of Rumex were noted along Pighin Road and future work will certainly find some of them occupied by Lycaena dione.

Figure 18. Map showing the approximate locations of the two occupied sites found on Pighin Road, north of Wycliffe (Latlongs 49.37.21, 115.52.24 and 49.39.33, 115.54.08), at Wycliffe (latlong 49.36.16, 115.51.47) and Wycliffe- Mission Road (latlong 49.36.50).

14 Figure 19. View of part of the occupied site at Pighin road with junction of Colt road.

15 Figure 20. Partial view of the occupied site at kilometre 9 of Pighin Road.

Wycliffe

One occupied site was found at Wycliffe (latlong 43.36.16, 115.51.47) and another on a spur road just off the Mission-Wycliffe Road (latlong 49.36.30, 115.51.00). See Figure 18, page 15 for a map. A nectaring female was found on alfalfa beside the townsite access road. Scattered plants and patches of Rumex are present in and around the townsite. Rumex was found to be very abundantly present throughout the ‘Wycliffe Prairie’ area, eg. along Pighin, Foster and Wycliffe-Mission roads. It would take at least several days to contact landowners and check all the available sites for butterflies.

Figure 21. View of the roadside site just off the Mission-Wycliffe road.

16 DISCUSSION

Published reports of Lycaena dione using water smartweed (Polygonum amphibium) as a larval host plant are speculative and appear to be based on the mistaken premise that Rumex is not available to the Confederation Park population (Guppy and Shepard 2001, Pyle 2002). Only the larger species of Rumex have been confirmed as a larval host. This field project has clearly demonstrated that the butterfly flies in association with Rumex in dry and disturbed/artificial habitats. Wetlands are not a factor in the distribution of this butterfly in BC except insofar as the shores of wetlands sometimes support stands of Rumex.

The known biology of the butterfly also renders unlikely the successful use of either Polygonum or Rumex in spots subject to extended winter or spring flooding. The eggs are laid on the Rumex plants and fall to the ground at the base of the plant along with the dry plant parts in the fall. Eggs hatch in the spring and larvae then consume the new Rumex growth before they pupate and emerge in the summer as adults. Pupation is reported to occur in the litter at the base of the Rumex plant (Pyle 2002). These are not aquatic organisms and neither the eggs nor larvae are known to be functional under extended submergence. It is likely that if females chose Rumex growing in wet sites to lay their eggs, that these plants would act as a population sink.

Trampling by livestock, if at very extreme and concentrated level, would likely be harmful to Lycaena dione populations. However, Kondla has observed a population on the prairie near Standard, Alberta for 30 years and the butterflies have survived persistent heavy grazing and trampling around the Rumex plants. Normal livestock grazing in Lycaena dione habitat is certainly not a matter of concern

Trampling by humans at the Confederation Park site is not a problem at current use levels and management regime. Most people stay on the trails and simply do not wander through the weedy areas. In particular, areas with thistles (frequently associated with Rumex) are avoided by the great majority of recreationists.

The main human activity that would be harmful to Lycaena dione would be misguided weed spraying and misguided efforts to turn the necessary disturbed sites into ‘natural’ habitat. This butterfly is a ruderale and adventive species that forms metapopulations and is well adapted to patchy and changing host plant conditions. Dispersal of individuals is most likely to be along linear corridors, both natural such as streams and also artificial corridors such as roadways and railroad tracks. Weeds such as thistle should not be eradicated near Rumex stands because the nectar they supply to this and other butterflies is important

17 Besides responding well to direct human disturbance, Rumex distribution also appears to be affected by livestock activity. Rumex was frequently seen in corrals and other livestock enclosures and was also noted to be concentrated in the shade of large trees where livestock are known to congregate for the shade. Examples of these phenomena are shown in Figures 22 and 23.

Figure 22. View of Rumex in livestock enclosure along Wycliffe-Mission Road.

Figure 23. View of Rumex concentration in shade of large tree frequented by livestock.

Butterflies were found in sites where Rumex was present as relatively few plants and also in large stands. Adults are strong fliers and clearly move widely through

18 their environment to locate Rumex. A viable metapopulation of this species could likely be maintained in the Cranbrook area of BC simply by ensuring that variable sized stands of Rumex continue to exist in the environment and by not killing the flowering weeds that normally also grow in such sites. The sites with larger stands of Rumex and persistent populations of the butterfly would be most important to maintain as key habitat patches from which dispersers can populate or repopulate smaller sites (Etienne and Heesterbeek 2001).

Guppy and Shepard (2001) report yellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis) as a nectar source for adults. In 2001 Kondla noted use of oxeye daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum) and in 2002 nectaring was observed on alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense). Most butterflies use a variety of nectaring sources as they are available.

The Flathead River valley was not searched due to time constraints but it is possible that L. dione is resident there. Another Rumex-feeding species, Lycaena hyllus, has been reported from that area (Kondla et al. 2002). For time and access reasons we also did not survey Kootenay Indian Reserve 1, which likely supports this butterfly. The north end of Lake Koocanusa has some Rumex patches and these may be colonised by the butterfly during periods of lower water. These would then suffer extinction during years with high water levels.

The Confederation Park population is doing very well, in contrast to published concerns about its welfare. The breeding area has a large interpretive sign which provides high immediate profile to the provincial significance of the species. Local naturalists are also aware of the significance of the butterfly and so is the City of Cranbrook. There is sufficient local knowledge and interest to bode well for the future of this site as a breeding area for Lycaena dione.

Guppy and Kondla (2000) provided a provincial conservation status rank of S1 (Critically Imperilled) on the basis of information available at the time. By using the same methodology and criteria plus this new information, we confirm this provincial conservation status rank. Although more local sites are known, the provincial ranks are based on a conservative site definition using an approximate 10 by 10 kilometre grid to define a site. Thus for ranking purposes the presently known site count is 5. It is possible that further work would support a status rank of S2 (Imperilled).

Future field surveys are certain to locate additional occupied sites. It is plausible that more than 20 local sites of the kind described in this report will eventually be found. We expect that most additional sites would be found in the geographic triangle formed by Bummers Flats-Cranbrook-Kimberley. Total population is an unknown at this time and would require some mark/recapture studies or at least formal transect counts to determine with any precision. Our best estimate is that the present population is between 1000 and 3000 adult individuals.

19 Oviposition by BC individuals has not yet been observed and it is therefore unclear exactly which suite of Rumex species is being used by the butterfly. was noted to be the most persistently present species at occupied sites and in some of these sites was the only species so hence must be a larval host plant. It is also not known at this time what role if any ants play in the life cycle of BC populations. Elsewhere at least a facultative version of myrmecophily is suggested through observations of ant attendance at feeding caterpillars (Borkin 1993).

A final point of interest is the ventral appearance of the butterflies. Guppy and Shepard (2001) describe the ventral color as being chalk white. The illustrations provided in said book are certainly quite white and have a bluish color to the basal area of the wings. We do not know if this is due to the illustrated specimens being aberrant or if the colors noted above are a result of the photography process. We examined more than 20 specimens and found that the male ventral color is best described as light brown or beige in most cases although some are a light grey. Females tend to have a lighter venter, which can be beige or a light whitish grey. Venters of several specimens are presented in Appendix 3 as figures 27 and 28 to illustrate the colors we observed. The illustrations were generated from a scanner and are life size.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We thank the Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program, Columbia Basin Trust, and Canadian Wildlife Service for funding that made this work possible. We also thank Crispin Guppy for providing peer review of a draft of this report and Susan Borkin for allowing use of her photographs.

LITERATURE CITED

Borkin, S. 1993. Investigating the Great Copper butterfly. Lore 43(2):16-19. Etienne, R.S. and J.A.P. Heesterbeek. 2001. Rules of thumb for conservation of metapopulations based on a stochastic winking patch model. American Naturalist 158:389-407. Guppy, C.S. and N.G. Kondla. 2000. Status of the butterflies and skippers of British Columbia for the National Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk. Prepared for Conservation Data Centre, Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks. 87 pp. + MS Excell spreadsheet. Guppy, C.S. & J.H. Shepard. 1994. British Columbia's Butterflies and Moths in L.E. Harding and E. McCullum (editors). Biodiversity in British Columbia: Our Changing Environment. Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service. Guppy, C.S. and J.H. Shepard. 2001. Butterflies of British Columbia. Royal BC Museum. 414 pp

20 Kondla, N.G., C.S. Guppy and J.H. Shepard. 2000. Butterflies of conservation interest in Alberta, British Columbia, and Yukon. Pp. 95-100 in Darling, L.M. (ed.). Proceedings of a Conference on the Biology and Management of Species and Habitats at Risk. Volume 1. BC Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks and University College of the Caribou. 490 pp Kondla, N.G., W.D. Nicholson, D. L. Threatful, C.S. Guppy, and B.C. Schmidt,. 2002. Noteworthy British Columbia butterfly records. Boreus 22(1):17-24. Pyle, R.M. 2002. Butterflies of Cascadia. Seattle, WA: Seattle Audubon Society. 420 pp. Shepard, J.H. (coordinator). 1990. Zone 2 Pacific Northwest: Idaho, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia in 1989 Seasons Summary. News of the Lepidopterists’ Society 2(1990):14-15.

21 APPENDIX 1

Figure 24. Summary map of known Lycaena dione locations.

22 APPENDIX 2

Lycaena dione immature stage photographs. Susan Borkin images.

Figure 25. Mature larva (caterpillar).

Figure 26. Pupa.

23 APPENDIX 3

Figure 27. Venters of some male L. dione from the Cranbrook area.

Figure 28. Venters of some female L. dione from the Cranbrook area.

24