News of the Lepidopterists’ Society Volume 51, Number 3

Conservation Matters: Contributions from the Conservation Committee Formal Protection of Lepidoptera species in Alberta, Canada by Greg Pohl Natural Resources Canada, 5320 – 122 St., Edmonton, AB, Canada T6H 3S5 [email protected]

Like most other jurisdictions, Canada butterflies were most recently treated to parliament, which can designate has only recently begun to look at by Acorn (1993), Bird et al.(1995) and protected status under SARA. insects from a conservation Layberry et al.(1998). A new checklist COSEWIC is composed of 30 voting perspective. Legislation that was by the author and others is in the final members from a variety of developed primarily for bird and stages of preparation, and should be organizations to facilitate national mammal species is now being brought published by the end of 2009. It lists agreement on species at risk in Canada: to bear on these less conspicuous 175 species of butterflies and 2185 entities that make up the vast majority species of moths reported from the - Four members from federal of living species. Naturally, butterflies province (Pohl et al., in prep.). government departments (the Canadian Wildlife Service, Department were the first insect group to be Federal Protection considered, but several moth species are of Fisheries and Oceans, Parks Canada, being examined as well. As a member Federally in Canada, species are and the Canadian Museum of Nature on both the provincial and federal protected by the Species At Risk Act on behalf of the Federal biodiversity scientific subcommittees charged with (SARA). Protection under SARA makes Information Partnership) doing species assessments, I’ll attempt it illegal to kill or harm a species on - Thirteen members from provincial and to demystify the process here. federal lands, to possess or traffic in territorial governments Unfortunately, some of the agencies them, or to destroy their residences. - Three members from national non- involved have long names, so beware, These laws are enforced, and carry a government scientific, conservation or this article has a high acronym count. maximum penalty of $1,000,000 or five environmental organizations years imprisonment. As well, the Alberta is one of Canada’s largest and federal Department of the Environment, - Nine scientific specialists on most diverse provinces. With an area 2 in cooperation with provincial and particular taxonomic groups (chairs of of about 662,950 km , it borders the other federal departments, is obligated Species Specialist Subcommittees; see Northwest Territories at 60 0N, and to develop and implement recovery below) Montana to the south at 49 0N, plans for protected species. The spanning a distance of about 1220 km - One chair from the Aboriginal minister is required to present a north to south. The western boundary Traditional Knowledge (ATK) recovery plan within four years of a follows the crest of the Rocky Specialist group species being listed under SARA, and to Mountains along the Continental Candidates for COSEWIC are appointed report on the implementation of that Divide, to about 54 0 latitude. Because to a four-year renewable term. Each of plan every five years. However, there most of the province was covered by ice the nine Specialist Subcommittees are no rigorous requirements that the during the last glaciation, virtually all focuses on a particular taxonomic goals of these recovery plans are met, living things have migrated into the group. They are made up of scientific so their success varies. regions within the last 10,000 years and experts and at least one expert from the there are few endemics. However, the Species are assessed for conservation ATK Subcommittee. SSC members are fauna is quite rich, due to the diverse status by the Committee On the Status also appointed to four-year renewable communities of the Boreal, Cordilleran of Endangered Wildlife In Canada terms, and are expected to conduct and Grassland regions in the province. (COSEWIC). COSEWIC reports to the assessments with strict impartiality and A map of the province and its ecoregions Canadian Endangered Species independent of non-scientific has been published on the World Wide Conservation Council (CESCC), which considerations. Web by the Natural Regions Committee is made up of federal, provincial, and Lepidoptera are handled by the (2006). The last published checklist of territorial ministers responsible for the Arthropod Specialist Subcommittee. Alberta Lepidoptera was published over management of species at risk. That This group is also actively assessing fifty years ago (Bowman 1951). The body in turn makes recommendations

90 Autumn 2009 Autumn 2009 News of the Lepidopterists’ Society odonates, tiger beetles, bees, and threatened or endangered , but the Canada 2009). A list of species protected selected other arthropod taxa. The subcommittee has a good reason to under SARA is available on the SARA subcommittee maintains a prioritized recommend that it be protected registry website (Species at Risk Public candidate list, and puts names forward nevertheless. A species can also be Registry 2008). for consideration by the parent deemed data deficient , meaning that not Provincial Protection in Alberta committee (COSEWIC) to consider for enough is known about the species, to funding an evaluation. From the make an accurate designation. Provincially in Alberta, protected species put forward by the various Assessments of threatened , status for threatened and endangered SSCs, COSEWIC selects a small number endangered , or of special concern species is designated under the Alberta of species each year and commissions result in a recommendation for Wildlife Act. Species are assessed by the status reports on them. A significant protected status under SARA. At that Scientific Subcommittee of the Alberta percentage of these have been insect point, the recommendations are Endangered Species Conservation species in recent years. COSEWIC may reviewed by the Canadian Endangered Committee (AESCC). The scientific also accept unsolicited reports from the Species Conservation Council, and then subcommittee is made up of experts public. These reports are then sent to parliament for debate before from across all biological disciplines, approved by the subcommittee and used (hopefully) being passed into law. and deals with plants and animals. Like to suggest assessments of the species’ Species are re-assessed every ten years its federal counterpart on COSEWIC, risk of extinction or extirpation. The to see if a status change is warranted. the subcommittee commissions status reports and makes status recom- assessment is a rigorous process based So far, COSEWIC has assessed 29 mendations to the parent committee, on population size, geographic range, butterfly and moth species for the AESCC. however, unlike its federal and the perceived threats to the species. conservation status; 10 of these occur counterpart, the AESCC includes The result is a status recommendation; in Alberta (Table 1). Detailed status members from industry and non- the species is deemed not at risk , reports and regular summary reports governmental organizations, as well as threatened , endangered , extirpated , or of species at risk are available on the from government departments. With extinct . Additionally, a species can be COSEWIC website (Committee On the such a diverse group of stakeholders at deemed to be of special concern if it does Status of Endangered Wildlife in not quite meet the requirements of the table, in a province whose economy

A ssess me tn COSEWIC SARA Sseicep Common Na em D eta R oce mmend oita n P oitcetor n

ainihcS eva m sisne (D )ray Gde-dlo deg G me 20 60 deregnadne deregnadne

S uiryta m es m uli na Kstol H-fla moon H kaertsria 20 60 nadne dereg deregnadne

P or d xo su q niu q peu u alletcn ps-eviF detto Bo sug 2006 deregnadne deregnadne C( ah m )sreb Y accu M hto

No p-n gnitanillo Y accu alucitegeT urroc xirtp P mlle ry 2006 deregnadne deregnadne M hto

alucitegeT allesaccuy )yeliR(Yaccu M hto 20 20 deregnadne deregnadne

ainihcS nrev a H dra kciw Vs'anre olF w re M hto 20 50 denetaerht gnidnep

Dana su pixelp p su )sueanniL(Mo hcran 20 10 oclaiceps nrecn oclaiceps nrecn

miL sitine w edie m iireye Edw sdra Wedie m s'reye Ad larim 20 00 oclaiceps nrecn oclaiceps nrecn

D dednab-kra olF w re M ale p pro airyh mi m utro a G etor 2005 atad tneicifed on en Gem

Copa pelb h ora n arg n sid rtS()rekce Pela Y olle w D enu M hto 20 70 oclaiceps nrecn gnidnep

Copa pelb h ora n ol n nepig en Getor Dksu y D enu M hto 20 70 deregnadne gnidnep

Table 1. Lepidoptera species occuring in Alberta that have been assessed for conservation status by COSEWIC, and resulting SARA protection. See photos pp. 93.

Volume 51, Number 3 91 News of the Lepidopterists’ Society Volume 51, Number 3 is based on resource extraction, the current lack of legislated protection for Council 2001); selected moth groups AESCC’s review of protected status them, the AESCC has assessed a few (saturnids, sphingids, and arctiine recommendations can be a politically- insect species that had already been noctuids) are scheduled to be included charged process. For example, designated federally. So far, three in the 2010 report. protected status for the Grizzly Bear, a Lepidoptera species have been Literature Cited contentious species with an Alberta evaluated: Weidemeyer’s Admiral population somewhere under 1000, has (Limenitis weidemeyerii Edwards) has Acorn, J. 1993. Butterflies of Alberta. Lone Pine been stalled for years as stakeholders been designated “Special Concern”; the Publishing. Edmonton, AB. 141 pp. Alberta Endangered Species Conservation debate its status as either a game Yucca Moth ( Tegeticula yuccassella Committee 2009. website: http:// animal or threatened species. If a (Riley)) has been recommended for www.srd.gov.ab.ca/fishwildlife/escc/ species’ status recommendation passes “Endangered” status; and Verna’s default.aspx review by the EASCC, a recom- Flower Moth ( Schinia verna Hardwick) Bird, C.D., Hilchie, G. J., Kondla, N. G., Pike, E. M., & Sperling, F. A. H. 1995. Alberta mendation is made to the provincial has been designated as “data deficient”. Butterflies. The Provincial Museum of Minister of Sustainable Resource Provincial status reports and other Alberta, Edmonton, AB. 349 pp. Development, to designate protected information can be found on the AESSC Bowman, K. 1951. An Annotated list of the status under the Alberta Wildlife Act. website (Alberta Endangered Species Lepidoptera of Alberta. Canadian Journal of Zoology 29: 121-165. Under the act, it is illegal to purposely Conservation Committee 2009). Canadian Endangered Species Conservation harm or kill a protected species on General Status Rankings Council 2001. Wild species 2000. Website: provincially-controlled or private land http://www.wildspecies.ca/wildspecies2000/en/ in Alberta, and a recovery plan must be Besides the aforementioned federal and AB04E.html?lang=e Committee on the Status of Endangered developed and put into action for the provincial assessments of selected Wildlife in Canada 2009. Website: http:// species. Implementation of recovery species, general status assessments are www.cosewic.gc.ca/eng/sct5/index_e.cfm plans is another matter; the carried out on selected taxonomic Layberry, R.A., Hall, P. W., & Lafontaine, J.D. involvement of diverse stakeholders groups in Canada. Like global G-ranks 1998. The Butterflies of Canada. NRC Research Press, Canada Institute for means that the will and resources to (NatureServe 2009), these rankings do Scientific and Technical Information, in change land usage are often lacking. not confer any protected status, but association with University of Toronto We have seen meaningful steps taken they provide a general perspective on Press, Toronto, ON. 280 pp. for charismatic species such as the the conservation status of wild species. Natura Regions Committee 2006. Natural Regions and Subregions of Alberta. D.J. Peregrine Falcon and Swift Fox, but Federally, the National General Status Downing, W.W. Pettapiece (compilers). recovery actions for other species are Working Group (NGSWG) assigns Government of Alberta. Publication No. T/ often stalled at the planning stage. federal and provincial rankings to all 852. 264 pp. http://www.tprc.alberta.ca/ species in certain target groups, and parks/heritageinfocentre/docs/ A major problem with the Alberta NRSRcomplete%20May_06.pdf produces a report every five years. The Wildlife Act is that invertebrates are not NatureServe 2009. Website: http:// NGSWG is made up of representatives currently covered under it, so there is www.natureserve.org/index/jsp from each of the 13 Canadian provinces Pohl, G.R., Anweiler, G.G., Schmidt, B.C., & no official provincial protection at this and territories, as well as Kondla, N.G. [in prep.]. The Lepidoptera of time for them. Members of the AESCC Alberta. Volume. Annotated Species list. representatives from federal agencies are currently working to propose Species at Risk Public Registry 2008. Website: that deal with wild species. Butterflies changes to the Provincial species At http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/default_e.cfm were first ranked in 2000 (Canadian Risk Act, to extend protection to Endangered Species Conservation invertebrate species. Despite the New Prices for Lepidopterists’ Society T-Shirts A new supply of Lepidopterists’ Society t-shirts are now available and with this new supply comes a new price: $12.00 each. Shipping remains unchanged at $5.00 for the first shirt, $2.00 for each additional shirt (U.S. and Canada; inquire for shipping charges to other countries). There is also a new size available: XXL, in both colores (navy blue or yellow). The t-shirts are high quality, 100% cotton, preshrunk and proudly display a 7-inch diameter Lepidopterists’ Society logo on the front. For ordering form please see the mailing insert that came with this issue, or indicate quantity, color and size desired and send along with a checkto Kelly Richers, Treasurer, The Lepidopterists’ Society 9417 Carvalho Court, Bakersfield, CA. 93311-1846.

92 Autumn 2009