Please note that all location information has been removed from this document to protect Minnesota’s Karner Blue Butterfly populations A REPORT ON SURVEYS FOR THE KARNER BLUE BUTTERFLY AND OTHER RARE INSECTS AT WHITEWATER WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA With an Assessment of Habitat Quality and Recommendations for Management and Monitoring February 16, 2009 Prepared By: James Bess OTIS Enterprises 13501 south 750 west Wanatah, IN 46390 Prepared for: Jaime Edwards, SE Region Nongame Specialist Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 2300 Silver Creek Rd NE Rochester, MN 55906 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 BACKGROUND .................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 KARNER BLUE BUTTERFLY: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE .................................................... 1 1.2 WILDFIRE, THE KARNER BLUE AND ITS HABITAT ................................................................ 1 1.3 HABITAT FRAGMENTATION ........................................................................................................ 3 1.4 HISTORIC DECLINE OF THE KARNER BLUE ............................................................................ 4 1.5 MINNESOTA KARNER BLUE POPULATIONS ............................................................................ 4 2.0 METHODS ............................................................................................................................................. 5 2.1 SITE DESCRIPTIONS ....................................................................................................................... 5 2.1.1 XXXXX1 ..................................................................................................................................... 5 2.1.2 XXXXX2 ..................................................................................................................................... 5 2.1.3 XXXXX3 ..................................................................................................................................... 5 2.1.4 XXXXX4 ..................................................................................................................................... 6 2.2 OBJECTIVES ..................................................................................................................................... 6 2.3 KARNER BLUE BUTTERFLY SURVEYS ..................................................................................... 7 2.3.1 SURVEYS FOR KBB LARVAE ................................................................................................ 7 2.3.2 IDENTIFICATION OF LARVAL FEEDING SIGN .................................................................. 7 2.3.3 KBB LARVAL BROOD SURVEYS: DATA RECORDING .................................................... 8 2.3.4 SURVEYS FOR KARNER BLUE BUTTERFLY ADULTS ..................................................... 8 2.3.5 KBB ADULT BROOD SURVEYS: DATA RECORDING ....................................................... 8 2.4 KARNER BLUE BUTTERFLY POPULATION ESTIMATES ........................................................ 9 2.4.1 LARVAL POPULATION ESTIMATES .................................................................................... 9 2.4.2 ADULT POPULATION ESTIMATES ....................................................................................... 9 2.5 SURVEYS FOR ADDITIONAL RARE LEPIDOPTERA ................................................................ 9 2.5.1 VISUAL SURVEYS FOR RARE BUTTERFLIES .................................................................... 9 2.5.2 SURVEYS FOR RARE MOTHS ................................................................................................ 9 2.5.3 RARE LEPIDOPTERA: DATA RECORDING .......................................................................... 9 2.6 TIMING OF SURVEYS ................................................................................................................... 10 3.0 RESULTS ............................................................................................................................................. 11 3.1 KARNER BLUE LARVAL SURVEYS .......................................................................................... 11 3.1.1 XXXXX1 ................................................................................................................................... 12 3.1.2 XXXXX2 ................................................................................................................................... 12 3.1.3 XXXXX3 ................................................................................................................................... 12 3.1.4 XXXXX4 ................................................................................................................................... 12 3.2 KARNER BLUE ADULT SURVEYS ............................................................................................. 13 3.2.1 SPRING ADULT BROOD SURVEYS ..................................................................................... 13 3.2.2 SUMMER ADULT BROOD SURVEYS .................................................................................. 13 3.3 ADDITIONAL RARE LEPIDOPTERA .......................................................................................... 14 3.3.1 RARE BUTTERFLIES .............................................................................................................. 14 3.3.2 RARE MOTHS .......................................................................................................................... 15 4.0 KARNER BLUE BUTTERFLY POPULATION ESTIMATES .......................................................... 17 5.0 KARNER BLUE BUTTERFLY HABITAT ASSESSMENTS ........................................................... 17 5.1 OCCUPIED HABITAT [XXXXX1 SITE] ................................................................................... 18 5.1.1 LUPINE ..................................................................................................................................... 18 2008 OTIS Whitewater KBB Rpt. CONFIDENTIAL 5.1.2 NECTAR SOURCES ................................................................................................................. 18 5.1.3 OAK BARRENS ........................................................................................................................ 19 5.2 UNOCCUPIED HABITAT (XXXXX2, XXXXX4 AND XXXXX3 SITES] ................................. 20 5.3 XXXXX2 VALLEY SITE ................................................................................................................ 20 5.3.1 LUPINE ..................................................................................................................................... 20 5.3.2 NECTAR SOURCES ................................................................................................................. 20 5.3.3 OAK BARRENS ........................................................................................................................ 21 5.4 XXXXX3 SITE ................................................................................................................................. 21 5.4.1 LUPINE ..................................................................................................................................... 21 5.4.2 NECTAR SOURCES ................................................................................................................. 21 5.4.3 OAK BARRENS ........................................................................................................................ 21 5.5 XXXXX4 SITE ................................................................................................................................. 22 5.5.1 LUPINE ..................................................................................................................................... 22 5.5.2 NECTAR SOURCES ................................................................................................................. 22 5.5.3 OAK BARRENS ........................................................................................................................ 22 6.0 DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................... 23 6.1 CREATION OF A KARNER BLUE METAPOPULATION MANAGEMENT AREA ................ 23 6.1.1 DEVELOPMENT OF OAK BARRENS DISPERSAL CORRIDORS ..................................... 23 6.1.2 LUPINE AND NECTAR SOURCE SEEDING ........................................................................ 23 6.1.3 EXPANSION OF PRESCRIBED FIRE PROGRAM ............................................................... 24 6.2 INITIATION OF A KBB CAPTIVE BREEDING PROGRAM ...................................................... 24 7.0 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................................................... 25 8.0 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................................................. 26 LIST OF FIGURES Figures 1-5 have been removed to protect the Karner blue butterfly population. LIST OF TABLES Tables 1 and 2 have been removed to protect the Karner blue butterfly population. ii 2008 OTIS Whitewater KBB Rpt. CONFIDENTIAL 1.0 BACKGROUND 1.1 KARNER BLUE BUTTERFLY: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE One of the classic animal species associated with sandy oak barrens in the