Joint effort targets butterfly on the brink

By John Dodge | The Olympian • Published June 03, 2007

A colorful butterfly that is as imperiled as the prairie habitat it depends on is making a bit of a comeback here in South Sound.

Last month, the first captive-reared butterflies to emerge as adults in the wild flew for their short lives at a state wildlife area in south Thurston County.

It marked the first sign of success in a collaborative effort among the Army, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, The Nature Conservancy and the Oregon Zoo, each of which is playing a unique and important role in the attempted recovery of the Taylor’s checkerspot.

The dozen or so individual butterflies spotted by wildlife biologists were the result of the release in March of nearly 200 Taylor’s checkerspot caterpillars that have been reared through their lengthy, eight-month hibernation stage at the Oregon Zoo in Portland.

“This is a significant first step in our joint effort to restore this species to some of Washington’s unique prairie habitat,” said Mary Linders, a biologist with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

This colorful butterfly, which has a checkerboard pattern on its upper wings, as its name implies, is in danger of going extinct. It was listed as a state endangered species in 2006 and is a candidate for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act.

One of the largest remaining populations of this medium-sized butterfly is found on the prairie lands of Fort Lewis. Butterflies living there have been used in the captive-breeding program.

Butterfly eggs are collected in the summer and taken to the zoo for the long hibernation period.

The Taylor’s checkerspot emerges from hibernation when host plants such as harsh paintbrush send up tender new shoots, noted Oregon Zoo butterfly conservationist Mary Jo Anderson. To mimic Mother Nature, the zoo raises the paintbrush and other host plants for the Taylor’s checkerspot.

“It’s a challenge to bring them through the different life stages and habitats,” Linders said.

More releases of zoo-reared caterpillars are planned in coming years on state land and at Fort Lewis, where some of the best prairie habitat in South Sound remains.

“One reason butterflies are important to save is because they are so sensitive to environmental changes that they are excellent indicators of overall environmental health,” Anderson said.

The project is aided in large part by federal Department of Defense funds Fort Lewis receives to work on habitat restoration and protection of rare species, Fort Lewis ecologist Jeff Foster said.

The base has received $1 million for prairie habitat restoration work and expects to receive $2.2 million over five years, Foster said.

“This is really a tremendous milestone,” said Patrick Dunn, manager of The Nature Conservancy’s South Sound prairies program. “The Taylor’s checkerspot had gone extinct from the Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve, Glacial Heritage Preserve and the Scatter Creek Wildlife Area in the past 10 years.”