Abstract
The Frosted Elfin butterfly (Callophyrs irus) is a locally rare Lycaenid with a wide distribution across the eastern United States but a very patchy distribution. Many populations are either no longer extant or are declining. The Frosted Elfin is currently the focus of a rangewide status assessment by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in anticipation of a listing determination in 2023. Frosted Elfin caterpillars can be difficult and time consuming to locate on the host plant. Nocturnal surveys with an ultraviolet flashlight were highly effective at reducing the time and increasing the number of caterpillars found compared to daytime searches. The results suggest ultraviolet light surveys for larva can extend the survey period well beyond the adult flight period and should be useful for rapid habitat assessments, presence/absence surveys, and to investigate larval behavior and life history. Ultraviolet light surveys for caterpillars may also be useful for other rare species and for broader faunal surveys.
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Acknowledgements
I would like to thank two anonymous reviewers, David Wagner and Jaret Daniels for their reviews of the manuscript and thoughtful comments that greatly improved it. I would also like to thank Scott McDonnell and Elena Tartaglia for their reviews and suggestions and Robert Somes for assistance with locating Frosted Elfin populations. A note of appreciation is also due EcolSciences for the time and resources to conduct this study.
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Moskowitz, D. Surveying for caterpillars of a rare butterfly using ultraviolet light: the Frosted Elfin butterfly (Callophyrs irus) as a test case. J Insect Conserv 24, 321–326 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-019-00200-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-019-00200-7