University of Guelph scientists lead butterfly recovery project

A team of Canadian scientists is working to reintroduce the frosted elfin butterfly to the northern shores of Lake Erie in Norfolk County, Ontario. The species has not been spotted in the province since 1988, and surveys in 2019 confirmed its absence from the region.

Ryan Norris, a biology professor at the University of Guelph, is leading the effort to bring the extirpated species back to its former habitat. The plan involves importing frosted elfin butterflies and eggs from New York to breed them at the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory. The goal is to release them into the wild near Port Rowan next spring.

Norris attributed the butterfly's disappearance to habitat loss caused by urban development and the creation of farmland. The recovery project also focuses on ensuring sufficient populations of wild sundial lupins, the butterfly's host plant, are available. This initiative is part of a broader national effort involving universities, government agencies, and conservation organizations to save three endangered butterfly species, including the mottled duskywing and the hairstreak.