Lotis Blue Butterfly Recovery Plan - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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difficult because the species is scarce. The feasibility of two different methods of colony establishment will be examined: 1) transplanting adults from the extant site to new colony areas, 2) establ ishing a laboratory colony (captive breeding) of the lotis blue butterfly to provide stock for release to the new colony sites. This includes releasing adults that are reared from eggs laid by females captured from the existing colony. The use of surrogate species to develop rearing techniques wi 11 be considered prior to implementing this task. 241. Obtain LBB from the existing colony for direct reintroduction and/or to serve as brood stock. Transplanting adult lotis blue butterflies from the extant site to new colony areas is feasible if the size of the population is large enough to support such an enterprise. Critical evaluation of the ability of the existing population to sustain such removal will be made. Transplanting adults may also be a viable alternative if the butterfly suffers a high mortality in the laboratory rearing or captive breeding programs. 242. Furnish LBB stock via captive breeding program (if necessary) . Developing a captive breeding program for the lotis blue butterfly may be difficult because lycaenid butterflies have yet to be bred in captivity. Furthermore, because
the lotis blue butterfly is univol tine, it may take many years to build up a sizeable laboratory population. Nevertheless, it may be essential that a captive breeding program be developed so that the lotis blue butterfly can be introduced into areas to form new colonies. 2421. Determine the necessity and feasibil i ty of captive propagation. If surveys show low population numbers and few habitats, rehabilitation of habitats may depend on captive propagation. A decision on this task should await more thorough field surveys. 2422. Rear individual s of surroaate Lycaeides argyronomon subspecies to refine rearing techniques before LBB captive breeding is attempted. Other, more ahundant races of Lycaeides argyrognomon or cl osely a1 1 i ed species should be utilized as surrogates to refine techniques of 1 aboratory rearing and captive propagation. 2423. Devise an artificial diet for efficient lab rearing of LBB. Rearing of herbivorous insects under 1 aboratory conditions is facilitated by the use of artificial diets. Prel iminary artificial diets have been
Page 3 and 4: Approved : LOTIS BLUE BUTTERFLY REC
Page 5 and 6: Executive Summary 1. Point or condi
Page 7: TABLE OF CONTENTS Part I INTRODUCTI
Page 10 and 11: presents. information on the lotis
Page 12 and 13: Table 1 Suspected food plants of se
Page 14 and 15: include -pygmy cypress (Cupressus p
Page 16 and 17: krgure 1. Historic Co99ects'on of L
Page 18 and 19: Larval &uelopment is general ly com
Page 20 and 21: Logging of the forest may also affe
Page 22 and 23: delisting. The restricted current r
Page 24 and 25: 14. Survey known LRB colony(ies) ha
Page 26 and 27: 4. Develop publ ic awareness of LBB
Page 28 and 29: 11. Conduct vegation studies at col
Page 30 and 31: 13. Devel op and impl ement managem
Page 32 and 33: a1 so should be consul ted for reco
Page 36 and 37: developed for two endangered butter
Page 38 and 39: Following achievement of interim ob
Page 40 and 41: collections made at the present sit
Page 42 and 43: 53. Enforce all laws prohibiting th
Page 44 and 45: Li teratu re Ci ted Arnold, R. A. 1
Page 46 and 47: Part I11 Imp1 ementation Schedule T
Page 48 and 49: PART I I1 IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE L
Page 50 and 51: PART 111 IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE LO
Page 52 and 53: PART I11 IMPLEMENTAT ION SCHEDULE L
Page 54: PART IV Appendix Agencies Asked for

Lotis Blue Butterfly Recovery Plan - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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