Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario (COSSARO) assessed June 2010 by COSSARO as Extirpated
June 2010
Final

COSSARO Candidate Species at Risk Evaluation Form – June 2010

Current designations:

G-RANK – G3 (reviewed March 2008; NatureServe 2010)
COSEWIC – Extirpated (Designated Extirpated in April 1999. Status re-examined and confirmed in May 2000 and April 2010.)
SARA – Extirpated – Schedule 1
NRANK – NX
General Status Canada – Not Assessed (CESCC 2000)
MNR (SARO List) – Extirpated (O. Reg. 373/10)
SRANK – SX
General Status Ontario – At Risk (CESCC 2000)

Distribution and status outside Ontario

The Frosted Elfin is found from New York south to northern Florida, and from New England west to Wisconsin in the north and Texas in the south. There are three recognized subspecies. The nominate subspecies occurs from Florida north to New England (and historically, southern Ontario) and west to Alabama and Wisconsin (Packer 1998). It is extremely local and usually scarce rangewide with on-going declines and serious threats in much of the range. Historical or extirpated in at least Maine and Illinois, and ranked as critically imperiled (S1) in Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, West Virginia and Wisconsin. No jurisdiction lists it as secure or higher than a 'rounded' S3. The species is listed as Threatened in several states including two of its three major strongholds (New Jersey and Michigan) and is Special Concern in Massachusetts (NatureServe 2007).

Eligibility criteria

Native status (1.1.1)

Yes (Formerly known in Ontario only from a single site in native oak savannah near St. Williams, Norfolk Co., where it occurred with the Karner Blue and Persius Duskywing. The Frosted Elfin has not been seen at the St. Williams Site since 1988 (19 generations), despite repeated searches by knowledgeable observers at this and other sites with stands of Lupinus perennis, including those which supported populations of Karner Blue and Persius Duskywing.)

Taxonomic distinctness (1.1.2)

Yes (There are three described subspecies, two of which feed on species of Baptisia or both Baptisia and Lupinus and are larger and darker than the northern individuals, which are small, pale in coloration and which feed exclusively on Lupinus perennis. It has been proposed that these three taxa represent separate species, however, the current opinion is that there is only a single, variable species.)

Primary criteria

Global rank (1)

THR (G3)

Global decline (2)

THR (Declining to rapidly declining [10-50%] in most jurisdictions (NatureServe 2007)

Rarity in northeastern North America (3)

END (The Frosted Elfin is ranked as extremely rare [SX, SH, S1 or S2] in all 19 (100%) northeastern North American jurisdictions where it occurs or occurred and has been ranked [NatureServe 2007].

Decline in northeastern North America (4)

THR (Declining to rapidly declining [10-50%] in most jurisdictions (NatureServe 2007)

Number of provincial populations (5)

END (None extant. Formerly occurred in the St. Williams Forest, Norfolk Co., where it was last seen in 1988, despite repeated searches.).

Provincial decline (6)

END (None extant. Formerly occurred in the St. Williams Forest, Norfolk Co., where it was last seen in 1988, despite repeated searches.)

Ontario’s share (7)

Not in any category (Criterion does not apply. Ontario population represented <1% of global population)

Secondary criteria

Population sustainability (8)

Not in any category (Criterion does not apply. No individualss observed at single known site since 1988.)

Protection/exploitation status (9)

Not in any category (Species is currently afforded protection under the Ontario Endangered Species Act)

Human threats (10)

Not in any category (Criterion does not apply. No individuals observed at single known site since 1988.)

Life history and habitat use characteristics (11)

Not in any category (Criterion does not apply. No individuals observed at single known site since 1988.)

Mortality trends (12)

Not in any category (Criterion does not apply. No individuals observed at single known site since 1988.)

COSSARO criteria met (primary/secondary)

Endangered 3/0
Threatened 3/0
Special Concern 0/0

Summary

Known historically in Ontario only from a single site in remnant oak savannah within the St. Williams Forest, Norfolk Co. It has not been seen at this or any other site in the province since 1988, despite repeated searches of the historical site of occurrence and other sites supporting Lupinus perennis, the species' larval host. Historical sites have been visited by several experienced entomologists at the appropriate season almost every year for the last decade.

Information sources

Canadian Endangered Species Conservation Council (CESCC). 2006. Wild Species 2005: The General Status of Species in Canada.

COSEWIC. 2007. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife In Canada [web application], Date Published: 2002-01-21, Last Update: 2007-10-09. Available at: http://www.cosewic.gc.ca/eng/sct1/index_e.cfm (Accessed: October 22, 2007).

NatureServe. 2007. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 6.2. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available http://www.natureserve.org/explorer. (Accessed: October 22, 2007).

Packer, L. 1998. Status report on the Frosted Elfin butterfly, Incisalia irus (Godart), in Canada. Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, ON. 33 pp.

Appendix I: Northeastern North America ranks (NatureServe 2007)

Region Rank
Connecticut S2S3
Delaware S1
Illinois SH
Indiana S1
Kentucky S1
Maine SX
Maryland S1
Massachusetts S2S3
Michigan S2S3
New Hampshire S1
New Jersey S2
New York S1S2
Ohio S1
Ontario SX
Pennsylvania S1S2
Rhode Island S1
Virginia S2?
West Virginia S1
Wisconsin S1

Occurs in 19 of 29 northeastern jurisdictions
SRANK or equivalent information available for 19 of 19 jurisdictions (100%) S1, S2, SH, or SX in 19 of 19 (100%)