occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: (>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)) SE Manitoba to Nova Scotia, and south to Nebraska, Arkansas, and in the mountains to Georgia.

Comments: In most cases wetlands or at least moist meadows with a lot of Chelone glabra. However starting by the 1980s there are populations in southern New England using Plantago as the foodplant for all instars and these occur in artificial habitats. Subspecies OZARKAE is usually in dry rocky oak woodlands with larger Aureolaria (formerly Gerardia) as the foodplants. Such habitats and this genus are occasionally used in the Boston area (Schweitzer), in New York (Shapiro, 1974) and Connecticut. The well known Aureolaria feeding occurrence on West Rock near New Haven is ephemeral and absent most years (Schweitzer many observations 1975-1984)-- with several obvious wetland sources of colonists.

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Comments: Beside the normal foodplants, post hibernation larvae will eat a number of others--mostly genera with iridoid glycosides including several herbs and even small ash trees.

Note: For many non-migratory species, occurrences are roughly equivalent to populations.

Estimated Number of Occurrences: 81 to >300

10,000 to >1,000,000 individuals

Comments: Always one brood witn mid instar larvae hibernating.

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N4 - Apparently Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N4 - Apparently Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G4 - Apparently Secure

Reasons: Declining in many places, imperiled in some southern parts of the range, however, for now no of range-wide concern. Increased use of exotic Plantago lanceolata as a foodplant starting in Connecticut in the 1970s could be an important adaptation. On the other hand threats from deer are probably increasing. Should be monitored.

Intrinsic Vulnerability: Not intrinsically vulnerable

Environmental Specificity: Moderate. Generalist or community with some key requirements scarce.

Global Short Term Trend: Decline of 10-30%

Global Long Term Trend: Unknown

Degree of Threat: B : Moderately threatened throughout its range, communities provide natural resources that when exploited alter the composition and structure of the community over the long-term, but are apparently recoverable

Comments: Development, e.g. filling marshes, has probably destoyed most habitats. However now deer may be the largest threat. This has been best documented in Maryland, but probably is or will become a threat in most places where Chelone glabra or Aureolaria spp. are the main foodplants.

Global Protection: Many to very many (13 to >40) occurrences appropriately protected and managed

Comments: This is hard to assess. For example preserve closed to der hunting probably should be regarded as unprotected in much of the range.

Needs: in many parts of the range deer control will be, or already is, essential. In most places metapopulations are probably necessary to perpetuate this species. Even in southern Connecticut in the 1970s and early 1980s when this was basically are fairly common butterfly and deer were not a problem, colonies often died out, but recolonization was also frequent and wandering females could turn up even in cities. D. Schweitzer