Butterflies at Point Pelee National Park: Diversity and conservation issues

Point Pelee National Park is a small park located at the most southern point of mainland Canada. Within the 3 square kilometers of forests, savannahs and fields, there are unusual habitats that sustain several species of butterflies rare in Canada. Due to Point Pelee’s unique geography as well as rare host plant availability, the butterfly community in the park is more diverse than in most places in Canada. Over 80 species of butterfly have been documented in the park, an uncommon number in such a small space. Rare species in Canada such as the Emperor (in Hackberry-dominated forests) and the Olive Hairstreak (in Oak/Red Cedar savannahs) maintain populations within the park. Point Pelee National Park has a mandate to conserve the ecological integrity of park habitats and to manage rare species; however, the park struggles with this mandate against its small size, isolated physical setting (it is surrounded by water or agricultural fields), and large numbers of invasive plant species. Information we synthesized from the literature, current butterfly monitoring and habitat restoration efforts and experiences of local lepidopterists are used to examine the status of butterfly conservation in the park and suggest conservation initiatives.