Butterflies of the Lulu Island Bog

Western Pine Elfin, Western Elfin, Grey Hairstreak and Pine White, photos by Ian Lane

The number and diversity of butterflies found in coastal British Columbia is low compared to the Interior. One of the reasons for this is that most natural habitats on the coast have been covered with coniferous forests for thousands of years. Most butterflies use grasses and herbaceous plants as larval foodplants and hence reach their greatest diversity in grassland communities that have a wide diversity of herbaceous plants. Another reason is that the cool wet weather on the coast depresses butterfly abundance for those species that are present. A third reason is that the Coast Mountains act as a barrier, preventing colonization from the Interior of British Columbia where the number and diversity of butterflies is high compared to the coast (Guppy, 2001).

The Georgia Depression Ecoprovince or Georgia Basin defines the area in and around the Strait of Georgia. The Canadian portion of the Georgia Basin includes the Fraser Lowland, Sunshine Coast, Gulf Islands and the southeastern part of Vancouver Island (Campbell, 1995). The Fraser Lowland Ecosection is the area containing the Fraser River delta, estuary, lowlands and associated uplands (Campbell, 1995). Campbell (1995) lists 25 butterflies and 2 skippers as “those most likely to be seen in the Georgia Basin." The skippers and all but 3 of the butterflies on the Georgia Basin list are found in the Fraser Lowland. Another 25 species are grouped under the heading “Uncommon Butterflies, Georgia Basin.” Few of the uncommon butterflies ever turn up in the Fraser Lowland; most are found on Vancouver Island or in mountain or subalpine habitats. A few occur as rare migrants or are mainly found east of the Coast Mountains.

Combining records compiled by Ashton (1992) and Perdichuk (1999), Kenner and Needham (1999) list 18 butterflies and 2 skippers for Burns Bog. Vandermoor’s list (Vandermoor, 2003a) for Richmond includes 15 butterflies and 2 skippers. None of Vandermoor’s records are for butterflies collected in the Lulu Island Bog (Vandermoor, 2003b). In 2002 and 2003 I looked for butterflies in the Lulu Island Bog and found a total of 9 butterflies and 2 skippers.

In this report the term “Lulu Island Bog” refers to the survey area rather than the original bog, which would have covered a much larger area. A considerable portion of the bog in the survey area has been eliminated to accommodate roads, railway track, park buildings and parking lots. As a result of these developments a number of plants and butterflies are found in the survey area that would not have been part of the original bog flora and fauna.

The butterflies of the Lulu Island Bog were inventoried and assessed in 2002 and 2003. This was achieved by conducting fieldwork in the study area, by conducting a general literature review on butterflies of the region, and by a review of species previously reported for the Richmond Nature Park and the Richmond area. In 2002 I visited the study area 28 times between April 19 and September 22. In 2003 I visited the study area 18 times between April 30 and August 8. During fieldwork, butterflies were identified by sight only. Voucher specimens were not collected. Attempts were made to photograph butterflies, but with limited success. Some parts of the survey area were visited much more frequently than other areas. Those areas that received the fewest visits were the wooded areas of the RNP, the west side of the DND and the RNP East.

Nomenclature in this chapter follows Guppy and Shepard (2001). The seemingly inconsistent use of parentheses and brackets for the authority and year following the Latin names for the butterflies follows accepted usage. For an explanation see Guppy and Shepard (2001) page 83.

Table 15.1 is a list of the butterflies and skippers that I saw in the Lulu Island Bog in 2002 and 2003. Table 15.2 was compiled in order to show how the butterflies of the Lulu Island Bog fit into the larger picture. Table 15.3 shows the species previously reported from the Richmond Nature Park by Harvey, n.d.. These species are unconfirmed in the bog and may be unlikely. The species accounts contain information on abundance, locations, flight times and foodplants. Ian Lane provided voucher photographs for 3 butterflies.

SCIENTIFIC NAME	COMMON NAME

HESPERIIDAE	SKIPPERS
Thymelicus lineola	European Skipper
Ochlodes sylvanoides	Woodland Skipper

PAPILIONIDAE	SWALLOWTAILS
Papilio rutulus	Western Tiger Swallowtail

PIERIDAE	WHITES
Neophasia menapia	Pine White
Pieris rapae	Cabbage White

LYCAENIDAE	GOSSAMER WINGS
Incisalia iroides	Western Elfin
Incisalia eryphon	Western Pine Elfin
Strymon melinus	Grey Hairstreak
Celastrina echo	Western Spring Azure

NYMPHALIDAE	BRUSHFOOTS
Polygonia satyrus	Satyr Anglewing
Limenitis lorquini	Lorquin's Admiral

Table 15.2: Butterflies of the Georgia Basin, Fraser Lowland, Richmond, Burns Bog and the Lulu Island Bog.

COMMON BUTTERFLIES, GEORGIA BASIN (C)		FL	RMD	BB: K&N	BB: Ashton	LIB
Pyrgus ruralis	Two-banded Checkered Skipper	X
Ochlodes sylvanoides	Woodland Skipper	X		X		X
Papilio zelicaon	Anise Swallowtail	X	X
Papilio rutulus	Western Tiger Swallowtail	X	X	X	X	X
Pterourus eurymedon	Pale Swallowtail	X
Neophasia menapia	Pine White	X				X
Anthocharis sara	Orange Tip	X
Pieris rapae	Cabbage Butterfly	X	X	X		X
Pieris marginalis	Margined White	X	X	X	X
Lycaena helloides	Purplish Copper	X	X	X	X
Lycaena mariposa	Reakirt’s Copper	X		X	X
Mitoura rosneri	Cedar Hairstreak	X
Incisalia iroides	Western Elfin	X	X	X	X	X
Incisalia eryphon	Western Pine Elfin	X		X	X	X
Strymon melinus	Grey Hairstreak	X		X	X	X
Loranthomitoura johnsoni	Johnson’s Hairstreak	X
Celastrina echo	Western Spring Azure	X	X	X	X	X
Polygonia satyrus	Satyr Anglewing	X	X	X		X
Nymphalis antiopa	Mourning Cloak	X	X
Aglais milberti	Milbert’s Tortoiseshell	X	X	X
Vanessa cardui	Painted Lady	X	X	X
Vanessa annabella	West Coast Lady	X	X	X
Vanessa atalanta	Red Admiral	X	X	X
Phyciodes mylitta	Mylitta Crescent			X
Limenitis lorquini	Lorquin’s Admiral	X	X	X	X	X
Coenonympha tullia	Northern Ringlet	X
Cercyonis pegala	Common Woodnymph
UNCOMMON BUTTERFLIES, GEORGIA BASIN (partial list)
Thymelicus lineola	European Skipper	X	X	X		X
Incisalia mossii	Moss’s Elfin	X		X
Nymphalis californica	California Tortoiseshell	X	X
Everes amyntula	Western Tailed Blue	X		X
Carterocephalus palaemon	Arctic Skipper	X	X

Cabbage White

Foodplants: Wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum) and other plants in the mustard family (Guppy and Shepard 2001)

Comments: Cabbage Whites are seen in many types of habitats, including bogs, meadows, woods, farms, vacant lots, and urban and suburban gardens. Despite the fact that wild radish and other plants in the mustard family are not common in the survey area, cabbage whites were often seen in the RNP parking lot, along the railway tracks and in the bog.

The Cabbage White was introduced in Canada at Quebec City about 1860, and has spread throughout most of North America (Lafontaine 2005).

European Skipper

Foodplants: Grasses. Probable foodplant in the area of the Lulu Island Bog is colonial bentgrass (Agrostis capillaris), a common introduced weedy species found on disturbed sites.

Comments: The European Skipper is a recent introduction to our area. Guppy and Shepard (2001) write that it “was recorded in Burnaby in 1991, but may not yet be established in the Fraser Valley.” It is listed in Campbell (1995) with uncommon butterflies of the Georgia Depression Ecoprovince. It is now common at Boundary Bay and the Alaksen National Wildlife Area in Delta and at the Terra Nova Natural Area in Richmond. In the survey area it was found along the railway tracks and in the grassy area in the Highway 99 corridor. It seems to be most common in areas where bentgrass is found.

In July 2002, more that a hundred of what were probably European skippers were observed in the DND (Klinkenberg, pers. com. 2002). In their book on the butterflies of the East Coast, Cech and Tudor (2005) write "Without natural controls to rein them in, European Skippers have become locally hyperabundant, at times outnumbering all other butterflies in an area. Tens of thousands may sometimes be seen on a 'good' day. Hundreds sometimes roost together, clinging to grass stems. Lean years also occur, however, with greatly reduced numbers."

The European Skipper was introduced in Canada in 1910 at London, Ontario. It has become a major pest (Timothy Grass) and is now abundant through much of eastern North America as far south as South Carolina and parts of the west (Lafontaine 2005).

Grey Hairstreak

Foodplants: A variety of plants including leaves of clovers (Trifolium spp.), salal flowers and berries (Gaultheria shallon) and pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea) (Tatum, 2003; Guppy and Shepard, 2001).

Comments: In the Lulu Island Bog there are two broods, with adults appearing in May and again in July. They are found along the Bog Forest Trail in the RNP and in the railway corridor. They occur in close association with salal and were often seen flying around the smaller shoots springing up next to the Bog Forest Trail and the railway tracks. They were also seen basking on salal leaves and nectaring on the flowers. Cranberry flowers are favorite source of nectar for the Grey Hairstreak, and I often saw them nectaring on cranberry flowers on the west side of the RNP in early to mid July. (Take the shorcut from the Bog Forest Trail to the railway tracks and walk north along the edge of the bog.) On July 17, 2003 I saw a Grey Hairstreak depositing eggs on salal along the Bog Forest Trail. It laid a single egg on the calyx of a salal flower that had dropped its corrolla but had not yet begun to swell with the ripening fruit. David Blevins reared a Grey Hairstreak on salal berries. The full-grown caterpillar was eating one salal berry per day (Blevins, 2003).

Lorquin’s Admiral

Foodplants: Primary foodplant at Burns Bog is hardhack (Spiraea douglasii), secondary foodplant at Burns Bog is birch (Betula sp.) (Ashton, 2003).

Comments: Lorquin’s Admirals prefer grassy areas next to shrubs or trees (Guppy and Shepard, 2001). In July 2002 one Lorquin’s Admiral was seen in the railway corridor. In early July 2003 two males were seen perching about 100 meters apart in the railway corridor. Lorquin’s Admirals may be resident in the railway corridor where their foodplants (hardhack and birch) are abundant.

Pine White

Foodplants: Various conifers including Douglas-fir and lodgepole pine (Guppy and Shepard, 2001). Probable foodplants at the RNP are Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus) and Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris).

Comments: The Pine White is the one butterfly found in the survey area that is not listed by either Vandermoor (2003a) or Kenner and Needham (1999). In the RNP Pine Whites are associated with the Eastern white pines and Scots pines by the parking lot in front of the Nature House. Pine Whites were not seen near any of the shore pines in the Lulu Island Bog, so it is unlikely they are using the shore pines in the bog as foodplants. Pine Whites are common on the North Shore.

Satyr Anglewing

Comments: Satyr Anglewings were seen on April 30, 2003 and on May 1, 2003. They were not seen again in 2003. Satyr Anglewings are woodland butterflies, and they prefer open deciduous forests that support stinging nettle (Guppy and Shepard, 2001). In the RNP they were seen along wooded sections of the Time Trail and the Bog Forest Trail. They were also seen in RNP East. Stinging nettle is not found in the survey area, and the absence of a suitable food plant may be the reason why the Satyr Anglewings seen in 2003 did not stay very long. Guppy and Shepard (2001) note that Satyr Anglewings could become a common suburban butterfly if patches of stinging nettle are allowed to grow on vacant land or unused areas of parks and gardens. The Satyr Anglewing is also called the Satyr Comma.

Western Elfin

Foodplants: Foodplants at Burns Bog are bog laurel (Kalmia polifolia) and labrador tea (Ledum groenlandicum) (Ashton, 2003). Other foodplants in the Georgia Basin are salal (Gaultheria shallon) and arbutus (Arbutus menziesii) (Guppy and Shepard, 2001).

Comments: Western Elfins are the most common butterflies in the Lulu Island Bog. On a walk on May 12, 2003 through the middle of the DND from Shell Road to No. 4 Road, I saw 12 Western Elfins. They are seen in open spaces where labrador tea is dominant. On one occasion a Western Elfin was seen perching on a cultivated blueberry in the birch-pine woodland in the southwest corner of the RNP. Some authors treat The Western Elfin as a subspecies of the Brown Elfin (Callophrys augustinus Wedgewood, 1852).

Western Pine Elfin

Comments: The Western Pine Elfin appears to be extremely rare in the Lulu Island Bog. Ashton (1992) found that in 1991 and 1992 Western Pine Elfins were much less common in Burns Bog than Western Elfins. I saw only two in the Lulu Island Bog, one in 2002 and one in 2003. Both sightings were in the RNP.

Western Spring Azure

Comments: Western Spring Azures are common and widespread in the survey area. In the Richmond area hardhack is the foodplant for Western Spring Azures. In the DND hardhack grows beside an old overgrown lane that runs in a north-south direction through the west side of the DND. It is also found in the birch hedgerow on the east side of the DND, on either side of the railway tracks, and in the RNP East. Each of these areas appears to have a resident population of Western Spring Azures associated with it. Females begin to lay their eggs on hardhack flower clusters in late May and early June before the flowers have opened. The caterpillars feed on the flowers that start to bloom in mid June. Males often patrol for females in the bog, away from the areas with hardhack. On a few occasions Western Spring Azures were seen taking nectar from the flowers of bog laurel and labrador tea. Western Spring Azures appear to have a greater need to puddle, or take up minerals, than other butterflies in the survey area. They were seen puddling on the woodchip paths in the RNP (Griffith, 2002a), on exposed peat in the DND, and on mud and gravel in the parking area of RNP East. Some authors treat the Western Spring Azure as a subspecies of the Spring Azure, Celastrina ladon (Cramer, [1780]).

Western Tiger Swallowtail

Foodplants: Alder (Alnus rubra), birch (Betula spp.), black cottonwood, (Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa), willow (Salix spp.) and others. Foodplant in Burns Bog is birch (Ashton, 1992).

Comments: Adult Western Tiger Swallowtail butterflies are highly mobile and may be seen almost anywhere, including major thoroughfares and shopping centers. They are very common in residential areas because their foodplants (alders, birches and poplars) are common in or near residential areas (Guppy and Shepard, 2001). In the survey area they were seen along the railway tracks, Shell Road and in the RNP.

Woodland Skipper

Foodplants: Grasses. Probable foodplant in the survey area is colonial bentgrass (Agrostis capillaris), a common introduced weedy species found on disturbed sites.

Comments: In the Lulu Island Bog Woodland Skippers are found in the grassy area in the Highway 99 corridor and along the railway tracks. In our area Woodland Skippers are always found in the same habitat as European Skippers, but they fly a bit later than European Skippers.

Ashton (1992) found 9 butterflies in Burns Bog (Table 2). This is half of the total on the Kenner and Needham (1999) list. The reason for the disparity is that Ashton listed only resident butterflies (Ashton, 2003). Resident butterflies are those that are present year round as eggs, larvae, pupae or adult butterflies. He did not include migrants and skippers. From an ecological and conservation point of view, the meaningful records are those of the resident butterflies. The Western Elfin, Western Pine Elfin, Grey Hairstreak and Reakirt’s Copper (Lycaena mariposa) on Ashton’s list are resident in the bog proper, as opposed to the edges of the bog. All but Reakirt’s Copper were found in the Lulu Island Bog. The Western Spring Azure and Lorquin’s Admiral, which Ashton found in the “inner southern edge” zone at Burns Bog, are also resident in the Lulu Island Bog. Ashton (1992) found the Western Tiger Swallowtail, Margined White, and Purplish Copper in the “outer southern edge” zone at Burns Bog. The latter two were not found in the Lulu Island Bog.

In her pamphlet on the insects of the RNP, Harvey (1974) listed six butterflies (Table 3). The Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio turnus) on her list is undoubtedly the Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus). The Eastern Tailed Blue (Everes comytas) is not found in our area (Guppy and Shepard, 2001). The tailed blue on her list may be either the Western Tailed Blue (Everes amyntula), which is rare in the Richmond area, or the Grey Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), a small tailed butterfly that is similar to the tailed blues and is resident in the RNP. The Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), and Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) are not resident in the Lulu Island Bog, but they are common in the Fraser Lowlands (Table 2) and could be expected to show up in the bog in any given year.

I would like to thank Cris Guppy for answering the question “Why are there are so few butterflies in the Vancouver area?” I would also like to thank Roger Ashton and Robert Vandermoor for sharing their knowledge of the butterflies of our area. Thanks also to Ian Lane for taking the voucher photographs.

Guppy, Crispin S. and Shepard, Jon H. 2001. Butterflies of British Columbia. UBC Press, Vancouver. 414 pp..

Harvey, Nancy. 1974. Some Insects of the Richmond Nature Park. Richmond Nature Park, Richmond.

Kenner, Rex D. and Needham, Karen. 1999. Burns Bog ecosystem review. Invertebrate component final report. British Columbia Environmental Assessment Office, Victoria.

Scott, James. 1986. The Butterflies of North America: A Natural History and Field Guide. Stanford University Press, Stanford.

Guppy, C.S. and J.H. Shepard. 1993. British Columbia’s butterflies and moths in Biodiversity of British Columbia. Environment Canada, Vancouver.

Papilio turnus	Tiger Swallowtail
Pieris rapae	Cabbage White
Everes comytas	Eastern Tailed Blue
Nymphalis antiopa	Mourning Cloak
Vanessa cardui	Painted Lady
Vanessa atalanta	Red Admiral


Cabbage White, photo by Ian Lane.	Canadian distribution of Cabbage White. Source: Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility 2003


European Skipper, photo by David Blevins	Canadian Distribution of European Skipper. Source: Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility 2003


	Canadian Distribution of Lorquin’s Admiral. Source: Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility 2003 .

Pyrgus ruralis

Papilio turnus

Pieris rapae