A local effort is underway to save a Michigan endangered species: the Poweshiek skipperling butterfly.
The Poweshiek skipperling is a brown and orange butterfly with a wingspan of about one inch, found in prairie lands in both wet and dry areas. In Michigan, they are found in prairie fens, which are a type of wet prairie.
Tamara Smith, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said Poweshiek skipperlings were at one time commonly seen across North America’s plains regions.
“In the early 2000s, surveyors began to notice a sharp decline,” Smith said.
According to the wildlife service, the butterfly was listed as endangered in 2014. During surveys that year, the species could only be found at a few sites in Manitoba, Canada, Wisconsin and Michigan, including Springfield Township’s Shiawassee Basin Preserve.
There, researchers are partnering with the Minnesota Zoo to study the population, their habitat and breed Poweshieks in captivity.
Kelly Nail, a biologist with the Fish and Wildlife Service, said researchers began a program in 2016 called headstarting. As part of the program, eggs are collected from adult females and raised at the Minnesota Zoo, with the idea that captive-reared eggs have a higher rate of survival than can be found in the wild.
Just this year, two Poweshieks bred in captivity were released in Oakland County.
“This year will be a good test of what we’ve learned,” Nail said.
Scientists believe that Poweshiek skipperlings are endangered because the butterfly relies on original tallgrass native prairie, of which only about four percent remains in the United States. Much of what is left is located in isolated sites.
The Shiawassee Basin Preserve, where it is estimated about 70 Poweshieks make their home, is where one of the highest quality prairie fen wetlands is located.
Springfield Township Natural Resources Manager Mike Losey said the township works to maintain the butterfly’s habitat by removing invasive species, such as phragmites.
Losey will host guided hike across the Shiawassee Basin Preserve on June 29 and Aug. 25. The hikes will take place from 10 a.m. to noon. More information is available at springfield-twp.us.
Smith and Nail said it is important for people to remember that the habitat a Poweshiek relies on is very delicate. The biologists recommend that people appreciate the butterfly from afar.
“We appreciate the support for the work we’re doing,” Smith said. “I would advise people not to walk on the habitat of these butterflies.” She explained that by doing so, people could be trampling eggs or larvae that are needed for the population to grow.
“We appreciate people’s support,” Nail agreed. “If people want to help, they can try reducing pesticide use or planting native flowers in their yard.”
For more information about Poweshiek skipperling butterflies, visit fws.gov.
For more information about Michigan endangered species, visit fws.gov.
More information about the Minnesota Zoo Prairie Butterfly Conservation Program is available here.