Examining the Impact of Decreased Snowpack on the Rare Frosted Elfin Butterfly’s Host Plant

In response to climate change, Earth’s increased global temperature has caused less snowfall and earlier snowmelt in spring. These changes can alter an organism’s phenology, or timing of life history events. Such shifts in phenology may lead to mismatches between interacting species, which are correlated with a decline in the populations of host plant specialists and at-risk species. The rare frosted elfin butterfly (Callophrys irus) is listed as impaired in 5 states, and critically imperiled in 14. These host plant specialists only lay eggs on small yellow wild indigo (Baptisia tinctoria) and wild lupine (Lupinus perennis). If neither plant emerges and develops leaves by the time butterflies are laying eggs, this could be catastrophic for the downstream population. This study simulated the impacts of decreased snowpack on yellow wild indigo. We predicted that the growth of wild indigo plants would be faster in plots with decreased snowpack.