{"id":242192,"date":"2026-06-25T07:25:22","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T11:25:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/?p=242192"},"modified":"2026-06-24T11:38:34","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T15:38:34","slug":"deep-and-uconn-researchers-working-to-help-rare-butterfly-recover-on-campus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/2026\/06\/deep-and-uconn-researchers-working-to-help-rare-butterfly-recover-on-campus\/","title":{"rendered":"DEEP and UConn Researchers Working to Help Rare Butterfly Recover on Campus"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2023, a population of a small, rare butterfly called the frosted elfin was found in UConn\u2019s Hillside Environmental Education Park (HEEP)<\/a>. This exciting discovery brought together a team of researchers from the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment (NRE) in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), and the UConn Office of Sustainability, who are collaborating on a project to learn more about the species, including what measures can be taken to help the population grow.<\/p>\n

The frosted elfin is in decline, to the point of being considered for federal protection under the Endangered Species Act due to factors like habitat loss and fragmentation, says Charlotte Brennan, an NRE graduate student whose thesis focuses on learning about the frosted elfin and how to support the species.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe recovery in Connecticut is focused on habitat restoration and habitat expansion for the species. We’re trying to figure out where the species lives throughout the state, how far they can move, and how we can expand their habitat. Since habitat loss is the main threat, expanding their habitat is the main way that we’re going to help them,\u201d says Brennan.<\/p>\n

Brennan\u2019s work is helping to fill knowledge gaps about Connecticut\u2019s diverse animal populations. DEEP identified invertebrates, including insects, as the least understood taxa<\/a> and for conservation and recovery, it is imperative to locate and document more populations so we can learn as much as possible about their needs.<\/p>\n

NRE associate professor-in-residence Chadwick Rittenhouse<\/a> says they are already gaining valuable insights about the butterflies.<\/p>\n

\"A
Brennan says the frosted elfin has a fascinating life. They have one generation per year, which means they have a limited window from around April 20th through June 15th when the adults are in flight and the researchers can study their movements. Here, Brennan is photographed after catching a frosted elfin. (Photo courtesy of Chadwick Rittenhouse)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cOne of the things that we’re finding through Charlotte’s work is that frosted elfin butterflies live a lot longer than we thought,\u201d says Rittenhouse. \u201cThe lifespan was thought to be anywhere from two days to maybe a week or 10 days, but some live closer to a month. It was something previous researchers thought, but we were able to document it through this process.\u201d<\/p>\n

The HEEP frosted elfin population was first documented by Charles Brown \u201908 (CLAS),\u201918 (CLAS), \u201918 MS using the citizen science app iNaturalist<\/a>. Since the species is rare, it was flagged for further investigation and soon became the fourth confirmed population in Connecticut. Brennan was pleasantly surprised to have a population so close to campus to study.<\/p>\n

Spotting such a petite, well-camouflaged insect across the state may seem like finding a needle in a haystack, but the process is aided by a tiered exploratory process, says Brennan. For this project graduate student Kathryn Bischoff<\/a> created a model using remote sensing data and citizen science data from iNaturalist to identify different habitat features like plant distribution to help highlight areas where the frosted elfin may be found. These tools are pivotal for the project, says Brennan,<\/p>\n

\u201cThe species distribution model has been like a roadmap for me and citizen science is definitely a major player.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another important clue for finding frosted elfins is that they rely on early successional habitats, or habitats dependent on disturbances, Brennan explains. Species that rely on these types of habitats are frequently found in areas like powerline right-of-way corridors<\/a>, train tracks, airports, military bases, or places like the HEEP which is a landfill remediation and habitat restoration site.<\/p>\n

\"A
Undergraduate technician, Kayla Gilbertie ’27 (CAHNR) carefully marks a frosted elfin. (Photo courtesy of Charlotte Brennan)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIt is surprising to many that these early successional habitats are among the most rare and threatened in Connecticut,\u201d says DEEP wildlife biologist Shannon Kearney \u201906 MS.<\/p>\n

These dry habitats are attractive for development but if they remain undeveloped, they require disturbance, for example fire, mowing, or tree removal, to continue to exist as early successional habitats, Kearney explains.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn cases like HEEP, we’re learning that restoration and land management can unintentionally or intentionally create conditions where the species can persist, which is an important lesson for us,\u201d says Brennan. \u201cOur research is focused on trying to figure out how to expand the habitat, and we are finding these unintentional habitat restoration projects can be what’s right for the species.\u201d<\/p>\n

The team is studying the HEEP population and another population at a similar site a few miles from campus, and Brennan notes the HEEP frosted elfins may have lower numbers due to their isolation from other populations.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though it’s a miracle that the species is there, we are trying to learn what additional steps we can take to make it an even better habitat,\u201d says Brennan.<\/p>\n

The UConn Office of Sustainability (OS) provides stewardship over the 165-acre nature preserve, and Patrick McKee, the director of the OS, says the HEEP is truly a “trash to treasure” story for UConn.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe HEEP is a valuable resource to UConn in terms of its usefulness as a living laboratory in research, and for its three miles of hiking trail networks that are accessible to students and the community,\u201d says McKee. \u201cIts combination of forest, upland, and wetland habitats make it home to many important plant and animal species. This discovery gives us even more reason to invest in its long-term health as an ecosystem.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another important question the researchers hope to answer is how far the butterflies can move to help inform restoration efforts. For this, the researchers use a strategy called the capture-mark-resight method to see how far they move day to day. This is how they determined the HEEP population was relatively small, though, as things can change year to year, the team is excited to see what this year holds.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey’re called \u2018elfin,’ because they’re so little,\u201d says Brennan. \u201cSpotting them is hard, but this is what we do every single day, and we get used to it. We mark them and then release them from the net. Sometimes, after we release them, they crawl on us and hang out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Once spotted, the researchers use a net to carefully catch the butterflies. Brennan explains that when they have a butterfly in the net, they gently guide it into a marking chamber and position it for painting. The rainbow of colorful marks helps the researchers track individuals. The researchers also get attuned to the flight pattern of frosted elfins, which is different from other, similarly sized and colored species.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we go out and look, we look at the host plants and typically the butterflies are right there,\u201d says Brennan, who credits a great research team, including talented undergraduate students, for its success in locating the butterflies.<\/p>\n

Beyond the immediate research questions, Brennan says the discovery at HEEP highlights a broader lesson for conservation in Connecticut.<\/p>\n

\u201cRare species don\u2019t only exist in remote or untouched places,\u201d Brennan says. \u201cSometimes they\u2019re quietly surviving in restored or actively managed landscapes that people might not immediately think of as \u2018wild.\u2019 If we maintain open habitat and protect host plants in these spaces, they can become part of a real recovery strategy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A
To help spot and monitor the frosted elfin, the researchers carefully catch and mark the butterflies. After releasing, the colorful markings help the researchers track the butterflies day to day across the species flight season. (Photo courtesy of Charlotte Brennan)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

She adds that having a population on campus makes conservation more tangible for the university community.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s easy for students to think of rare species conservation as something happening far away,\u201d Brennan says. \u201cBut this is happening right here, and that makes it real.\u201d<\/p>\n

After Brennan graduates, DEEP plans to continue restoration and habitat expansion efforts informed by this research, building on the collaboration between the university and the state.<\/p>\n

\u201cDEEP partnered with UConn to refine the key scientific information we need to successfully target our limited funding on the most effective land management and protection actions for frosted elfin conservation,\u201d says Kearney.<\/p>\n

This effort will also serve as an umbrella for other species that rely on similar habitats in Connecticut, says Kearney. Invertebrates that rely on critical habitats with sandy soil types are a top priority in the most recent State Wildlife Action Plan<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs an added bonus, Charlotte has forged interest and excitement among many landowners.\u00a0The combination of the revised conservation plan and partnerships like this one with the HEEP will really help ensure success.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Funding for the project is provided by the CT DEEP Wildlife Division NDDB Program and the federal State Wildlife Grants Program.\u00a0Since 2017, UConn has been designated a Bee Campus USA by the Xerces Society, thanks to <\/em>a multitude of sustainability projects and initiative undertaken around campus<\/em><\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rare species don\u2019t only exist in remote places. They\u2019re sometimes surviving right here on campus<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":118,"featured_media":247788,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_series":0,"wds_primary_attribution":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2224,2459,2300,2076,2387,1875,2235,2198,2225,2227,70,2195],"tags":[],"magazine-issues":[],"coauthors":[2093,2414],"class_list":["post-242192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-video","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cahnr","category-graduate-students","category-natural-resources-environment","category-research","category-sustainability","category-grad-school","category-today-homepage","category-tolland-county","category-uconn-storrs","category-uconn-edu-homepage","category-video","category-windham-county","post_format-post-format-video"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-07-02 12:38:10","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/242192","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/118"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=242192"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/242192\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":247850,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/242192\/revisions\/247850"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media\/247788"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=242192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=242192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=242192"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=242192"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=242192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}