The objectives of this project are twofold: primarily to answer the questions of habitat and larval foodplant(s) for Wisconsin populations of the Henry’s elfin butterfly and secondarily, to add to our understanding of the conservation status of the species in the state and further protect the species through incorporation of the data into the Natural Heritage Inventory databases which aid in informed decision-making on land use and management throughout Wisconsin.

The data acquisition component of the project will occur during the adult flight period, a two-week period at the end of May. Field staff will be deployed to known sites to search for the butterflies and carefully observe behaviors relative to the site vegetation. Background research on wetland habitat use by the species in neighboring states and selection of survey sites for the 2006 field season is in progress.