Deploying Community Scientists to Conduct Nondestructive Genetic Sampling of Rare Butterfly Populations.

Global insect declines continue to accelerate. Effective genetic sampling is critically needed to advance the understanding of many taxa and address existing knowledge gaps. This protocol represents a demonstrated method for nondestructively sampling rare butterflies for population genetic structure or DNA barcoding analyses.

At-Risk Butterfly Captive Propagation Programs to Enhance Life History Knowledge and Effective Ex Situ Conservation Techniques.

Improving knowledge of ex situ best practices for at-risk butterflies is important for generating successful conservation and recovery program outcomes. Research on such captive populations can also yield valuable data to address key information gaps about the behavior, life history, and ecology of the target taxa. We describe a protocol for captive propagation of the federally endangered Cyclargus thomasi bethunebakeri that can be used as a model for other at-risk butterfly ex situ programs, especially those in the family Lycaenidae.