Bog Copper Butterfly

Changing the phenology of flowering times in cranberries not only affects cultivators but it also affects species that closely interact with the cranberries. Lycaena epixanthe, bog copper butterflies, are affected by earlier flowering times of cranberries. Adult bog copper butterflies consume flower nectar while the developing caterpillars consume shoots and leaves. Two major issues occur when the phenology of the cranberry changes. First, the phenology of the bog copper butterfly may not match up with its food source the cranberry. Second, if the cranberry flowers earlier and cultivators spray herbicide earlier, then the bog copper butterflies may come after the cultivators have sprayed rather than before. Cultivators may find it easier to yield a crop that is not consumed by the bog copper butterfly caterpillars, however, they still need the butterfly as a pollinator for the crop. This process has been studied with bees as pollinators (Bartomeus et al.). Understanding this process is important as it may clarify the process of earlier flowering times and pollination for both agricultural purposes as well as in the wild.