Frosted elfin is a small butterfly that has declined precipitously in recent years

The U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service awarded the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries a $112,661 Project Grant under the State Wildlife Grants Program (CFDA 15.634) effective January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2028. This award supports range-wide conservation efforts for the frosted elfin butterfly (Callophrys irus), a species that has experienced significant population decline in recent years. The five-agency recipient consortium will deliver critical data collection and analysis to inform cost-effective habitat restoration at priority sites, with work including occurrence surveys, distribution mapping, habitat assessment, genetic analysis, threat evaluation, and population status monitoring.

In addition to habitat restoration activities, the grant funds a captive breeding and reintroduction program designed to augment existing frosted elfin populations and establish new populations across the species' range. These coordinated conservation actions aim to preclude the need for federal listing under the Endangered Species Act. The grant includes a sub-award to researcher John Himes (effective February 26, 2026) for data and sample collection, analysis, and interpretation supporting the broader species conservation objectives.

The five recipient agencies and their contributing partners will collect necessary data to inform habitat restoration at priority sites where conservation action can be most cost effective. To augment existing sites and establish new populations, the range-wide team will launch a captive breeding and reintroduction program. These actions are intended to help avoid the need for federal listing.