The Effect of Species Reintroduction on the Genetic Diversity of the Mottled Duskywing (Erynnis martialis)
Abstract
Between 2019 and 2023, individuals of the mottled duskywing butterfly (Erynnis martialis) were sampled from a site in Ontario to source a reintroduction of the species to Pinery Provincial Park. Captively reared offspring of the sampled individuals were released to either Pinery or back to the source site as demographic compensation. These actions could affect genetic diversity of the source and reintroduced populations through founder effects and elevated genetic drift. I investigated the effect of the reintroduction on genetic diversity in both populations, using microsatellites to estimate allelic richness, heterozygosity, and effective population size over time. The source population showed no change in genetic diversity over the course of the reintroduction, and the Pinery population’s genetic diversity eventually matched that of naturally occurring populations. The reintroduction strategy was effective in establishing a population with a high level of genetic diversity without causing a negative effect on the source population.