BC Conservation Data Centre: Conservation Status Report
Oeneis uhleri
Uhler's Arctic
| Scientific Name: | Oeneis uhleri |
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| English Name: | Uhler's Arctic |
| Provincial Status Summary | |
| Status: | S2S3 |
| Date Status Assigned: | March 31, 2013 |
| Date Last Reviewed: | February 02, 2020 |
| Reasons: | This species is restricted to the Peace Corridor in dry, bunchgrass hillsides; a thorough threats assessment in 2013 has determined that there are high threats within these grassland habitats. |
| Range | |
| Range Extent: | E = 5,000-20,000 square km |
| Range Extent Comments: | The species has a range extent of approximately 5000 square km that is restricted to the Peace region. This habitat is the western-most extention of the prairie grassland ecosystems. |
| Area of Occupancy (km2): | U = Unknown |
| Area of Occupancy Comments: | The colonies of Oeneis uhleri in the Peace region have been observed on grassy and shrubby slopes. |
| Occurrences & Population | |
| Number of Occurrences: | BC = 6 - 80 |
| Comments: | Oeneis uhleri records are from the Peace region. Locations include Attachie, Beaton River (NE of Fort St. John), Bear Flat, Chetwynd, Clayhurst bridge, Shearer Dale (Peace View Cemetary on the grass/shrub slopes above the mouth of the Kiskatinaw River), Peace River and Taylor. Records are from Guppy and Shepard (2001); Guppy (2006), Kondla (2003) and Keystone Wildlife Research Ltd. (2012). |
| Number of Occurrences with Good Viability / Ecological Integrity: | U = Unknown |
| Number of Occurrences Appropriately Protected & Managed: | U = Unknown |
| Comments: | There are no documented occurrences within protected areas, although there is a location just outside of the Clayhurst Ecological Reserve #8, north of Peace River. |
| Population Size: | U = Unknown |
| Comments: | Collected and observed specimens ranged from 1 to 26 specimens per site, with both sexes at the location. |
| Threats (to population, occurrences, or area affected) | |
| Degree of Threat: | B = High |
| Comments: |
Some areas of habitat in the Peace region have been converted to agriculture or grazing. Threats in the Peace region include all terrain vehicle (ATV) use at select locations. The Clayhurst Bridge location has had some significant recreational use of off-road vehicles such as ATVs and dirt bikes, and the disturbance to the slope has the potential to devastate the foodplants at the site. The impacts of ATV use depend on the access and popularity of a site, and may vary from year to year. Overgrazing by livestock is likely not significant, as livestock are usually excluded from these areas (Guppy, pers. comm.). The high populations of deer and elk in the area have resulted in large areas being denuded of vegetation, rutted with trails and is therefore causing erosion of grassy slopes. This threat is rated as a higher threat than the off-road vehicles (Guppy, pers. comm.). General threats to butterflies that occur in the Peace corridor include agriculture (ie. hayfields and canola), recreational activites such as ATVs, trail bikes and snowmobiles; fire and fire suppression that causes ingrowth of shrubs and forest; wind turbines on hilltops; potential dam activity including complete loss of habitat, change in humidity, flooding and landslides, transmission lines and roads; pollutants such as herbicides and pesticides; grazing and livestock trampling on the hilltops; and detrimental affects from climate change (G. Guppy, pers. com. 2013). |
| Trend (in population, range, area occupied, and/or condition of occurrences) | |
| Short-Term Trend: | G = Relatively Stable (<=10% change) |
| Long-Term Trend: | U = Unknown |
| Other Factors | |
| Intrinsic Vulnerability: | U=Unknown |
| Environmental Specificity: | B=Narrow. Specialist or community with key requirements common. |
| Comments: | Like all butterflies, this species has specific larval and adult food plant requirements. Oeneis uhleri uses grasses and sedges as a larval host, although the specific foodplant species are unknown (Layberry et al. 1998). |
| Other Rank Considerations: | The Peace region is the westernmost extension of the prairie grassland ecosystems. |
| Information Gaps | |
| Research Needs: | Research is required to more accurately quantify specific habitat requirements including food plant density and patch size. Species' dispersal capabilities, reproductive success and population viability should be assessed; study of the potential impacts of predation, parasitism, climatic variation, small population size, and population isolation is also needed. Research is required to assess the potential threats to habitat from grazing, invasive weeds, and wild fire. Research into life history and clarification of foodplants. |
| Inventory Needs: | Inventory and monitoring of butterflies in the Peace region, and clarification of the threats and grassland habitats in the region. |
| Stewardship | |
| Protection: | This species should be recorded and monitored in parks and protected areas. |
| Management: | Best management practices guidelines need to be written for ranchers. Since this species is known to occur at forest edges and openings (Layberry et al. 1998) it may be a candidate for listing under the Forest and Range Practices Act Identified Wildlife Management Strategy. |
| Version | |
| Author: | Heron, J. |
| Date: | November 09, 2012 |
| References | |
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Guppy, C. 2006. Guppy's Lepidoptera observation database.
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Guppy, C.S., and J.H. Shepard. 2001. Butterflies of British Columbia. UBC Press in collaboration with Royal B.C. Mus. 414pp.
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Keystone Wildlife Research Ltd. 2012. Electronic database containing baseline inventory data for flora and fauna within the Site C dam footprint. Data collected and prepared for B.C. Hydro.
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Kondla, N. 2003. N. Kondla's Lepidoptera observation database.
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Layberry, R. A., P. W. Hall, and J. D. LaFontaine. 1998. The butterflies of Canada. University of Toronto Press. 280pp. + color plates.
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Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for information on how the CDC determines conservation status ranks. For global conservation status reports and ranks, please visit the NatureServe website http://www.natureserve.org/.
Suggested Citation:
B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 2012. Conservation Status Report: Oeneis uhleri. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Jun 8, 2026).