BUTTERFLY (LEPIDOPTERA, LYCAENIDAE, NYMPHALIDAE, AND SATYRIDAE) FAUNAS OF 3 PEATLAND HABITAT TYPES IN THE LAKE SUPERIOR DRAINAGE-BASIN OF WISCONSIN

The butterflies which complete their entire life cycle within peatland habitats were documented in the Lake Superior drainage basin of north western Wisconsin. Seventy peatlands were inventoried over the course of the 1996 growing season, and were classified as either muskeg, kett lehole, or coastal sites. Muskeg peatlands were of similar elevation t o the surrounding uplands, possessed drier and more nutrient-poor subs trates, and were typically larger than other peatland types. Kettlehol e peatlands were wetter and had floating Sphagnum mats which fringed l ake margins or were in depressions much lower than the surrounding upl ands. Coastal peatlands were located in estuaries along the Lake Super ior coast, and possessed relatively eutrophic, wet soils. Muskeg sites harbored the most diverse total fauna, and possessed the highest aver age number of taxa per site. a highly significant correlation between habitat size and butterfly richness was observed in both muskeg and ke ttlehole peatlands. The muskeg fauna included five taxa not found in o ther peatland habitats. These species have arctic-boreal affinities an d reach their southern range limit in eastern North America an these s ites.