Assmann’s fritillary project

Assmann’s fritillary (Melitaea britomartis; Veronikanätfjäril in Swedish) is a Palearctic butterfly species with a wide distribution across Eurasia, from Japan to western Europe. Severe population declines and fragmentation have been observed in several parts of the range, not the least in Sweden where Assmann’s fritillary is considered one of the most endangered species. It is even possible that it is currently extinct, since no observations of the species have been done in the wild after 2018.

In collaboration with the Regional County Administrative Board of Västmanland, private collectors and the Biological Museum in Lund, we currently investigate how genomic information from samples collected in Sweden and across Eurasia can be used make informed decisions about a potential reintroduction in Sweden. The analyses are predominantly done using relatively old samples and we therefore collaborate with Martin Irestedt at the Swedish Museum of Natural History, who has extensive experience with extractions of nucleic acids from museum specimens. We have currently generated genome sequence data for more than 75 individuals. Right now, we apply bioinformatics methods to investigate levels of genetic diversity in different regions and patterns of genetic differentiation between populations in different parts of the range. The ultimate aim is to investigate if there are extant populations somewhere that are genetically similar to the (most likely) extinct Swedish populations that can be used for potential reintroduction programs. The results from our analyses will be published in reports to the local administrative board and potentially also in peer-reviewed scientific articles. The project is managed by Jacob Höglund at the Animal Ecology Program and Niclas Backström at the Evolutionary Biology Program.