Why is the Lotis Blue butterfly extinct?
Why is the Lotis Blue butterfly extinct?
Fire suppression may affect distribution and abundance of the host plants. Drought during 1976 and 1977 caused the sphagnum bog to dry out, and no lotis blue butterflies were observed in 1977.
Why is Palos Verdes Blue rarest butterfly in the world?
The Palos Verdes blue butterfly, Glaucopsyche lygdamus palosverdesensis are insects. They are thought to be one of the rarest species of butterflies found in the world because they are endemic to their very small range of habitat.
How many Palos Verdes blue butterfly are left?
The Palos Verdes blue butterfly was presumed extinct for a decade until Dr. Rudi Mattoni discovered a population persisting at the Defense Fuel Support Point in San Pedro in 1994. The population is estimated at 300 individuals. It is now in the running for the rarest butterfly in the world.
Why is Palos Verdes blue butterfly endangered?
The Palos Verdes blue butterfly was thought to be driven to extinction in 1983, primarily by development of its habitat. This new population lays eggs on an additional food plant (common deerweed, Lotus scoparius) but shares physical and behavioral characteristics with the other now-extinct populations.
Where does the Lotis Blue butterfly live?
wet meadows
Where does a lotis blue butterfly live? Lycaeides idas lotis are found in wet meadows and sphagnum willow bogs. The soil is waterlogged and highly acidic. Lotis blue butterfly habitat includes thick shrubs such as California rose, salal, western Labrador tea, wax myrtle, and California huckleberry.
Is the Lotis Blue butterfly extinct?
Official Status: Endangered, the lotis blue butterfly is federally listed under the Endangered Species Act as endangered.
What is the most rarest butterfly color?
Blue
Blue is the rarest occurring colour in nature, with no true blue pigments in plants. In some ways, blue butterflies are natures way of completing the colour spectrum. From South American wonders to local Tropical icons, here’s some stunning blue butterflies from around the world…
What is the most rare butterfly?
Palos Verdes blue butterfly
The Palos Verdes blue butterfly is among the world’s rarest. It’s native to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in southwest Los Angeles County, California, the United States. Due to habitat destruction, the population of Palos Verdes blue butterfly has decreased sharply.
What’s the rarest butterfly?
| The very rarest butterflies | |
|---|---|
| Lotis blue | Lycaeides argyrognomon lotis |
| Schaus swallowtail | Heraclides aristodemus ponceanus |
| Lange’s metalmark | Apodemia mormo langei |
| Palos Verdes blue | Glaucopsyche lygdamus palosverdesensis |
What is the rarest butterfly in America?
The island marble butterfly is one of the rarest butterflies in North America. The federal government wants to add it to the Endangered Species List.
What do Palos Verdes Blue eat?
The Palos Verdes blue is finicky, so it took conservationists a few years to prepare for its return to the park by landscaping slopes just to its liking. The thumbnail-size butterfly lays its eggs on just two kinds of plants: locoweed and deerweed. Their leaves are the only things its larvae can eat after hatching.
What does a Lotis Blue butterfly eat?
plants
Lotis blue butterflies are herbivores. They are found feeding on plants. They suck nectars from all the flowers, especially the nectar from the lupine plant.
What are the characteristics of a Lotis blue butterfly?
Identifying Characteristics: The lotis blue butterfly is a small butterfly, with a wingspan averaging of about 1 inch (2.5 cm). The upper wing surfaces are a deep violet-blue in the male, with a black border and fringe of white scales along the outer wing margin.
Is the Lotis blue butterfly an endangered species?
Official Status: Endangered, the lotis blue butterfly is federally listed under the Endangered Species Act as endangered. Date Listed: June 1, 1976; Federal Register: 41 FR 22041 (pdf, 500 KB).
Where can I find a Lotis blue butterfly in California?
Historically, the lotis blue butterfly was found at several coastal locations in California, primarily in Mendocino County, but also in northern Sonoma County, and possibly northern Marin County. Unfortunately, location information for most of the historic lotis blue butterfly sites is vague, and is based on specimens collected prior to the 1950’s.
What is the meaning of Lotis?
Lotis can refer to: Lotis (mythology), a nymph in Greek mythology. Lotis (genus), a genus of beetles. Lotis Blue Butterfly, a butterfly formerly found in California and now believed to be extinct. The Large Optical Test and Integration Site (LOTIS) at the Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company in Sunnyvale, CA.
