Mission blue butterfly
Encyclopedia
The Mission Blue is a blue or lycaenid
butterfly
subspecies native to the San Francisco Bay Area
of the United States
. The butterfly has been declared as endangered by the US Federal Government
. It is a subspecies of Boisduval's Blue (Aricia icarioides).
The larvae will only feed on the leaves of the three host lupine plants (Lupinus albifrons
, Lupinus formosus
, and Lupinus variicolor
) native to their habitat. The plants are necessary for survival for the Mission Blue. Thus, the butterfly's fate is closely tied to that of the three species of lupine as the plants provide food and shelter for the butterfly in its larval stage. The adult Mission Blue drinks the nectar of a variety of flowers, many in the sunflower family
, using its long proboscis
which extends from the underside of its head.
, specifically six areas, the Twin Peaks
area in San Francisco County, Fort Baker
, a former military installation managed by the National Park Service (NPS), in Marin County
, the San Bruno Mountain
area in San Mateo County
, the Marin Headlands
, in Golden Gate National Recreation Area (another NPS entity), Laurelwood Park & Sugarloaf Open Space in the city of San Mateo, and Skyline Ridge, also in San Mateo County. San Bruno Mountain hosts the largest population of Mission Blues, a butterfly that is commonly found around elevations of 700 feet. The coastal scrubland and grassland the Mission Blue requires is found only in and around the Golden Gate
of San Francisco. The butterfly depends solely on three species of perennial lupine for its reproduction, the varied lupine, silver lupine and the Summer lupine. The Mission Blue requires the lupine to lay their eggs and nourish the larvae. Without these species, the Mission Blue cannot reproduce and thus cannot survive. Thus, the Mission Blue's habitat parallels that of the lupine species.
Two of the areas inhabited by the Mission Blue are within the confines of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Golden Gate staff are working to ease the invasive species problem that has helped reduce the Mission Blue to the endangered species list. They work to remove non-native plants and replant the area with lupine seed along with continual monitoring of the butterfly and its host plant.
Much of the area that the Mission Blue once inhabited has been destroyed. The coastal sage and chaparral
and the native
grassland
habitat
s have seen unnatural human development in much of the region. The San Mateo County town of Brisbane
lies in what may once have been the prime habitat for the butterfly. Near Brisbane, an industrial park and rock quarry have proved damaging to the Mission Blue habitat. Generally, the most negative impactor on Mission Blue habitat is that of residential and industrial development. Aside from development, other human activities have negatively impacted the butterfly's habitat. Those activities include cultivation and grazing as well as the oft human assisted abundance of invasive exotic species. Some of the more impactful exotics include the European gorse and pampas grass
. In the Golden Gate Recreation Area, thoroughwort is a particular invasive species which is taking over habitat once occupied by the Mission Blue's lifeblood, the three species of lupine. Of the threats facing the Mission Blue, habitat loss due to human intervention and exotic, invasive species are the two most critical.
Residential and industrial development continually threaten Mission Blue habitat, such as the 1997-2001 seismic retrofitting of the Golden Gate Bridge. Despite costing an additional US$1.2 million to comply to environmental standards the construction project still claimed about 1,500 square metres of butterfly habitat through "incidental take," an exception provided under California law. Through a type of habitat conservation popular since a 1983 amendment to the Endangered Species Act
, the incidental take is offset by off-site mitigation and restoration. In this case, the San Francisco Highway and Transportation District in cooperation with the National Park Service funded a US$450,000 off-site restoration plan. The main aspect of this plan was to establish about 8 ha of Mission Blue habitat in the area of the bridge project.
The Mission Blue was first collected in the Mission District of San Francisco in 1937. Today, there is a small colony on Twin Peaks; the species has also been found in Fort Baker, which is in Marin County. However, the majority of today's Mission Blue colonies are found on San Bruno Mountain. Besides those on the mountain, other colonies have been found in San Mateo County. Those colonies have been located at elevations of 690–1,180 ft. Some colonies have been found in the "fog belt" of the coastal mountain range. The Mission Blue colonies in the area prefer coastal chaparral
and coastal grassland
s which are the predominate biome
s where Mission Blues are found.
. While the state of California has enacted an Endangered Species Act, it is quite specific about what affords its protection. Sec. 2062 of the California Endangered Species Act, under definitions, declares, "Endangered species" means a native species or subspecies of a bird, mammal, fish, amphibian, reptile, or plant which is in serious danger of becoming extinct." There is no provision for a state endangered listing in California for any insect. The Mission Blue butterfly is not protected by state statute in California.
side of new lupine leaves. Eggs generally hatch within six to ten days and the first and second instar
larvae feed on the mesophyll
of the lupine plants. The caterpillar
s, extremely small, feed for a short time and then crawl to the plant base where they enter a dormant state, known as diapause
, until the late winter or the following spring. Diapause usually begins about three weeks after eclosion and begins about the same time as the host plant shifts its energy to flower and seed production. When the caterpillar comes out of its diapause and begins feeding, it occasionally sheds its skin
to accommodate its growth.
As the larva
e feed and grow, native ants may gather and indicate the presence of larger Mission Blue larvae. The ants will often stand on the caterpillar and tap it with their antennae. In response, the caterpillar secretes honeydew. The ants eat honeydew and in return it is likely, through this symbiotic relationship, that the ants ward off predators.
Once the caterpillar is fully grown, it leaves the larval stage and enters the pupa
l stage of development. The fully grown caterpillar forms a chrysalis after securing itself to a surface which is generally a lupine stem or leaf. They shed their outer skin, revealing their chrysalid. This stage lasts about ten days while the adult butterfly develops within the chrysalid. The butterfly can be sighted as early as late March in places like the summit of San Bruno Mountain or the Twin Peaks. They persist well into June when they will be seen perched on a lupine
plant or feeding on coastal buckwheat
flowers. Day to day for the adult butterfly is mostly spent foraging for nectar, flying, mating and for the females, laying eggs. Nearly equal time is spent between perching, feeding and flying. The adult Mission Blue lives approximately one week; during this time, the females lay the eggs on the host plant. The complete Mission Blue butterfly life cycle lasts one year.
The Mission Blue butterfly is entirely dependent upon three species of lupine (lupin
) in the genus Lupinus: the silver lupine, Lupinus albifrons
, the summer lupine, Lupinus formosus
and the varied lupine, Lupinus variicolor
. Ironically, the same harmful toxins which have led to the eradication of several lupines from rangeland are responsible for the protection of the Mission Blue larvae, as predators are deterred by the bitter taste.
have been taken from the eggs of various Icarioides species. As far as predator-prey relationships, rodent
s are probably the primary predator of both the larvae and pupae.
. The paper, Notes on the morphology of the genus Lycæides (Lycænidæ, Lepidoptera), was published in the Sep.-Dec. issue of Psyche—A Journal of Entomology and described two new genera, Icaricia and Plebulina.
. In addition, regular wildfires have opened new habitat conservation opportunities as well as damaging existing ones.
Lycaenidae
The Lycaenidae are the second-largest family of butterflies, with about 6000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies...
butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
subspecies native to the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The butterfly has been declared as endangered by the US Federal Government
Federal government
The federal government is the common government of a federation. The structure of federal governments varies from institution to institution. Based on a broad definition of a basic federal political system, there are two or more levels of government that exist within an established territory and...
. It is a subspecies of Boisduval's Blue (Aricia icarioides).
Description
The endangered Mission Blue has a wingspan of about 21 –. Larvae are extremely small and rarely seen. The males' top wing grades from ice blue in the center to deep sky blue (misregistered as turquoise/cyan to violet by most photographic equipment, the wing color carries no hint of green or purple, strictly capturing an enthralling spectrum of purest, clearest, richest, brightest blue) exhibiting a dazzling iridescent fluctuation in range under direct, full sunlight. Black margins on the upper wing sport "long, white, hair-like scales." A constellation of jet-black dots (misregistered as dull gray by most photographic equipment) frames the extremities of the ventral surface, its pattern adroitly complimenting the wing shape thrown into spectacular relief against the shimmering silvery pearlescent background, with a fascinatingly muted hint of dark ice blue bleeding faintly up from the body and permeating the veins throughout for the palest, most delicate of emphases. Body shape, eyes, antennae, and appendages possess it of a uniquely exquisite poise. A positively riveting species done nothing like any sort of justice by pictures. Males' body is dark-blue/brown. Females' upper wings are dark brown, but otherwise mirror males'.The larvae will only feed on the leaves of the three host lupine plants (Lupinus albifrons
Lupinus albifrons
Lupinus albifrons, Silver lupine, white-leaf bush lupine, or evergreen lupine, is a species of lupine . It is native to California and Oregon, where it grows along the coast and in dry and open meadows, prairies and forest clearings...
, Lupinus formosus
Lupinus formosus
Lupinus formosus, the summer lupine, is a member of the lupine genus Lupinus in the Fabaceae family. It is native to California....
, and Lupinus variicolor
Lupinus variicolor
Lupinus variicolor is a shrub in the lupine genus Lupinus....
) native to their habitat. The plants are necessary for survival for the Mission Blue. Thus, the butterfly's fate is closely tied to that of the three species of lupine as the plants provide food and shelter for the butterfly in its larval stage. The adult Mission Blue drinks the nectar of a variety of flowers, many in the sunflower family
Asteraceae
The Asteraceae or Compositae , is an exceedingly large and widespread family of vascular plants. The group has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera and 12 subfamilies...
, using its long proboscis
Proboscis
A proboscis is an elongated appendage from the head of an animal, either a vertebrate or an invertebrate. In simpler terms, a proboscis is the straw-like mouth found in several varieties of species.-Etymology:...
which extends from the underside of its head.
Habitats
The Mission Blue depends on a very specific host plant called the lupine. As such, its habitat is restricted solely to the U.S. state of California. More specifically, it is limited to a range of five known areas where Mission Blue colonies have been confirmed. Those areas are subject to a range of conservation and habitat restoration action.Range
P. i. missionensis is federally endangered and found in only a few locations. Its habitat is restricted to the San Francisco Bay AreaSan Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
, specifically six areas, the Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks, San Francisco, California
The Twin Peaks are two hills with an elevation of about near the geographic center of San Francisco, California. Except for Mount Davidson, they are the highest points in the city.-Location and climate:...
area in San Francisco County, Fort Baker
Fort Baker
Fort Baker is one of the components of California's Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The Fort, which borders the City of Sausalito in Marin County and is connected to San Francisco by the Golden Gate Bridge, served as an Army post until the mid-1990s, when the headquarters of the 91st Division...
, a former military installation managed by the National Park Service (NPS), in Marin County
Marin County, California
Marin County is a county located in the North San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. As of 2010, the population was 252,409. The county seat is San Rafael and the largest employer is the county government. Marin County is well...
, the San Bruno Mountain
San Bruno Mountain
San Bruno Mountain in northern San Mateo County, California is the northernmost part of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Most of the mountain lies within the San Bruno Mountain State Park, a unique open-space island in the midst of the San Francisco Peninsula's urbanization. Next to the state park is the...
area in San Mateo County
San Mateo County, California
San Mateo County is a county located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. It covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula just south of San Francisco, and north of Santa Clara County. San Francisco International Airport is located at the northern end of the county, and...
, the Marin Headlands
Marin Headlands
The Marin Headlands is a hilly area at the southernmost end of Marin County, California, just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. The Headlands are located just north of San Francisco, immediately across the Golden Gate Bridge. The entire area is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area...
, in Golden Gate National Recreation Area (another NPS entity), Laurelwood Park & Sugarloaf Open Space in the city of San Mateo, and Skyline Ridge, also in San Mateo County. San Bruno Mountain hosts the largest population of Mission Blues, a butterfly that is commonly found around elevations of 700 feet. The coastal scrubland and grassland the Mission Blue requires is found only in and around the Golden Gate
Golden Gate
The Golden Gate is the North American strait connecting San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. Since 1937 it has been spanned by the Golden Gate Bridge...
of San Francisco. The butterfly depends solely on three species of perennial lupine for its reproduction, the varied lupine, silver lupine and the Summer lupine. The Mission Blue requires the lupine to lay their eggs and nourish the larvae. Without these species, the Mission Blue cannot reproduce and thus cannot survive. Thus, the Mission Blue's habitat parallels that of the lupine species.
Two of the areas inhabited by the Mission Blue are within the confines of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Golden Gate staff are working to ease the invasive species problem that has helped reduce the Mission Blue to the endangered species list. They work to remove non-native plants and replant the area with lupine seed along with continual monitoring of the butterfly and its host plant.
Much of the area that the Mission Blue once inhabited has been destroyed. The coastal sage and chaparral
California coastal sage and chaparral ecoregion
The California coastal sage and chaparral, a sub-ecoregion of the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion, is found in southwestern California and northwestern Baja California in Mexico.-Location:...
and the native
California native plants
California native plants are plants that existed in California prior to the arrival of European explorers and colonists in the late 18th century...
grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s have seen unnatural human development in much of the region. The San Mateo County town of Brisbane
Brisbane, California
Brisbane is a small city located in the northern part of San Mateo County, California on the lower slopes of San Bruno Mountain. It is on the northeastern edge of South San Francisco, next to the San Francisco Bay and near the San Francisco International Airport.The population was 4,282 as of...
lies in what may once have been the prime habitat for the butterfly. Near Brisbane, an industrial park and rock quarry have proved damaging to the Mission Blue habitat. Generally, the most negative impactor on Mission Blue habitat is that of residential and industrial development. Aside from development, other human activities have negatively impacted the butterfly's habitat. Those activities include cultivation and grazing as well as the oft human assisted abundance of invasive exotic species. Some of the more impactful exotics include the European gorse and pampas grass
Pampas Grass
Cortaderia selloana, commonly known as pampas grass, is a tall grass native to southern South America, including the pampas after which it is named, and Patagonia....
. In the Golden Gate Recreation Area, thoroughwort is a particular invasive species which is taking over habitat once occupied by the Mission Blue's lifeblood, the three species of lupine. Of the threats facing the Mission Blue, habitat loss due to human intervention and exotic, invasive species are the two most critical.
Residential and industrial development continually threaten Mission Blue habitat, such as the 1997-2001 seismic retrofitting of the Golden Gate Bridge. Despite costing an additional US$1.2 million to comply to environmental standards the construction project still claimed about 1,500 square metres of butterfly habitat through "incidental take," an exception provided under California law. Through a type of habitat conservation popular since a 1983 amendment to the Endangered Species Act
Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is one of the dozens of United States environmental laws passed in the 1970s. Signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28, 1973, it was designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of economic growth and...
, the incidental take is offset by off-site mitigation and restoration. In this case, the San Francisco Highway and Transportation District in cooperation with the National Park Service funded a US$450,000 off-site restoration plan. The main aspect of this plan was to establish about 8 ha of Mission Blue habitat in the area of the bridge project.
The Mission Blue was first collected in the Mission District of San Francisco in 1937. Today, there is a small colony on Twin Peaks; the species has also been found in Fort Baker, which is in Marin County. However, the majority of today's Mission Blue colonies are found on San Bruno Mountain. Besides those on the mountain, other colonies have been found in San Mateo County. Those colonies have been located at elevations of 690–1,180 ft. Some colonies have been found in the "fog belt" of the coastal mountain range. The Mission Blue colonies in the area prefer coastal chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
and coastal grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
s which are the predominate biome
Biome
Biomes are climatically and geographically defined as similar climatic conditions on the Earth, such as communities of plants, animals, and soil organisms, and are often referred to as ecosystems. Some parts of the earth have more or less the same kind of abiotic and biotic factors spread over a...
s where Mission Blues are found.
Status
The Mission Blue was added to the Federal Endangered Species List in 1976, its protection falls under the jurisdiction of the federal Endangered Species ActEndangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is one of the dozens of United States environmental laws passed in the 1970s. Signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28, 1973, it was designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of economic growth and...
. While the state of California has enacted an Endangered Species Act, it is quite specific about what affords its protection. Sec. 2062 of the California Endangered Species Act, under definitions, declares, "Endangered species" means a native species or subspecies of a bird, mammal, fish, amphibian, reptile, or plant which is in serious danger of becoming extinct." There is no provision for a state endangered listing in California for any insect. The Mission Blue butterfly is not protected by state statute in California.
Life cycle
Each year marks the birth of a new generation of Mission Blues, as only one generation exists per year. The butterfly lays its eggs on the leaves, buds and seed pods of L. albifrons, Lupinus formosus and Lupinus variicolor. The eggs are usually laid on the dorsalDorsum
Dorsum is a Latin word. In science, it could mean:* Dorsum , the posterior side of an animal* Dorsum , a term used in astrogeology for a ridge* Theta Capricorni, a star on the back of the Goat...
side of new lupine leaves. Eggs generally hatch within six to ten days and the first and second instar
Instar
An instar is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each molt , until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to grow or assume a new form. Differences between instars can often be seen in altered body proportions, colors, patterns, or...
larvae feed on the mesophyll
Mesophyll
Mesophyll can refer to:* Mesophyll tissue, in plant anatomy, photosynthetic parenchyma cells that lie between the upper and lower epidermis layers of a leaf...
of the lupine plants. The caterpillar
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
s, extremely small, feed for a short time and then crawl to the plant base where they enter a dormant state, known as diapause
Diapause
Diapause is the delay in development in response to regularly and recurring periods of adverse environmental conditions. It is considered to be a physiological state of dormancy with very specific initiating and inhibiting conditions...
, until the late winter or the following spring. Diapause usually begins about three weeks after eclosion and begins about the same time as the host plant shifts its energy to flower and seed production. When the caterpillar comes out of its diapause and begins feeding, it occasionally sheds its skin
Ecdysis
Ecdysis is the moulting of the cuticula in many invertebrates. This process of moulting is the defining feature of the clade Ecdysozoa, comprising the arthropods, nematodes, velvet worms, horsehair worms, rotifers, tardigrades and Cephalorhyncha...
to accommodate its growth.
As the larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e feed and grow, native ants may gather and indicate the presence of larger Mission Blue larvae. The ants will often stand on the caterpillar and tap it with their antennae. In response, the caterpillar secretes honeydew. The ants eat honeydew and in return it is likely, through this symbiotic relationship, that the ants ward off predators.
Once the caterpillar is fully grown, it leaves the larval stage and enters the pupa
Pupa
A pupa is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. The pupal stage is found only in holometabolous insects, those that undergo a complete metamorphosis, going through four life stages; embryo, larva, pupa and imago...
l stage of development. The fully grown caterpillar forms a chrysalis after securing itself to a surface which is generally a lupine stem or leaf. They shed their outer skin, revealing their chrysalid. This stage lasts about ten days while the adult butterfly develops within the chrysalid. The butterfly can be sighted as early as late March in places like the summit of San Bruno Mountain or the Twin Peaks. They persist well into June when they will be seen perched on a lupine
Lupine
Lupine may be one of several things:*Something that is like, or relating to, a wolf .*A variant spelling for lupin, a flowering plant.*Lu Pine Records, a record label in Detroit.*Lupine Games, a computer game company....
plant or feeding on coastal buckwheat
Eriogonum latifolium
Eriogonum latifolium is a species of wild buckwheat known by the common names seaside buckwheat and coast buckwheat. This plant is native to the coastline of the western United States from Washington to central California, where it is a common resident of coastal bluffs and scrub.-Description:This...
flowers. Day to day for the adult butterfly is mostly spent foraging for nectar, flying, mating and for the females, laying eggs. Nearly equal time is spent between perching, feeding and flying. The adult Mission Blue lives approximately one week; during this time, the females lay the eggs on the host plant. The complete Mission Blue butterfly life cycle lasts one year.
Host plants
Lupin
Lupinus, commonly known as Lupins or lupines , is a genus in the legume family . The genus comprises about 280 species , with major centers of diversity in South and western North America , and the Andes and secondary centers in the Mediterranean region and Africa Lupinus, commonly known as Lupins...
) in the genus Lupinus: the silver lupine, Lupinus albifrons
Lupinus albifrons
Lupinus albifrons, Silver lupine, white-leaf bush lupine, or evergreen lupine, is a species of lupine . It is native to California and Oregon, where it grows along the coast and in dry and open meadows, prairies and forest clearings...
, the summer lupine, Lupinus formosus
Lupinus formosus
Lupinus formosus, the summer lupine, is a member of the lupine genus Lupinus in the Fabaceae family. It is native to California....
and the varied lupine, Lupinus variicolor
Lupinus variicolor
Lupinus variicolor is a shrub in the lupine genus Lupinus....
. Ironically, the same harmful toxins which have led to the eradication of several lupines from rangeland are responsible for the protection of the Mission Blue larvae, as predators are deterred by the bitter taste.
Predators
In the 1983 study "Six Ecological Studies of Endangered Butterflies", R. A. Arnold found that about 35% of eggs collected in the field were being parasitized by an unknown encryrtid wasp. Other parasitic HymenopteraHymenoptera
Hymenoptera is one of the largest orders of insects, comprising the sawflies, wasps, bees and ants. There are over 130,000 recognized species, with many more remaining to be described. The name refers to the heavy wings of the insects, and is derived from the Ancient Greek ὑμήν : membrane and...
have been taken from the eggs of various Icarioides species. As far as predator-prey relationships, rodent
Rodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
s are probably the primary predator of both the larvae and pupae.
Evolution
The Theolinae evolved in a tropical climate while the Lycaenidae and Icaricia evolved in a temperate climate zone. The species Icaricia icaroides comprises 12 subspecies. They are, I. icarioides, I. evius, I. moroensis, I. missionensis, I. padalis, I. pheres, I. ardea, I. lycea, I. bucholzi, I. pembina, I. blackmorei, and I. montis. The genus Icaricia was introduced in a 1944 paper by Vladimir NabokovVladimir Nabokov
Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov was a multilingual Russian novelist and short story writer. Nabokov wrote his first nine novels in Russian, then rose to international prominence as a master English prose stylist...
. The paper, Notes on the morphology of the genus Lycæides (Lycænidæ, Lepidoptera), was published in the Sep.-Dec. issue of Psyche—A Journal of Entomology and described two new genera, Icaricia and Plebulina.
Taxonomy
Its trinomial name is Aricia icarioides missionensis, however, the species used to be classified as a subspecies in the genus Plebejus (also Pelbius). The Mission Blue is classified as a subspecies of Boisduval's Blue (formerly Plebejus (Plebius) icarioides, now Aricia icarioides), the nomenclature for the Mission Blue as late as 2000 was Plebejus icarioides missionensis. It is still a subspecies of Boisduval's Blue.Habitat conservation
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has a number of habitat conservation programs in effect which includes lands traditionally inhabited by the Mission Blue butterfly. A recovery plan, drawn up by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1984, outlined the need to protect Mission Blue habitat and to repair habitat damaged by urbanization, off highway vehicle traffic, and invasion by exotic, non-native plants. An example of the type of work being done by governmental and citizen agencies can be found in the Marin Headlands at Golden Gate National Recreation AreaGolden Gate National Recreation Area
The Golden Gate National Recreation Area is a U.S. National Recreation Area administered by the National Park Service that surrounds the San Francisco Bay area. It is one of the most visited units of the National Park system in the United States, with over 13 million visitors a year...
. In addition, regular wildfires have opened new habitat conservation opportunities as well as damaging existing ones.
See also
- California coastal sage and chaparral ecoregionCalifornia coastal sage and chaparral ecoregionThe California coastal sage and chaparral, a sub-ecoregion of the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion, is found in southwestern California and northwestern Baja California in Mexico.-Location:...
- Coastal sage scrubCoastal sage scrubCoastal sage scrub is a low scrubland plant community found in the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion of coastal California and northern Baja California. It is characterized by low-growing aromatic, and drought-deciduous shrubs adapted to the semi-arid Mediterranean climate of the...
- California coastal prairieCalifornia coastal prairieCalifornia coastal prairie, also known as northern coastal grassland, is a grassland plant community of California and Oregon in the Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands Biome...
- Northern coastal scrubNorthern coastal scrubNorthern coastal scrub is a scrubland plant community of California and Oregon. It occurs along the Pacific Coast from Point Sur on the Central California coast in Monterey County, California, to southern Oregon...
- Coastal sage scrub
External links
- Mission Blue Butterfly at the Butterfly Conservation Initiative http://www.butterflyrecovery.org/
- Butterfly is safe, court rules, New York Times, May 15, 1985.