Xerces Blue?

Neil Jones Neil at nwjones.demon.co.uk
Mon Oct 12 18:19:02 EDT 1998


In article <01bdf5fb$8aee2060$b0280e26 at danetherton>
           danetherton at earthlink.net "Alex" writes:

> Dear Friends;
> I am a life long naturalist, and a lifelong Butterfly enthusiast. I have
> read in Pyle (audubon Society Guide) that the Xerces Blue (Glaucopsyche
> xerces) is extinct. A few years ago I heard  or read that the critter has
> been re-discovered. Are they extinct? If not, how many are estimated to
> survive? Just curious, and wouldn't be wonderful  if they are still around?
> Alex Netherton
> Asheville NC
> danetherton at earthlink.net
> http://home.earthlink.net/~danetherton


Perhaps we could do with some clarification here?

There Xerces Blue is closely related to Glaucopsyche lygdamus
Sorry don't know the commmon name. The entry for the XB in The conservation
 biology of the Lycaenidae says."The closest living relative of 
the xerces may well be the newsly recognised subscpeies of G.,lygdamus
 residing on Santa Rose island... Emmel and Emmel in press"

Does anyone know more?

There is also the story of the miraculous survival of the
Palosverdes Blue G.l palosverdesensis after a heinous act in which
its last known colony was turned into a baseball park.
You can see pictures of the park and the butterfly in my "Rogues Gallery" at
http//:www.nwjones.demon.co.uk/rg/ 
It was thought extinct for 11 years.

-- 
Neil Jones- Neil at nwjones.demon.co.uk http://www.nwjones.demon.co.uk/
"At some point I had to stand up and be counted. Who speaks for the
butterflies?" Andrew Lees - The quotation on his memorial at Crymlyn Bog
National Nature Reserve


More information about the Leps-l mailing list