Please Help the World's Rarest Butterfly

[neil at nwjones.demon.co.uk]

In article <3.0.5.32.20000725103049.009b6980 at mail.utexas.edu>,
  drdn at mail.utexas.edu wrote:
> May we have some current opinions on the PALOS VERDES BLUE. Does
anyone
> have new evidence that it is a full species or is it still considered
a
> subspecies of SILVERY BLUE (*Glaucopsyche lygdamus*) as listed in
> Opler/Wright 1999 (PFG Western Butterflies: 25)? From the XERCES
specimens
> I have seen so far I think *G. xerces* was a full species.
> ........Chris Durden

Just to clarify matters the Palos Verdes Blue is G. lygdamus
palosverdesensis.
It is a distinctive subspecies. I know I have seen it close up and I
have also seen G.l australis which is the commoner form found in the
nearest locations to it. This butterfly is OBVIOUSLY different.
No one ever said anything different.

I am sure I don't need to trot out all
the examples that indicate that differentiating subspecies from species
is a difficult task. The system doesn't allow for all the situations
that occur in nature. As for G. xerces well there will always be debate
on its precise status but it is now EXTINCT. The Palos Verdes Blue may
go the same way. We should not be fiddling while Rome burns but acting
to prevent it joining xerces in extinction.
The web site is:
http://www.wildlifewebsite.com/pvblue/


>
> At 10:14  24/07/00 PDT, you wrote:
> >
> >Help! The World's Rarest Butterfly needs You!
> >
> >Our voices may help save the Palos Verdes Blue Butterfly from
extinction.
> >This tiny delicate creature occurs on ONLY one single site on earth.
While
> >attempts are being made to recreate habitat and introduce it
elsewhere, only
> >the one site is known to have the correct conditions for it to
survive.
> >The entire range of this animal is now confined within the suburbs
of Los
> >Angeles.
> >
> >Now the City of Los Angeles is planning to build on part of the
special site
> >where it occurs.
> >
> >Searching for the rare butterfly every scrap of its former range has
> >been examined. There are NO other wild populations known. Until the
current
> >site was found it had not been seen for eleven years. It was thought
that
> >like its close relative, the Xerces Blue, it was extinct.
> >
> >Please help! The last known good site was destroyed for development
in the
> >1980s.  If it happened once, it can happen again. The Palos Verdes
Blue
> >cannot make the plea to protect itself, WE MUST BE ITS VOICE.
> >
> >Please visit the website for more details on how YOU can help the
Palos
> >Verdes Blue
> >http://www.wildlifewebsite.com/pvblue/
> >
> >Wynndi
> >Breezin_easy at hotmail.com
> >
>
>_______________________________________________________________________
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> >
> >
>
>


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