Palos Verdes blue
The Palos Verdes blue butterfly is a small endangered butterfly that can be seen near the Palos Verdes Peninsula in southwest Los Angeles County, California. So far, it can only be seen here and might be one of the rarest butterflies in the world.
| Palos Verdes blue | |
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| Glaucopsyche lygdamus palosverdesensis | |
Description
This butterfly has a wingspan of only 25–30 mm. The male has a bright silvery-blue dorsal wing outlined in a narrow line of black, while the female’s dorsal wing is a more brownish-gray color. Both males and females have gray ventral wings with dark spots surrounded by white rings.[2]
Conservation
G. lygdamus palosverdesensis was listed as an endangered species by the Fish and Wildlife Service Archived 2008-10-29 at the Wayback Machine on July 2, 1980. Insects are not currently protected by California law.
The main threat to the Palos Verdes blue has been the destruction of their living space by weeds, which has negative effects on the larval foodplants needed.
References
- ↑ Pelham J.P. (2008). "Glaucopsyche lygdamus palosverdesensis". NatureServe. Retrieved 12 July 2013.[dead link]
- ↑ Arnold R.A. 1987. Decline of the Endangered Palos Verdes blue Butterfly in California. Biological Conservation. 40: 203–217.