Smith's blue butterfly
Encyclopedia
Smith's blue butterfly, Euphilotes enoptes smithi, is an organism in the family Lycaenidae
, which is also known as the "gossamer wing" family. This federally
listed endangered species
occurs in fragmented populations along the Central Coast of California
, primarily associated with sand dune habitat
in one case with a dune-based Maritime Coast Range Ponderosa Pine forest
in the Carbonera Creek
watershed
in Santa Cruz County
. The range of E. enoptes is from Monterey Bay
south to Punta Gorda. They live in sand dunes and grassland areas
Over half of the original habitat of E. e. smithi has been destroyed by human overpopulation
, coastal highway
development and trampling of habitat, and invasive plants. Several sites are currently being protected to conserve Smith's blue butterfly, including the Maritime Coast Range Ponderosa Pine forest at Carbonera Creek and a preserve at Fort Ord
, California—the first site ever chosen for management on behalf of an insect in the United States. E. e. smithi is associated with two species of buckwheat
(Eriogonum latifolium
and Eriogonum parvifolium
) during all of its life phases, such that decline in these buckwheat species' populations poses further threats to this butterfly.
coloration. Both sexes have with orange-red band markings on the hind dorsal wings. Ventral
wing coloration for both males and females is a whitish gray, punctuated with black speckling.
buckwheat
: Eriogonum latifolium and Eriogonum parvifolium. After emerging in August or September, adult butterflies mate and deposit eggs
on the flowers of these host plants. Hatching transpires soon afterward, and the larva
e begin to feed on the flowers of the very same plant. The larvae have chewing mouthparts to feed on the host's flower petals as well as seeds in the flower head. Larvae have a cryptic coloration markings, closely resembling that of the blossoms where they hide. The caterpillar
matures through four larval stages or instar
s in about 24 days before becoming a chrysalis. The pupa
tion then occurs in the flower head itself or below in the leaf litter.
Subsequent to several weeks of feeding and growth, the larvae molt to yield a pupal phase, starting a 41 week period of transformation. The following year, as the Eriogonum blossom again, new adults emerge, and the cycle repeats. Smith's blue butterflies have a lifespan of approximately one week. Their single week of daytime-only flight is further limited to temperatures above 60°F
and to times and locales where wind velocities are quite low. Within that one week, they must do sufficient feeding to sustain, they must avoid predation
, find and court a mate
, and copulate. Then the female must lay the resulting eggs.
Early season males have a difficult challenge in finding females since the first females emerge about seven days after the first males. In the early season, it is common that several males congregate around a newly emerged female. Stimulated by pheromone
s emitted from the female, they become eager to mate before the end of their short lives. The overall population of adults is active between early June to early September.
region with his friend Claude I. Smith: that collection occurred in the vicinity of Dolans Creek in the year 1948 when both men were undergraduates at the University of California, Berkeley
. Smith was killed in a freak accident, being swept to sea by a rogue wave while fishing from a rock at Half Moon Bay
. Only thereafter did Mattoni analyze his specimen carefully, which he knew was previously undocumented; then he proceeded to publish a treatise on Smith's blue as his Ph.D. dissertation. In tribute to his friend, Mattoni gave Smith's name to the butterfly they had discovered together.
Dunes wildlife such as the Smith's blue have evolved specialized capabilities to survive on that harsh windblown, arid environment; correspondingly, such fauna have little adaptability to adjacent habitats. Thus as habitat destruction began in the early 1900s, Smith's blue colonies could not form in nearby locales, which do not offer the same richness of host plants. Smith's blue butterfly was federally designated as an endangered species
in the year 1976. By that time considerable destruction of the coastal dunes had already occurred, chiefly due to coast highway development and associated coastal cities' urban sprawl.
In 1980, certain dune habitat near the mouth of the Salinas River was designated as a National Wildlife Refuge
, and became part of the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex. This action was taken to protect a number of threatened and endangered species that were dependent on the fragile dune environment, including the Smith's blue butterfly. By the late 1990s, about half of all the original Smith's blue habitat had been destroyed, often leaving relict
dunes areas so small and fragmented to be useless; beyond that splintering of populations produced a resulting sub-optimal gene pool.
Specimens of this taxon
are held at the California Academy of Sciences
, University of California, Berkeley, and at the Los Angeles County Museum
.
Lycaenidae
The Lycaenidae are the second-largest family of butterflies, with about 6000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies...
, which is also known as the "gossamer wing" family. This federally
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
listed endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
occurs in fragmented populations along the Central Coast of California
Central Coast of California
The Central Coast is an area of California, United States, roughly spanning the area between the Monterey Bay and Point Conception. It extends through Santa Cruz County, San Benito County, Monterey County, San Luis Obispo County, and Santa Barbara County...
, primarily associated with sand dune habitat
Habitat (ecology)
A habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant or other type of organism...
in one case with a dune-based Maritime Coast Range Ponderosa Pine forest
Maritime Coast Range Ponderosa Pine forests
Maritime Coast Range Ponderosa Pine forests are rare temperate forest assemblages associated with a limited range portion of the Santa Cruz Mountains of northern California. There are only three known small forests of this type, all situated in Santa Cruz County, California...
in the Carbonera Creek
Carbonera Creek
Carbonera Creek is a watercourse in Santa Cruz County, California, that eventually flows to the San Lorenzo River.The stream rises in the rugged Santa Cruz Mountains and flows in a generally southwesterly direction. The city of Scotts Valley is situated within the watershed of Carbonera Creek and...
watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
in Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County, California
Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, on the California Central Coast. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay. . As of the 2010 U.S. Census, its population was 262,382. The county seat is Santa Cruz...
. The range of E. enoptes is from Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean, along the central coast of California. The bay is south of San Francisco and San Jose, between the cities of Santa Cruz and Monterey....
south to Punta Gorda. They live in sand dunes and grassland areas
Over half of the original habitat of E. e. smithi has been destroyed by human overpopulation
Overpopulation
Overpopulation is a condition where an organism's numbers exceed the carrying capacity of its habitat. The term often refers to the relationship between the human population and its environment, the Earth...
, coastal highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
development and trampling of habitat, and invasive plants. Several sites are currently being protected to conserve Smith's blue butterfly, including the Maritime Coast Range Ponderosa Pine forest at Carbonera Creek and a preserve at Fort Ord
Fort Ord
Fort Ord was a U.S. Army post on Monterey Bay in California. It was established in 1917 as a maneuver area and field artillery target range and was closed in September 1994. Fort Ord was one of the most attractive locations of any U.S. Army post, because of its proximity to the beach and California...
, California—the first site ever chosen for management on behalf of an insect in the United States. E. e. smithi is associated with two species of buckwheat
Buckwheat
Buckwheat refers to a variety of plants in the dicot family Polygonaceae: the Eurasian genus Fagopyrum, the North American genus Eriogonum, and the Northern Hemisphere genus Fallopia. Either of the latter two may be referred to as "wild buckwheat"...
(Eriogonum latifolium
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...
and Eriogonum parvifolium
Eriogonum parvifolium
Eriogonum parvifolium is a species in the Polygonaceae family that occurs on dune formations in the coastal area of Central and Southern California. This evergreen shrub grows to a height of 30 to 100 centimeters with a spread of approximately the same dimension. This plant is an important host...
) during all of its life phases, such that decline in these buckwheat species' populations poses further threats to this butterfly.
Morphology
Euphilotes enoptes smithi is a small butterfly with a wingspan no greater than 2.5 centimeters. Males manifest dorsal wing color of a bright lustrous blue, while females exhibit brown dorsalAnatomical terms of location
Standard anatomical terms of location are designations employed in science that deal with the anatomy of animals to avoid ambiguities that might otherwise arise. They are not language-specific, and thus require no translation...
coloration. Both sexes have with orange-red band markings on the hind dorsal wings. Ventral
Anatomical terms of location
Standard anatomical terms of location are designations employed in science that deal with the anatomy of animals to avoid ambiguities that might otherwise arise. They are not language-specific, and thus require no translation...
wing coloration for both males and females is a whitish gray, punctuated with black speckling.
Life cycle and behavior
During its whole lifespan, the Smith's blue butterfly uses only two hostHost (biology)
In biology, a host is an organism that harbors a parasite, or a mutual or commensal symbiont, typically providing nourishment and shelter. In botany, a host plant is one that supplies food resources and substrate for certain insects or other fauna...
buckwheat
Buckwheat
Buckwheat refers to a variety of plants in the dicot family Polygonaceae: the Eurasian genus Fagopyrum, the North American genus Eriogonum, and the Northern Hemisphere genus Fallopia. Either of the latter two may be referred to as "wild buckwheat"...
: Eriogonum latifolium and Eriogonum parvifolium. After emerging in August or September, adult butterflies mate and deposit eggs
Oviposition
Oviposition is the process of laying eggs by oviparous animals.Some arthropods, for example, lay their eggs with an organ called the ovipositor.Fish , amphibians, reptiles, birds and monetremata also lay eggs....
on the flowers of these host plants. Hatching transpires soon afterward, and 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 begin to feed on the flowers of the very same plant. The larvae have chewing mouthparts to feed on the host's flower petals as well as seeds in the flower head. Larvae have a cryptic coloration markings, closely resembling that of the blossoms where they hide. 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...
matures through four larval stages or 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...
s in about 24 days before becoming a chrysalis. 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...
tion then occurs in the flower head itself or below in the leaf litter.
Subsequent to several weeks of feeding and growth, the larvae molt to yield a pupal phase, starting a 41 week period of transformation. The following year, as the Eriogonum blossom again, new adults emerge, and the cycle repeats. Smith's blue butterflies have a lifespan of approximately one week. Their single week of daytime-only flight is further limited to temperatures above 60°F
Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit is the temperature scale proposed in 1724 by, and named after, the German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit . Within this scale, the freezing of water into ice is defined at 32 degrees, while the boiling point of water is defined to be 212 degrees...
and to times and locales where wind velocities are quite low. Within that one week, they must do sufficient feeding to sustain, they must avoid predation
Predation
In ecology, predation describes a biological interaction where a predator feeds on its prey . Predators may or may not kill their prey prior to feeding on them, but the act of predation always results in the death of its prey and the eventual absorption of the prey's tissue through consumption...
, find and court a mate
Mating
In biology, mating is the pairing of opposite-sex or hermaphroditic organisms for copulation. In social animals, it also includes the raising of their offspring. Copulation is the union of the sex organs of two sexually reproducing animals for insemination and subsequent internal fertilization...
, and copulate. Then the female must lay the resulting eggs.
Early season males have a difficult challenge in finding females since the first females emerge about seven days after the first males. In the early season, it is common that several males congregate around a newly emerged female. Stimulated by pheromone
Pheromone
A pheromone is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting outside the body of the secreting individual to impact the behavior of the receiving individual...
s emitted from the female, they become eager to mate before the end of their short lives. The overall population of adults is active between early June to early September.
History and conservation
Smith's blue butterfly was recorded in the scientific literature in the mid-1950s. Rudi Mattoni collected the first specimen of Smith's blue on a trip to the Big SurBig Sur
Big Sur is a sparsely populated region of the Central Coast of California where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. The name "Big Sur" is derived from the original Spanish-language "el sur grande", meaning "the big south", or from "el país grande del sur", "the big...
region with his friend Claude I. Smith: that collection occurred in the vicinity of Dolans Creek in the year 1948 when both men were undergraduates at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. Smith was killed in a freak accident, being swept to sea by a rogue wave while fishing from a rock at Half Moon Bay
Half Moon Bay
Half Moon Bay is a city in San Mateo County, CaliforniaHalf Moon Bay may also refer to:- Geographic features :* Half Moon Bay , a bay on the San Mateo County Coast of California...
. Only thereafter did Mattoni analyze his specimen carefully, which he knew was previously undocumented; then he proceeded to publish a treatise on Smith's blue as his Ph.D. dissertation. In tribute to his friend, Mattoni gave Smith's name to the butterfly they had discovered together.
Dunes wildlife such as the Smith's blue have evolved specialized capabilities to survive on that harsh windblown, arid environment; correspondingly, such fauna have little adaptability to adjacent habitats. Thus as habitat destruction began in the early 1900s, Smith's blue colonies could not form in nearby locales, which do not offer the same richness of host plants. Smith's blue butterfly was federally designated as an endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
in the year 1976. By that time considerable destruction of the coastal dunes had already occurred, chiefly due to coast highway development and associated coastal cities' urban sprawl.
In 1980, certain dune habitat near the mouth of the Salinas River was designated as a National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the world's premiere system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife and plants...
, and became part of the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex. This action was taken to protect a number of threatened and endangered species that were dependent on the fragile dune environment, including the Smith's blue butterfly. By the late 1990s, about half of all the original Smith's blue habitat had been destroyed, often leaving relict
Relict
A relict is a surviving remnant of a natural phenomenon.* In biology a relict is an organism that at an earlier time was abundant in a large area but now occurs at only one or a few small areas....
dunes areas so small and fragmented to be useless; beyond that splintering of populations produced a resulting sub-optimal gene pool.
Specimens of this taxon
Taxon
|thumb|270px|[[African elephants]] form a widely-accepted taxon, the [[genus]] LoxodontaA taxon is a group of organisms, which a taxonomist adjudges to be a unit. Usually a taxon is given a name and a rank, although neither is a requirement...
are held at the California Academy of Sciences
California Academy of Sciences
The California Academy of Sciences is among the largest museums of natural history in the world. The academy began in 1853 as a learned society and still carries out a large amount of original research, with exhibits and education becoming significant endeavors of the museum during the twentieth...
, University of California, Berkeley, and at the Los Angeles County Museum
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County opened in Exposition Park, Los Angeles, California, USA in 1913 as the Museum of History, Science, and Art. The moving force behind it was a museum association founded in 1910. Its distinctive main building, with fitted marble walls and domed and...
.