San Juan Island Marble Butterfly

On san juan island the tiny island marble butterfly struggles to survive in its final known location in the world.

San juan island marble butterfly. News of the island marble s presence prompted more surveys for the butterfly in the san juan islands in 2002 2004. The rare island marble butterfly has reappeared on the american camp prairie and elsewhere on san juan and lopez islands after more than 100 years. No one saw it again for 90 years. The reappearance of the rare island marble butterfly on san juan island after nearly 100 years continues to intrigue researchers and enthusiasts throughout the country.

In 1998 the island marble euchloe ausonides insulanus thought to be extinct since 1908 was discovered during a prairie butterfly survey at american camp. Island marble butterfly karen reagan usfws. Right now they re only found on one spot on san juan island. Historically the island marble butterfly was also found in canada and on other islands.

Thought to be extinct since 1908 the butterfly was re discovered by biologists during a prairie survey in san juan island national historical park in 1998 and a few years later on lopez island but not seen again on lopez island since 2006. The island marble butterfly is found nowhere except on san juan island. The island marble butterfly island marble was last collected on gabriola island canada in 1908 and was considered extirpated throughout its known range before it was rediscovered on san juan island. It looked like a species of marble butterfly but they were not known to occur in western washington.

These islands are part of the same geologic formation as the san juan archipelago located immediately to the south of the canadian gulf islands. In 2005 the washington department of fish and wildlife and other agencies organizations and individuals conducted surveys for the butterfly on several islands in the archipelago and on mainland counties in northern coastal. It seems we are the last stronghold of this butterfly jenny shrum told the audience during her free talk at the san juan island public library on june 12 titled fluttering across the salish sea. Karen reagan usfws the reappearance of the rare island marble butterfly imb on san juan island after nearly 100 years continues to intrigue researchers and enthusiasts throughout the country.