The IUCN Species Survival Commission Conservation Biology of Lycaenidae (Butterflies) Edited by T.R. New Occasional Paper of the IUCN Species Survival Commission No.8 IUCN The World Conservation Union Conservation Biology of Lycaenidae was made possible through the generous support of: Chicago Zoological Society DEJA, Inc. IUCN/SSC Peter Scott Action Plan Fund (Sultanate of Oman) National Wildlife Federation World Wide Fund For Nature © 1993 International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Reproduction of this publication for educational and other non-commercial purposes is authorized without permission from the copyright holder, provided the source is cited and the copyright holder receives a copy of the reproduced material. Reproduction for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without prior permission of the copyright holder. ISBN 2-8317-0159-7 Published by IUCN, Gland, Switzerland. Camera-ready copy by The Nature Conservation Bureau Limited, 36 Kingfisher Court, Hambridge Road, Newbury RG14 5SJ, U.K. Printed by Information Press, Oxford, U.K. Cover Photo: Karner Blue, Lycaeides melissa samuelis (Photo: Richard A. Arnold). The IUCN Species Survival Commission Conservation Biology of Lycaenidae (Butterflies) Edited by T.R. New Contents Preface iv The Pannonian Zephyr Blue, Plebejus sephirus kovacsi Acknowledgment v Z. BÁLINT 103 List of Contributor s vi The threatened lycaenids of the Carpathian Basin, east-central Europe PART 1. INTRODCTION Z. BÁLINT 105 Introduction to the Biology and Conservation of the Aricia macedonica isskeutzi 105 Lycaenidae Aricia eumedon 105 T.R. NEW 1 Cupido osiris 106 Jolana iolas 106 PART 2. REGIONAL ASSESSMENTS Maculinea alcon 106 Maculinea nausithous 107 Introductory Comment 22 Maculinea sevastos limitanea 107 Conservation biology of Lycaenidae: a European overview Plebejus (Lycaeides) idas 107 M.L. MUNGUIRA, J. MARTIN & E. BALLETTO 23 Polyommatus (Agrodiaetus) admetus 108 Overview of problems in Japan Polyommatus (Agrodiaetus) damon 108 T. HlROWATARI 35 Polyommatus (Vacciniina) optilete 108 Conservation of North American lycaenids- an overview Polyommatus eroides 109 J. HALL CUSHMAN & D.D. MURPHY 37 Polyommatus dorylas magna 109 Neotropical Lycaenidae: an overview Lycaena helle 109 K.S. BROWN, JR. 45 Lycaena tityrus argentifex 110 Threatened Lycaenidae of South Africa Pseudophilotes bavius hungaricus 110 M.J. SAMWAYS 62 Tomares nogelii dobrogensis 110 Australian Lycaenidae: conservation concerns Japan T.R. NEW 70 Coreana raphaelis T.HIROWATARI 112 PART 3. ACCOUNTS OF PARTICULAR TAXA OR Shijimiaeoides divinus COMMUNITIES T. HIROWATARI 114 Introductory comment 77 North America Europe Lange's Metalmark, Apodemia mormo langei The mariposa del Puerto del Lobo, Agriades zullichi J.A. POWELL & M.W. PARKER 116 M.L. MUNGUIRA & J. MARTIN 78 The Hermes Copper, Lycaena hermes The Large Copper, Lycaena dispar D.K. FAULKNER & J.W. BROWN 120 E. DUFFEY 81 Thome'sHairstreak, Mitoura thornei The Adonis Blue, Lysandra bellargus 83 J.W. BROWN 122 Large Blues, Maculinea spp 85 Sweadner's Hairstreak, Mitoura gryneus sweadneri Polyommatus humedasae T.C. EMMEL 124 E. BALLETTO 88 Bartram' s Hairstreak, Strymon acis bartrami Polyommatus galloi T.C. EMMEL & M.C. MINNO 126 E. BALLETTO 90 The Avalon Hairstreak, Strymon avalona The Sierra Nevada Blue, Polyommatus golgus T.C. EMMEL & J.F. EMMEL 128 M.L. MUNGUIRA & J. MARTIN 92 TheAtala, Eumaeus atala florida Tomares ballus T.C. EMMEL & M.C. MINNO 129 H.A. DESCIMON 95 Smith's Blue, Euphilotes enoptes smithi The Silver-studded Blue, Plebejus argus T.C. EMMEL & J.F. EMMEL 131 CD. THOMAS 97 The El Segundo Blue, Euphilotes bernardino allyni The Zephyr Blue, Plebejus pylaon R.H.T. MATTONI 133 M.L. MUNGUIRA & J. MARTIN 100 ii The Palos Verdes Blue, Glaucopsyche lygdamus Theclinae endemic to the Cerrado vegetation (central palosverdesensis Brazil) R.H.T. MATTONI 135 K.S. BROWN, JR. 152 The Xerces Blue, Glaucopsyche xerces Neotropical Riodininae endemic to the Chocó region T.C. EMMEL & J.F. EMMEL 137 of western Colombia The Mission Blue, Plebejus icarioides missionensis C.J. CALLAGHAN 153 J.H. CUSHMAN 139 South Africa The San Bruno Elfin, Incisalia mossii bayensis Aloeides dentatis dentatis and A. d. maseruna S. B. WEISS 141 S.F. HENNING, G.A. HENNING & M.J. SAMWAYS.........154 The Lotis Blue, Lycaenides idas lotis Erikssonia acraeina R.A. ARNOLD 143 S.F. HENNING, G.A. HENNING & M.J. SAMWAYS.........156 Additional taxa of concern in southern California Alaena margaritacea R.H.T. MATTONI 145 S.F. HENNING, G.A. HENNING & M.J. SAMWAYS.........158 Philotes sonorensis extinctis 145 Orachrysops (Lepidochrysops) ariadne Satyrium auretorum fumosum 145 S.F. HENNING, G.A. HENNING & M.J. SAMWAYS.........159 Plebejus saepiolus ssp 145 Australia South America Hypochrysops spp. Selected Neotropical species D.P.A. SANDS....................................................................160 K.S. BROWN, JR. 146 Illidge's Ant- Blue, Acrodipsas illidgei Styx infernalis 146 P.R. SAMSON..... .........................................................................166 Nirodia belphegor 146 The Eltham Copper, Paralucia pyrodiscus lucida Joiceya praeclarus 147 T.R. NEW ...............................................................................166 Areas spp 148 The Bathurst Copper, Paralucia spinifera Arawacus aethesa 149 E.M. DEXTER & R.L. KITCHING...........................................168 Cyanophrys bertha 149 The Australian Hairstreak, Pseudalmenus chlorinda Neotropical Lycaenidae endemic to high elevations in G.B. PRINCE.................................................................................171 south eastern Brazil K.S. BROWN, JR. 150 APPENDIX 1 Riodininae: Amazonian genera with most species very IUCN Red Data Book Categories 173 rare or local K.S. BROWN, JR. 151 iii Preface Butterflies have long been accorded 'special' status by many A number of species or subspecies of the Lycaenidae have people who do not like insects. Ever since the ancient Greeks been the targets of major conservation campaigns which have employed the same word (psyche) for 'soul' and 'butterfly', an been vitally important in raising public awareness of insect aura of spiritual or aesthetic appreciation has enhanced their conservation in areas where swallowtails are scarce, and it is no generally charismatic popularity, so that people to whom 'the exaggeration to claim that they have been the most important only good insect is a dead insect' accept readily that butterflies butterfly family in fostering conservation concern in temperate merit conservation (New 1991). Perhaps the most widely regions. appreciated butterflies are the swallowtails, birdwings and their This is not a Red Data Book but, rather, an introduction to allies (Papilionidae), which have recently received substantial the conservation biology of the Lycaenidae. It emphasises the conservation impetus through production of a global survey very different knowledge base available for lycaenids compared (Collins and Morris 1985) and a Swallowtail Action Plan (New with the swallowtails, and should be a salutary warning against and Collins 1991) based on this, and produced under the feelings of complacency that butterflies are well known! auspices of the IUCN Species Survival Commission's It draws on the expertise of many experienced practitioners Lepidoptera Specialist Group. of butterfly conservation, and on the large literature of lycaenid Many other butterflies are much less well known than the biology. The account consists of three sections. The first is a swallowtails, and such a comprehensive appraisal of them brief general introduction to the Lycaenidae and their place in would be difficult or impossible to achieve. But, especially in butterfly conservation. The second is a series of regional north temperate regions of the world, very substantial overviews of lycaenids for several parts of the world where conservation effort has been directed to members of the largest interest and knowledge has been sufficient to prepare such an family of butterflies, the Lycaenidae – the blues, coppers, essay; and the third is a series of selected case-histories or hairstreaks, metalmarks and related forms. In 1989, I suggested species accounts which range from the well known to the novel. that the Lepidoptera Specialist Group should seek to complement This section is not in any sense encyclopedic, but provides a the swallowtail studies by an appraisal of the Lycaenidae, to tentative basis for direction and for future synthesis and 'round out' the emerging picture of butterfly conservation by development of more general conservation strategies. gathering together some of the data on this family. Lycaenidae exemplify a wide spectrum of concerns: populations are often References extremely localised with colonies occupying a few hectares or less; many are associated with early successional stages of COLLINS, N.M. and MORRIS, M.G. 1985. Threatened Swallowtail Butterflies vegetation in grasslands or herb associations; and many of the World. The IUCN Red Data Book, IUCN, Gland and Cambridge. participate in subtle ecological associations with ants or (more NEW,T.R. 1991. Butterfly Conservation. Oxford University Press, Melbourne. NEW, T.R. and COLLINS, N.M. 1991. Swallowtail Butterflies. An Action rarely) Homoptera. Plan for their Conservation. IUCN, Gland. iv Acknowledgements The task of preparing this volume has been a pleasant one, Dr. Mariano Gimenez-Dixon and Ms Linette Humphrey, in the leading me to appreciate very deeply