The El Segundo Blue Butterfly (The Los Angeles Times)
LOS ANGELES -- What a difference 33 years makes. The El Segundo Blue Butterfly -- classified as an endangered species more than three decades ago -- is expanding near Los Angeles International Airport.
Entemologist Richard Arnold says the El Segundo Blue population near LAX has grown by about 10% since last year. The most he's ever counted in the area was around 7,000. The population was only around a few thousand in 1976, when the butterfly was placed on the endangered list. At that time, the El Segundo Blue was the third insect to gain such a classification. There are now about 50 insects on the federal endangered list, Arnold said.
The black, white and orange butterfly -- the male has blue on top of its wings -- relies on seacliff buckwheat to survive. The butterfly lays its eggs on the plant, the larvae feed off its seeds, and adults suck out the nectar.
The plant is prevalent in the sand dunes near LAX, where the rare butterfly seems to be thriving.
Two airport employees have been working to restore the dunes by planting seacliff buckwheat and clearing weeds and grasses that inhibit its growth.
Until recently, the El Segundo Blue was thought to be found only on the southeastern shores of Santa Monica Bay.
But the largest population by far is now found near LAX. There are also smaller colonies on two acres of Chevron's El Segundo refinery, on private land in Torrance and at beaches in Torrance and Redondo Beach.
Arnold says the butterfly life cycle is one year, however, they only live as adults for a few months -- a typical time for mating and laying eggs.
The adult season runs from mid-June through mid-August.
Although the butterfly seems to be flourishing, Arnold says, more seacliff buckwheat must be planted in the dunes. That, he says, would bring even more El Segundo Blues.
Entemologist Richard Arnold says the El Segundo Blue population near LAX has grown by about 10% since last year. The most he's ever counted in the area was around 7,000. The population was only around a few thousand in 1976, when the butterfly was placed on the endangered list. At that time, the El Segundo Blue was the third insect to gain such a classification. There are now about 50 insects on the federal endangered list, Arnold said.
The black, white and orange butterfly -- the male has blue on top of its wings -- relies on seacliff buckwheat to survive. The butterfly lays its eggs on the plant, the larvae feed off its seeds, and adults suck out the nectar.
The plant is prevalent in the sand dunes near LAX, where the rare butterfly seems to be thriving.
Two airport employees have been working to restore the dunes by planting seacliff buckwheat and clearing weeds and grasses that inhibit its growth.
Until recently, the El Segundo Blue was thought to be found only on the southeastern shores of Santa Monica Bay.
But the largest population by far is now found near LAX. There are also smaller colonies on two acres of Chevron's El Segundo refinery, on private land in Torrance and at beaches in Torrance and Redondo Beach.
Arnold says the butterfly life cycle is one year, however, they only live as adults for a few months -- a typical time for mating and laying eggs.
The adult season runs from mid-June through mid-August.
Although the butterfly seems to be flourishing, Arnold says, more seacliff buckwheat must be planted in the dunes. That, he says, would bring even more El Segundo Blues.
