Post by sebbe67 on Apr 5, 2005 17:52:21 GMT
The San Gabriel Mountains Blue butterfly (Plebejus saepiolus aureolus) was known only from a single wet meadow within the yellow pine forest near the Big Pines Ranger Station, San Gabriel Mountains, Angeles National Forest, California [14]. Its host plant was
Trifolium wormskioldii. At a minimum it was seen in 1970, 1980, and 1985. It has not been
seen since 1985 [14]. It was not found in a 1995 survey which was a very wet year that
would have encouraged reproduction if the taxon still existed [97]. The meadow was still
wet, but had been made smaller due to the diversion of some of the water from the natural spring feeding it. The diversion of the spring by the U.S. Forest Service has been suggested as the cause of the species extinction [189]. There is a chance the San Garbriel blue exists in the upper Fish Fork of the San Gabriel River on the north side of Mt. San Antonio though it has never been recorded there [97]. The area has permanent water and may contain suitable wet meadow habitats. Other sites that should be checked are the few remaining wet meadows just ESE of Mountain High Ski Area, WNW of Wrightwood [97]. Some of these are on private land, and willows have overgrown much
of the acreage. Water has likely been drained away from the meadows.
Trifolium wormskioldii. At a minimum it was seen in 1970, 1980, and 1985. It has not been
seen since 1985 [14]. It was not found in a 1995 survey which was a very wet year that
would have encouraged reproduction if the taxon still existed [97]. The meadow was still
wet, but had been made smaller due to the diversion of some of the water from the natural spring feeding it. The diversion of the spring by the U.S. Forest Service has been suggested as the cause of the species extinction [189]. There is a chance the San Garbriel blue exists in the upper Fish Fork of the San Gabriel River on the north side of Mt. San Antonio though it has never been recorded there [97]. The area has permanent water and may contain suitable wet meadow habitats. Other sites that should be checked are the few remaining wet meadows just ESE of Mountain High Ski Area, WNW of Wrightwood [97]. Some of these are on private land, and willows have overgrown much
of the acreage. Water has likely been drained away from the meadows.
