(15 Apr 2024)
FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4488820
ASSOCIATED PRESS
San Francisco - 11 April 2024
1. Various Xerces Blue butterflies in California Academy of Sciences collection
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Chris Grinter, Collection Manager of Entomology, California Academy of Sciences:
"They were abundant in the sandy habitats around the city, living on deer weed and other plants in the area. We successfully eliminated 100% of their native habitat."
3. Scientist at California Academy of Sciences conducts genetic sequencing testing
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4. SOUNDBITE (English) Chris Grinter, Collection Manager of Entomology, California Academy of Sciences:
"We were looking at our collections here and we're able to use modern technology, genome sequencing to go back and extract genomes from these extinct butterflies that are over 100, 150 years old. And we're able to compare them with modern populations of the blue butterflies all over the Bay area. So, we can look at those in the genomic side and say, what might be a good butterfly that we could bring back to the Presidio to repopulate what used to be the Xerces' habitat? Now we have a great habitat that has been beautifully restored by the Park Presidio, available for the silvery blues that are coming from the surrounding areas."
5. Various walking to release site
6. Silvery Blue butterfly in container before being released in the Presidio
7. Various release of first batch of Silvery Blue butterflies
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8. SOUNDBITE (English) Durrell Kapan, Lead Researcher of Entomology, California Academy of Sciences:
"We found a thriving population that was totally capable of donating a few individuals to establish a new population. So, this is a new beachhead for silvery blues. And they're standing in the big shoes of Xerces."
9. Various Silvery Blue butterflies under temporary netting after release
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10. SOUNDBITE (English) Durrell Kapan, Lead Researcher of Entomology, California Academy of Sciences:
"Now we're thinking about, how can we do more? Xerces has one more lesson to tell us by. By bringing back the silvery blue, it really gives us kind of a big bounce. It's exciting and it says this is what we should be doing. So it's sort of directing us to be on point and do this job from now until we retire and beyond."
11. More Silvery Blue butterfly releases
STORYLINE:
California's Academy of Sciences is repopulating sand dunes in San Francisco's national park with a relative of the extinct Xerces Blue butterfly.
The Xerces Blue was believed to be the first butterfly species in the United States to be driven to extinction from habitat loss caused by human development.
The iconic butterfly, whose name inspired the Xerces Society conservation group, went extinct in the 1940.
Eighty years later, the current reintroduction was made possible after the restoration of the Presidio's native dunes and research to identify the Xerces Blue's closest living relative.
Utilizing the Academy’s genetic sequencing capabilities, scientists analyzed Xerces Blue specimens in their vast collection, some dating back more than a century, to better understand its genome.
Three years of research confirmed a group of Silvery Blues about 100 miles south of San Francisco could successfully fill the ecological role left by the Xerces Blue.
Researchers from the Academy got permission to gather butterflies in Monterey County and transport them to San Francisco.
The team will continue to track their movements using high-resolution photographs to identify their markings.
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