| Sand Mountain blue | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Euphilotes pallescens arenamontana | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Genus: | Euphilotes |
| Species: | |
| Subspecies: | E. p. arenamontana |
| Trinomial name | |
| Euphilotes pallescens arenamontana Austin, 1998 | |
TheSand Mountain blue (Euphilotes pallescens arenamontana) is alycaenidbutterfly of the"blue" subfamily that is only found around theSand Mountain Recreation Area nearFallon, Nevada.[2] It is asubspecies of thepallid blue (Euphilotes pallescens).
These butterflies are known for their almost complete dependence uponKearney buckwheat; eating the fallen leaves of the plant aslarvae, and drinking thenectar of the flowers as adults - however, the adults occasionally feed on other plant species. Like many gossamer-winged butterflies, Sand Mountain blues have a close relationship withants; in this case, desertcarpenter ants feed on asugary secretion of the larvae; whether the larvaealso benefit ornot is yet to be determined. Once the larvaemetamorphose into thepupal stage, rather than remaining fixed to buckwheat plant, thechrysalis drops into theleaf litter at the base. Upon reaching adulthood,E. pallescens arenamontana typically measure anywhere between 10.0 mm (0.39 in) and 11.9 mm (0.47 in). The subspecies is not known tomigrate, and stays within 200 ft (61 m) of its host plant. The lifespan of an adult Sand Mountain blue is approximately one week.[2][3]
The species to which the Sand Mountain blue belongs,Euphilotes pallescens, has been officially classified asvulnerable, while the subspeciesE. p. arenamontana itself has been labeled as critically imperiled, at great risk of extinction.[1] In 2004 apetition was filed to investigate thestatus of the Sand Mountain blue and whether it should be placed on theendangered orthreatened species lists. Currently Sand Mountain blues are referred to as "rare" because of their smallgeographical distribution around the Sand Mountaindune.[3] In March 2007, severaloff-road vehicle trails were closed off in order to protect the subspecies and its host plant from intrusion.[4]
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