Apodemia mormo langei

Overview

Lange's Metalmark is known almost exclusively from the Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge in California, which was established largely for the butterfly's protection in 1980. The butterfly's numbers began to decline early in the century as the growth of San Francisco led to the dunes being mined heavily for sand.

In the early 1900s, the isolated dune habitat in the San Joaquin delta began to experience a dramatic change as human development expanded. Large-scale sand mining and industrial development fragmented the sand dune habitat until only a small portion of the original ecosystem remained. Nonnative grasses and vegetation encroached on the sand dunes to crowd the few remaining endangered plants. By the time the Antioch Dunes Refuge was established, only a few acres of remnant dune habitat supported the last natural populations of the endangered Antioch Dunes evening-primrose, Contra Costa wallflower, and Lange's metalmark.

Ultimately, one of the biggest problems faced by Lange's metalmark is a fundamental change in the dune structure. Formerly a dynamic mosaic of open sand and vegetation, the dunes have slowly been stabilized by the removal of sand and by the introduction of plants which have spread over the sand and now prevent much sand movement. Under these conditions, the butterfly's buckwheat (Eriogonum sp.) host plant does not reproduce well. Its seedlings require open sand to become established.

Description

Lange's metalmark (Apodemia mormo langei) is a brightly colored butterfly in the Riodinidae (metalmark) family. Adult wingspan varies from 1 to 1.5 inch. Dorsal wings are largely black with white spots. Red-orange coloration extends through the inner forward half of the forewing, the hindwing bases, and a small central patch subtended by black. Ventrally, the wings have a more muted pattern of gray, white, black, and orange.

Life History

All the life stages of Lange's metalmark butterflies are found close to the larval food plant, naked buckwheat (Eriogonum nudum ssp. auriculatum). The eggs are deposited on buckwheat leaves near the leaf petiole throughout the mating flight period during August and September. Larvae hatch during the rainy months. Larvae are known to feed only on buckwheat. The adults may use buckwheat, butterweed (Senecio douglasii) and snakeweed (Gutierrezia divergens) for nectar. Lange's metalmark butterfly also use lupine (Lupinus albifrons) for mating. Lange's metalmark has only one generation a year. The fecundity of the wild individuals is low.

Distribution

Lange's metalmark butterfly was historically restricted to sand dunes along the southern bank of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River, and is currently found only at Antioch Sand Dunes in Contra Costa County. Most of the habitat is now part of the Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge.

Conservation Status

Through intentional disturbance, efforts at encouraging the host plant have proven fruitful and the butterfly's numbers seems to be on the rise. Habitat improvement activities have included dune restoration, hand-clearing nonnative plant species, planting buckwheat seedlings, and restricting public access to avoid trampling and fire.

The Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge survey results in 2000 were half what they were in 1999. Although insect populations naturally fluctuate widely, this change is large enough to consider the species declining. There is no new information from 2001.

Conservation Needs

Working with landowners

Pacific Gas and Electric Company is the only private landowner with butterflies on their property and there is a conservation easement in place.

Education

Education sheets available at zoological facilities (e.g. zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens with butterflies, butterfly houses, natural history museums) or events at which BFCI partners participate are a valuable way to disseminate information about imperiled butterflies.

When schools and other youth organizations study biodiversity and species extinctions they typically use examples of charismatic megafauna (e.g. bald eagles) or exotic creatures from the tropics. However, vulnerable species found within the state or ecoregion in which students live provide an excellent opportunity to develop curricular materials with a direct link to the students' home region. In addition to classroom studies, students may be able to visit sites to see the butterflies, as well as talk to the scientists and land managers involved in the species' conservation.

Educational activities that school students and community members could do include:

• studying butterfly (insect) life stages;
• researching the special habitat needs of Lange's metalmark;
• corresponding or meeting with the biologists managing current Lange's metalmark sites;
• visiting Lange's metalmark sites during adult flight season;
• visiting captive breeding programs;
• assisting scientists with on-site habitat management;
• propagating and growing host plants for planting at butterfly sites or use in captive breeding programs; and
• writing letters to decision makers to ensure that the Lange's metalmark receives adequate resources and protection.

Research

Information not available at time of publication.

Captive Rearing

No captive rearing efforts are underway at this time.

Recovery Plan

There has never been a final recovery plan for the Lange's metalmark butterfly. A draft recovery plan was produced in 1984 entitled Revised Recovery Plan for Three Endangered Species Endemic to the Antioch Dunes, California (Lange's Metalmark Butterfly, Contra Costa Wallflower, and Antioch Dunes Evening Primrose). Much of the information in this plan is outdated and there are no criteria for downlisting or delisting the species in the recovery plan. The recommendations in the plan are brief and would need to be expanded but it would serve as a good starting point for the development of a current recovery plan for the species.

Habitat has been protected through acquisition of key lands into the Fish and Wildlife Service's National Wildlife Refuge system. The Antioch Dune ecosystem is being restored to improve habitat and increase populations of the Lange's metalmark butterfly.

Recovery Priorities

The draft recovery plan for the Lange's metalmark butterfly recommends:

• Acquisition of more key habitats.
• Continued restoration of habitats (which may include removal of exotic vegetation).
• Maintenance of habitats including restricting development and mining.
• Control or management of public use (e.g., restricting excessive foot travel, off-road vehicle use, and campfires).
• Measures to control or manage fuelbreaks and other fire prevention activities.
• A limited program of captive breeding (and possibly transplanting individuals) and planting of larval food plants, if necessary.

For more information

• USFWS Contact: Don Hankins, Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Room W-2605, Sacramento, California 95825. Phone (916) 414-6600
• Entomological Consulting Services, Ltd.: Richard Arnold, 104 Mountain View Court, Pleasant Hill, California 94523-2188. Phone (925) 825-3784

References and Resources

• Arnold, R. A. 1980. Ecological studies of 6 endangered butterflies: island biogeography, patch dynamics, and the design of nature preserves. PhD thesis. Univ. of Calif., Berkeley. Berkeley, CA.
• Arnold, R.A., 1983. Ecological studies of six endangered butterflies (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae): Island biogeography, patch dynamics, and design of habitat preserves. University of California Publications in Entomology 99: 1-161.
• Howard, A.Q. and R.A. Arnold, 1980. The Antioch dunes - safe at last? Fremontia 8: 3-12.
• Opler, P. A. and J. A. Powell. 1962. Taxonomic and distributional studies on the western components of the Apodemia mormo complex (Riodinidae). Journal of the Lepidoptera Society 15:145-171.
• Opler, P.A. and L. Robinson, 1986. Lange's Metalmark butterfly. In: Audubon Wildlife Report. New York, National Audubon Society.
• Powell, J.A., 1978. Endangered habitats for insects: California coastal sand dunes. Atala 6(1-2): 41-55.
• Thelander, C. ed. 1994. Life on the edge: a guide to California's endangered natural resources. BioSystem Books. Santa Cruz, CA. p 432-433.
• U.C. Berkeley, Essig Museum of Entomology. California's Endangered Insects Langes metalmark page.
• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. 1984. Antioch Dunes Recovery Plan. Portland, Oregon.
• Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office Endangered Species Division Langes metalmark resources.
• USFWS Lange's metalmark page.

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Classification

Federal Endangered Species (Federal Register 41:22044; June 1, 1976)

State Status

No state designation beyond the federal classification.

Range

CA

Critical Habitat

None designated

Acknowledgement

This profile was prepared by the Xerces Society for the Butterfly Conservation Initiative.