AssetID: 52905379
Headline: UNCAPTIONED: Butterfly Specialists Release Rare Larvae Into Oregon Mountains In Effort To Save Species
Caption: Oregon Zoo butterfly specialists and their conservation partners said goodbye to thousands of the zoo’s caterpillar residents in early July. They released Oregon silverspot larvae at select sites in the state’s coastal mountain range in an effort to save this beautiful Northwest species. The 2,172 rare insects marked the biggest-ever silverspot release at Saddle Mountain, and the most larvae released by the zoo in the past three years. Once common in coastal grasslands from Northern California up into British Columbia the Oregon silverspot has been listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act since 1980. Today, just a handful of isolated populations remain. “In all probability, most of these silverspot populations would now be extinct if it weren’t for this recovery program,” said Travis Koons, who oversees the conservation effort. Each summer, a small number of female silverspots are collected by field biologists and brought to the zoo to lay eggs. The eggs hatch into tiny caterpillars, which are kept safe during their winter dormancy. In the spring, they wake up to a leafy meal and grow quickly. When the time is right, the zoo and its conservation partners transport the silverspots — either as caterpillars or pupae — to field sites in order to bolster the remaining population.
Keywords: Butterfly,Specialists,Release,Larvae,Oregon,Mountains,Save,Species,Animal,Animals,Worms,Silverspot Larvae,Natural World,Wildlife,Northwest,Zoo,Saddle Mountain,Endangered Species,Act,British Columbia,Northern California,US,Fish and Wildlife Service,Seattle,Woodland Park Zoo,Caterpillar
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