Xerces Blue butterfly genome sequenced, an icon of anthropogenic extinction

 Originally published on EurekAkert! On July, 11, 2023

The study, led by researchers from the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE, CSIC-UPF), and the Museum of Natural Sciences in Barcelona, has succeeded in sequencing the complete genome of the Xerces Blue butterfly, the first butterfly to become extinct.

Peer-Reviewed Publication: Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)

Image of a female and a male Xerces Blues on Acmispon glaber or deerweed, the plant they ate. Credit: Credit to Martí Franch.

The Xerces Blue butterfly (Glaucopsyche xerces) was native to the coastal dunes of San Francisco, in the United States. As the city grew, much of the butterfly’s habitat was destroyed and its population was relegated to Golden Gate National Park. Its wings were a deep iridescent blue, with characteristic white spots on the ventral side. The last surviving specimens of the species were found in 1941, by entomologist W. Harry Lange. It is considered the first insect species to have become extinct in historical times. Its disappearance has made it a global icon of anthropogenic extinction, to the extent that it has given its name to a famous American conservation association, the Xerces Society.

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