The callippe silverspot butterfly (''Speyeria callippe callippe'') is a federal endangered species in the brush-footed butterfly family

Nymphalidae The Nymphalidae are the largest family of butterflies, with more than 6,000 species distributed throughout most of the world. Belonging to the superfamily Papilionoidea, they are usually medium-sized to large butterflies. Most species have a red ...

. This is a subspecies. It is a member of the

Heliconiinae The Heliconiinae, commonly called heliconians or longwings, are a subfamily of the brush-footed butterflies (family Nymphalidae). They can be divided into 45–50 genera and were sometimes treated as a separate family Heliconiidae within the P ...

, the subfamily known as longwings. The adult has a wingspan of just over two inches. The wings are eyecatching with a brown, tan, and black scalloped pattern on their surfaces and orange-brown with characteristic silver spots on the undersides. The wings and abdomen are hairy. The larvae are spiny, dark-colored caterpillars. The larvae are dark colored with many branching sharp spines on their backs. The larvae eat only one species of plant, the

yellow pansy ''Viola pedunculata'', the California golden violet, Johnny jump up, or yellow pansy, is a perennial yellow wildflower of the coast and coastal ranges in California and northwestern Baja California. The common name "Johnny jump up" is usually ...

, or "Johnny Jump-up" (''

Viola pedunculata ''Viola pedunculata'', the California golden violet, Johnny jump up, or yellow pansy, is a perennial yellow wildflower of the coast and coastal ranges in California and northwestern Baja California. The common name "Johnny jump up" is usually ...

''). The female adults lay their eggs on the plant or nearby, and the larvae overwinter nearby in a silk pouch. In the spring they feed on the yellow pansy, molt four times, then pupate for two weeks in a nest of leaves which they glue together with silk. The adult lifespan is about three weeks in late spring or early summer. This endangered subspecies occurs in only two grasslands spots in the

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Go ...

, near Oakland and on San Bruno Mountain. Its native region is now extensively developed and heavily populated, leaving the butterfly

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and in ...

. Recently other subspecies have been known from spots near

South San Francisco South San Francisco is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, located on the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area. The city is colloquially known as "South City". The population was 66,105 at the 2020 census. ...

, the hills above Pleasanton,

Sears Point Sears Point is a prominent landform that juts into the San Pablo Bay in Sonoma County, California, United States. This hill is the southernmost peak of the Sonoma Mountains and forms the southwestern ridge above Tolay Lake. Starting with Europ ...

in the North Bay, and in spots between Vallejo and

Cordelia Cordelia is a feminine given name. It was borne by the tragic heroine of Shakespeare's ''King Lear'' (1606), a character based on the List of legendary kings of Britain, legendary queen Cordelia of Britain, Cordelia. The name is of uncertain origi ...

. The taxonomic status and listed status of the overall group of silverspot butterflies in other areas is unclear. Some specialists consider the Solano County silverspot populations to be hybrids between the callippe silverspot and Lilian's silverspot butterfly and/or

Comstock's silverspot butterfly Comstock's silverspot (''Speyeria callippe comstocki'') is a subspecies of silverspot butterfly ranging from northern California to Baja Mexico. Populations are near extirpation in the Santa Monica Mountains and it is now rare in the San Gabriel ...

while others consider the Solano County population to be the callippe subspecies. Depending upon environmental conditions, the flight period of this single-brooded butterfly ranges from mid-May to late July. The adults exhibit hilltopping behavior, a phenomenon in which males and virgin or multiple-mated females seek a topographic summit on which to mate.Federal Register Volume 62, Number 234 (Friday, December 5, 1997)] ules and RegulationsPages 64306-64320]Access date Oct 20 2009 http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-1997-12-05/html/97-31836.htm Loss of habitat is the primary cause of endangerment. Any native grassland that remains in the butterfly's habitat is currently disappearing due to varied causes, including development,

off-road vehicles An off-road vehicle, sometimes referred to as an overland or adventure vehicle, is considered to be any type of vehicle which is capable of driving on and off paved or gravel surface. It is generally characterized by having large tires with dee ...

, and

invasive plants An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species adv ...

. Yellow pansy populations will suffer under either very intense grazing that removes most vegetation (including the pansy), or undergrazing in which non-native grasses are allowed to grow tall and dense. This subspecies was listed as a federal endangered species in 1997. California does not list insects as state endangered species.

References

* U.C. Berkeley, Essig Museum of Entomology. California's Endangered Insects. * U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2003. Draft Recovery Plan for the Callippe Silverspot Butterfly (''Speyeria callippe callippe''). * U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 1, Portland, Oregon. {{Taxonbar, from=Q3493068 Speyeria Butterflies of North America Endemic fauna of California Endangered fauna of California Species endangered by habitat loss Butterfly subspecies