Unusual Butterfly Visits Castro Valley Backyard

CASTRO VALLEY, CA — David Tavis recently noticed that his cat had an eye on something in the backyard orange tree. Tavis investigated and spotted this butterfly.

Google Lens IDs this insect as a callippe silverspot butterfly, which is endangered. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website, "Since 1988, callippe silverspot butterflies have been recorded at the following locations:

• San Bruno Mountain and Sign Hill - near South San Francisco in San Mateo County
• Sears Point, in Sonoma County
• In the hills between Vallejo and Cordelia, in Solano County

"The historical range also included populations in San Francisco County, for example Twin Peaks, and Joaquin Miller Park in Alameda County, which are now extirpated. The callippe silverspot butterfly was thought to still occur in Alameda and Contra Costa counties until recent genetic studies determined that the butterflies there are the non-listed Comstock’s silverspot butterfly."

Patch has reached out to Fish and Wildlife, in an effort to positively identify the butterfly.

Thank you for sharing your photo with Patch readers, David.

Also See:

• 5 Stunning Photos Show Off California's Beauty
• Lovely Irises Bloom In Alameda: Photo
• Egrets Gather At The Wildlife Refuge: Photos

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