Silvery Blue Butterfly Will Do The Work Once Done By Now Extinct Xerces Butterfly To Restore Vital California Habitat

CBS Bay Area

July 25, 2025

A butterfly that went extinct decades ago after the destruction of its Bay Area habitat is now the driving force behind its restoration with the help of a close relative now fluttering in its terrain.

At the Presidio in San Francisco, researchers, community scientists, and park officials gathered recently in hopes of filling a vacancy at a newly restored sand dune habitat with prospective new residents. It's taken 30 years to restore these dune habitats. Now, another historic effort is underway to restore another lost treasure. Scientists are hoping the silvery blue, a small butterfly native to North America, will take up residence and perform a critical function once done by the extinct Xerces blue.

Professor Durrell Kapan, senior research fellow with the California Academy of Sciences, heads up the experimental project. He recently carried a cooler bag to the dunes near Lobos Creek in the Presidio National Park, withdrew a smaller cooler pouch, and removed small plastic containers, each holding a single silvery blue butterfly. All of them sipped on a cotton ball soaked in fruit punch-flavored Gatorade, which seems to be their favorite sustenance during these exercises.

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