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Express Tribune
07-05-2025
- Science
- Express Tribune
Scientists discover new butterfly species after 40,000 years of isolation
Listen to article Scientists have discovered a new butterfly species, Satyrium curiosolus, in Canada's Alberta Waterton Lakes National Park, following groundbreaking genomic research that revealed its 40,000-year evolutionary isolation. The butterfly, long misidentified as Satyrium semiluna, is now recognised as a distinct species based on genetic, ecological, and behavioral evidence. With a wingspan of just over an inch and muted brown coloring, S. curiosolus lives exclusively on the Blakiston Fan, a prairie-grassland habitat unlike the sagebrush ecosystems of its relatives. It depends on silvery lupine (Lupinus argenteus) for larval development and has a unique mutualistic relationship with Lasius ponderosae ants—providing them honeydew in exchange for protection. A new study published in ZooKeys found that S. curiosolus has extremely low genetic diversity and high historical inbreeding. Despite these traits, researchers believe the butterfly has maintained a stable population, similar to how island species like the Channel Island fox have purged harmful mutations over time. Researchers warn that climate change could threaten this isolated species. Genetic rescue options are limited due to its distinctiveness and potential reproductive incompatibility with related species. Conservationists are now exploring the possibility of establishing additional populations to safeguard its future. 'This is a textbook example of how genomics is transforming conservation and species discovery,' said co-author Julian Dupuis of the University of Kentucky. The study highlights the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration between scientists, conservationists, and Parks Canada. The discovery of S. curiosolus underscores the need to protect cryptic biodiversity and adapt conservation efforts to address species uniquely vulnerable to environmental change.
Miami Herald
21-04-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
‘Cryptic' creatures seen ‘sunning themselves' in Canada. They're a new species
In a national park of southern Canada, some 'cryptic' creatures perched on the plants and enjoyed the sunlight. Something about the relatively 'drab'-looking animals caught the attention of visiting scientists — and for good reason. They turned out to be a new species. Researchers trekked into Waterton Lakes National Park, Alberta, from 2020 to 2024 to survey a 'highly isolated' population of butterflies, according to a study published April 17 in the peer-reviewed journal ZooKeys. For years, scientists believed the Alberta butterflies were just a unique population of half-moon hairstreaks, or Satyrium semiluna, a species found throughout the western United States. But the more scientists learned about these butterflies, the more distinctive they seemed. Researchers collected several butterflies from Alberta, analyzed their DNA and compared the results to other butterfly species, the study said. Looking at the results, researchers realized they'd discovered a 'cryptic' new species: Satyrium curiosolus, or the curiously isolated hairstreak. Curiously isolated hairstreaks are 'small' and 'drab,' measuring less than 2 inches across, researchers said. Photos show the butterflies with 'predominately brownish' wings. The new species looks similar to the half-moon hairstreak butterfly but lives in a different type of habitat, prefers different plants and interacts with different ants, the study said. Curiously isolated hairstreaks live 'in the middle of a montane valley' at elevations of about 4,200 feet, researchers said. Eggs hatch in the early spring, spend a few months as larvae before undergoing metamorphosis, and emerge as adults in July. A photo shows a larva of the new species with ants that 'groomed and protected' it, the study said. Researchers also saw the larvae 'retreat into ant colonies when threatened.' Adult curiously isolated hairstreaks live for about two weeks and were seen 'sunning themselves' and mating, the study said. Researchers said they named the new species after the Latin words for 'curious' and 'alone or isolated' 'due to its disjunct and unusual distribution.' So far, curiously isolated hairstreaks have only been found at Waterton Lakes National Park in southern Alberta and near the border with Montana. Based on its limited distribution area and small population, researchers considered the new species to be endangered. 'For now, the curiously isolated hairstreak reminds us that even the smallest and most overlooked species can hold extraordinary scientific and conservation significance,' the researchers said in a news release from Pensoft Publishers. The new species was identified by its DNA, lifestyle and habitat, the study said. The research team included Zachary MacDonald, Julian Dupuis, James Glasier, Robert Sissons, Axel Moehrenschlager, H. Bradley Shaffer and Felix Sperling.
