Species Information

Kingdom: Animalia
  Phylum: Arthropoda
    Class: Insecta
      Order: Lepidoptera
        Family: Hesperiidae
          Genus: Lon
            Species: hobomok wetona

Western Hobomok Skipper - Lon hobomok wetona

Western Hobomok Skipper

Image courtesy of Biota Information System of New Mexico

303210

Species Extent (New Mexico)

Status

Global Rank: G5

State Rank: S1

Rank Metadata
State Rank: S1 Rank Changed: 02/03/2025
Rank Reviewed: 03/21/2000
Reason: Lon hobomok wetona also known as the Western Hobomok Skipper is a narrow endemic native to the Raton Mesa Complex in New Mexico. However, more research is needed to determine if this butterfly exists in more places. This taxa has been undergoing declines in Colorado due to fire suppression and as a result ecological succession choking out the native grasses it depends on. Grazing, recreation, and invasive species have also likely contributed to this decline further reducing the populations of this butterfly’s host plant. As a higher elevation butterfly towards the south of its range climate change is also likely a significant threat to the persistence of this butterfly unless it can find its way further north. Due to these threats and declines this butterfly is already considered a rare and threatened species in Colorado although little work has been done on it in New Mexico. This butterfly due to its restricted range and habitat also has a very small extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO). Fire suppression and ecological succession are major threats to this butterfly. Currently there are two known populations and fire suppression is practiced in both areas however, further surveying is likely to uncover more populations of this butterfly in the Raton Mesa Complex. There is also a continuing decline in the extent and quality of habitat expected as fire suppression, grazing, and invasive species continue to take their toll on this taxa. As a result, this butterfly is currently assessed as S1 in New Mexico however, a reassessment should be done if more information becomes available on this butterfly.
 
Ecological Factors
Specificity: Unknown Range Extent: 250-1000 square km (about 100-400 square miles)
Occurences: 21 - 80 Population Size: Unknown
Area of Occupancy: Using all known occurrence records an Area of Occupancy of 10km2 was calculated on GeoCat. Threat Summary: N/A

State Status:

Federal Status:

USFS Status:

BLM Status:

SWAP Status: SGCN

NMRP Strategy Status:

Observations in Natural Heritage New Mexico Database

Number of Subpopulations: 3

Number of Mapped Locations: 15

Number of Observations: 0


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