Species Information

Kingdom: Animalia
  Phylum: Arthropoda
    Class: Insecta
      Order: Lepidoptera
        Family: Nymphalidae
          Genus: Oeneis
            Species: melissa lucilla

Colorado Melissa Arctic - Oeneis melissa lucilla

Colorado Melissa Arctic

Image courtesy of Biota Information System of New Mexico

1381559

Species Extent (New Mexico)

Status

Global Rank: G5

State Rank: S1

Rank Metadata
State Rank: S1 Rank Changed: N/A
Rank Reviewed: N/A
Reason: The Colorado Melissa Arctic (<em>Oeneis melissa lucilla</em>) is the southernmost subspecies of the arctic tundra specialist Melissa Arctic (<em>Oeneis melissa</em>). As a result, this butterfly can only be found at extreme high elevations in the southern rocky mountains and is extremely threatened by climate change. However, on top of climate change and drought this butterfly is also threatened by ecological succession, environmental stochasticity, and inbreeding depression. Due to the isolated nature of the remaining southern colonies many are likely quite small and highly vulnerable to environmental stochasticity. As a narrow high elevation endemic this butterfly also has a very small Area of Occupancy (AOO) and Extent of Occurrence (EOO). Additionally, due to climate change, and ecological succession there is an inferred continuing decline in the extent and quality of habitat for this butterfly. With populations in the south of its range in New Mexico already teetering at their altitudinal limit there is also an inferred continuing decline in Extent of Occurrence (EOO), AOO, and number of subpopulations. Climate modeling for the host plant of this butterfly has shown that the host plant is likely to decline significantly under any climate change scenario. As a result, most of the known occurrences for this butterfly are not viable under any climate change scenario when this is combined with the isolation of these high elevation peaks from each other and this butterfly's limited dispersal ability a bleak picture appears. As a result, this butterfly is currently assessed as S1 in New Mexico. However, a reassessment should be done if more information becomes available.
 
Ecological Factors
Specificity: Narrow. Specialist or community with key requirements common. Range Extent: 250-1000 square km (about 100-400 square miles)
Occurences: 6 - 20 Population Size: Unknown
Area of Occupancy: Using points from Toliver et al. 2001, Butterflies of New Mexico and GBIF.org an Area of Occupancy of 7km2 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: 2

Number of Mapped Locations: 9

Number of Observations: 5

Observation date range: 06-26-2005 to 07-09-2023


Species Related Publications

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