Good news, bad news for this butterfly

The subspecies of the silverspot butterfly is in severe trouble and is now listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. It’s a list no species wants to be on because it means the creature is “likely in danger of extinction in the foreseeable future.”

Currently, this silverspot butterfly lives in regions of three states: Utah, New Mexico and Colorado. Habitat loss, climate change, pesticides and perhaps too many golf courses are wreaking havoc on this species.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the silverspot needs moist, open meadows with plenty of vegetation.

The good news is this: now that it is listed as threatened, this butterfly subspecies has a bit of a toehold on survival. Simply getting on the list means more attention and resources, and it should mean additional actions to protect its habit.

Thank you to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for taking this action to stop this butterfly’s slow migration toward extinction.