Butterfly Biodiversity on Isla Socorro, Mexico, with Comments on the Taxonomic Status of the Endemic Hairstreak Strymon istapa socorroica (Lycaenidae)

A recent survey of butterfly biodiversity on Isla Socorro, Mexico—a volcanic island in the UNESCO-listed Revillagigedo Archipelago—reveals that five of the eight previously recorded species remain present, while a new species, Pyrisitia lisa centralis, has established itself since the last study over 30 years ago. The research, conducted in November 2019, also used DNA barcoding to support the taxonomic status of the endemic hairstreak Strymon istapa socorroica. Meanwhile, the island's habitat recovery post-feral sheep eradication in 2012 may have benefited butterfly populations, though further sampling is needed to confirm whether three previously recorded species are now extinct. The study highlights both the resilience and vulnerability of this unique ecosystem.

Pfeiler, E., Barba-Acuña, I., Hernández-Cervantes, P. L., & Markow, T. A. (2021). Butterfly Biodiversity on Isla Socorro, Mexico, with Comments on the Taxonomic Status of the Endemic Hairstreak Strymon istapa socorroica (Lycaenidae). The Journal of the Lepidopterists’ Society, 75(3). https://doi.org/10.18473/lepi.75i3.a1