The Bay Checkerspot, Euphydryas editha bayensis, is a butterfly endemic to the San Francisco Bay region of the U.S. state of California. It is a federally threatened species, as a subspecies of Euphydryas editha.
Since the 1980s the population of checkerspots, the Euphydryas species and subspecies, has been in serious decline. Because this particular subspecies is so well studied, the decline was quickly recognized, which led relatively quickly to its federally threatened status designation in 1987.
Recently, two authors have advocated a reclassification for this subspecies of the checkerspot common to western North America, Euphydryas editha. The classification, to Euphydryas editha editha, is for reasons of historical precedence; however, this has not been accepted by the scientific community.
Read more about Bay Checkerspot: Habitat
Famous quotes containing the word bay:
“The very dogs that sullenly bay the moon from farm-yards in these nights excite more heroism in our breasts than all the civil exhortations or war sermons of the age.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)