List of extinct butterflies

This is a list of recently extinct butterflies, their former ranges, and dates of extinction.

Some other extinct butterflies are prehistoric. See prehistoric butterflies.

Extinct species

Specimens of the extinct Xerces blue in the collection of the Field Museum of Natural History

Nymphalidae

• Libythea cinyras (Mauritius, 1866)[1]

Lycaenidae

• Mbashe River buff, Deloneura immaculata (South Africa)[2]
• Morant's blue, Lepidochrysops hypopolia (South Africa, 1879)[3]
• Xerces blue, Glaucopsyche xerces (United States, 1941)[4]

Uraniidae

• Urania sloanus (Jamaica, c. 1894-1908)[5][6][7]

Extinct subspecies

The life cycle of the extinct British large copper in an illustration from British Entomology (1828) by John Curtis.

Hesperiidae

• Florida zestos skipper, Epargyreus zestos oberon (United States)
• Rockland Meske's skipper, Hesperia meskei pinocayo (United States)

Papilionidae

• Polydamas swallowtail, Battus polydamas antiquus (Antigua and Barbuda, 1770)
• Parnassius clodius strohbeeni (United States)
• Danish clouded Apollo, Parnassius mnemosyne bang-haasi (Denmark)
• Paradise birdwing, Ornithoptera paradisea paradisea (Papua New Guinea)

Nymphalidae

• Unsilvered fritillary, Speyeria adiaste atossa (United States)

Lycaenidae

• British large copper, Lycaena dispar dispar (England, 1864)[8]
• Scarce large blue, Phengaris teleius burdigalensis (France)
• Dutch Alcon blue, Phengaris alcon arenaria (Netherlands, 1979)

See also

• Prehistoric butterflies

References

1. World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1996. Libythea cinyras. In: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.1. Retrieved 18 November 2014.
2. World Conservation Monitoring Centre (1996). "Deloneura immaculata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1996: e.T6331A12652621. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T6331A12652621.en. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
3. World Conservation Monitoring Centre (1996). "Lepidochrysops hypopolia". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1996: e.T11537A3293608. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T11537A3293608.en. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
4. World Conservation Monitoring Centre (1996). "Glaucopsyche xerces". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1996: e.T9244A12971422. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T9244A12971422.en. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
5. Lees, D.C. & Smith, N.G. (1991) "Foodplants of the Uraniinae (Uraniinae) and their Systematic, Evolutionary and Ecological Significance." Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 45: 297-347 Retrieved August 3, 2015.
6. Vinciguerra, R. 2009. Osservazioni su Urania sloanus (Cramer, 1779) (Lepidoptera: Uraniidae). SHILAP Revista lepidopterologica, 37 (147): 1-6"
7. Lees, D.C., 2010 Urania sloanus In Natural History Museum Species of the Day, 16.04.2010
8. Emmet, A.M., J. Heath et al. 1990. The Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland. The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland Vol. 7, part 1 (Hesperiidae to Nymphalidae). Harley Books, Colchester, UK, 370p.