The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released the final recovery plan for the endangered Quino checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas editha quino), a once common species in southern California that has largely been eliminated as a result of habitat loss and fragmentation, and invasion of non-native species. The Quino checkerspot butterfly was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act on January 17, 1997.
Quino checkerspot butterflies have a wingspan of about 1.5 inches with a red, black, and cream colored checkered pattern on the topside of the wing. The underside of the wing shows a red and cream checkered pattern. The species historically ranged throughout much of coastal California south of Ventura County and inland valleys south of the Tehachapi Mountains into northern Baja California, Mexico. In the United States, the butterfly is currently known to exist only in portions of Riverside and San Diego counties.
"This recovery plan provides a roadmap to aid in the species
