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A team of researchers in Alaska has identified a possible new insect species—the Tanana Arctic, scientifically named Oeneis tanana. This copper-hued butterfly could be the only butterfly species native exclusively to Alaska. As reported by National Geographic, this discovery marks the first new butterfly species found in the state in nearly three decades.
The discovery of this butterfly was recently detailed in the Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera. Andrew Warren, a butterfly specialist at the University of Florida in Gainesville and co-author of the study, identified the species. In 2010, while examining butterfly specimens at the Florida Museum of Natural History, Warren noticed a specimen labeled as the Chryxus Arctic butterfly. However, its wing color, size, and reproductive anatomy did not match known characteristics.
Warren collaborated with numerous scientists from various institutions to confirm the butterfly's identity. Through DNA sequencing, it was determined that the butterfly represented a distinct species.
For years, the Tanana Arctic was misidentified as the Chryxus butterfly. Contrary to previous assumptions, it is not a variation of the Chryxus but an entirely distinct species. This butterfly inhabits the spruce and aspen forests of the Tanana-Yukon River Basin in central Alaska. It is believed to have originated as a hybrid of the Chryxus Arctic and the White-veined Arctic butterfly during the last Ice Age, approximately 28,000 to 14,000 years ago.
According to The Washington Post, this species could provide valuable insights into the rate of Arctic climate change. Butterflies are highly sensitive to temperature fluctuations, so if the cold-adapted Tanana Arctic were to abandon its traditional habitat in the Tanana River valley, it would signal significant environmental changes.
Scientists aim to sequence the Tanana Arctic’s genome to uncover any unique adaptations that enabled it to thrive in its frigid environment. While further research is required to definitively confirm it as a new species, experts consider the existing evidence highly persuasive.
