Butterflies on San Bruno Mountain

Observations of butterflies on San Bruno Mountain ecological reserve. This area is topped with a four mile long ridge with lots of hiking trails. The mountain is a host for several rare and endangered butterflies. In the 1960s, a nonprofit organization called Save the Bay prevented developers from flattening the mountain because they were able to protect the area by proving it was home to three federally listed endangered butterfly species: the Mission blue (Icaricia icarioides missionensis), the Callippe silverspot (Speyeria callippe callippe), and the San Bruno elfin (Callophrys mossii bayensis).

The area of the San Bruno mountain has excellent climate and nutrient sources for butterflies making it an excellent habitat for this taxa. less ↑