Quino Checkerspot Seminar - Dr. Gordon Pratt

The Quino Checkerspot was once an abundant butterfly in Orange County until the 1930s when a combination of habitat loss and exotic invasive annual grasses lead to its disappearance. Now this native butterfly faces extinction as the same factors that have pushed it out of Orange County now threaten it all over its southern Californian habitat. Captive breeding of this once abundant butterfly is a complex process which has made the process of reintroduction difficult. There are plans in the works to reintroduce the Quino Checkerspot back into Orange County. However, previous reintroduction attempts have proven unsuccessful.

Dr. Gordon Pratt, a professor and researcher at UCR, gave a lecture at OCSCB's chapter meeting on the efforts to preserve the Quino Checkerspot. Read the minutes from his lecture.