The endangered El Segundo blue butterfly

Abstract

Conflict concerning land use of 302 acre sand dunes parcel at the western boundary of the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) centers on the small butterfly, The El Segundo blue butterfly (ESB). Since the ESB was granted protected status in 1976 under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, the real issues involved in its conservation have been obscured by the polemics of special interests groups that have been arguing without proper data, or worse, with flawed data. This paper reviews all known aspects of the history, biology, and conservation issues, concluding with up-to-date political actions that will affect the survival of the species.