Insects that thrive in the Alaskan wilderness need to be able to withstand the freezing temperatures there, whether it's through hibernation, migration, or other adaptations. Now, however, researchers have discovered a possible new species of hybrid butterfly that's a bit of a rare finding.
The new butterfly belongs to a group known as the Arctics and is the first new butterfly species that's been described from Alaska in 28 years. In fact, it may be the state's interior's only endemic butterfly species.
What's more interesting is that the butterfly appears to be a hybrid. It's possible that it could be the result of a rare and unlikely hybridization between two related species that are both specially adapted for the harsh arctic climate.
"Hybrid species demonstrate that animals evolved in a way that people haven't really thought about much before, although the phenomenon is fairly well studied in plants," University of Florida lepidopterist Andrew Warren said. "Scientists who study plants and fish have suggested that unglaciated parts of ancient Alaska known as Beringia, including the strip of land that once connected Asia and what's now Alaska, served as a refuge where plants and animals waited out the last ice age and then moved eastward or southward from there. This is potentially a supporting piece of evidence for that."
The newly discovered species of butterfly lives in the spruce and aspect forests of the Tanana-Yukon River Basin, most of all of which was never glaciated during the last ice age. At some point in the past, it's like two related species, the Chryxus Arctic and the White-veined Arctic, may have mated, and their hybrid offspring evolved into the Chryxus Arctic.
The researchers currently hope to see whether these butterflies exist further east into the Yukon. Like other species of Arctics, these butterflies survive in part thanks to a natural antifreeze that their bodies produce.
"Once we sequence the genome, we'll be able to say whether any special traits helped the butterfly survive in harsh environments," Warren said. "This study is just the first of what will undoubtedly be many on this cool butterfly."
The findings were published in the March 15 issue of the Journal of Research of the Lepidoptera.
