In 2018, butterfly experts Robert Pyle and Paul Hammond identified a new subspecies of copper butterfly, found only in a small area of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. This new butterfly, the Makah copper (Tharsalea mariposa makah) gets its name from the Makah Tribe — the butterfly’s natural range falls within the Tribe’s historic homelands, and its populations are now found adjacent to and within the Makah Reservation. 

Unfortunately, the Makah copper is facing serious threats, and needs our help to survive. This subspecies has one of the narrowest ranges of any butterfly in the United States, and the habitat it relies on is at risk from multiple issues. The Xerces Society has submitted a petition to list the Makah copper as a threatened or endangered species under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), so this rare butterfly can get the protection it needs. 

Meet the imperiled Makah copper butterfly

The Makah copper lives in a special environment, the coastal Sphagnum moss peatlands in Clallam County, WA.  Peatlands are a type of wetland where the soil is made up almost entirely of decaying plants — in this case, primarily layers of Sphagnum moss. Even within this unique habitat, Makah coppers tend to be limited to open areas with few shrubs or trees, as the plants that they rely on do not grow in the shade.

As caterpillars, Makah coppers feed on bog cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccos). Quite unlike the metallic colors they famously sport as adults, caterpillars are well camouflaged and described as “slug-like”.  Once they metamorphose into butterflies Makah coppers visit and sip nectar from two plants: swamp gentian (Gentiana douglasiana) and great burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis). Adults are active in the summer and can typically be seen from late July through August. 

The Makah copper’s habitat is at risk

Among the various threats this species faces, habitat loss, degradation, and climate change are the most pressing. The Sphagnum moss peatlands that the Makah copper relies on are considered Threatened ecosystems by Washington state, due to their natural rarity and significant destruction from human activity. Peatlands have been damaged and destroyed by urbanization, historical peat mining, and conversion to agricultural land. 

Even within the existing peatlands, the open areas where the Makah copper’s food plants grow are also being lost. Both bog cranberry and swamp gentian need direct sunlight and are uncommon plants, with the latter listed as a sensitive species in WA. Trees have slowly been expanding into open areas, creating more shade and less direct sun. This tree encroachment is likely tied to European fire suppression strategies and/or the absence of the historic use of fire associated with the Makah Tribe’s land management. From the 1700s onwards, European colonizers and, later, the United States government repeatedly took over land from the Makah, and passed laws banning several of the Makah’s cultural practices and language. In addition, diseases introduced by Europeans caused the death of many Makah.  

Climate change is further accelerating the loss of open areas within peatland habitats. Species like the Makah copper, which are only found in a limited range and are specialized for a rare habitat, are generally considered more prone to extinction than widespread ones. This is particularly true when the species’ population is already small, as is the case with the Makah copper.
 

The Makah copper needs ESA protection to survive

There are not enough regulations currently in place to ensure the health and survival of the Makah copper, or the fragile habitats upon which it relies.  While concern for the butterfly has led to it being considered a candidate for state protection in Washington, it has yet to receive these protections. The Makah copper has been recorded from federal lands and protected areas, but no there are currently no species-specific plans in place to help this butterfly. Any  “passive” protection that may be gained from general management of these protected areas is insufficient to prevent the species from going extinct. An Endangered Species Act listing would conserve the Makah copper butterfly by ensuring it has legal protections, and by actively addressing the threats to its populations. Xerces hopes that our petition will lead to these protections, and many more thriving Makah coppers.
 

Learn more about the Makah copper and the Endangered Species Act

• Read the full ESA petition for the Makah copper butterfly 
• Learn more about the Makah copper and report sightings via the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
• Learn about the Makah Tribe, which the butterfly is named after
• Discover how the Endangered Species Act works in this video by The Brain Scoop