Story perspectives

Captive Sacramento Mountains Checkerspot Dies, Species Near Extinction

5/22/2026

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Summary

Story summary

The known Sacramento Mountains checkerspot caterpillar died in human care at the ABQ BioPark in Albuquerque.
Scientists kept the insect—a subspecies of the anicia checkerspot butterfly from New Mexico’s Sacramento Mountains—for three years without metamorphosing.
Unseen in the wild since 2022, the species is blamed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on climate change, fire regimes, grazing, invasive plants and recreation, with butterflies down 22 percent over 20 years.

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Story summary

The known Sacramento Mountains checkerspot caterpillar died in human care at the ABQ BioPark in Albuquerque.
Scientists kept the insect—a subspecies of the anicia checkerspot butterfly from New Mexico’s Sacramento Mountains—for three years without metamorphosing.
Unseen in the wild since 2022, the species is blamed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on climate change, fire regimes, grazing, invasive plants and recreation, with butterflies down 22 percent over 20 years.