Maculinea alcon arenaria
Encyclopedia
The Dutch Alcon Blue was a subspecies
of the Alcon Blue butterfly
Phengaris alcon. There is not much known about this subspecies, but it has always been very rare. It was endemic
to the Netherlands
, where two populations were known. One in Meijendel (dunes north of The Hague
), and in the Meije (in the neighbourhood of the Nieuwkoopse Plassen). The population in the Meije disappeared in 1975 and in Meijendel this subspecies disappeared in 1979.
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of the Alcon Blue butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
Phengaris alcon. There is not much known about this subspecies, but it has always been very rare. It was endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
to the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, where two populations were known. One in Meijendel (dunes north of The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
), and in the Meije (in the neighbourhood of the Nieuwkoopse Plassen). The population in the Meije disappeared in 1975 and in Meijendel this subspecies disappeared in 1979.