June Wrap-Up
We hope you are all enjoying the summer!
Good work I-spying and Identifying last month – the totals for June were 31,657 observations of 4,882 unique species submitted by 490 project members. That’s 629 more observations and 863 more species than in May. Amazing! Keep on observing and reporting so we can get even more observations by the end of July – and maybe even hit 5,000 species for this month?!
For June's update, we’d like to highlight a remarkable observation of the endangered Sand-verbena Moth (Copablepharon fuscum) in the Victoria area of British Columbia in June. This discovery by @growingtogether marks just the fifth iNaturalist observation of this species in Canada, and the first observation since 2021, making this a very special find!
Designated as an endangered species by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), the Sand-verbena Moth has a tiny global population and is limited to a very small and specific range. In Canada, it is found in just three small locations, making it even more vulnerable here. These moths depend on the presence of yellow sand-verbena (Abronia latifolia), the host plant which feeds the larvae. Both the moth and its host plant are habitat specialists only found in coastal sand dunes which by nature are dynamic and shifting ecosystems. However, there are several invasive plant species that have established in these dune ecosystems, stabilizing these previously dynamic systems, and impacting the plants and animals who live there. In particular, the invasive Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) of which there were 25 observations of in the Project in June, and various exotic grasses such as Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) have contributed to the rapid stabilization and subsequent degradation of dune ecosystems in BC.
The recent sighting of the Sand-verbena Moth in British Columbia highlights the importance of preserving our unique ecosystems and protecting them from invasive species. You can help protect natural spaces and play a crucial role in ensuring the survival of this endangered species by remembering to Play Clean Go and Clean Drain Dry when you’re out in nature, on the land and in the water. By checking and cleaning your gear for hitchhiking seeds and plant parts you can directly prevent the introduction of harmful invasive species to native ecosystems. You’ll also prevent the domino effect of impacts the introduction of these harmful species cause. By raising awareness and adopting simple but responsible practices when we’re out in nature, we can ensure endangered creatures like this moth and its fragile coastal dune ecosystem environment, have a chance. For more information on the impacts of invasive species on species at risk in BC, check out this 2021 report A Systematic Assessment of Invasive Species Impacts to Species at Risk in BC. Stay tuned for future monthly updates of the I Spy and Identify project where we will profile species at risk in other provinces and territories as well as the invasive species that impact them. Thanks again for all your hard work in June and happy iNatting the rest of July!
