2 Spring 2014 Applegater
The butterflies of spring
by LINDA KAppEN
Silvery Blue
The Silvery Blue butterfly comes not
long after the Spring Azure heralding early
spring days. Silvery Blues are on the wing
one and a quarter inches. When their wings
are open, they display an iridescent blue.
Males have a brilliant blue coloring while
females are diffused with gray to brown.
Both have a black border
with white fringe. On closed
wing, they display an arc
of black spots ringed in
white. The Silvery Blue is
the closest living relative to
the extinct Xerces Blue.
An interesting fact
about the caterpillars of the
Silvery Blue is that they have
a structure called the “honey
gland,” which secretes a
sweet substance that attracts
ants that feed on it. The
ant tends the caterpillar,
This pair of Silvery Blue butterflies mating was spotted
protecting it from predators.
at the base of the Table Rocks in the spring of 2013.
This is known as a symbiotic
relationship in which both
by March, gracing our woodland openings, species benefit from one another.
meadows, grasslands, watercourses and
The host plants for the Silvery Blue
similar habitats.
are some species of lupine, vetch and lotus.
The Silvery Blue (Glaucopsyche They like to nectar on their host plants and
lygdamus) is of the butterfly family flowers of the Asteraceae family. Males will
Lycaenidae. Their wingspan can be up to also nectar in puddles.
Conservation of the elusive
black salamander is high
priority in the Applegate
by LUKE RUEDIGER
The black salamander is relatively
rare in the Siskiyou Mountains. Unlike the
restrictive range of the Siskiyou Mountains
salamander (Plethodon stormi), which is
centered mainly around the mountains of
the Applegate Valley, the range of the black
salamander (Aneides flavipuntatus) extends
from Sonoma County in California in the
south to Jackson and Josephine Counties
in Oregon in the north.
There is also a disjunct subspecies
(Aneides flavipunctatus niger) in the Santa
Cruz area; this subspecies is jet black
with silver speckles, while the local
“black” salamanders are a dark shade of
purplish brown with silver speckles or
mottling. Experts are currently debating
a further separation of the species into
four subspecies, with the northwest
lineage—including the Siskiyou Mountain
population—given its own subspecies.
Cu r re n t l y t h e re a re o n l y 1 7
documented sites of the black salamander
in Oregon, 14 of which are found on
federal lands, including the Rogue River-
Siskiyou National Forest and the Medford
District Bureau of Land Management.
Ninety-three percent (or 13) of the known
sites found on federal land in Oregon are
in the Applegate River watershed, making
conservation of this species and its habitat
in the Applegate area a high priority.
Throughout its range the black
salamander occupies low-elevation, mixed
conifer forests, woodlands, grasslands,
meadows, and forested riparian sites. In
our area the species seems most abundant
in mature or old-growth forests although,
especially in interior locations such as in
the Applegate, the species is also often
associated with intermittent streams,
springs, or seeps. The black salamander
may be found living in mossy talus habitat
beneath a forest canopy.
Susceptible to changes
Like our endemic Siskiyou Mountains
salamander, the black salamander is lungless
and breathes through its skin, making it
very susceptible to changes in microclimate
and forest canopy conditions. The mossy
This black salamander was discovered in early December 2013
on the author’s property in the Applegate watershed.
Sara Orangetip
The Sara Orangetip
is another charming
butterfly that ushers in
spring. It is unmistakable,
bright and beautiful as it
flies through forest edges
and slopes.
Sa r a Or a n g e t i p
(Anthocaris sara) is in
the butterfly family
Pieridae and can be seen
in our valleys, foothills,
canyons and low to
higher mountain areas.
Sara Orangetips were spotted in abundance along the
Enchanted Forest Trail. Photos: Linda Kappen.
They have bright orange-
tipped wings edged in
black. Closed wings display a greenish- Enchanted Forest Trail where the top
brown marbling with white.
roads intersect. As we drew closer to the
The host plants or the larval food top of the mountain we began to see a
plant for the Sara Orangetip are flower flight of many Sara Orangetips. The place
parts of many crucifers and several rock was teeming with this delicate beauty. I
cresses (Arabis spp.). They fly about, counted at least 75 Sara Orangetips that
briefly stopping to nectar on fiddlenecks, day and, as spring went on, saw more
mustards, monkeyflowers, rock cress and at different locations from here to the
many other flowers.
Klamath/Siskiyou regions. It was exciting,
The spring of 2013 brought many like the forest truly was enchanted.
Sara Orangetips to our area. It is the
Linda Kappen
first spring in a few years that I saw large
humbugkapps@hotmail.com
numbers of them and may be the most Ed. Note: Linda Kappen earned a naturalist
I have ever seen. In March of 2013 my certification from Siskiyou Field Institute and
son and I hiked through and above the hosted a two-day butterfly/moth course there.
talus conditions allow these lungless
salamander species to burrow deep in the
rocky slopes beneath a canopy of old trees
to survive the hot, dry summer season.
Threats to the black salamander in
Oregon appear to be mostly associated with
timber harvest due to the associated changes
in microclimate, ground disturbance,
and canopy cover. In California the
species appears to be impacted by habitat
conversion from grassland, woodland,
mixed hardwood, and mixed conifer
forests to vineyards or other forms of
agriculture. Other impacts include habitat
fragmentation, rock quarry development,
climate change, uncharacteristic fire, and
exposure to chemicals such as herbicides,
pesticides, fertilizers, and fire retardants.
Little known and understood
Although relatively little known and
little understood, the black salamander,
at the northern edge of its range in the
Siskiyou Mountains, is an important
portion of the region’s biodiversity. The
Siskiyou Mountains represent a unique
habitat for salamander species, where
species often reach either the northern
or southern extension of their range. The
diversity of habitats and the distinctive
blending of habitats allow many species
of plants and animals to exist within the
Siskiyou Mountains at the margin of their
prevailing ranges.
For millennia the Siskiyou Mountains
have been a refuge during periods of
extreme climatic conditions. With global
warming on the horizon these mountains
may once again shelter a wide variety of
species in their diverse microclimates.
The protection of wildland habitats and
the maintenance of biodiversity in the
region will allow the Siskiyou Mountains
to continue providing such habitat into an
uncertain future.
Luke Ruediger
Author of The Siskiyou Crest:
Hikes, History & Ecology
siskiyoucrest@gmail.com
Meet Valorie Tintinger,
the Gater’s
advertising representative
for Jackson County
The Applegater Team welcomes Valorie
Tintinger, who moved from California to
Oregon in December 2007, first to the
little bedroom community of Rogue River,
then two years ago to the Applegate Valley.
She says she likes the Applegate so much
more because of all the wonderful people
she has met.
Says Valorie, “This is a really great
place to be for the second part of our lives.
I have two wonderful daughters and four
fantastic grandkids (three boys and a girl).
I also run two home businesses, and enjoy
volunteering in the community anytime I
can, like for Ruch Library, or helping to
transport cats for RiverSong Sanctuary in
Williams.
“The newspaper job is new to me, but
I enjoy learning what it takes for a small-
town paper to happen. I am here for your
needs in advertising! I have a goal to help
bring more people to enjoy this paper, to
keep reading and sharing it. I look forward
to seeing you in the future.”
You can reach Valorie at 541-450-
2983 or livingwelltoday526@gmail.com.
