BC Conservation Data Centre: Conservation Status Report
Erebia mackinleyensis
Mt.McKinley Alpine
| Scientific Name: | Erebia mackinleyensis |
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| English Name: | Mt.McKinley Alpine |
| English Name Synonyms: |
Beringian Alpine
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| Provincial Status Summary | |
| Status: | S2? |
| Date Status Assigned: | January 28, 2020 |
| Date Last Reviewed: | January 28, 2020 |
| Reasons: | There is a single record for this species, although there is much unchecked and available quality habitat. . |
| Range | |
| Range Extent: | U = Unknown |
| Range Extent Comments: | There is one known site for the Mt. Mckinley Alpine, at Summit Lake in northeastern BC. The species is likely in similar unchecked habitat. There is another record of the species in the Yukon, just over the BC border although both separated by hundreds of kilometres. If the records are combined, the range extent is estimated at 30,000 km square. |
| Area of Occupancy (km2): | U = Unknown |
| Linear Distance of Occupancy: | U = Unknown |
| Occurrences & Population | |
| Number of Occurrences: | AB = 1 - 20 |
| Comments: | There is one known occurrence at Summit Lake in northeastern BC, but there are also records near the BC border in the Yukon (Guppy and Shepard 2001). The species likely occurs in unchecked habitat. |
| Number of Occurrences with Good Viability / Ecological Integrity: | U = Unknown |
| Number of Occurrences Appropriately Protected & Managed: | A = None |
| Comments: | There are no protected occurrences of this species. |
| Population Size: | U = Unknown |
| Threats (to population, occurrences, or area affected) | |
| Degree of Threat: | D = Low |
| Comments: | The habitat for this species is in high elevation boulder fields and scree slopes (Layberry et al. 1998), thus the threats to the species are minimal. There is always the potential of mining and blasting and quarrying for rock extraction is a possibility, although likely insignificant given the high availability of habitat. |
| Trend (in population, range, area occupied, and/or condition of occurrences) | |
| Short-Term Trend: | U = Unknown |
| Long-Term Trend: | U = Unknown |
| Other Factors | |
| Intrinsic Vulnerability: | U=Unknown |
| Environmental Specificity: | B=Narrow. Specialist or community with key requirements common. |
| Comments: | The specific foodplants in BC are unknown, but the larvae of the nominate subspecies have eaten Poa pratensis in captivity (Guppy and Shepard 2001). |
| Other Rank Considerations: | There is a single record for this species, although there is much unchecked and available quality habitat. |
| Information Gaps | |
| Research Needs: | Research is required to more accurately quantify specific habitat requirements including food plant density and patch size; species' dispersal capabilities, reproductive success and population viability; potential impacts of predation, parasitism, climatic variation, small population size, and population isolation is also needed. Research is required to assess the potential threats to habitat from potential mining and aggregate quarrying, invasive weeds, and wild fire. Research into life history is also needed. |
| Inventory Needs: | Inventory in northern BC is needed for butterflies, as the access to these areas, in many cases is only by air. |
| Stewardship | |
| Protection: | This species could potentially be present in similar habitats throughout parks and protected ares. There are currently no protected occurrences of Erebia mackinleyensis. |
| Management: | This species should be incorporated into mining and exploration strategies, in applicable subalpine and alpine areas. |
| Version | |
| Author: | Heron, J. and L. Ramsay |
| Date: | November 09, 2012 |
| References | |
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Guppy, C.S., and J.H. Shepard. 2001. Butterflies of British Columbia. UBC Press in collaboration with Royal B.C. Mus. 414pp.
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Layberry, R. A., P. W. Hall, and J. D. LaFontaine. 1998. The butterflies of Canada. University of Toronto Press. 280pp. + color plates.
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Please visit the website Conservation Status Ranks for information on how the CDC determines conservation status ranks. For global conservation status reports and ranks, please visit the NatureServe website http://www.natureserve.org/.
Suggested Citation:
B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 2012. Conservation Status Report: Erebia mackinleyensis. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Jun 10, 2026).