A type of butterfly raised by Moorpark College students and faculty will be returned to its native habitat in California today in an effort to save the nearly extinct species.

Early this morning, about 30 endangered Lange's metalmark butterflies were expected to be returned to their native habitat in Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Contra Costa County. The Lange's were raised in a special breeding facility at the college since August of last year.

The reddish-orange Lange's metalmark — so named because of the metal-like marks on the wings — are the progeny of a few of the species captured a year ago and taken to the college.

The number of Lange's in the wild have plummeted from hundreds or thousands less than a decade ago to only 45 last year.

It is the second time the college has been involved in an effort to save an endangered butterfly under the direction of the college's biology professor, Jana Johnson. In the spring, the Palos Verdes blues butterflies propagated at the college were released to their native habitat of the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

The goal of today's release is to see if the pregnant female Lange's will lay eggs and if the others released will soon mate in their natural environment.

Biologists from Moorpark College, The Urban Wildlands Group, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who worked collaboratively in the effort to save the Lange's, were expected to be on hand at today's release.

Al Donner, assistant field supervisor for external affairs at the Fish and Wildlife Service, said refuge personnel and volunteers have prepared the area for the butterfly's return by removing invasive grasses and weeds to allow the naked stem buckwheat — the Lange's only food supply — to begin recovery.

Some will stay behind

Johnson said the butterflies were to be released in the early morning while it was still cool to minimize shock. Some butterflies were not released and will be used to increase the breeding population that will be released next year.

About 185 butterflies were produced from the few remaining Lange's originally brought to Moorpark College last year. Johnson said it took many attempts to find the right combination of environmental factors before the Lange's began to successfully mate. So far, there have been 15 confirmed matings among the Lange's, an impressive number since there's never been a confirmed mating of the species in captivity, she said.

On Thursday, some of the 12 college students working on the Lange's project inspected the pregnant female butterflies in their containers one last time before they were loaded in a vehicle for their trip to Northern California. Small samples of the butterfly's wings were also carefully clipped to provide material for future genetic research, the first time such research would be done on the species.

Adam Clause, a UC Davis student, has worked with the Lange's since they first arrived at the college.

Reaching the ultimate goal'

"It's an exciting day because their release was the ultimate goal for all of us here. It's quite an honor to have worked on this important project," said Clause.

Johnson said the college doesn't know yet what has become of the Palos Verdes blues butterflies.

Data on that species won't be available until the butterflies fly again in spring. Until then, the college group will be working with a third endangered species, the Laguna Mountains skipper butterfly, for research purposes this fall semester.

"This has really been a labor of love among everyone working on the butterfly project. Hopefully we're able to make a significant impact on the future of these important species," said Johnson.