Drapetes chiricahua
Drapetes chiricahua is a of in the , named after the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona. The species epithet reflects its locality in this sky island mountain range, part of the Madrean Archipelago. Like other members of the Drapetes, it belongs to a group of associated with fungal substrates. The Chiricahua Mountains are renowned for high due to their isolated montane forest separated by desert lowlands.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Drapetes chiricahua: //dɹəˈpiːtiːz ˌtʃɪɹɪˈkɑːwə//
These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.
Habitat
Mid- to high-elevation forests of the Chiricahua Mountains, part of the Madrean Sky Islands. These montane forest are characterized by coniferous and mixed woodlands isolated from other mountain ranges by surrounding desert and grassland valleys.
Distribution
to the Chiricahua Mountains in southeastern Arizona, United States. The is restricted to this specific sky island range within the Madrean Archipelago.
More Details
Etymology
The epithet 'chiricahua' directly references the Chiricahua Mountains, the locality and only known distribution for this species. This naming convention is common for sky island , which frequently bear names reflecting their restricted mountain range distributions.
Conservation Context
The Chiricahua Mountains, where this occurs, significant threats from climate change. Research indicates that montane forest in this region may be 'pushed off' mountains over coming decades as temperatures rise and precipitation decreases. The species shares its habitat with other notable such as the tarantula Aphonopelma jacobii and the Neophasia terlooii (Chiricahua ), all of which are vulnerable to habitat loss from climate change, wildfire, and development pressure.