Conservation-success
Guides
Plebejus icarioides fenderi
Fender's blue
Fender's blue is an endangered subspecies of lycaenid butterfly endemic to the Willamette Valley of Oregon, United States. It was federally listed as endangered in 2000. Population numbers declined to fewer than 1,500 individuals in the 1990s but have recovered to 25,000–30,000 through targeted conservation efforts combining scientific research and habitat management. The butterfly engages in a mutualistic relationship with ants, where larvae produce sugary secretions in exchange for protection from predators.