The El Segundo blue butterfly, an insect on the endangered species list, sits on a flowering seacliff buckwheat plant at Miramar Park in Torrance. Biologists are ecstatic to learn that the tiny butterfly has occupied an area of coastal sage scrub in Redondo Beach and Torrance. (Luis Sinco / LAT)
Conservation Corps project coordinator Monica Acosta, left, and Amanda Cook and Trent Houston tend to native buckwheat plants at the butterfly nursery in Redondo Beach. (Ken HIvely / LAT)
The bluffs at Miramar Park in Torrance are one of the areas replanted with native vegetation such as buckwheat where nonnative ice plant once thrived. Buckwheat nectar is the preferred cuisine of the El Segundo blue butterfly. (Luis Sinco / LAT)
A pair of El Segundo blue butterflies mate on a flowering buckwheat plant at Miramar Park in Torrance. There is no blue color on the underside of the insects wings.The underside of the butterflys wings is mostly gray with spots. (Luis Sinco / LAT)
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Amanda Cook and Trent Houston with conservation Corps with Monica Acosta, project coordinator working on transplanting buckwheat plants, pictured in foreground, at the Sealab nursery in Redondo Beach. (Ken HIvely / LAT)
