Karner blue butterfly

By Crysania

Names: The scientific name is Lycaeides melissa samuelis

Facts: One of the larger reasons for it being place on the endagered species list, is cause of butterfly collections. Its beautiful colors make it highly desireable. Now it requires a permit from the USA to collect one. It was listed as an endangered species in 1992.

Habitat: Karner blue butterflies are found in the northern part of the wild lupine's range. The butterfly is most widespread in Wisconsin, and can be found in portions of Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and New York. It may also be present in Illinois.

Appearance: The male and female of this small (wingspan of about one inch) butterfly are different in appearance. The topside of the male is silvery or dark blue with narrow black margins. The female is grayish brown, especially on the outer portions of the wings, to blue on the topside, with irregular bands of orange crescents inside the narrow black border. The underside of both sexes is gray with a continuous band of orange crescents along the edges of both wings and with scattered black spots circled with white.

Food: Karner blue caterpillars feed only on the leaves of the wild lupine plant. Adults feed on the nectar of flowering plants. This severely restricts where they can survive.

Breeding: The Karner blue butterfly's reproduction is strongly tied to wild lupine plants. There are usually two generations, and thus two hatches, of Karner blue butterfly eggs each year. In April, the first group of caterpillars hatch from eggs that were laid the previous year. The caterpillars feed only on wild lupine plant leaves. By about mid-May, the caterpillars pupate and adult butterflies emerge from their cocoon-like chrysalis by the end of May or in early June. These adults mate, laying their eggs in June on or near wild lupine plants. The eggs hatch in about one week and the caterpillars feed for about three weeks. They then pupate and the summer's second generation of adult butterflies appears in July. These adults mate and lay eggs that will not hatch until the following spring.

Risk Factors: Habitat loss is the major problem affecting ferruginous hawks. Cultivation, settlement and resource exploration have reduced prairie grasslands and gopher populations. Without sufficient food, the hawks won't establish a nest. This species is also easily disturbed by human activity, particularly during the nesting period.

Photograph by Doug Morse, permission to use given by Save the Pine Bush.
Do not use anywhere else! Contact the kind people at Save the Pine Bush to ask permission!


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