[10][11][14] The different brood responses to shade may be due to the direct impact of varying environmental conditions over the course of the season on Karner blue butterflies (see section "Temperature") and the associated effects on wild lupine (see below). [6][20][29][31], Spiders and many insects are the major predators of Karner blue butterflies. The butterfly, whose life cycle depends on the wild blue lupine flower (Lupinus perennis), was classified as an endangered species in the United States in 1992. Timing and size of both flights can exhibit substantial variation, depending on local weather conditions among other factors. Size Available to Download 625 x 542 330 x 220 625 x 542 150 x 150. More information on the habitat characteristics, environmental conditions, and/or geographic variability in habitat requirements that facilitate Karner blue butterfly's persistence in these areas is needed. The first generation adults appear in late May to mid-June. In addition, there may be shade-related effects on Karner blue butterflies that are related to the density of wild lupine. [26] In addition, wild lupine patches in the Allegan State Game Area that were occupied by Karner blue butterflies were closer to other occupied patches than wild lupine patches without Karner blue butterflies. Although always near a wild lupine plant, second brood females lay more eggs on grasses, other plants, and litter than 1st brood females. Other often mentioned nectar sources include New Jersey tea (Ceanothus americanus), wild lupine, goldenrods (Solidago spp. [18] In Michigan, more Karner blue butterflies were observed on sites with more nectaring plants, especially butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa). The size of wild lupine has been positively associated with Karner blue butterfly larval length[12] and amount of feeding damage. In a right-of-way in west-central Wisconsin, the frequency that Karner blue butterflies stayed in an area between recaptures was significantly (p<0.05) positively related to percent cover of nectar flowers such as Canadian horseweed (Conyza canadensis var. [7], Given the wide range of nectar species used by Karner blue butterfly (see section "Food habits"), planting several often used or preferred nectar species is favored over selecting 1 or 2 specific species. Karner Blue Butterfly . The male has dark blue or silver-blue wings with a black border. The quarter-sized butterfly was identified in the 1940s by novelist Vladimir Nabokov at the Pine Bush in the New York hamlet of Karner. In addition, compared to the previous year the flight of the 2nd-brood during the hot year was shortened by 20 days. Human land use has had a severe impact on this habitat, resu… [6] Two wasps, one from the family Trichogrammatidae and another tentatively identified as a member of the family Eulophidae, are suspected to parasitize Karner blue butterfly eggs. Fish & Wildlife Service Threatened and Endangered Species Karner Blue Butterfly, "Karner Blue Butterfly Recovery Plan (Lycaeides melissa samuelis)", "The effect of canopy cover and seasonal change on host plant quality for the endangered Karner blue butterfly (, "Habitat use by the endangered Karner blue butterfly in oak woodlands: the influence of canopy cover", 10.1603/0013-8746(2003)096[0799:OSSVAT]2.0.CO;2, "Resource availability, matrix quality, microclimate, and spatial pattern as predictors of patch use by the Karner blue butterfly", "Successful captive rearing of the federal endangered Karner blue butterfly (, 10.1674/0003-0031(2000)144[0001:NPSBTK]2.0.CO;2, "Species Profile: Lycaeides melissa samuelis Nabokov, 1944: Karner blue (Lycaenidae: Polyommatinae: Polyommatini)", "Susceptibility of the endangered Karner blue butterfly (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) to, "Herbicide effects on host plants of Karner blue butterfly and on butterfly development from egg to adult", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Karner_blue&oldid=1003455130, Short description is different from Wikidata, Taxonbars using multiple manual Wikidata items, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, U.S. Within its range, this species is restricted to dry sandy areas with open woods and clearings supporting wild blue lupine. Size of a nickel. [20][31][32] Karner blue butterflies' preferred nectar species may include butterfly weed in New York[21] and Michigan[13] and lyrate rockcress (Arabis lyrata), lanceleaf tickseed (Coreopsis lanceolata), white sweetclover, and northern dewberry (Rubus flagellaris)[31] at Indiana Dunes National Park. The butterfly’s food source, lupine, needs sunlight, and the butterfly itself does too, Hawver said. Size (Total Area Covered, by State) 2847 acres (Indiana) The project area encompasses approximately 2,847 acres of which approximately 650 acres comprise potentially suitable Kbb habitat. The overlap of Karner blue and frosted elfin butterflies provides a good test case, she said. [22], Karner blue butterflies are directly affected by temperature. Free Returns High Quality Printing Fast Shipping [Madison, WI]: The Nature Conservancy, Wisconsin Chapter. It was always a highly local species because of the naturally patchy distribution of its specialized habitat, sandy barrens and savannas where its obligate larval host plant, wild blue lupine (Lupinus perennis), occurs. Depending on the available and surrounding habitat, managing for heterogeneity could mean implementing a wide range of techniques. [7][11][14][16] Research at Indiana Dunes National Park led to recommendations for canopy openings for adult males and nectaring of both sexes, as well as areas with 30-60% cover for ovipositing females. [10][14][19] For instance, at Fort McCoy in west-central Wisconsin, all the nectar species listed for Karner blue butterflies require either full or partial sun. Several reasons for this have been suggested. The topside of the male is silvery or dark blue with narrow black margins. However, certain species did show trends across canopy cover categories. Weather had strong influence on Karner blue butterfly phenology at Fort McCoy in west-central Wisconsin. In cool temperatures 65% (n=11) of ovipositions occurred in the sun, while in hot temperatures only 40% (n=37) occurred in the sun. These eggs hatch in seven to eight days. [35] There is currently no explanation for the removal of larvae or chewing of eggs by some of the same ant species that tend larvae. [7][21] Effects of mowing, burning, and other management techniques and land uses on the average number of Karner blue butterflies observed per survey hour are included in. Common cinquefoil (Potentilla simplex) is used as a nectar species for both broods. [8], Several studies have found a positive relationship between measures of wild lupine and Karner blue butterfly abundance. [10][11][14], Adult Karner blue butterflies' preference for open, sunny areas has been well documented. Many investigators stress the importance of habitat patches being closely spaced. [1], Lupine blooms in late May. Reported percentages of eggs that reach adulthood under controlled conditions vary from 21.4% to 75.2%. The Karner blue butterfly appears extirpated from Iowa, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maine, and Ontario. [19][21], Wasps are the most commonly reported parasitoids of Karner blue butterflies. Articles that address Karner blue butterfly sampling methodology include. 400. [14] A review suggests that grass cover may provide roosting sites for Karner blue butterflies and that 5% cover of tall grass would most likely meet this need. Like all butterflies, the Karner blue has four stages in its life cycle - the egg, the larva (caterpillar), the pupa (chrysalis), and the adult (butterfly). The lower surface is a pale silver with white- ringed black spots and rows of bright orange and blue markings near the edge of the hindwings. In west-central Wisconsin, Karner blue butterfly abundance was negatively associated with the abundance of reproductive lupine and positively related with the frequency of immature wild lupine. Differences in nectar species used between male and female Karner blue butterflies and across locations have been reported. In New York, the butterfly is found in certain parts of the Hudson Valley sand belt which extends from the Albany Pine Bush north to the Glens Falls area. The topside of the male is silvery or dark blue with narrow black margins. An index of Karner blue population size was highest in the wild lily-of-the-valley-starflower type. In pitch pine-bear oak (Pinus rigida-Quercus ilicifolia) habitat in New York, significantly more larvae tended by ants survived (67%) than untended larvae (38%). The Quino checkerspot butterfly is found in a few counties in southern California and northern Mexico. Evidence of different catchability and/or detectability of male and female Karner blue butterflies led King[41] to suggest calculating male and female population sizes separately. Several blackberries have been documented as food sources for the spring brood, while spotted beebalm, white sweetclover (Melilotus alba),[17][19][31][32] and flowering spurge (Euphorbia corollata),[13][17][19][32] are widely cited sources of nectar in the summer. Forty to fifty percent of the eggs survive to the adult stage. Methods used to establish or restore appropriate habitat conditions for blue lupine and the Karner blue include mowing and controlled burning. The first Karner blue butterfly flight generally occurs sometime between mid-May and mid-June, with males typically appearing earlier than females. [9] In 1995, in west-central Wisconsin, significantly more Karner blue butterfly larvae were observed in oak-pine barren plots where mildew infection was delayed compared to areas where wild lupine were infected earlier. [10][33] Paper wasps (Polistes spp. [20] See section "Food habits" for species that Karner blue butterflies use as nectar sources. The Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in central Wisconsin is home to the world's largest population of Karner blues, which benefit from its vast area of savanna and extensive lupine. However, a feeding trial found that Karner blue butterfly fed 1st year wild lupine had one of the lowest survival rates observed and significantly longer larval durations than larvae fed older wild lupine that did not flower, was flowering, had recently flowered, or was grown in shade and was in seed. Incidental predation of Karner blue butterfly eggs, larvae, and pupae by white-tailed deer grazing on wild lupine can be substantial. ), and spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa). [42] Mowing with a blade height >4 inches (10 cm) should be performed annually or biennially in the fall or winter and clippings should be left in place. The Karner Blue butterfly is blooming. Spring boasts abundant populations of blooming wild blue lupine, the only plant upon which the larvae of the federally endangered Karner blue butterfly feed. Karner blue butterfly fed water-stressed wild lupine had significantly longer larval durations than many treatments including larvae fed flowering wild lupine, shade-grown wild lupine in seed, or mildew-infected wild lupine. The female's wings are bordered with a row of dark spots with orange crescents. [14] At Indiana Dunes National Park, evidence suggests that cool winters negatively impact 1st-brood populations and cool summers positively affect 2nd-brood populations. Without blue lupine, the Karner blue would not survive. The Karner blue butterfly, which lost 99 percent of its population when it was protected as endangered 28 years ago, is making a dramatic comeback this summer in the Albany Pine Bush. Scientific Name: Lycaeides melissa samuelis. The historical range of the Karner blue forms a narrow band from Maine and New Jersey westward through the southern Great Lakes region to eastern Minnesota and northeastern Iowa (Dirig 1994). The wing shape is rounded and less pointed than L. m. melissa, especially in the female hind wing (Nabokov 1949). In the male, the upper surface of all four wings is a deep violet-blue fringed with white. Complete your 5K anytime between June 13-20th, and be sure to share your run via social media using #michigannature #raceMInature and #karnerblue! That's because those conditions encourage the growth of wild lupine, the sole food source for the Karner blue’s larvae.An adult butterfly is about the size of a postage stamp, so … [23] Recommendations on the use of a wide range of management techniques such as thinning, rotational grazing, and planting of wild lupine and/or nectar species can be found in. In both the lower surface is a pale silver with white-ringed black spots and rows of bright orange and blue markings near the edge of the hindwings. Wild lupine are typically more abundant in open areas than in shade. Karner blue has a wing span of approximately 1 inch, about the size of a nickel. Butterfly, Karner blue (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) Wherever found E Non-Listed Species: No non-listed species Habitat: forest, barrens, road rights-of-way, etc. Reintroductions have been initiated in Ohio and New Hampshire. [10][14] Lane[10] suggests that suitable Karner blue butterfly habitat occurs in areas where open and closed canopies occur within a 590-foot (180 m) diameter. Unpublished report on file at: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Laboratory, Missoula, MT, "Wildlife Species Assessments (short version)", "Evidence of an extreme weather-induced phenological mismatch and a local extirpation of the endangered Karner blue butterfly", "U.S. [10] Predators of adult Karner blue butterflies include dragonflies, robber flies, ambush bugs (Phymatidae) and spiders,[17] such as crab spiders. [23], The effect of temperature can influence the occurrence of Karner blue butterflies in habitats of varying canopy cover. The population of endangered Karner blue butterflies at the Albany Pine Bush Preserve, native to the Capital Region ecosystem, is exploding this season. Karner blues feed on the nectar from many different kinds of flowers but their larvae need wild blue lupine leaves to survive, so dense stands of lupine are essential for their existence, according the U.S. The famous novelist, Vladimir Nabokov, who was also a self-taught lepidopterist, identified the Karner blue as a distinct subspecies in 1944 [2]. This beautiful endangered species is only about the size of a quarter. The Karner blue is found in scattered localities from Minnesota to New Hampshire. Karner blue butterflies have been reported feeding on the nectar of 41 different species in a single study in west-central Wisconsin. [14][15][23], A wide range of values related to Karner blue butterfly recruitment have been reported. Its deep blue wings have black edges and a white outer fringe. Larvae in shaded habitat apparently have an advantage over those in open areas. Several of the largest populations of the Karner blue in New York are currently protected and managed by DEC under cooperative agreements with landowners. These eggs develop into the adults of the second Karner blue butterfly flight, which generally occurs in July and August. The name originates from Karner, New York (located half-way between Albany and Schenectady) in the Albany Pine Bush, where it was first discovered. [4], The male and female of this small (wingspan of about one inch) butterfly are different in appearance. Karner blue butterflies appear to disperse further in open habitats (see section "Timing of major life history events"). canadensis) and spotted beebalm (Monarda punctata). General descriptions of Karner blue butterfly rearing methods[28][30] and translocation/ reintroduction techniques are available. [12] Higher nitrogen concentrations in wild lupine leaves resulted in significantly shorter larval durations in a feeding trial. Michigan Natural Features Inventory, Natural Heritage Program, Wildlife Division, Lansing, Michigan. [7], Given their typically short dispersal distance, the spatial arrangement of habitat is important to the conservation of the Karner blue butterfly. [17], In west-central Wisconsin, the amount of Karner blue butterfly larval feeding damage increased with grass cover. [17], The presence of dispersal corridors may assist with Karner blue butterfly dispersal. However, in a feeding trial larval duration of Karner blue butterflies fed mildew-infected wild lupine was not significantly different from treatments that resulted in the shortest larval durations. Proceeds promote efforts to protect habitat for the endangered Karner blue butterfly. Lower mildew infection rates in shadier areas have been reported. 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. Schweitzer, D.F., 1991. Shop Karner Blue Butterfly Light Men's Value T-Shirt designed by Wildlife Arts2. In 1944 Vladimir Nabokov identified the Blue Karner for the first time. [19] In addition, treatments such as cutting with or without herbicides, herbicide application alone, or mowing at varying intervals resulted in a significant (p<0.01) increase in the number and cover of nectar species. This subspecies of Plebejus melissa was first identified and described by novelist Vladimir Nabokov. In addition, on sites in Wisconsin and Minnesota, the number of 1st flight oviposition sites on nonreproductive and reproductive wild lupine was similar. [Prepared for: U.S. Army, Fort McCoy Military Reservation, Natural Resource Management Division, Fort McCoy, WI]. Increased lupine and nectar abundance, higher temperatures allowing for longer activity periods, and ease of finding mates have been suggested as possible reasons for adult preference of open areas. The Karner blue butterfly appears extirpated from Iowa, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Maine, and Ontario. At Indiana Dunes National Park, cover at late summer oviposition sites was significantly higher than at late spring oviposition sites. Benefits of heterogeneous habitat: oviposition preference and immature performance of Lycaeides melissa samuelis Nabokov (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). There are two generations per year. [25] Isolation of habitat patches has been suggested as a reason for lack of Karner blue butterfly presence on sites in New York. Orange dots under wings. Fish and Wildlife Service (Midwest Region), This page was last edited on 29 January 2021, at 01:53. habitats, they also occur in frequently disturbed areas such as rights-of-way, old fields, and road margins. In this habitat, mosses (Bryophyta, 6.9%), wild lily-of-the-valley (4.4%), grasses (Poaceae, 4.4%), and starflower (2.1%) had the highest cover. In the female, the upper surface is a dusky brownish blue with orange spots on the edge of the hindwing. At the Allegan State Game Area, wild lupine patches occupied by Karner blue butterflies were larger than unoccupied patches. The Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) is a small blue butterfly, with a wingspan of only about one inch [1]. Therefore, short periods of continuous snow cover due to site conditions or mild winters could result in decreased occurrence or smaller populations of Karner blue butterflies. In the female, the upper surface is a dusky brownish blue with orange spots on the edge of the hindwing. [7] Bidwell[17] recommends management units be a maximum of 1,300 to 1,600 feet (400–500 m) wide to improve recolonization from neighboring areas. [27] In addition, studies of Karner blue butterfly dispersal have led to recommended distance between patches of ≤980 feet (300 m) to allow for dispersal[15] and management units no wider than 1,300 to 1,600 feet (400–500 m) to improve recolonization of treated areas. [34] At sites in Wisconsin and Minnesota, ant tending rates increased significantly with increasing larval age. According to reviews, habitat loss through direct conversion to other land uses and through succession are considered the major causes of the decline of the Karner blue butterfly.