Why Is the Karner Blue Butterfly Endangered?

The Karner Blue Butterfly is listed as an endangered species due to habitat loss and the depletion of the wild lupine flower population.

The Karner Blue Butterfly gets its name from Karner, New York, where this insect was first observed and documented. The Karner Blue Butterfly is native to parts of the northern United States, especially around the Great Lakes region where the wild lupine plant is present. The butterflies are known for the dark, silvery blue color of the male butterfly's wings. The Karner Blue Butterfly is listed as an endangered species and protected by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Their status as an endangered species is due to a sharp decrease in population due to a variety of factors including habitat loss, depletion of the wild lupine plant population and the segmentation of land in the northern United States.

Loss of Habitat

An increase in commercial development as well as the decrease in the wild lupine plant population has led to decreased numbers of Karner Blue Butterflies.

The Karner Blue Butterfly is found in parts of the northern United States such as Wisconsin, New Hampshire, New York, Indiana and Michigan. Due to urban development in these areas, much of the Karner Blue Butterflies habitat has been depleted or segmented. Also, the lack of natural disturbances such as wildfires and animal grazing have caused a decline in plant and flower growth, especially the lupine plant which is the Karner Butterfly caterpillar's only source of food. This decline in the wild lupine plant population has led to a sharp decline in the numbers of Karner Blue Butterflies found in the wild.

Wild Lupine Plant depletion

Karner Blue Butterfly caterpillars only feed on the leaves of the Wild Lupine Plant, also native to the great lakes region of the United States.

Karner butterfly caterpillars only feed on the leaves of the wild lupine, which is also native to the northern United States, especially the Great Lakes region. Human efforts to control wildfires as well as a decline in large animal grazing has led to a sharp decrease in the wild lupine plant population. In order to increase the Karner Blue Butterfly population, conservation efforts have largely focused on the protection and increased spread of the wild lupine plant.

Isolated Popultions

An increase in commercial development in the Karner Blue Butterfly's natural habitat has led to small, isolated butterfly populations.

Because of urban development as well as human prevention of wildfires, much of the land native to the Karner Blue Butterfly has been segmented, making for small, isolated groups of Karner Blue Butterflies. This change from large populations to small, isolated groups has had a significant effect on the butterfly's reproduction rates and caused an overall decline in the Karner Butterfly Population.

Albany Pine Brush depletion

Human recreational activities such as off-roading and horseback riding have further segmented the Albany Pine Brush region, leaving the Karner Blue Butterfly with little natural habitat.

New York state's Albany Pine Brush once measured over 35,000 acres, but has now been depleted to under 2,000 acres due to commercial development and human activity. The acres which remain are largely segmented due to human recreational activities such as off-roading and horseback riding as well as construction. This segmentation makes for obstacle in the Karner Blue Butterfly's migration pattern and has led to the sharp decrease in their population size.

Collection

It is illigal to gather Karner Blue Butterflies without a liscenced permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

It is now illegal to collect Karner Blue Butterflies without an issued permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service due to the butterfly's status as an endangered species. These butterflies are popular for butterfly collectors due to their beautiful blue color. Because their numbers are so low, even the removal of a few Karner Blue Butterflies from their natural habitat can be detrimental to the natural population.

References

• US Fish and Wildlife Service: Karner Blue Butterfly Fact Sheet
• US Fish and Wildlife Service: The Karner Blue Butterfly
• ChipperWoodsBirdObservatory: Karner Blue Butterfly

Resources

• Queensbury: Karner Blue Butterfly: How to Help