A Field Guide to the Karner Blue Butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis)
ECOS:
THE ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARINGHOUSE
A FIELD GUIDE
KARNER BLUE BUTTERFLY:
(Lycaeides melissa samuelis)
NATURAL HISTORY, IDENTIFICATION, &
CONSERVATION OF A REGIONAL
TREASURE
Cover Photo: By Author
ECOS: The Environmental Clearinghouse
P. O. Box 9118, Niskayuna, New York, 12309
Telephone: 518 370-4125
Illustrations were done by two talented artists Anne Jaster and Pauline Liebig.
Photographs were taken by the author with the exception of the Buckmoth photo which was taken by my colleague Mr. John W. Greaves IV.
DISCLAIMER:
All views and opinions expressed in this book are the personal views and opinions of the author and are not necessarily those of his employer or of ECOS.
Library of Congress Card Catolog Number:
ISBN 0-9761196-9-2
ISBN 978-0-9761196-9-2
By ECOS: The Environmental Clearinghouse
To my niece Olivia, may she always have an eagerness to learn and little butterflies to enjoy.
I am a relative newcomer to the plight of the Karner blue. I consider myself an expert in progress. Having said that, I do, however, feel that I have learned a great deal about Karner blues and their needs in the past few years. This book was written in this context as a learning tool and a guide for other newcomers and experts alike. We as scientists and citizens are learning more everyday about what endangered species, like the Karner blue butterfly need. This guide will hopefully help you along this journey to understanding and appreciating this and other imperiled species. Only through education and preservation will this species be saved. Another factor that has influenced the writing of this guide was the lack of books available to the public that contain more than a paragraph on the karner blue. It has been very disheartening to me that every butterfly guide I can find only mentions the Karner blue in passing as if it were non-important. I realize there is only so much room in these field guides but I at least feel that the Karner blue deserves its own place in the guide. The older field guides seem to be more thorough than the new ones with the exception of Glassberg’s guide which has pictures and descriptions of the Karner blue and is listed in the literature cited. The main reason for this field guide is that the Karner blue is a local native and can be found in several different places in the capital district. This gives our region a great treasure but also carries with it great responsibility. It’s up to everyone, citizen, and scientist alike to make sure that we don’t lose this tiny creature and that it lives on in the ages to come.
David W. MacDougall
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER I Natural History
CHAPTER II Identification
CHAPTER III Biology
CHAPTER IV Family Blues
CHAPTER V Nectar and Host Plant Identification
CHAPTER VI Conservation
CHAPTER VII Albany Pine Bush Preserve & Saratoga Spa State Park & Wilton Wildlife Preserve and Park
CHAPTER VIII Species associated with KBB Habitat
CHAPTER IX Frosted Elfin
CHAPTER X Bits and Pieces
INTRODUCTION
This guide is set up in a manner as to provide people with the information they will need to aid in the identification and conservation of this species. The format may seem unconventional since it will cross into several different areas such as butterfly and nectar plant identification, conservation needs, and other species associated with its habitat. There is one phrase that this guide hopes to dispel and lay to rest and that phrase is, “It’s only a butterfly”, which can be heard at many different settings spoken by people from all walks of life. The goal is not to convert these people but to help them understand why it’s not only a butterfly, but an entire ecosystem that is at risk including many other animals that depend upon it for their survival.
The Karner Blue Butterfly was listed as New York State Endangered in 1977 and Federally Endangered in 1992 and since then has been extripated from some of the states where it used to be found. This guide will cover the needs of the Karner blue and recovery efforts currently taking place to aid in the recovery and hopefully the eventual de-listing of the species.