Geographic Range
The range of
Lycaeides melissa
covers the northern and western United States, portions of central and western Canada,
and extends southward to northern Baja California, Mexico. They occur in the Upper
Sonoran to Canadian (sometimes Alpine) Life Zones in the Nearctic region.
Karner Blues,
L. melissa samuelis
, historically occurred in the northern tier from New Hampshire and New York westward
to Iowa. They have been extirpated from Ohio, Ontario, Maine, Illinois, Massachusetts,
New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. There are remnant populations of Karner blues in Minnesota,
Indiana, New York, and New Hampshire, and abundant populations in Michigan and Wisconsin.
Melissa Blues, L. melissa melissa , have the largest range of all the subspecies, occuring from Kansas to Manitoba westward throughout to northern Baja California, northern Mexico and west Texas. They have been extirpated south of the San Francisco Bay area.
Annetta Blues,
L. melissa annetta
, occur high in the Wasatch Mountains of Utah, the alpine Sierra Nevada, and the higher
altitudes of central Colorado.
Inyo Blues, L. melissa paradoxa (also known as L. m. inyoensis ), are found in the Tehachapi Mountains in California.
Habitat
Karner Blues inhabit sandy pine barrens, lakeshore dunes, and sandy pine prairies
that contain abundant lupine,
Lupinus perinnis
, their only larval foodplant. An important component of Karner Blue habitat is
a heterogeneous mixture of sun and shade, and management efforts focused on improving
and maintaining this habitat use fire and tree removal to facilitate this blend.
Melissa blues prefer dry ridges with tall-grass prairie biomes.
- Habitat Regions
- terrestrial
- Terrestrial Biomes
- savanna or grassland
- forest
- scrub forest
- mountains
Physical Description
The upper surfaces of adult male Karner Blue wings are dark blue. On adult females
the blue is much reduced by a black margin. The hindwing margins have partial orange
bands that border several black spots. The undersides are whitish gray with black
spots, and the hindwings have small silver spots capped with orange. The fringe on
the wings is black. Females forewings range in size from 1.4 cm to 1.6 cm., with
the males slightly smaller, ranging from 1.2 - 1.4 cm. Melissa Blues are very similar
in coloration but have a black terminal line along the vertical hindwing margins.
Karner Blue eggs have been described as very small and radially symmetrical. They
are pale green in color and slightly flattened in appearance, with fine geometric
patterns that are deeply reticulated.
The larvae of
L. melissa
have dorsally flattened bodies and are pubescent. Their head capsules are brown-black
to brown and their bodies are a pea green color. As the larvae age, they develop
light green to white lateral stripes and dark green dorsal stripes. Just before the
larvae are ready to pupate, their color and lateral stripes begin to fade. The pupae
are bright green and smooth, and just before emergence, change to a light tan color
with hints of purple. Larvae have three glandular structures that secrete a liquid
most likely containing carbohydrates and amino acids. This secretion is avidly harvested
by ants.
- Other Physical Features
- ectothermic
- heterothermic
- bilateral symmetry
- Sexual Dimorphism
- female larger
- sexes colored or patterned differently
Development
Eggs oviposited by first brood females hatch in 5-10 days in early June. Larvae go
through four instars and pupate in late June - early July. After emerging in early
to mid July, adults will mate and the females will oviposit eggs that will overwinter.
During the following spring, these larvae will hatch in April and May and begin feeding.
- Development - Life Cycle
- metamorphosis
Reproduction
During the daylight hours, male Karner Blues patrol near the lupines searching for
females. Mating takes place primarily in open-canopied areas in the forests.
Karner Blue butterflies are bivoltine, the first brood emerging from late May to June,
followed by the second brood from late July to August. The females emerge a few days
later than the males. After mating, females will lay their eggs on various parts
of the host plants (lupines) or on nearby sticks or pebbles. There is a difference
in egg placement by first and second brood females. The majority of eggs in the first
brood are placed on lupines, second brood females place the majority of their eggs
on blades of grass.
- Key Reproductive Features
- semelparous
- seasonal breeding
- gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
- sexual
- fertilization
- oviparous
Lepidopteran species do not provide any care for their offspring after the eggs are laid.
- Parental Investment
-
pre-fertilization
- provisioning
-
protecting
- female
Lifespan/Longevity
Adult Karner Blues are known to live from 4-5 days up to 2-3 weeks. Total lifespan
from egg through adult varies depending on the brood: eggs laid late in the season
survive through winter and hatch the following year so the individuals live for about
almost 12 months. Eggs laid early in May or June hatch, mature, reproduce and die
in about two months.
Behavior
Karner Blues are diurnal, flying primarily from early morning to early evening. When
temperatures become very hot, they decrease their activities and spend more of their
time resting in shade. Heavy rains, strong winds, and temperatures below 75° F will
also cause Karner Blues to spend time in protected areas. Grasses appear to be their
preferred roosting sites.
Male Karner Blues fly more frequently than females, and tend to move more often and
cover greater distances with their flights. Females spend more time nectaring than
flying. Both sexes prefer to nectar in sunny openings in their forest habitat.
Communication and Perception
Butterfly communication generally involves courtship flights and behaviors using visual cues. Some species are believed to emit pheremones to attract mates, but it is unknown if this true for Lycaeides melissa .
- Communication Channels
- visual
Food Habits
The larvae of the western populations of
L. melissa
eat a variety of legumes;
Astralagus
spp.,
Glycyrrhiza
spp.,
Lotus
spp.,
Lupinus
spp., and
Medicago
spp.
The larvae of Karner Blue (
L. mellisa samuelis
) butterflies feed exclusively on wild lupine
Lupinus perennis
. Swengel (1995) found that the larvae seem to prefer lupine with larger leaves and
longer, thicker stems. First and second instars chew tiny, circular holes in the
leaves, and the third and fourth instars eat all but the upper or lower epidermis,
leaving a window pane effect.
Adult Karner Blues have been observed nectaring on over 50 different species of flowers.
They seem to select the nectar species with the greatest total number of flowers or
flowering heads, usually yellow or white. Nectar species include Rock cress
Arabis lyrata
, lance-leaved coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
, flowering spurge
Euphorbia corollata
, sweet clover
Melilotus alba
, horsemint
Monarda punctata
, common cinquefoil
Potentilla simplex
, raspberry
Rubus
spp., showy goldenrod
Solidago speciosa
, butterflyweed
Asclepias tuberosa
, and woodland sunflower
Helianthus divaricatus
. Males and females exhibit mud puddling behavior (sipping at moist earth) to obtain
salts and minerals, and will sip human perspiration. Males have been observed feeding
on animal droppings.
- Primary Diet
- herbivore
- Plant Foods
- leaves
- nectar
Predation
Known predators of Karner Blue larvae are primarily insects such as stink bugs , ants , and some wasps. Common parasitoids include tachinid flies and braconid and ichneumonid wasps. Common predators of adults are spiders, robber flies , ambush bugs , assassin bugs , and dragonflies . Though not documented, the absence of any reports of vertebrate predators may indicate some sort of anti-predator defense such as noxious smells or tastes, or toxins that are not tolerated by predators such as birds or mice.
Ecosystem Roles
Most butterfly species serve as pollinators to a variety of plant species upon which
they nectar. Larvae of the Karner Blues have a mutualistic relationship with ants.
Studies have shown that larvae tended by these ants have a higher survival rate, most
likely due to protection by the ants against larval predators.
- Ecosystem Impact
- pollinates
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
Due to the rarity of Karner Blue butterflies, there are potential human benefits in the form of ecotourism. Additionally, restoration and habitat management activities for this species enhance and protect unique ecosystems valuable for their beauty and ecological function.
- Positive Impacts
- ecotourism
- research and education
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
There are no known negative impacts to humans by Lycaeides melissa .
Conservation Status
Karner Blues were listed as federally endangered in 1992 due to losses in the eastern
portions of their range. They are protected throughout their range, and many sites
are actively managed. Karner blues are listed as threatened in the state of Michigan.
Other Comments
There are many common names for the various sub-species of
Lycaeides melissa
. Karner Blues have been called Orange-bordered Blue, and Edward's Blue; Melissa
Blue has been named Orange-banded Blue, Orange-margined Blue, Orange-bordered Blue,
Karner Blue, and Edward's Blue. They have also been placed in the genus
Plebejus
.
Additional Links
Contributors
Ashley Dowling (editor), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, George Hammond (editor), Animal Diversity Web.
Barb Barton (author), Special Contributors.
- Nearctic
-
living in the Nearctic biogeographic province, the northern part of the New World. This includes Greenland, the Canadian Arctic islands, and all of the North American as far south as the highlands of central Mexico.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- terrestrial
-
Living on the ground.
- tropical savanna and grassland
-
A terrestrial biome. Savannas are grasslands with scattered individual trees that do not form a closed canopy. Extensive savannas are found in parts of subtropical and tropical Africa and South America, and in Australia.
- savanna
-
A grassland with scattered trees or scattered clumps of trees, a type of community intermediate between grassland and forest. See also Tropical savanna and grassland biome.
- temperate grassland
-
A terrestrial biome found in temperate latitudes (>23.5° N or S latitude). Vegetation is made up mostly of grasses, the height and species diversity of which depend largely on the amount of moisture available. Fire and grazing are important in the long-term maintenance of grasslands.
- forest
-
forest biomes are dominated by trees, otherwise forest biomes can vary widely in amount of precipitation and seasonality.
- scrub forest
-
scrub forests develop in areas that experience dry seasons.
- mountains
-
This terrestrial biome includes summits of high mountains, either without vegetation or covered by low, tundra-like vegetation.
- ectothermic
-
animals which must use heat acquired from the environment and behavioral adaptations to regulate body temperature
- heterothermic
-
having a body temperature that fluctuates with that of the immediate environment; having no mechanism or a poorly developed mechanism for regulating internal body temperature.
- bilateral symmetry
-
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.
- metamorphosis
-
A large change in the shape or structure of an animal that happens as the animal grows. In insects, "incomplete metamorphosis" is when young animals are similar to adults and change gradually into the adult form, and "complete metamorphosis" is when there is a profound change between larval and adult forms. Butterflies have complete metamorphosis, grasshoppers have incomplete metamorphosis.
- semelparous
-
offspring are all produced in a single group (litter, clutch, etc.), after which the parent usually dies. Semelparous organisms often only live through a single season/year (or other periodic change in conditions) but may live for many seasons. In both cases reproduction occurs as a single investment of energy in offspring, with no future chance for investment in reproduction.
- seasonal breeding
-
breeding is confined to a particular season
- sexual
-
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
- fertilization
-
union of egg and spermatozoan
- internal fertilization
-
fertilization takes place within the female's body
- oviparous
-
reproduction in which eggs are released by the female; development of offspring occurs outside the mother's body.
- diurnal
-
- active during the day, 2. lasting for one day.
- sedentary
-
remains in the same area
- colonial
-
used loosely to describe any group of organisms living together or in close proximity to each other - for example nesting shorebirds that live in large colonies. More specifically refers to a group of organisms in which members act as specialized subunits (a continuous, modular society) - as in clonal organisms.
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- ecotourism
-
humans benefit economically by promoting tourism that focuses on the appreciation of natural areas or animals. Ecotourism implies that there are existing programs that profit from the appreciation of natural areas or animals.
- herbivore
-
An animal that eats mainly plants or parts of plants.
- folivore
-
an animal that mainly eats leaves.
- nectarivore
-
an animal that mainly eats nectar from flowers
References
Dirig, A., D. Andow, R. Baker, C. Lane. 1994. Historical Notes on Wild Lupine and the Karner Blue Butterfly at the Albany Pine Bush, NY. Pp. 23-36 in Karner Blue Butterfly: A Symbol of a Vanishing Landscape . St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota.
Glassberg, J. 1999. Butterflies Through Binoculars: the East . NY: Oxford University Press.
Grundel, R., N. Pavlovic, C. Sulzman. 1998. Habitat use by the endangered Karner blue butterfly in oak woodlands: the influence of canopy cover. Biological Conservation , 85: 47-53.
Grundel, R., N. Pavlovic, C. Sulzman. 1999. Nectar plant selection by the Karner blue butterfly <<Lycaeides melissa samuelis>> at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. American Midland Naturalist , 44(1): 1-10.
Holland, W. 1931. The Butterfly Book . Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Doran and Co..
Iftner, D., J. Shuey, J. Calhoun. 1992. Butterflies and Skippers of Ohio . OH: Ohio Biological Survey Bulletin 9(1).
Maynard, C. 1891. Manual of North American Butterflies . Boston, MA: DeWolfe, Fiske, and Co..
Miller, J. 1992. The Common Names of North American Butterflies . Washington DC: Smithsonian Institute.
Miller, L., F. Brown. 1981. A Catalogue/Checklist of the Butterflies of America North of Mexico . FL: Lepidopterists' Society Memoir No. 2.
Neilsen, M. 1999. Michigan Butterflies and Skippers . East Lansing, MI:
Opler, P., G. Krizek. 1984. Butterflies East of the Great Plains . John Hopkins University Press.
Rabe, M. "Karner Blue Butterfly" (On-line ). Michigan Natural Features Inventory. Accessed 04/17/03 at http://web4.msue.msu.edu/mnfi/abstracts/zoology/lycaeides_melissa_samuelis.pdf .
Savignana, D. 1990. Field Investigations of a Facultative Mutualism Between <<Lycaeides melissa samuelis>> Nabokov (Lycaenidae), the Karner Blue Butterfly and Attendant Ants - PhD. Thesis . University of Texas.
Savignano, D., D. Andow, R. Baker, C. Lane. 1994. The Distribution of the Karner blue butterfly in Saratoga County, New York. Pp. 73-80 in Karner Blue Butterfly: A Symbol of a Vanishing Landscape . St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota.
Scott, J. 1986. The Butterflies of North American: A Natural History and Field Guide . Standford, CA: Stanford University Press.
Struttmann, J. "<<Lycaeides melissa>>" (On-line ). Butterflies of North America. Accessed 04/17/03 at http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/bflyusa/usa/252.htm .
Swengel, A. 1995. Observations of spring larvae of <<Lycaeides melissa samuelis>>. Great Lakes Entomologist , 28(2): 155-170.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2003. "Karner Blue Butterfly" (On-line ). United State Fish and Wildlife Service. Accessed 04/17/03 at http://ecos.fws.gov/species_profile/species_profile.html?spcode=I00F .
Zimmer, D. "Nabokov's Butterflies" (On-line ). Accessed 04/17/03 at http://www.libraries.psu.edu/iasweb/nabokov/dzbutt4.htm .
Wisconsin Statewide Karner Blue Butterfly habitat Conservation Plan and Environmental Impact Statement. PUBL-SS-947-00. Madison, WI: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. 2000.