Karner Blue Butterfly Movement

The Monarch isn’t the only butterfly in trouble. Meet the Karner Blue Butterfly. While the Karner doesn’t have a migratory pattern like the Monarch they do share one major similarity. The Karner Blue Butterflies caterpillars only eat one plant. The host plant - Lupinus Perennis, aka Sundial Lupine, or Wild Lupine.

The Karner Blue Butterfly (endangered in NYS since 1977/federally since 1992) has been in trouble due to loss/destruction of habitat resulting in loss of area for its host plant - the wild lupine.

While they used to be widespread in NY all the way to NYC the remaining populations for the Karner in NY are in the Hudson Valley sand belt region. In particular in Albany Pine Bush north to Glens Falls and the Saratoga State Park. 

Help will be needed to keep the Karner Blue Butterfly populations from potentially declining to a state of detrimental decline. You can help by researching and supporting the Karner Blue‘s Butterfly caterpillars only host plant - the wild lupine