Barrens-ecosystem
Guides
Plebejus melissa samuelis
Karner blue butterfly
Plebejus melissa samuelis, commonly known as the Karner blue butterfly, is a federally endangered subspecies first described by Vladimir Nabokov in 1944 from Karner, New York. It is highly specialized, with larvae feeding exclusively on wild lupine (Lupinus perennis) and inhabiting dry sandy barrens ecosystems. The subspecies produces two generations annually and has become a flagship for conservation efforts, particularly in Wisconsin where a pioneering statewide Habitat Conservation Plan was developed.