Karner-blue
Guides
Plebejus melissa
Melissa Blue
The Melissa Blue (Plebejus melissa) is a small butterfly in the family Lycaenidae, native to western North America. This species has been extensively studied for its colonization of alfalfa as a novel host plant, representing a well-documented case of host range expansion. The Karner blue (P. m. samuelis), described by Vladimir Nabokov, is a federally endangered subspecies restricted to oak savanna and pine barren habitats in the upper Midwest.