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.

  butterflylycaenidblue-butterflyNorth-Americaalfalfa-pestendangered-subspeciesKarner-bluemutualismhost-shiftagricultural-colonist