Karner Blue at Karner NY

[Michael Gochfeld]

For the past decade there has been gloom and doom in the Karner Blue 
circles. Shopping centers, office complexes have paved over much of the 
Albany Pine Bush and deer have chomped up much of the Lupine (a 
favorite).  Warm, snowless winters have been unfavorable as well. 

The recent discovery of a fairly large colony in Saratoga was somewhat 
re-assuring while the disappearance of the Concord NH colony was 
sobering. 

A recent news article :ENDANGERED KARNER BUTTERFLY REBOUNDS: Snowy 
winter, warm spring increase numbers in Albany Pine Bush Preserve. 

Indeed there is a lot more lupine blooming this June than last, and the 
managers have made some exclosures to encourage lupine populations. I 
found the first brood without much difficulty, although outside the 
actual boundary of the preserve. 

People keep reporting that the butterfly isn't rare and there are BLUES 
everywhere, ignoring the fact that Tailed Blue and Azure butterflies 
abound in the Capital District. 

On June 9th the first brood of Karner Blues was about halfway through 
its cycle.  I was surprised that C.neglecta (Summer Azure) was out and 
worn, but Harry Pavulaan mentioned that there is an early brood of 
neglecta at Albany which we don't see in NJ. 

Mike Gochfeld

 
 ------------------------------------------------------------ 

   For subscription and related information about LEPS-L visit:

   http://www.peabody.yale.edu/other/lepsl