The Fading Blue Beauty

Often overshadowed by the flashier monarch, Karner blue butterflies suffer from a similar plight. Currently registered as Ohio’s only endangered butterfly, Karner blue’s have been reduced to just a fraction of the population that they used to have. Habitat destruction and fire suppression have severely limited the growth of their only host plant, wild lupine. Wild lupine grows best in a prairie setting and is quick to bounce back after being burned. When a fire rolls through, the visible parts of the lupine plant will burn away, but the roots will remain intact to send new shoots up shortly after. The loss of wildfires has increased forest canopy cover over many areas across their range and has inhibited the optimal growth of these plants.

 

The specific habitat that is necessary for both of these species to grow is an oak savannah, which is now considered one of the rarest ecosystems on earth. Oak savannahs are very dependant on fires to maintain balance, so when European settlers started suppressing fires, they nearly disappeared. The light tree cover allows the lupine to grow, as well as give the Karner blue caterpillers protection from the sun. In Ohio, Karner blue’s were extirpated by the late 1980’s, and it was not until 1998 that a captive-breeding and release plan was created. Several habitats in northern Ohio were restored and the Karner blue’s were reintroduced back into the Buckeye state. There has been a promising comeback so far with small populations taking hold again up north, but they still have a long way to go.

Sources:

Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife. “Ohio.gov / Search.” Ohio DNR Division of Wildlife, wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/species-and-habitats/species-guide-index/butterflies-skippers/karner-blue.

Grundel, Ralph, et al. “The Effect of Canopy Cover and Seasonal Change on Host Plant Quality for the Endangered Karner Blue Butterfly ( Lycaeidesmelissasamuelis ).” Oecologia, vol. 114, no. 2, 1998, pp. 243–250., doi:10.1007/s004420050442.

Meyer, Rachelle. “Lupinus Perennis.” US Forest Service, 2018, www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/forb/lupper/all.html.

“Oak Savanna and Fire.” Forest Ecology Lab, 22 Dec. 2014, forestecology.cfans.umn.edu/research/savanna.

Image 1- ianadamsphotography.com

Images 2,3- http://www.karnerblue.org/KarnerBlue_FactSheet.html

Image 4- https://digthedunes.com/what-is-the-oak-savanna-and-why-is-it-so-important/

 

Swallowtails in your Garden

You have probably seen them dancing around flowerbeds before, but did you know that eastern black swallowtail butterflies are fairly easy to attract to your own house? Just like monarch butterflies, eastern black swallowtails prefer one family of host plants, Apiaceae. Apiaceae family members include plants such as wild carrot, celery, parsley, dill, and fennel.

A few times a year, the females will lay their eggs on the host plants and let them fend for themselves from the start. If you manage to find one of these eggs, you will not have to wait very long, as they hatch around a week after being laid. The young hatchlings will change quite a bit as they grow older. They start out very spiky and almost all black, but as they grow and molt, their colouring lightens and they lose their spikes. Eventually, the caterpillars will seek out a place to pupate and eventually become butterflies. This stage lasts no more than 20 days unless the pupa is overwintering,

in which case, it will remain that way until spring comes to repeat the process over again.The best way to attract these showy butterflies to your house is to plant lots of plants such as dill, celery, and fennel. Throughout the summer, just keep an eye on these plants to see if any eastern black swallowtails have decided to start their next generation on your doorstep.

 

 

Hall, Donald W. “Eastern Black Swallowtail – Papilio Polyxenes Asterius.” Entomology and Nematology Department Of the University of Florida, Sept. 2011, entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/bfly/bfly2/eastern_black_swallowtail.htm.

 

Image 1 – https://pixabay.com/en/eastern-black-swallowtail-1564600/