The Karner blue butterfly is a tiny, pink-blue butterfly that once lived in oak savannas and pine forests in the Midwest and Northeast.
But over time, much of the carner's blue habitat was destroyed—today, only a handful of populations remain in places like Michigan, Wisconsin, and New York.
Now, climate change poses a new threat to the endangered butterfly.
Carner's blue caterpillars only eat a plant called wild lupine. But as winter warms, caterpillars begin to hatch earlier in the year, before the lupins emerge.
Hoffen: “Then they have no food and they can't survive.”
Christopher Hoving is with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
A similar timing mismatch could happen in the fall, he said.
Typically, two generations of Cana's bluebirds hatch each year. But warmer temperatures may cause third-generation eggs to hatch rather than remain dormant over the winter.
These Karner blue caterpillars may have a hard time growing and laying eggs on their own before the weather gets too cold. They may have difficulty finding food.
Hoffen: “There are really no lupine plants on the landscape in the fall. … That's one of the biggest threats.
As a result, climate change could push these vivid little butterflies closer to extinction.
Report source: Ethan Freedman / ChavoBart Digital Media
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