Facts

Karner blue caterpillars are the early stages of their adult butterfly counterparts. These caterpillars also important to its ecosystem, discharging liquids that contain sugars and amino acids, providing a food source to ants. In return, these caterpillars get protection from its "ant attendants". This interaction can also be known as a mutualism relationship, where both species benefit through this exchange.

The main problem we're facing is that the Karner blue butterfly's habitat is being destroyed. The Wilton Preserve finds that, "Karner blue habitat is being lost and fragmented due to commercial and residential development as well as clearing land for agriculture. ATVs and yard waste dumping can often disrupt and hurt the dormant eggs."

In addition to this, the Karner blue butterfly is also very sensitive to both direct and indirect climate impacts.

Although its population has been a bit stable for the past couple of years, there have been declines in the population in New York for a couple of years.

In this chart, you can see a decline in the number of Karner blue butterflies in two different broods at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (IDNU) from 1999 to 2014. After 2012, there were no more Karner blues found around the IDNU thanks to climate change.