Karner Blue Butterfly Nature Photography

One thing to be assured of here in Oregon is, never know what you are going to see here!

I noticed this blue butterfly fluttering around, then oh my I noticed a whole lot more! I paid attention for these photographs to just one.

The site of so much blue was quite pretty. Sure the wild Lupine flowers are blue, but these were flying!!

So, what is a person who is armed with their trusty camera to do? Take photographs of course!

Update at the bottom of the post.

 

Since 1992 the Karner Blue Butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis, the Melissa blue for short), has been listed as a endangered species. Why? Because the larvae and/or caterpillars only feed on the wild lupine. I even read where they will not venture more then 600 feet from their hatching spot! The adults will feed on other things, but their offspring cant.

 

Here in Central Oregon we have a lot of wild lupine!! We even grow the wild and the subspecies in our garden here at home.

With the wild Lupine disappearing in many areas, sorry to say so is the Karner Blue Butterfly. I found absolutely no information on the web about how these species is doing here in Oregon. Though I had read where scientists are breeding them and releasing them into the wild to reestablish themselves.

In this spot where we found MANY of these (well many, we are talking 20+ Karner Blue Butterflies). The hatching spot must be close by and this is one of the times of the year that they hatch. having two hatching's a year.

 

It is safe to say, at least in our part of Oregon the Karner Blue Butterfly has started breeding in the wild just fine. Or lets just hope this is not a rare sighting and will be seeing more and more of these butterflies in years to come!!

I did find several videos on youtube and here is a link to one on youtube.

 

The hardest part to doing these posts are limiting the photographs posted. We may go back to this spot in the national grassland this weekend, who knows?

(Update, this shot above is diferent then the rest for I noticed a duplicate so added this shot).

Update;

Congratulations! Your submission to Living Beyond Pain entitled “Karner Blue Butterfly” has been selected to be part of the Living Beyond Pain Gallery Exhibit being featured at PAINWeek 2011, being held September 7 – 10, 2011, at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. PAINWeek is the nation’s largest conference on pain for frontline healthcare practitioners, and you may learn more about the conference by visiting www.painweek.org. - This is a huge honor and I am grateful to Living Beyond Pain , Coralie

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