Why is wild lupine important?
This beautiful wildflower is the only known food source for the caterpillars of the endangered Karner Blue Butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis). The Karner blue is a small butterfly with a wing span of approximately one inch. Karner blue adults are nectar-feeders, aiding in the pollination of a variety of wildflowers. Females lay eggs on the underside of a leaf or stem of the food plant, wild lupine (Lupinus perrennis). The tiny green larvae (caterpillars) are highly specialized, feeding exclusively on the wild lupine leaves. Without lupine, the Karner blue would not survive.
