Assessed June 2010 by COSSARO as Extirpated

Part 1: COSSARO Candidate Species at Risk evaluation form – June 2010

Karner Blue (Lycaeides melissa samuelis)

Current designations:

G-RANK – G5T2 (reviewed 25 January 2005; NatureServe 2007)
COSEWIC – Extirpated (Designated Extirpated in April 1997. Status re-examined and confirmed in 2000 and 2010.)
SARA – Extirpated – Schedule 1
NRANK – NX
General Status Canada – Not Assessed (Canadian Endangered Species Conservation Council 2006)
MNR (SARO List) – Extirpated (O. Reg. 373/10)
SRANK – SX
General Status Ontario – At Risk (Canadian Endangered Species Conservation Council 2006)

Distribution and status outside Ontario

Occurs or occurred in a limited range primarily in Great Lakes jurisdictions from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa east to Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Now extremely rare in most jurisdictions and extirpated in Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. Rare to uncommon (S3) only in Wisconsin. Listed as Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 1992 (USFWS 2003; NatureServe 2007).

Eligibility criteria native status (1.1.1)

Yes. (Formerly known in Ontario from five sites in native oak savannah on the Rice Lake Plains, at High Park and Lambton Mills in Toronto, near St. Williams, Norfolk Co., near London, and in the Port Franks-The Pinery Provincial Park area of Lambton Co. It persisted at St. Williams and Port Franks-The Pinery until 1988, when the species was eliminated by a prolonged drought. The species has not been reliably reported in the province for 19 years [38 generations] despite repeated searches by knowledgeable observers at these and other sites with stands of Lupinus perennis which formerly supported the species. Several lepidopterists continue to frequent the Port-Franks-The Pinery and St. Williams locations and it is therefore unlikely that the species could persist there without detection.)

Taxonomic distinctness (1.1.2)

Yes. (All literature and recent electrophoretic work suggest that this is a valid subspecific taxon, rather than a full species. Recent research suggests that the genus Lycaeides may not be valid, and that the Karner Blue belongs in the genus Plebejus (NatureServe 2007).)

Primary criteria

Global rank (1)

END (G5T2)

Global decline (2)

END (Long term decline of 75-90% rangewide. Short term decline [since 1970s] of 30%, although most populations now stable or with periodic fluctuations of up to 10% (NatureServe 2007)

Rarity in Northeastern North America (3)

END (The Karner Blue is ranked as extremely rare [SX, SH, S1 or S2] in 13 of 14 (93%) northeastern North American jurisdictions where it ocurs or occurred and has been ranked. It is ranked as rare to uncommon [S3] in Wisconsin [NatureServe 2007].

Decline in Northeastern North America (4)

END (Long term decline of 75-90% rangewide. Short term decline [since 1970s] of 30%, although most populations now stable (NatureServe 2007))

Number of provincial populations (5)

END (None extant. Formerly occurred at five sites, most recently at St. Williams Forest, Norfolk Co. and in the Port Franks-The Pinery Provincial Park, Lambton Co. areas, where it was last reliably reported in 1988, despite repeated searches.).

Provincial decline (6)

END (None extant. Formerly occurred at five sites, most recently at St. Williams Forest, Norfolk Co. and in the Port Franks-The Pinery Provincial Park, Lambton Co. areas, where it was last reliably reported in 1988, despite repeated searches.)

Ontario’s share (7)

N in any category. (Criterion does not apply. Ontario population represented <1% of global population)

Secondary criteria

Population sustainability (8)

Not in any category. (Criterion does not apply. No confirmed observations at any site since 1988.)

Protection/exploitation status (9)

Not in any category (Species is currently afforded protection under the Ontario Endangered Species Act)

Human threats (10)

Not in any category (Criterion does not apply. No confirmed observations at any site since 1988.)

Life history and habitat use characteristics (11)

Not in any category (Criterion does not apply. No confirmed observations at any site since 1988.)

Mortality trends (12)

Not in any category (Criterion does not apply. No confirmed observations at any site since 1988.)

COSSARO criteria met (primary/secondary)

  • Endangered 6/0
  • Threatened 0/0
  • Special Concern 0/0

Summary

Known historically in Ontario from remnant oak savannahs at five sites: Rice Lake Plains, Toronto, St. Williams, London, and Port Franks-The Pinery. It has not been reliably reported at any site in the province since 1988, despite repeated searches of the historical sites of occurrence and other sites supporting populations of Lupinus perennis, the species' larval host. While there are no data to suggest that a change in status is currently required, some groups (e.g. Karner Blue Recovery Team, Metro Toronto Zoo, Nature Conservancy Canada) have discussed reintroducing the species and/or participated in the recovery of its habitat in Ontario.

Information sources

Canadian Endangered Species Conservation Council (Canadian Endangered Species Conservation Council). 2006. Wild Species 2005: The General Status of Species in Canada.

Carson, P. J. 1997. Status Report on the Karner Blue Butterfly, Lycaeides melissa samuelis Nabokov (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) in Canada. 22 pp.

COSEWIC. 2007. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife In Canada [web application], Date Published: 2002-01-21, Last Update: 2007-10-09. Available at: http://www.cosewic.gc.ca/eng/sct1/index_e.cfm (Accessed: October 22, 2007). [link inactive]

NatureServe. 2007. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 6.2. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available. (Accessed: October 22, 2007).

USFWS. 2003. Karner Blue Butterfly, Lycaeides melissa samuelis, Recovery Plan. Prepared by the Karner Blue Butterfly Recovery Team for Region 3, United States Fish & Wildlife Service, Fort Snelling, Minnesota. 134 pp. + appendices.

Appendix I: Northeastern North America ranks (NatureServe 2007)

Region Rank
Illinois S1
Indiana S1
Iowa SNR (but reported to be extirpated [USFWS 2003])
Maine SX
Maryland S1
Massachusetts SX
Michigan S2
Minnesota S1
New Hampshire S1
New York S1
Ohio S1
Ontario SX
Pennsylvania SX
Wisconsin S3

Occurs in 14 of 29 northeastern jurisdictions

SRANK or equivalent information available for 14 of 14 jurisdictions (100%) S1, S2, SH, or SX in 13 of 14 (93%)