The Karner Blue Butterfly needs Blue Lupine to survive. The larva of the Karner Blue eats lupine leaves. After feeding from lupine plants for 1-2 weeks, the larva forms the chrysalis. Without the blue lupine, the Karner Blue Butterfly couldn't survive. To insure that the Karner Blue has enough Blue Lupine, the Pine Bush Preserve Commission is cleaning away non-native plants and has planted more of the lupine plants.

Within the last 10-15 years, the population of the Karner Blue Butterfly has decreased 95%. One factor of this is that Route 155 disrupts the movement of the  Karner Blue Butterfly. Route 155 cuts through 2700+ acres of the Pine Bush. The segmentation of their habitat is a major reason why their population has decreased. The Karner Blue still exists in Clifton Park, the Pine Bush, New Hampshire and Michigan.

There are 4 main stages of the Karner Blue Butterfly. The first stage is the egg. The eggs are laid in May and August. Females leave the eggs on the bottom of a Blue Lupine leaf. There are 2 generations per year of the Karner Blue Butterfly. The Karner Blue lives in adult form for 1-2 weeks. The second brood of the Karner Blue hatch in about 1 week. Adult Karner Blues are found in patches of lupine during daylight.

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