BESt ANSWER GETS 10 POINTS!?

Question

Does anyone know any good endangered species topics 4 seventh grade?(specifically about the karner blue butterfly)For example,why it is endangered?

Answer 1

Maybe... What is being done to help the butterfly and take it off the endangered species list?

Answer 2

The Karner Blue, Lycaeides melissa samuelis, is a small, blue butterfly found in small areas of New Jersey, the Great Lakes region, southern New Hampshire, and the Capital District region of New York. The butterfly, whose lifecycle depends on the wild blue lupine flower, is classified as an endangered species. Local conservation efforts, concentrating on replanting large areas of blue lupine which have been lost to development (and to fire suppression, which destroys the open, sandy habitat required by blue lupine), are having modest success at encouraging the butterfly's repopulation. The Karner Blue, (Lycaeides melissa samuelis), is the official state butterfly of New Hampshire. The Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in central Wisconsin is home to the world's largest population of Karner Blues, who benefit from its vast acreage of savannah and extensive lupine.

The Karner Blue was first identified and named by novelist and lepidopterist Vladimir Nabokov. The name originates from Karner, the former name of Guilderland, New York, where it was first discovered. Lupine blooms in late May. There are two generations of Karner Blues per year. The first in late May to mid June. The second from mid-July to mid-August.


http://www.fws.gov/Midwest/Endangered/insects/kbb/kbb_fact.html



http://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/insects/kbb/index.html



http://nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/9159

Answer 3

Good questions to research would be:

What is the natural history of the butterfly? Breeding, migration, food sources, etc

What is it's importance to other species?

What is the natural environment of the butterfly?

Is this environment being degraded by human activities? If so, which activities?

Is there a way in which human impacts could be mitigated? Creating habitat preserves, environmental corridors, and so forth - this will be informed by the answer to the first question.

Habitat loss is usually the primary driver of extinction, so that's why (knowing nothing about the butterfly) I expect that's what's going on here. If you can answer these questions well you should have a very good project.

I'd also suggest outlining your approach and discussing it with your teacher, s/he might have other ideas, or resources to suggest. Good luck!

Answer 4

The Karner blue butterfly is an endangered species. Endangered species are animals and plants that are in danger of becoming extinct. Threatened species are animals and plants that are likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future. Identifying, protecting, and restoring endangered and threatened species is the primary objective of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's endangered species program.

What is the Karner Blue Butterfly?

Scientific Name
Lycaeides melissa samuelis

Appearance
The male and female of this small (wingspan of about one inch) butterfly are different in appearance. The topside of the male is silvery or dark blue with narrow black margins. The female is grayish brown, especially on the outer portions of the wings , to blue on the topside, with irregular bands of orange crescents inside the narrow black border. The underside of both sexes is gray with a continuous band of orange crescents along the edges of both wings and with scattered black spots circled with whi te.

Reproduction
Karner blue butterfly reproduction is strongly tied to wild lupine plants. There are usually two generations, and thus two hatches, of Karner blue butterfly eggs each year. In April, the first group of caterpillars hatch from eggs that were laid the p revious year. The caterpillars feed only on wild lupine plant leaves. By about mid-May, the caterpillars pupate and adult butterflies emerge from their cocoon-like chrysalis by the end of May or in early June. These adults mate, laying their eggs in June on or near wild lupine plants. The eggs hatch in about one week and the caterpillars feed for about three weeks. They then pupate and the summer's second generation of adult butterflies appears in July. These adults mate and lay eggs that will not hatch until the following spring.

Feeding Habits
Karner blue caterpillars feed only on the leaves of the wild lupine plant. Adults feed on the nectar of flowering plants. This severely restricts where they can survive.

Range
Karner blue butterflies are found in the northern part of the wild lupine's range. The butterfly is most widespread in Wisconsin, and can be found in portions of Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and New York. It may also be present in Illi nois.

Why is the Karner Blue Butterfly Endangered?

Habitat Loss or Degradation
Habitat throughout the range of the Karner blue butterfly has been lost as a result of land development and lack of natural disturbance, such as wildfire and grazing by large mammals. Such disturbance helps maintain the butterfly's habitat by setting back encroaching forests, encouraging lupine and flowering plant growth.

Collection
The Karner blue butterfly's rarity and beauty make it a desirable addition to butterfly collections. Because butterfly numbers are so low, the collection of even a few individuals could harm the butterfly population. Collection is illegal without a pe rmit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Answer 5

The Karner blue is experiencing a decline primarily due to human activities such as agriculture, urbanization and fire suppression.

Answer 6

How 'bout "nutritional value of the karner blue butterfly"
Yum yum.

Answer 7

there are many different types of topics
a couple of them could be
why is it endangered?
how to prevent it's extention?
Why it's important to save
It's history
What species is it from

Answer 8

Yes definitely the endangered species is.........................HUMANS need I say more?!

Answer 9

duh because they are becoming extinct!!!!!!!! lozer jk