Frequently Asked Questions

Not necessarily. Land managers in the Karner blue range whose activities include: 1) permanent habitat destruction (e.g., roadway or subdivision construction), 2) right-ofway management, or 3) commercial forestry on more than 1,000 acres need to apply for an incidental take permit. In general, the easiest and least expensive way for these land managers to obtain incidental take permit coverage is to become a partner in the HCP. Thirty-six major land managers currently act as HCP partners, including utility companies, road managers and commercial foresters. Small private landowners, farmers, and foresters with less than 1000 acres generally do not need to apply for an incidental take permit. They are automatically covered by the statewide permit and may participate in Karner blue conservation voluntarily. Landowners in this voluntary participation group generally face no legal penalties if they choose not to participate. The 3-Year Participation Strategy Review Report highlights the achievements of this voluntary participation group. Contact the HCP Coordinator at the Wisconsin DNR (608-261-6451) for detailed participation opportunities.

The short answer is none. Small private landowners are considered voluntary partners under the HCP. This designation provides broad coverage under the statewide permit for activities that do not intentionally harm Karner blues. The goal of this approach is to promote Karner blue conservation by this group.

The Karner blue butterfly requires wild lupine as a caterpillar to survive. In Wisconsin, wild lupine grow in open, dry sandy areas in the central and northwestern portions of the state. To see a map of the potential areas of Karner blue habitat see the HPR map on this web site.

The Karner blue is a small blue butterfly about the size of a postage stamp. While rare nationwide, they are common in parts of Wisconsin. Specific markings on the wings of the Karner blue allow you to distinguish them from other blue butterflies. To lean more about these features see the Karner blue identification page.

This first indication that you may have Karner blues is if you have lupine, but this doesn’t mean there are Karner blues present. Many types of butterflies feed on lupine. To see identification tips see the Karner blue identification page.

The Karner blue caterpillar will only eat the leaves of the wild lupine. Adult Karner blues will eat the nectar from a variety of flowering plants. To see pictures of lupine and various common nectar plants see the Karner blue identification page.

Karner blues have two flights a year, one from mid-May to mid-June and the other from July to early August. Each year varies slightly depending on weather conditions and the previous winter. The DNR maintains emergence models for the Karner blue flight periods on this website.

Small private landowners do not have any requirements for managing Karner blues. There are some things landowners can do to help conserve and promote this butterfly and its habitat. To learn more about what you can do visit the various links from this web site.

The DNR has a statewide recovery program for this species. There are several state parks, forests, fisheries and wildlife areas that will be managing for the Karner blue and its habitat for the long term. To learn more about recovery efforts for this species contact the Bureau of Endangered Resources.