Dwarf Bilberries and Nabokov's Blue Butterfly

[Norma Malinowski]

For a couple days this week I was helping the Forest Service in Cook County
monitor dwarf bilberry (Vaccinium caespitosum) and Nabokov's blue (Plebejus
idas nabokovi) butterfly. Another common name is northern blue. This
species of butterfly is on the Superior National Forest's Sensitive Species
list.

The northern blue butterfly ranges from Nova Scotia in Canada, south to the
Great Lakes region of the United States, including Minnesota, Wisconsin and
Michigan. Its range also extends west across Canada to Alaska, and south
into the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, as far as
California, Idaho and Colorado.

One of them major threats to the northern blue butterfly include the
encroachment of woody vegetation into open areas populated with dwarf
bilberry shrubs, a small shrub which serves as a host plant for the northern
blue butterfly's larvae. It's not the only one but is believe to be a
primary host plant.

While monitoring the bilberries, I saw at least 20 or more Nabokov's blues.

If you find and dwarf bilberry or Nabokov's blues, please report them. There
may be some around the Ely area but I don't believe anyone has found a patch
of bilberries large enough to intice northern blues.


Norma Malinowski
29 N Klondike Dr
Ely, MN 55731
218 365-0825