Karner Blue for New York State Butterfly
Frequently Asked Questions

The purpose of this FAQ sheet is to explain why New York State should make the Karner Blue its state butterfly.

There are approximately 65 different butterflies in New York. Why is the Karner Blue our choice for adoption? Why not adopt (1) a butterfly that lives all over the state – a butterfly that New Yorkers all over the state see and enjoy, (2) a butterfly that is found only in New York, or (3) a butterfly that no other state has adopted?
By adopting the Karner Blue as state butterfly, more people will become aware of the dangers that the Karner Blue faces. The more people who are aware, the more likely that people will support actions to protect the Karner. There are no butterflies that live only in New York.

Why should New York adopt an endangered butterfly?
In 1970, New York adopted the Eastern Bluebird as its State Bird. Since then, the bluebird has been coming back from alarmingly low numbers during the 1950’s. Many New Yorkers built special nesting boxes along fence rows to help the bluebirds if they didn’t have a natural nest. There are endangered, threatened or at risk animals and plants whose status improved after being adopted as state symbols. (I’m currently researching this angle).

If New York already has a state insect, why should it adopt a state butterfly?
Of the twenty-three states that have butterflies as state symbols, ten also have another state insect. (Washington State has both a state marine mammal and a state mammal).

New Hampshire has already adopted the Karner Blue as its state butterfly. Why should New York also?
Why not? Since New Hampshire and New York both adopted the ladybug as their state insects, it shouldn’t be a problem sharing the same state butterfly. The Monarch butterfly is the state butterfly in seven states. Five states have the Tiger Swallowtail. A number of states have the Bluebird, Mockingbird, or Cardinal as their state bird.