The Story of a Little Blue Butterfly: The Karner Blue

The Story of a Little Blue Butterfly: The Karner Blue

From Bug Banter with the Xerces Society by The Xerces Society

May 5, 2026 · 37 min · Season 3 · Episode 9

About this episode

This episode highlights the Karner blue butterfly and features an interview with Julie Michaelson from the Xerces Society.

The Xerces Society is named for a blue butterfly, the Xerces blue, which went extinct in the 1940s. Luckily, there are other blues, some of which are doing fine and we can see regularly in our parks and neighborhoods, little butterflies who flash bright blue when they move their wings. Others, unfortunately, are not doing so well. In this episode, we are highlighting one of those, the Karner blue. Joining us to talk more about this butterfly is Julie Michaelson. Julie works for the Xerces Soc...

People in this episode

Guest: Julie Michaelson

Topics covered

  • butterflies
  • conservation
  • endangered species
  • nature
  • environment

Keywords

  • Karner blue
  • Xerces Society
  • butterflies
  • conservation
  • endangered species
  • nature
  • environment

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Xerces Society

Books & works: Karner blue, Xerces blue

Places: parks, neighborhoods

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