Karner Blue vs Green Silver-lines

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Karner Blue Green Silver-lines
Scientific Name Plebejus samuelis Pseudoips prasinana
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Lycaenidae Nolidae
Size 22-28 mm wingspan 33-40 mm wingspan
Habitat Deserts & Drylands Woodlands
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Great Lakes and northeastern United States Europe, temperate Asia
Conservation Endangered Least Concern

Karner Blue

A tiny bright blue butterfly with orange crescents on the hindwing underside that depends entirely on wild lupine. It is a federally endangered species in the United States.

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Did You Know?

It was first described by novelist Vladimir Nabokov, who was also a serious lepidopterist at Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology.

Green Silver-lines

A vivid bright-green moth with three diagonal white or silver lines across each forewing. It is one of the most beautiful small moths encountered at light traps.

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Did You Know?

Unlike most green moths, its colour is relatively stable and does not fade quickly in museum collections.