Karner Blue vs Imperial Jezebel

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Karner Blue Imperial Jezebel
Scientific Name Plebejus samuelis Delias harpalyce
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Lycaenidae Pieridae
Size 22-28 mm wingspan 6-7 cm wingspan
Habitat Deserts & Drylands Woodlands
Diet Omnivores Nectar Feeders
Regions Great Lakes and northeastern United States Australia
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.

Imperial Jezebel

A striking butterfly with white uppersides and vivid red and yellow undersides. It flies high in eucalypt canopy and is common in southeastern Australia.

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Did You Know?

Its caterpillars feed exclusively on parasitic mistletoe plants growing on eucalyptus trees.