The Karner blue butterfly is federally listed as endangered since 1992 (57 FR 59236 59244, Dec 14, 1992). Their range extends across 12 states from Minnesota to Maine, including New York (USFWS 2008a). Previously found in New York City, the Karner blue butterfly is found in particular areas of the Hudson River Valley with a population remaining in Sarasota County (NYSDEC 2015ai). Two hatches occur every year, one approximately in April and another in June. The staple food for the caterpillars is wild lupine (Lupinus perennis) which restricts the Karner blue butterfly’s distribution. Primary threats to this species include habitat loss and degradation from land development and the lack of natural disturbances from fire and grazing. These disturbances would normally maintain the early successional communities required by this species and wild lupine (USFWS …show more content…
The rayed bean mussel is a small, freshwater mussel, usually less than 1.5 inches long. Federally listed as endangered in 2012 (77 FR 8632 8665, March 15, 2012), its historical range in North American included 115 streams and lakes; however, current populations are only found in 31 streams and 1 lake. They live in small headwater creeks and wave-washed areas of glacial lakes with gravel or sandy bottoms. In New York, the rayed bean can be found in Olean Creek, Cassadaga Creek, and downstream in the Allegheny River. Rayed bean mussels are unable to live in still water and often attach to roots of aquatic vegetation. Threats include sedimentation, dams that restrict natural flow, change in temperatures, habitat loss, reduction of fish populations necessary for their reproductive lifecycle, and invasive species (USFWS