The Karner Blue Butterfly

( Hey viewers, I'm pretty sure I'm wrong about this being the Karner Blue. After a bit more research, I'm concluding  it's an Eastern Tailed-Blue, a rather common butterfly in the eastern US. I've sent this photo to the Miller Woods Educational Center of the Dunes National Park Service and asked for help with the ID. When I hear from them I'll edit the entire post. Thanks for the views.)
  
Pulling grass from my wild flower patch, when I saw a tiny blue butterfly flirting with the flowers. I ran to the house to fetch my camera, knowing the chances were slim to none the butterfly would be there when I returned. With camera in hand, I intensely searched the flower bed. Luck day, I was able to get this shot of not only one of the smallest butterflies in the USA but also, more importantly, an ENDANGERED SPECIES.. The Karner Blue Butterfly.

A native butterfly to the dry dune environments of the Great Lakes region, the Karner Blue became a threatened species because of habitat loss, due to urban and industrial development in the region which resulted in the range reduction of the only plant the Karner Blue uses for food as a caterpillar, the Wild Blue Lupine. In 1992 the Karner Blue was added to the Endangered Species list.

Here's a link to a US Fish and Wildlife fact sheet if you would like to know more about the Karner Blue ~ http://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/insects/kbb/kbb_fact.html

Red Admiral Butterfly and Collard Flower

A Red Admiral Butterfly visits a Collard Flower for a sip of spring nectar.

Red Admiral Butterfly pollinates Collard Flower.
Click on pic to make bigger.

In return, the butterfly deposits pollen, that was collected on its body, from another plant and pollinates the collard flower.

October Buckeye

On a spring-like October afternoon, a Buckeye butterfly takes a last sip of Zinnia nectar, before hibernating for the winter.