Fauna
The Albany Pine Bush is home to hundreds of species of Lepidoptera (moths), including over 40 Noctuidae considered to be pine barrens specialists, but the most well-known species in the area is the Karner Blue (Lycaeides melissa samuelis), a butterfly on the Endangered Species List. Once found in large numbers throughout the grassy openings of the pine barrens, it is today extremely rare and found in only a handful of sites. Attempts to reintroduce the butterfly focus on the food and host plant for its larvae – the wild blue lupine, which needs frequent forest fires to maintain its habitat. Other regionally-rare butterflies include the dusted skipper (Atrytonopsis hianna), Henry's Elfin (Incisalia henrici), Frosted Elfin (Incisalia irus), and Edward's Hairstreak (Satyrium edwardsii). The inland barrens buck moth (Hemileuca maia) is a state-listed special concern animal; and other rare moths include the broad-lined catopyrrha (Catopyrrha coloraria), several noctuid moths (Apharetra purpurea, Chaetaglaea cerata, Chytonix sensilis, Macrochilo bivittata, and Zanclognatha martha), bird dropping moth (Cerma cora), and a geometrid moth (Itame). The Albarufan dagger moth was last seen in the Pine Bush in 1983 and is presumed locally extinct.
The Pine Bush is also home to 30 of the 44 species of amphibians and reptiles that are indigenous to Albany County, and seven of these species are generally not seen so far north in the state of New York. Three species of salamander, the Jefferson salamander (Ambystoma jeffersonium), blue-spotted salamander (Ambystoma laterale), and spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum), are state-listed special concern animals. Two species of turtle, the spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata) and wood turtle (Clemmys insculpta), are also special concern animals. About 45 species of birds breed in the Albany Pine Bush (according to the 1985 New York State Breeding Bird Atlas) and are fairly common species for the area; and about 32 species of common small mammals have been found in and adjacent to the Pine Bush.
Read more about this topic: Albany Pine Bush, Ecology
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