Boisduval's Blue
Plebejus icarioides (Boisduval, 1852)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Polyommatinae
Identification: Upperside of male lilac-blue with dark borders. Female may be brown, or blue with wide dark borders. Below, black or white postmedian spots are larger on forewing than on hindwing.
Wing Span: 1 1/8 - 1 3/8 inches (2.9 - 3.5 cm).
Life History: Males patrol during the day near host plants for females. Eggs are laid on new growth of host plants. Caterpillars feed first on leaves, then flowers and seedpods. Caterpillars produce a sugary secretion which is eaten by the ants that protect them. Second-stage caterpillars hibernate.
Flight: April-August depending on location.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various lupine species (Lupinus) in the pea family.
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers including Eriogonum and various composites.
Habitat: Forest clearings and edges, prairie, sagebrush, chaparral, coastal dunes, fields.
Range: British Columbia east to the western edge of the Great Plains, south to New Mexico, Arizona, southern California, and Baja California.
Conservation: The Mission Blue, subspecies missionensis, is endangered in California. Loss of native grassland habitat and invasion of woody species has restricted the butterfly to 4 areas on the northern tip of the San Francisco peninsula. The largest remaining population is protected in San Bruno Mountain County Park, where monitoring of the butterfly population and control of invasive species continues. Plebeius icarioides missionensis has The Nature Conservancy rank of T1 - Critically imperiled because of extreme rarity (5 or fewer occurrences, or very few remaining individuals), or because of some factor of its biology making it especially vulnerable to extinction. (Critically endangered throughout its range).
NCGR:
Management Needs: Maintain or improve habitat and ensure adequate host and nectar plants for all rare populations.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 49 - 72 of 1122 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 19, 2022
Submitted by: Pheasantboy77
Region: Beaverhead County, Montana, United States
Verified by: stevekohler
Verified date: Oct 07, 2022
Observation date: Aug 18, 2022
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Jefferson County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 28, 2022
Observation date: Aug 01, 2022
Submitted by: Pheasantboy77
Region: Granite County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Sep 20, 2022
Observation date: Jun 18, 2019
Submitted by: Liz Osborn
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Sep 16, 2022
Observation date: Jun 22, 2019
Submitted by: Liz Osborn
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Sep 16, 2022
Observation date: Jun 11, 2019
Submitted by: Claude Rioux
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Sep 14, 2022
Observation date: May 19, 2020
Submitted by: Heidiho
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Sep 10, 2022
Observation date: May 23, 2020
Submitted by: Heidiho
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Sep 10, 2022
Observation date: Jul 15, 2020
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Sep 10, 2022
Observation date: Jun 12, 2021
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Sep 10, 2022
Observation date: Jul 31, 2022
Submitted by: chneal
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 09, 2022
Observation date: Jul 09, 2022
Submitted by: tjay13
Region: Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 07, 2022
Observation date: Jul 01, 1984
Submitted by: James Steen
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 17, 2022
Observation date: Aug 10, 2022
Submitted by: stevecary
Region:
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 15, 2022
Observation date: Aug 11, 2022
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Pierce County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 13, 2022
Observation date: Jul 30, 2022
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Mason County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 02, 2022
Observation date: Jul 25, 2022
Submitted by: sandyleapt
Region: Benton County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 02, 2022
Observation date: Jul 16, 2022
Submitted by: sgguthart
Region: Larimer County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jul 31, 2022
Observation date: Jul 18, 2022
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Jefferson County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jul 31, 2022
Observation date: Jul 17, 2022
Submitted by: Varn
Region: Johnson County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 28, 2022
Observation date: Jul 17, 2022
Submitted by: Varn
Region: Johnson County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 28, 2022
Observation date: May 26, 2022
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: White Pine County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 27, 2022
Observation date: Jul 09, 2022
Submitted by: icosahedron
Region: Marin County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 27, 2022
Observation date: Jul 09, 2022
Submitted by: icosahedron
Region: Marin County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 27, 2022
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