Reakirt's Blue
Echinargus isola (Reakirt, [1867])
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Polyommatinae
Identification: Upperside of male light blue with darker veins and dusky border; female darker. Underside of forewing with postmedian row of 5 round black spots circled with white.
Wing Span: 3/4 - 1 1/8 inches (2 - 2.9 cm).
Life History: Males patrol for females with an erratic flight during daytime. Females lay eggs singly on flower buds of host during midday. Caterpillars eat flowers and seedpods, sometimes leaves; and are tended by ants which presumably protect the caterpillars in return for their sugary secretions.
Flight: All year in South Texas; 3 broods from March-November in the remainder of its residential range; migrates north once each year after hibernating in the south.
Caterpillar Hosts: Many plants in the pea family (Fabaceae) including yellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis), rattleweed (Astragalus), mesquite (Prosopis), indigo bush (Dalea), mimosa (Albizia), and indigo (Indigofera) species.
Adult Food: Flower nectar from a variety of herbs including spearmint and white sweet clover.
Habitat: Grasslands, fields, desert, meadows, weedy areas, creeksides.
Range: Resident from southern California, the Southwest, and Texas through Mexico and Central America to Costa Rica. Summer migrant north and east through the Mississippi River states to Wisconsin and Ohio.
Conservation: Not required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Alternate Scientific Names:
Hemiargus isola
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 25 - 48 of 1334 verified sightings
Observation date: May 22, 2024
Submitted by: Nhaubert
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 24, 2024
Observation date: May 14, 2024
Submitted by: pkmcp
Region: Brown County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 14, 2024
Observation date: May 10, 2024
Submitted by: Carolyn Seaton
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 11, 2024
Observation date: Apr 28, 2024
Submitted by: Arden K. Powell
Region: Texas, Uvalde County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 05, 2024
Observation date: Apr 23, 2024
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Texas, Nueces County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 29, 2024
Observation date: Apr 23, 2024
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Texas, Nueces County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 29, 2024
Observation date: Nov 11, 2023
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Feb 12, 2024
Observation date: May 28, 2023
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Sierra County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Feb 02, 2024
Observation date: Jan 18, 2024
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 22, 2024
Observation date: Dec 30, 2023
Submitted by: tjunderwood
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Jan 18, 2024
Observation date: Jul 22, 2023
Submitted by: steinm
Region: Malheur County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Dec 28, 2023
Observation date: Jun 17, 2023
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 04, 2023
Observation date: Nov 17, 2023
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Nov 20, 2023
Observation date: Nov 17, 2023
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Nov 20, 2023
Observation date: Sep 11, 2023
Submitted by: camflies
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 16, 2023
Observation date: Oct 07, 2023
Submitted by: rajanrao
Region: Calaveras County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 14, 2023
Observation date: Oct 07, 2023
Submitted by: Janet Ruth
Region: Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 12, 2023
Observation date: Sep 20, 2023
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 12, 2023
Observation date: Oct 08, 2023
Submitted by: rajanrao
Region: Alpine County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 09, 2023
Observation date: Jul 16, 2020
Submitted by: Robb Hannawacker
Region: San Juan County, Utah, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Sep 11, 2023
Observation date: Sep 07, 2023
Submitted by: asombro_institute
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 10, 2023
Observation date: Sep 06, 2023
Submitted by: kjaldridge
Region: Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 09, 2023
Observation date: Sep 07, 2023
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Mora County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 08, 2023
Observation date: Sep 01, 2023
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Union County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 03, 2023
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