Greenish Blue
Plebejus saepiolus (Boisduval, 1852)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Polyommatinae
Identification: Upperside of male iridescent green-blue; females brown with blue at wing bases. Underside is pale gray with green at wing bases and rows of irregular black spots.
Wing Span: 1 - 1 1/4 inches (2.5 - 3.2 cm)
Life History: Males patrol near the host plants, close to the ground. Eggs are laid in flower buds of clover; caterpillars eat the developing flowers. Half-grown caterpillars hibernate, then resume feeding and development the following year.
Flight: One flight from May-July.
Caterpillar Hosts: Flowers of various clovers, especially alsike (Trifolium hybridum).
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers including clovers (Trifolium species).
Habitat: Bogs, roadsides, stream edges, open fields, meadows, open forests.
Range: Boreal western North America from central Alaska south along mountains to southern California and southwestern New Mexico; east across southern Canada and northern Great Lakes area to Maine.
Conservation: The San Gabriel Blue, an undescribed subspecies, is extinct. It lived in wet meadows of the Big Pine Recreation Area in the San Gabriel mountains of southern California until the U. S. Forest Service drained the meadows. Excluding the San Gabriel Blue, the species has The Nature Conservancy Global Rank of G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
NCGR:
Management Needs: Restore meadow habitat in Big Pine Recreation Area.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 25 - 48 of 896 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 26, 2023
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Nov 06, 2023
Observation date: Sep 02, 2023
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Oct 23, 2023
Observation date: Jul 09, 2023
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Eagle County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Oct 15, 2023
Observation date: Oct 08, 2023
Submitted by: rajanrao
Region: Alpine County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 14, 2023
Observation date: Oct 08, 2023
Submitted by: rajanrao
Region: Alpine County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 10, 2023
Observation date: Jun 07, 2023
Submitted by: Paul Prappas
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Sep 02, 2023
Observation date: Aug 19, 2023
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Aug 29, 2023
Observation date: Jul 27, 2023
Submitted by: madamirie
Region: Tehama County, California, United States
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Aug 27, 2023
Observation date: Aug 10, 2023
Submitted by: Adam Schneider
Region: Harney County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Aug 27, 2023
Observation date: Jul 16, 2019
Submitted by: tjunderwood
Region: Tuolumne County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 23, 2023
Observation date: Jul 25, 2023
Submitted by: madamirie
Region: Tehama County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 03, 2023
Observation date: Jul 25, 2023
Submitted by: madamirie
Region: Tehama County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 03, 2023
Observation date: Jul 25, 2023
Submitted by: madamirie
Region: Tehama County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 03, 2023
Observation date: Jul 01, 2023
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 10, 2023
Observation date: Jul 01, 2023
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 10, 2023
Observation date: Jul 03, 2023
Submitted by: twofried
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 04, 2023
Observation date: Jun 29, 2023
Submitted by: Lports54
Region: Elko County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 01, 2023
Observation date: Jun 08, 2023
Submitted by: topper72
Region: Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 12, 2023
Observation date: Aug 20, 2022
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: stevekohler
Verified date: Apr 24, 2023
Observation date: Jul 15, 2020
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Apr 15, 2023
Observation date: Jul 28, 2020
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Apr 15, 2023
Observation date: Jul 25, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: British Columbia, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Apr 15, 2023
Observation date: Jul 12, 2021
Submitted by: CheddahCurt
Region: Alberta, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 07, 2023
Observation date: Jun 14, 2020
Submitted by: bmcgurgan
Region: Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 07, 2023
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