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 73 - 96 of 896 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 09, 2022
Submitted by: asabspade
Region: Mendocino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 12, 2022
Observation date: Jun 09, 2022
Submitted by: asabspade
Region: Mendocino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 12, 2022
Observation date: Jun 06, 2022
Submitted by: butterflies4us
Region: Inyo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 11, 2022
Observation date: Jul 26, 2021
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 11, 2022
Observation date: Aug 21, 2021
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jan 24, 2022
Observation date: Jun 13, 2013
Submitted by: sfbaywildlife
Region: Alpine County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jan 04, 2022
Observation date: Jun 23, 2021
Submitted by: Harry Forbes
Region: Iron County, Utah, United States
Verified by: RaisingButterfl...
Verified date: Dec 18, 2021
Observation date: Aug 03, 2017
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Nov 16, 2021
Observation date: Jun 15, 2018
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Jackson County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 19, 2021
Observation date: Jun 16, 2018
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Jackson County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 19, 2021
Observation date: Aug 28, 2021
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Grand County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Oct 06, 2021
Observation date: Jul 10, 2021
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Sep 18, 2021
Observation date: Jul 28, 2021
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 08, 2021
Observation date: Jul 21, 2021
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Clear Creek County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Aug 31, 2021
Observation date: Jul 23, 2021
Submitted by: glennfine
Region: Siskiyou County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 28, 2021
Observation date: Jul 20, 2021
Submitted by: twofried
Region: New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 25, 2021
Observation date: Jun 08, 2021
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Routt County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Jul 23, 2021
Observation date: Jul 09, 2021
Submitted by: chalicerae
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Jul 19, 2021
Observation date: Jul 11, 2021
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 14, 2021
Observation date: Jul 11, 2021
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 14, 2021
Observation date: Jul 12, 2021
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 14, 2021
Observation date: Jul 12, 2021
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Kern County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 14, 2021
Observation date: Jul 02, 2021
Submitted by: WYbutterflyer1
Region: Albany County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 11, 2021
Observation date: Jul 09, 2021
Submitted by: twofried
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 11, 2021
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