Western Tailed-Blue
Cupido amyntula (Boisduval, 1852)
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Polyommatinae
Identification: Narrow tail on hindwing. Upperside of male blue, female brown with blue at wing base. Underside white with black spots indistinct or lacking; single small orange spot near tail.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 1/8 inches (2.2 - 2.9 cm).
Life History: Males patrol and perch during the day. Females lay eggs on flowers or young seedpods of host plant. Caterpillars eat young seeds inside the pod, where they overwinter and pupate.
Flight: March-July. Several broods in southern California, a partial second brood in the southern Rocky Mountains, and one brood elsewhere.
Caterpillar Hosts: Legumes with inflated pods including false lupine (Thermopsis), milkvetch (Astragalus), crazyweed (Oxytropis), and vetches (Vicia and Lathyrus).
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Open - usually native - areas with low shrubs including chaparral, meadows, and open woodland.
Range: Alaska south through western North America and all western mountains to northern Baja California, east across Canada's prairie provinces to northern Michigan, Ontario, and the Gaspé Peninsula.
Conservation: Not usually 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.
Comments: NULL
Alternate Scientific Names:
Everes amyntula
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 638 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 02, 2019
Submitted by: jhintermeister
Region: San Mateo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 08, 2020
Observation date: Jul 22, 2020
Submitted by: Shearwater13
Region: Modoc County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 01, 2020
Observation date: Jul 04, 2020
Submitted by: dsperanza
Region: Powell County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jul 06, 2020
Observation date: Jun 13, 2020
Submitted by: AaronB
Region: Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jun 15, 2020
Observation date: May 29, 2020
Submitted by: A_baldini
Region: Larimer County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: A_baldini
Verified date: Jun 08, 2020
Observation date: May 28, 2020
Submitted by: Tim Shortell
Region: Gunnison County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: A_baldini
Verified date: Jun 06, 2020
Observation date: May 15, 2020
Submitted by: Dwaine Wagoner
Region: Natrona County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jun 05, 2020
Observation date: May 08, 2020
Submitted by: razmakat
Region: Spokane County, Washington, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 02, 2020
Observation date: May 29, 2020
Submitted by: razmakat
Region: Whitman County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jun 01, 2020
Observation date: May 10, 2020
Submitted by: mstanek
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: May 25, 2020
Observation date: May 23, 2020
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Thurston County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 24, 2020
Observation date: May 15, 2020
Submitted by: dlister
Region: San Juan County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: May 16, 2020
Observation date: May 09, 2020
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 10, 2020
Observation date: May 06, 2020
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 08, 2020
Observation date: Apr 26, 2020
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 28, 2020
Observation date: Mar 02, 2020
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 06, 2020
Observation date: Oct 16, 2019
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Feb 04, 2020
Observation date: Jul 09, 2019
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 28, 2020
Observation date: Jun 28, 2019
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 27, 2020
Observation date: Jan 19, 2020
Submitted by: carrotpeople
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jan 20, 2020
Observation date: Jun 01, 2012
Submitted by: Josiah Gilbert
Region: Benton County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Dec 14, 2019
Observation date: Aug 12, 2019
Submitted by: topper72
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 03, 2019
Observation date: May 30, 2019
Submitted by: alyssa_d
Region: Deschutes County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 06, 2019
Observation date: Jul 02, 2019
Submitted by: Jon Kindschy
Region: Gunnison County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: A_baldini
Verified date: Jul 12, 2019
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