Eastern Tailed-Blue
Cupido comyntas (Godart, [1824])
Family: Lycaenidae
Subfamily: Polyommatinae
Identification: One narrow tail on hindwing. Upperside of male iridescent blue; summer females uniformly brown, spring females smaller with much blue at the wing bases. Underside of hindwing pale gray with black bar at end of cell, distinct black spots, and three large orange spots at outer margin near tail.
Wing Span: 7/8 - 1 1/8 inches (2.2 - 2.9 cm).
Life History: Males patrol near the host plants during daylight hours. Females lay eggs on flower buds; caterpillars eat buds, flowers, and seeds. The caterpillar hibernates, pupating the following spring. Although most Lycaenids do not perch with open wings, Eastern Tailed-Blues sometimes bask with their wings at a 45 angle.
Flight: Three broods from April-November in the north, many broods from February-November in the south.
Caterpillar Hosts: Many plants in the pea family including yellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis), alfalfa (Medicago sativa); various species of vetch (Vicia), clover (Trifolium), wild pea (Lathyrus), and bush clover (Lespedeza); and others.
Adult Food: This butterfly has a low flight and a short proboscis, thus is found at flowers close to the ground which are open or short-tubed. These include white sweet clover, shepherd's needle, wild strawberry, winter cress, cinquefoils, asters, and others.
Habitat: Many open, sunny places including weedy areas and disturbed habitats.
Range: Southeast Canada and Eastern United States west to western North Dakota, central Colorado, and central Texas. Also ranges from southeastern Arizona, western New Mexico, and west Texas south to Costa Rica.
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 comyntas
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 10757 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 08, 2019
Submitted by: SaraJE
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 08, 2019
Observation date: Aug 23, 2019
Submitted by: commentator
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 08, 2019
Observation date: Jun 12, 2018
Submitted by: MaynorOvando
Region: Petén, Guatemala
Verified by: Doug Taron
Verified date: Sep 05, 2019
Observation date: Aug 29, 2019
Submitted by: Naturepix
Region: Seneca County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 03, 2019
Observation date: Sep 03, 2019
Submitted by: Cormath
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 03, 2019
Observation date: Sep 01, 2019
Submitted by: ellenjones6
Region: Essex County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 02, 2019
Observation date: Aug 31, 2019
Submitted by: TLE613
Region: Woodford County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 01, 2019
Observation date: Aug 31, 2019
Submitted by: KatDotB
Region: St. Louis County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 01, 2019
Observation date: Aug 27, 2019
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Livingston County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 31, 2019
Observation date: Aug 30, 2019
Submitted by: br.robi
Region: Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 31, 2019
Observation date: Aug 25, 2019
Submitted by: Rjfischer
Region: Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 31, 2019
Observation date: Aug 28, 2019
Submitted by: mellielong
Region: Cabell County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 28, 2019
Observation date: Jul 20, 2019
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Oconee County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 28, 2019
Observation date: Aug 24, 2019
Submitted by: Eddie Wyatt
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 24, 2019
Observation date: Aug 24, 2019
Submitted by: Cormath
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 24, 2019
Observation date: Aug 21, 2019
Submitted by: czfrey
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 21, 2019
Observation date: Aug 18, 2019
Submitted by: crandal
Region: Summit County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 20, 2019
Observation date: Aug 20, 2019
Submitted by: montejosh
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 20, 2019
Observation date: Aug 20, 2019
Submitted by: lfiske
Region: Kings County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 20, 2019
Observation date: Aug 16, 2019
Submitted by: MSEmbeck
Region: Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 17, 2019
Observation date: Aug 16, 2019
Submitted by: Ohio97
Region: Montgomery County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 16, 2019
Observation date: Jul 19, 2019
Submitted by: Rjfischer
Region: Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 16, 2019
Observation date: Jul 30, 2019
Submitted by: Claire64
Region: Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 13, 2019
Observation date: Aug 10, 2019
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: Aug 11, 2019
- 1 of 449
- next ›