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.
Alternate Scientific Names:
Everes comyntas
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 11656 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 26, 2025
Submitted by: EddieGarrity
Region: Alexandria, Virginia, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 23, 2026
Observation date: Jun 10, 2024
Submitted by: Bookworm86
Region: Bedford County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 23, 2026
Observation date: Aug 03, 2024
Submitted by: EddieGarrity
Region: Alexandria, Virginia, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 18, 2026
Observation date: Apr 05, 2020
Submitted by: Mboater
Region: Amherst County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 17, 2026
Observation date: May 26, 2025
Submitted by: matt johnstone
Region: Osceola County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 16, 2026
Observation date: Jun 07, 2025
Submitted by: aarongunnar
Region: Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States
Verified by: Alex Stach
Verified date: Mar 16, 2026
Observation date: Aug 04, 2025
Submitted by: Maureen M
Region: Lapeer County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 16, 2026
Observation date: Jun 29, 2024
Submitted by: Robert Suppa
Region: Northampton County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 16, 2026
Observation date: Jul 17, 2025
Submitted by: Graycatbird88
Region: Orange County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Feb 23, 2026
Observation date: Apr 06, 2025
Submitted by: seemayer
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Feb 16, 2026
Observation date: Jan 15, 2026
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region:
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Jan 19, 2026
Observation date: Oct 11, 2025
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Cayo District, Belize
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Nov 18, 2025
Observation date: Sep 17, 2025
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Nov 12, 2025
Observation date: Sep 07, 2025
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Nov 12, 2025
Observation date: Jun 29, 2025
Submitted by: commentator
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Nov 07, 2025
Observation date: Oct 25, 2025
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 25, 2025
Observation date: Sep 15, 2025
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Sep 08, 2025
Submitted by: Snellzy
Region: Davidson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 24, 2025
Observation date: Jul 18, 2023
Submitted by: rbuist
Region: Manitoba, Canada
Verified by: chalicerae
Verified date: Oct 06, 2025
Observation date: Oct 03, 2025
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Oct 04, 2025
Observation date: Jul 23, 2025
Submitted by: gpugesek
Region: Dixon County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Oct 01, 2025
Observation date: Jul 24, 2025
Submitted by: gpugesek
Region: Cedar County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Oct 01, 2025
Observation date: Sep 29, 2025
Submitted by: AzarNick
Region: Pettis County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 30, 2025
Observation date: Sep 27, 2025
Submitted by: drmarc60223
Region: Juneau County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 30, 2025
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