Observation date: June 08, 2021
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Specimen type: Photograph
Observation notes: Thanks for the info on NM Azure!
Status: Resident
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: July 22, 2021
Coordinator notes: The Azures are a difficult group taxonomically and still subject to opinion as to what represent different species or subspecies of one species or another (and genetics does not seem to be able to clearly differentiate them very well either at this point). The present classification of these in Colorado assigns our populations to Celastrina lucia...on the eastern side of the Continental Divide is ssp. sidara which applies to your sighting here. West of the Divide is ssp. lumarco. You get C. echo in NM as far north as Las Vegas but northern NM also has lucia/sidara. Echo there has two flights (spring, later summer - August), more southward and west. Colorado populations only have one flight in the spring of the year (other than an odd one that doesn't enter diapause and emerges in July-August...a rare occurrence). Hope that gives you a little more information. Standby, more to come on these blues in the future. Mike
